Wow. I feel like the guy behind the counter at ticket master when the latest and greatest rock band in the world comes to town.

Eliot School inside tables were gone in less than 5 minutes. The inside walls went fast but lasted another half hour with just two left.

Hey Folks,

I have been getting quite a few emails from artists, promoting themselves and their locations for JPOS this weekend (what are the rest of you waiting on? Or am I not on your list?)

Get marketing, Artists! Let your fans and peeps know where you will be!

Did you get people to come visit you during open studios despite the weather? Did you see traffic and make sales even in the rain?

Sure, some people did not have the experience they were hoping for. I didn’t, but that was due to the rain!

I don’t know about you, but I was hoping for a little more sun and a little less water this past weekend.

However, while shoes, cloths, and hair were damp, peoples’ spirits (both the public’s and the artists’) seemed to be pretty sunny.

Jean, our clever and creative coordinator, came across this article that mentions many of our sponsors and features our wonderful corner of the world.

However, they neglected to mention that the 15th Annual Jamaica Plain Open Studios is happening this September 28-29 as well.

So, you got people in your space (studio or group site or whatever). What do you do now? Better yet, what don’t you do???

If you are sitting in the back of your space, your back to the crowd, nose in a book, you probably won’t make many sales. Especially not high ticket items.

If you are reading this the morning of the show, then get back in your time machine and read it about three weeks ago!

There, there. It’ll be okay..

On our site, we have a couple of check lists (Ready, Set, Go!, JPOS Helpful Hints, The Artist Checklist) that we have put together, based on our own experiences and on the stories from other participating artists.

“People who try to save money by not marketing might as well stop a clock to save time!”

This press release just showed up in my email about the Orphan Works copyright bill that is working its way thru the system.

What does this have to do with the fine arts? Well, imagine you are walking through a store and see a product with your art work on it. No one told you about it. No one contacted you to get permission, offer you some $$ or other compensation. How would you feel?

The Insurance Man cometh! (cue scary music)

Did you know that your homeowner’s insurance may not cover you for anything that happens at your studio (or other space) during open studios or other arts events?

A long time ago, a little boy was sitting in a dark theater, when a small green puppet named Yoda, croaked out the phrase:

“There is no ‘Try’. There is either do. Or, do not.”

So, why am I quoting Master Yoda on a blog space for artists? Because, he was talking about commitment.