Scottsdale Home and Garden Expo Center

A new opportunity for artists has arrived in Scottsdale in the form of the Scottsdale Home and Garden Expo Center. The Scottsdale site is actually one of four expo centers in the Phoenix area. The four centers are permanent facilities that are open 7 days a week all year long. The difference in their expo format is that the booths are unmanned. This allows shoppers to explore and compare products at their leisure without pressure from sales staff. They can collect information on products of interest and contact the vendors to pursue their interest. Vendors pay rent for the booths.....however...artists do not. Artists put down a damage deposit which is fully refundable based on the condition of the booth when they leave. I chose to take advantage of this opportunity and see what happens. My booth was already painted a neutral color so I left it as is thinking of the many galleries that paint their walls such neutral colors. I put up paintings, put in an area rug, set up a small side table with a basket for business cards, positioned a silk plant.....stood back and took a look. I liked it...but decided the booth needs to be repainted in the near future. My paintings kind of blend in too much. A bolder, darker color will help to make them pop out to the viewer. Now.....we wait to see what happens. My concern is whether a buyer will be willing to contact the artist and come back to meet the artist at another time to be able to make the purchase. Regardless....my work is getting exposure and that is a good thing!! If you are in the area stop in and check it out.