Show Review of the Month CenterFest Arts Festival
Photos courtesy of Beth Lowery
CenterFest Arts Festival
Location: Durham, NC
Dates: Sept. 21-22, 2024
Contact: Durham Arts Council
Website: durhamarts.org
Email: cscott@durhamarts.org
Phone: 919-560-2787
Venue: 100% outdoors
Space fees: $275 to $550
Exhibitors: 110
Attendance estimate: 35,000
COMPILED FROM FASTAUDIT REVIEWS
The CenterFest Arts Festival ranked FA22 in 2024’s 200 Best list. Ninety-six percent of the artists who reviewed the last two shows said they would participate in the event again.
“Thank you for having us,” said an artist whose medium is painting and who reported $3,500 in sales. The artist would do the show again and said, “Despite the freak storm overnight making it so we couldn’t attend Sunday (my tent's problem, not CenterFest’s), we had a fantastic Saturday, and I imagine we would have had at least a $6,000 to $7,000 weekend had we been there Sunday. Load-in/-load out was super smooth, communication was great throughout, layout was great, and really thankful for a vegan option for lunch that was filling. Loved this event and the visitors seemed to have a great time, too.”
A fiber/textile/leather artist who had $1,300 in sales would return because it is a great show.
An artist whose medium is painting would participate again because it was a well-run show. The artist’s sales totaled $4,000.
A mixed-media artist who had $6,000 in sales also would.
“Sales were decent, and the logistics (e.g. load-in and load-out) were handled smoothly by the event organizers,” said a fiber/textile/leather artist who made $1,500.
Another fiber/textile/leather artist also wants to do the show again. “This was my fourth year participating, and every year has been much fun and good sales,” said the artist who reported $3,000 in sales.
A mixed-media artist who made $3,000 would return because the show is close to home.
Favorite of the Year
“This is my favorite show of the year,” said a fine art artist who had $2,890 in sales. “I love this venue, the art-minded patrons, my return collectors, and folks just stopping by to say hello or to talk art. The organizers and their staff, along with volunteers, make this show’s load-in and -out and in between super easy.”
A mixed-media artist who reported $2,100 in sales said, “CenterFest is usually my best and most successful show! The organizers are very organized and helpful, and attendance was great!”
An art glass artist who made $2,200 does not plan to participate again due to cutting back on shows because of age and health. The artist described it as “a very satisfying experience, with lots of shoppers, lots of energy, very strong sales. It rained overnight, and my tent was destroyed by the weight of the rain, so I only had one of the two days of the festival, but it was a wonderful one day.”
A fiber/textile/leather artist who reported about $4,000 in sales said, “I absolutely will participate and continue to participate as long as I'm invited! This event is always a top-seller for me, and I love to see the repeat shoppers who seek out my booth. Event organizers are very organized and make sure that the vendors are informed and taken care of.”
Another fiber/textile/leather artist also raved about the event. “It is a wonderful creative atmosphere, and the management is fantastic. I love doing this show,” said this artist whose sales totaled $3,000.
A jewelry artist who made $6,000 would do the show again, saying it is “very well-organized and constantly well-attended by very nice people.”
An artist whose medium is painting had $5,000 in sales and said it is a well-run arts festival, with great crowds and sales. This artist would return.
A wood artist who made $2,500 said, “The organization is one of the best. The fee to participate not only includes that, but also breakfast and lunch.”
Another wood artist was also pleased with the show. “Best event I have participated in,” the artist said. “Great support from staff. Established event attracting serious buyers of art.” This artist’s sales totaled $4,000.
An artist whose mediums are mixed media and digital art made $2,000. “The visitors are art lovers and come to buy,” the artist said. “My favorite show of the year — my target audience.”
An artist whose medium is painting reported $3,000 in sales and said it is an “absolutely amazing event” and the best-managed show.
One printmaker made $2,500 at 2024’s festival. “This is one of my favorite shows,” the artist said. “It is well-run and well-attended.”
SHOW PROMOTER’S SELF‑REVIEW
Colleen Scott said 2024’s CenterFest Arts Festival was a success, with a record number of attendees. “We had great weather and turnouts on both days,” she said. “There was a midnight windstorm that damaged some vendor tents/products, but most vendors were able to still participate in both days of the festival.
The Durham Arts Council is the promoter behind this festival, and Scott is the artist services manager. She said artists and attendees were pleased with the festival’s turnout and quality of work. “We also had a great group of volunteers ready to step in and help out where needed,” Scott said.
What Artists Said
Attendance was estimated at 35,000. She shared some of the feedback received from artists. “Artists love the Durham community, location of the festival (in downtown Durham), and how organized the event is,” Scott said. “Sales were average compared to last year, with some artists doing better this year and others with lower sales than normal.”
Their Best Improvement
She said the best improvement made this year others might learn from was “there is no such thing as too much communication!” Her message to those considering this show is, “Durham is a vibrant community that loves to support artists, and CenterFest is in its 50th year of success!”