Who can participate?
All artists are welcome to participate in the Arts Weekend tour- you don’t have to be a Cedarburg Artists’ Guild member, but there’s a discounted fee if you are.Everyone is welcome to take the tour, see the artists, and participate in the festivities. There is no admittance fee to visit the artists.

How do the artists sign up?
If you’re already a CAG member, you should automatically get one in the mail- usually in March or April. If you haven’t- they’re downloadable right from the CAG site.

Why participate in Arts Weekend? (submitted by Kitty Sturrock)
Why should you participate in Arts Weekend? Exposure, exposure, exposure!!! Here is your opportunity to establish yourself as a member of the local art community. You can use the weekend to invite to your studio or display location all of the people who have expressed an interest in your art in the past, as well as all of the people you can think of who might be interested in your art. In addition, you will be included in the brochure and will meet many people who take the art tour to find artists who are new to them.

Will you sell anything? Not necessarily. Often people must see your work several times before they can make the decision to buy. There have been years when I have sold a lot, and years I have sold nothing. It is important to persevere.

How does doing Arts Weekend compare to doing an art fair? It is a piece of cake! Arts Weekend requires sending in your money, cleaning up your studio or setting up your display space, and sitting indoors for two short days. Now let me describe a typical art fair experience. First, you have to find an art fair where art actually sells. These fairs are very hard to get into, with as many as ten applicants for every booth space. After you find such a fair, get your slides together, carefully follow all the requirements for applying, and send in your jury fee, then you get to wait several months to hear if you have been accepted, all the while saving that weekend just in case you get in. If you are accepted, the booth fee can be anywhere from $250-$400 or more. Add to that 2-3 nights in a motel, food, gas, and wear and tear on your car. Oh yes, and don’t forget the tent and display panels, which can cost upwards of $2000, and take several hours to set up and take down. After all of this, you get to sit outdoors with the mosquitos for 2-3 days, in whatever weather comes your way- wind, rain, cold, or 95º heat. (This description if coming from a person who actually enjoys art fairs and has a husband who is willing to come along and help. We call it retail camping.”)

Now that I have explained why Arts Weekend is a wonderful chance to market your art, and relatively easy at that, I hope more of you will take the opportunity to participate. If I cannot persuade you to participate as a displaying artist, can I suggest that you volunteer to help? There are many tasks that require only a small time commitment. And you will get to know some great people!

What if I don’t have a place to show?
CAG members are invited to show at the Cedarburg Cultural Center, where spaces will be divided up into booths. In addition, there are usually a number of businesses who indicate an interest in hosting an artist. The Arts Weekend chairman can help you find one, or don’t be afraid to ask an Ozaukee business of your choosing- it usually doesn’t cost the business anything- they just have to be open for the Saturday and Sunday hours for the tours.

How is the tour advertised?
The Arts Weekend tour is announced via beautiful full-color brochures and flyers available and distributed throughout the county. In addition, magazine and newspaper ads, press releases and calendar listings, yard signs, flags, community message boards, window displays, the CAG website, and most importantly- word of mouth!

Tips for Success:
-Don’t be afraid to invite your own contacts- from your own mailing list, or group
of family, friends, and acquaintances.
-Have your promo materials available- business cards, flyers- make sure your visitors can
find you again- even if they don’t buy a painting or artpiece today, that doesn’t
mean they won’t do it later. Many buyers need to see it more than once, “think
about it”, and often “talk it over” with spouses or family members.
-Have refreshments available- of course this is optional, but everyone likes to feel relaxed
and welcome in the places they visit.
-Plan your own additional events at your place of exhibition- you could have music, a
contest, an interesting window display, whatever- let your imagination soar!