[Yak] Juried exhibitions- problems with wind!

Jewelry Discussion
1

If it is outdoors, be prepared for any weather, especially wind.

I would like to know what others are using. I spent a lot of money
getting 4" pvc pipe with caps . . . spouse decided to fill these with rock
salt . . . each weighs about 30 pounds (I have four.) We used these at
the last show - strapped these 4’, or so, tall pipes to each of the legs

  • and the wind almost carried the booth away anyway! (You should have seen
    three adults hanging onto the metal legs of the canopy while the wind blew
    and while the “THUNDERSTORM” (with lightning!!!) was going through. All I
    could think of was “lightning rods!!!” Needless to say, this wasn’t fun
    and we were very grateful that our canopy didn’t collapse or rip (as
    happened to others.)

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

2

I use PVC filled with concrete that are about 2 feet long. I have an EZ
Up canopy which one of my friends calls an EZ down. I put grommets on the
corners so I can secure the canopy to the frame because I had it blow off
at a show this spring. I use 6 weights and hang them from the corners
with nylon tie downs. Don’t use anything that will stretch or swing.
Wind is the worst enemy of art fairs… good luck. - Deb

3

…spouse decided to fill these with rock
salt . . . each weighs about 30 pounds (I have four.) …
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

G’day Fishbre (Hate calling you that! But I respect your need not to have
your real name in public.)
Long time no talk, eh? I would think that your 4" pipes would be
considerably heavier if you filled them with fine dry beach sand instead
of the much lighter rock salt. Cheers,

       / \
     /  /
   /  /
 /  /__| \      @John_Burgess2
(______ )

At sunny Nelson NZ (On our 52nd wedding anniversary - and envy will
get you nowhere)

4

Hi,
Thanks for bringing this subject up. Help! I am new to this process
and need advice.

  1. I am unsure of what shows to enter. My average cost per jewelry
    piece is around $450.00. 2. I am currently researching displays and
    canopies (indoor and outdoor) I have noticed that the Trimline Canopy
    company has a canopy that can be used indoors and outdoors. Any
    suggestions on canopies and what others have experienced I would
    appreciate. Also, do the shows require that the fabric is fire
    resistant.

  2. Are there any fees for bringing others into the show to help out?
    (I’m going to need all the help I can get)

Thank you!
Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Linda Crawford
Linda Crawford Designs
Willits, CA USA
http://www.jps.net/lcrawford
“What if the hokey pokey is what life is all about.”

5

Hi…be glad you were there to hold on!

But seriously, in a really bad storm very little will
hold a tent down.

Here are some of the ideas I use and have seen on hard
surfaces when you can’t stake down.

Nail into the asphalt

fill your weights with concrete

fill your weights with lead!

buy concrete blocks for extra weight

buy unfinished barbells for extra weight

tie down to a nearby tree,bench,fence.

go to a scrap yard and look for old window
counterweights to use.

bring empty/collapsible water containers so you can
fill them if more wind comes along than expected.

Take the tent down or lower it way down if you are
expecting foul weather overnight.

Last year in Michigan City Indiana about 3/4 of the
tents were wiped out by a severe thunderstorm…these
were all different makes and types well staked and
weighted by old pros. The fact is you act paranoid, do
your best…and always take your work and
non-replaceables out if expecting foul weather.

Karen

6

I would like to know what others are using. I spent a lot of money
getting 4" pvc pipe with caps . . . spouse decided to fill these with rock
salt . . . each weighs about 30 pounds (I have four.) We used these at
the last show - strapped these 4’, or so, tall pipes to each of the
legs - and the wind almost carried the booth away anyway!

Fishbre,

I use 4" PVC filled with concrete. Don’t know how heavy rock salt is,
but mine are 18" long each and weigh between 18-21 lbs. ea. I use two
weights at each corner (appx 40 lbs.) which is about 160 lbs. total
weight. [One long weight at each corner would certainly look better, but
it is too heavy for me to lug around.] I got a good tip from an artist
who has been ‘doing the circuit’ for 20 years. He told me to use tie down
straps and secure these to the top inside corners of the canopy frame.
Attach the weights and pull the straps just tight enough so that the
weight is still sitting on the ground instead of hanging freely, in
effect, pulling the canopy downward. I can’t explain the physics of this,
but seems to work. Someone else suggested putting lead shot in the PVC
along with the concrete which sounds really heavy. If my booth is not on
pavement I use those large screw shaped devices which are made for
attaching your dog’s leash to in the yard (in addition to the weights). I
use heavy plastic rope to tie the top canopy frame corners to the screw
and then screw these into the ground until the rope is very tight. In a
really bad windy storm nothing works 100%, not even using concrete screws
in the pavement (which most shows frown on) with weights on an expensive
$1000 canopy. I know I’m tempting fate by saying this, but so far I
haven’t lost my canopy although if I’m too lazy to put on the stabilizer
bars it has sometimes ‘walked’ more than a foot in heavy winds.

Nancy <@nbwidmer>
ICQ # 9472643
Bacliff, Texas Gulf Coast USA

7

Hello…

Yes the wind is a real problem. Here in Minnesota, if your booth is on
grass you use those large screw like things you screw into the ground to
hook your dog up to (Available at Kmart , Walmart etc.). Screw one into
the grass on each canopy corner then use tie-downs from there to the
struts on the top of your canopy. Another helpful thing are sand bags.
Make your own with handles on them…bungee them to your canopy…in
addition to those PVC pipes filled with concrete for when your art fair is
not on grass…

Also for those in HOT climates, My husband made me a neat system for the
portable fans you can buy for your car that plug into the cigarette
lighter. I have two. They connect to an adapter box that hooks up to a
marine battery. The battery has a long life and can be re-charged every
night without harm to the battery. Not like a lawn mower battery that has
to have alot of charge to start the engine, but doesn’t have the ability
to last on a long drain and be re-charged.

Isn’t it fun to base your marketing efforts on weather? I often think we
artists could learn alot from the traveling circus!

8

Fishbre,

I use 4" PVC filled with concrete. Don’t know how heavy rock salt is,
but mine are 18" long each and weigh between 18-21 lbs. ea. I use two
weights at each corner (appx 40 lbs.) which is about 160 lbs. total
weight. [One long weight at each corner would certainly look better, but
it is too heavy for me to lug around.] I got a good tip from an artist
who has been ‘doing the circuit’ for 20 years. He told me to use tie down
straps and secure these to the top inside corners of the canopy frame.
Attach the weights and pull the straps just tight enough so that the
weight is still sitting on the ground instead of hanging freely, in
effect, pulling the canopy downward. I can’t explain the physics of this,
but seems to work. Someone else suggested putting lead shot in the PVC
along with the concrete which sounds really heavy. If my booth is not on
pavement I use those large screw shaped devices which are made for
attaching your dog’s leash to in the yard (in addition to the weights). I
use heavy plastic rope to tie the top canopy frame corners to the screw
and then screw these into the ground until the rope is very tight. In a
really bad windy storm nothing works 100%, not even using concrete screws
in the pavement (which most shows frown on) with weights on an expensive
$1000 canopy. I know I’m tempting fate by saying this, but so far I
haven’t lost my canopy although if I’m too lazy to put on the stabilizer
bars it has sometimes ‘walked’ more than a foot in heavy winds.

Nancy <@nbwidmer>
ICQ # 9472643
Bacliff, Texas Gulf Coast USA

9

I think I’ve already stated that each of my weights weighs about 30 lbs.
I have four of them, one for each leg of the canopy thingy. I don’t get
technical . . . but, if yours weigh only 18-21 lbs and can hold your tent
down, and mine weigh 30 lbs (total of 120 lbs vs. aprox avg 80 lbs) there
is something wrong with my tent! Rocksalt, feathers, lead or whatever if
it weighs a pound, it weighs a pound.

I have encountered wind that picks up my canopy (even with the weights and
three people holding on to the legs) and that upsets me. How do I solve
the problem???

Thanks for any advice (in advance)

10

Isn’t it fun to base your marketing efforts on weather? I often think we
artists could learn alot from the traveling circus!

Are you sure you realize what you’re saying? The larger ones only do inside
shows. Not that that’s bad, but it tends to limit the number available
oppourtunities to sell to large numbers of people.

11

SNIP

He told me to use tie down
straps and secure these to the top inside corners of the canopy frame.
Attach the weights and pull the straps just tight enough so that the
weight is still sitting on the ground instead of hanging freely, in
effect, pulling the canopy downward.
SNIP

I think you will find that it is better to have the weight off the ground.
Then all the weight will be holding the canopy down. if it is resting on
the ground some of the weight efftec will be lost. Cement or gravel will
weigh more than rock salt. The salt will eventually absorb moisture ans
possibly leak out. The weight can be tied to the legs to keep it from
boiwing in the wind. I haven’t added weights to my EZ-UP because I have
wood walls on 3 sides of my booth that are tied to the frame. each wall
weighs about 60 pounds. this gives me enough stability to feel
comfortable. If there are gail force winds about, I’m packin it in.

++Diplomacy - the art of letting someone have your way.++

12

Fishbre,

What a nightmare! I have a similar set-up, PVC pipes 3’ long 4"
diameter filled with concrete. They are pretty heavy. I got one of those
archtop canopies last year and so far havn’t been in any really bad wind,
but a fellow artist with the same canopy said his was one of the only ones
that came through a recent storm. The obvious solution would be to do
only indoor shows, but I’ve done pretty good at the last few outdoor ones
I’ve just gotten back from. I’ve been having fairly good luck with east
coast storms.

Wendy Newman
ggraphix@msn.com

13

I have encountered wind that picks up my canopy (even with the weights
and three people holding on to the legs) and that upsets me. How do I
solve the problem???

G’day Fishbre (Oh I HATE that word!) My son used to have heavy
duralumin things like tent pegs, only more so, with which to tie his
aeroplane down on windy airfields (couldn’t afford hangar space as well as
a little plane) They were about two feet six inches in length and were
around half an inch diameter. In fact I made them for him, and there was a
sharp bend down at one end of about three inches. the other end I ground
to a tapered rounded point.

These were hammered into the ground at a 45 degree angle and the stout
nylon ropes were bent around them with the knot known (to sailors and
Boy/Girl Scouts) as a round turn and two half hitches. His plane never
took off without him even in the worst gales. Cheers,

       / \
     /  /
   /  /
 /  /__| \      @John_Burgess2
(______ )

At sunny Nelson NZ (in mid-winter)

14

Hi Linda,

You should think carefully about the canopy you purchase. A heavy duty
one may be difficult for one person to handle, but in a wind storm may
hold up much better than a lighter weight one. Ease of setup is essential
for a one person setup team but durability outweighs that in my mind.
Having weights on every corner, tied down to the canopy’s upper crossbars
is essential too. How it looks is uninmportant. How it works is. I use
2’ long 4" wide pvc pipe filled with concrete, and then bungee extra
weights up in the center of the crossbars for added piece of mind. So far
it has help up in gusty winds of around 30 mph. However, I did a show in
Avon, Colorado last July and gusts got up to over 45 mph and 2 tents that
had strapped themselves together for added protection found thenmselves
upside down 10 feet away. Bent poles, and damaged paintings and
photographs were the result.

Most show promoters who do indoor art shows (CCM, ACC, etc) require your
fabrics be fireproofed. Normally this is a city fire code and the fire
marshals come around to inspect any new fabric that they haven’t seen
before. I haven’t known any promoters of outdoor shows to even mention it
to me yet.

Normally there are no added fees for bringing any help to the shows, as
long as they don’t attempt to sell their own art work in your booth. Show
promoters frown on that and you can get thrown out, never to be invited
back again.

One last thing on canopies. Some show promoters like continuity. They
want to see all white canopies. No blues, stripes, flowers, reds,
multicolors, etc. One of the reasons they ask for a slide of your booth
setup.

Good luck Linda. Have fun. I enjoyed it. It was fun doing an art show
in a festive atmosphere.

Barry Hansen
Hansen Designs
Corona, Calif. (where summer has definately arrived!)

15

I think I’ve already stated that each of my weights weighs about 30 lbs.
I have four of them, one for each leg of the canopy thingy. I don’t get
technical . . . but, if yours weigh only 18-21 lbs and can hold your
tent down, and mine weigh 30 lbs (total of 120 lbs vs. aprox avg 80 lbs)
there is something wrong with my tent!

But, I have 8 weights, two at each corner, weighting appx 20lbs each.
That’s 160 lbs. Also, I use 3-8 metal grids (2’ x 5’) each weighing appx
20lbs which are attached to the top side struts of the canopy adding
another 60-160 lbs, total now of up to 320 lbs and I use stabilizer bars
if strong wind is expected.

Rocksalt, feathers, lead or whatever if
it weighs a pound, it weighs a pound.

Also, tying them to the leg is not as effective as attaching them to the
top inside corners with tie downs so that the weights are still on
the ground, effectively pulling the canopy down towards the ground.

I have encountered wind that picks up my canopy (even with the weights and
three people holding on to the legs) and that upsets me. How do I solve
the problem???

Yep, wind will pick up any canopy with any amount of weight if the
wind is strong enough, including mine. I don’t like cold, rain, or even
snow at outdoor shows, but wind I hate 'cause there isn’t a lot you can
do about it if its really strong. If you use tie downs, additional weight
(in any form) and you either buy the stabilizer bars for your canopy or
make your own these will help.

What kind of canopy do you have, and how strong were the winds - over
30mph? Sorry, can’t really solve the problem of wind, but hope these
suggestions help. They are what I’ve used for almost 5 years and so far
(darn, I hate to tempt fate) I haven’t been blown away yet.

Nancy <@nbwidmer>
ICQ # 9472643
Bacliff, Texas Gulf Coast USA