Show Review of the Month La Quinta Art Celebration Spring

September 2024, by Sunshine Artist Editor

February 29 - March 3, 2024; La Quinta Art Celebration Spring, La Quinta, CA. Contact: SCOPE Events, LLC, Kathleen Hughes, P.O. Box 104, La Quinta, CA 92247; Phone: 760-628-7770; Email: info@scopeevents.org; Website: www.scopeevents.org; Application fee: $50; Space fees: $350 to $1,000; Space sizes: 12x12 to 24x36; 100% outdoors; Exhibitors: 200; Attendance estimate: 13,500; Admission: $25. 

Compiled from FastAudit reviews 

The La Quinta Art Celebration Spring ranked FA4 in 2023’s 200 Best list. All the artists who reviewed the 2023 and 2024 festivals said they would exhibit in this show again. 

One jewelry artist reported $32,000 in sales. “La Quinta Art Celebration, from my experience, is the best-run show in the country. The management team, the venue, marketing, community participation, and artist quality are all the components that make it so successful,” the artist said. “I have been in this show for years, and it has always been my best!” 

A wood artist made $4,850. 

An artist whose medium was painting made $40,000 and described it as a great show with high-quality buyers in a beautiful location. 

The sales total for one art glass artist was $18,000. The artist said it was a well-organized event with attention to the artists’ needs — except for close parking and close load-in/load-out. “Patrons were more knowledgeable than other quality shows and came to buy,” this artist said. 

Promoter’s Self‑Review 

Kathleen Hughes said La Quinta Art Celebration Spring’s new layout drew compliments from artists and attendees. She said it offered more corner spaces and wider aisles, while also highlighting the overall beauty of the park. 

Hughes, the event’s director, estimated attendance at 13,500 and said the weather was mild — in the low to mid 70s. While there were some gusts of wind on Saturday, it did not deter people from attending the event and purchasing art, she said. 

How the Show Went 

“Traffic was steady throughout the four days of the Celebration,” Hughes said. “Art sales continue to be strong at all the Celebration events.” 

She noted sales have been consistently strong with all their shows since they began in 2020. “We are fortunate to have educated art patrons who have multiple homes and a high-level income who support our events,” Hughes said. “We also benefit from strong community support and dedicated volunteers.” 

Show Enhancements 

For every Celebration event, their team brainstorms ways to enhance the experience for attendees and artists. “We listen to artist feedback and incorporate their ideas into our future plans,” she said. 

For the March show, they upgraded the Artist & Volunteer Hospitality Area by increasing the seating with market umbrellas and having longer hours, so artists, assistants, and volunteers were able to eat from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day (the show’s hours were 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) 

The selection of food offerings was expanded. “We now have volunteers to deliver the gourmet lunch boxes and chilled water to the artist booths, so they did not have to leave their booths and possibly lose a valuable sale,” Hughes said. “The artists love that they are able to select their lunch for each day from eight delicious options. But this delivery really made them happy!” 

Their Artist Award Reception is always popular. Artists and their assistants were invited to the free event, and she said the increased seating and ambiance lighting made it even more welcoming — allowing artists to celebrate until the last glass was personally engraved for them and the last drop of wine poured. 

Ten local restaurants sponsored the event, and there was also a beer sponsor. “We pride ourselves in never running out of food or drink,” Hughes said. 

Lessons Learned 

She said something learned at the show that will improve future ones was the need for a better microphone for the Artist Award Reception, as it was challenging to speak over 600 guests at the event. 

“Overall, this show proved the importance of SCOPE Events, LLC to continue to invest and improve our Celebration events,” Hughes said. “We are determined to remain one of the best in the business.”

Best Improvement 

She said the best improvement made others might learn from was the development of their Artist Portal. It allowed artists to sign contracts, give SCOPE Events booth request information, buy an ad in the event program, be featured in the Artist Gallery on the website, pay at one time, and find critical support information to make their experience at the event run smoothly, Hughes said. 

“Although this digital service is very efficient, artists frequently comment about their appreciation of our Artist Helpline, which truly offers 24/7 phone service,” she said. “They also have access to my cell number. It is this human interaction and accessibility that makes La Quinta really stand out.” 

Her message to those considering this show is, “Continue to apply to Celebration events. It takes the majority of artists more than one time before being accepted into our events. Read about it on our website and use our Helpline for your questions.”