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Greg Lawler’s Art Fair SourceBook™
is pleased to announce that the 2005 AFSB Award for “The
Best Small Town Fine Art Festival in America” has
been given to “Art on the Square”
in Belleville, Illinois.
This award, the first of its kind, is given in recognition
of three years of dedication, hard work and the commitment of
the entire Belleville community, but especially on the part
of Patty Gregory, who has guided this show from a first year
event with no national ranking in 2002 to the “20th Best
Art Fair in America” in 2004, an amazing accomplishment.
Aside from the fact that artists’ sales at this show
are better than at all but 19 other art fairs across the entire
country, this event stands out for several other important reasons:
1. With one of the most successful patron purchase programs
in the country, the show all but guarantees that a very substantial
pool of resources will be available for the purchase of art,
months before the artists start to set up for the show, and
2005 will likely set yet another record.
2. The welcoming feeling generated by this unique community
is palpable throughout this event, beginning with the supportive
and hard working volunteers helping out the exhibitors on set
up day, through the Saturday night artists’ social, to
the ‘Thanks for Coming’ speech on Sunday morning
from the town’s Mayor himself. The level of support for
the artists is heart warming and exceptional.
3. Willingness to expand the marketing outreach into the St.
Louis community to draw art lovers from well beyond the normal
reach of a small town event. The effectiveness of this exemplary
campaign is truly impressive. I wish other event directors would
take a lesson from this approach.
I want to commend all those involved in making this event the
incredible success that it has become in bringing together its
growing community around the world of the arts festival.
Gregory J Lawler, Editor & Publisher,
Greg Lawler’s Art Fair SourceBook™
2003 NE 11TH AVENUE
PORTLAND, OR 97212
www.artfairsourcebook.com
800-358-2045
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