Show Review of the Month Cheesman Park Art Fest
July 22-23, 2023; Cheesman Park Art Fest, Denver, CO. Contact: Dash Events, Liz Gore King, Colorado Springs, CO 80904; Phone: 505-506-7247; Email: liz@dasheventsdenver.org; Website: dashevents.com; Space fees: $545 to $1,190; Space sizes: 10x10 to 20x10; 100% outdoors; Exhibitors: 150; Attendance estimate: 7,000.
Compiled from FastAudit reports
The Cheesman Park Art Fest ranked FA62 in 2023’s 200 Best list. Of the artists who reviewed 2023’s event, 97% said they would exhibit in this art festival again.
An artist whose mediums are fine art and wood reported $2,500 in sales and would return to this show because it is fun, relatively close to home, and has consistent sales.
A ceramicist who made $3,000 said it was a good show with a fun crowd.
“Great show,” said a mixed media artist who had $5,000 in sales.
An artist whose mediums are fine art and painting had sales of $23,000 and said, “One of the best shows in Denver as far as quality, organizing, sales, etc.”
An art glass artist who made $3,900 said it is “always a pleasure working with the Dash Events crew — great communication, professionally run, well organized.”
An artist whose medium was painting reported $2,400 in sales and said, “This is a well-organized show. They treat the artists well with snacks and water. This show has a flow of traffic from beginning to end. Patrons are seeking art to purchase.”
A fiber/textile/leather artist who made $4,300 wants to return.
“Great location and attendance,” said an artist whose mediums are fine art and painting. This artist made $4,000 at the show.
Another artist whose mediums are painting and fine art reported $10,000 in sales and said, “This show is amazing and consistent, and I can’t say enough great things about management, the quality of the buyers and art, and the turnout. It’s a wonderful show in every measure — one of my top shows that I’ll keep doing every year they accept me. I won’t miss this one. It’s a great show.”
An artist whose mediums are fine craft and mixed media made $4,000 and would return, saying, “My art was well received, and I had a good time being there.”
Sales for an artist whose mediums are metal and sculpture totaled $3,000, and this artist would also participate again. “Sales were fantastic on Saturday, but Sunday was only 10% of Saturday — probably from the heat,” the artist said.
One photographer who made about $1,100 said the promoter is great but sales were low two years in a row. The artist does not plan to return.
A digital art artist who had $4,000 in sales wants to do the show in the future. “This event does an incredible job of promoting, organizing, and providing services to its artists. Their thoughtful and expert efforts are evident from every aspect of the event,” the artist said.
A jewelry artist who made $2,000 said, “The weather would be the biggest factor for me going forward. The last three shows I did with them have gotten hotter every time, and it is very difficult to stay cool (even though I had three fans in my booth and stayed hydrated). My phone heated up so much that I had to keep it in my cooler (I use it as my hotspot for my Square register). I could not get good connectivity on the second day, so I had to resort to downloading after hours when I could find a good Wi-Fi connection. Because of this, I did lose payment on one item; fortunately, it was a small sale.” The artist would participate again because it is a good show, with great staff and quality art. “It would be great if they could set up a Wi-Fi hub — not sure how feasible that is,” the artist said.
An artist whose mediums are fine art, mixed media, and metal had $3,700 in sales and would participate again. “I really enjoy doing any Dash event,” the artist said. “It’s usually a very good show — well attended and very well organized, with high-quality art.”
Also hoping to be invited back is an artist whose mediums are fine craft and fiber/textile/leather. Reporting $8,000 in sales, this artist said, “It’s one of the top shows based on organization, communication, and advertising for Denver.”
Sales for one fiber/textile/leather artist totaled $12,000. “Cheeseman Park Art Fest is the best art show in Colorado due to the high-end park location and promotional talents. It’s a great art show with wonderful promoters and artists,” said this artist who would do the show again.