Testimonials
What artists say about AFSB:
"I use Art Fair Sourcebook for unvarnished insights about art shows that I can't get from other sources that take ad dollars from the shows. Before I commit my time and financial resources to traveling to a new show, I always check it out first on Art Fair Sourcebook."
— Sarah Pollock (Painting) Port Matilda, PA
"We have earned 30-50% more money through the years by evaluating which shows are right for us using our AFSB "bible" (because we read it daily). When we don't use it or ignore what we have learned from it we are sorry every time."
— Vernon and Karen Leibrant (Woodturning) Everson, WA
"I am new to the craft show/art fair scene and finding a resource like the Art Fair SourceBook has been very valuable. There are so many factors that play into the success and ease of a show and being able to review other artists experiences helps me to decide which shows I will apply to each year."
— Denise Harrison (Handcrafted Jewelry) Bend, OR
"We use your book as our bible and don't even consider doing a new show until we check the SourceBook first. You've saved us from many costly mistakes. Thank you."
— Thomas Langan (Wood) Roslyn Harbor, NY
"We would not be in business if not for the SourceBook."
— Andrea Wilkes (Jewelry) Covington, LA
"If you can't afford to buy the SourceBook, you shouldn't be in this business."
— Patrick Whalen (Photography) Brooksville, FL
"My sales went up 40% when I started using AFSB instead of Sunshine Artist."
— William Colburn, Jr. (Sculpture) Fairhope, AL
"My SourceBook made me over $10,000 last year alone."
— Kevin Russell (Paper) Phoenix, AZ
"We enjoy your publication and consider it more accurate and more informative than Sunshine Artist OR The Harris List."
— Nick Lees (Sculpture) Fairhope, AL
"It's the most comprehensive book of its kind I've ever seen and I'm grateful for it. As an artist starting out, it's wonderful to have the information you publish so I can really be careful about the shows I try for. As an oil painter, I've paid to be in a jewelry dominant show! It's so much better than finding out the hard way. You're a genius! I'm telling all my friends!"
— Wheat Elder (Painting) Salem, IL
"I TRIPLED my income the first year I used the SourceBook!"
— Pat Bouchard (Printmaking) Rocky Mount, NC
"I started out using Sunshine Artist Magazine but quickly learned how unrealistic it is much of the time. Your publication was recommended to me by other experienced artists and has been a great help. It does a great job of letting new artists know what shows to apply to and when. I'm very glad to have found your publication; it has been a great help to me as a newcomer to the art fair circuit."
— Rodney Furgason (Wood Sculpture) Topeka, KS
"It's a great resource. I make great money by following it. Using the web site is like driving a high performance race car! Thanks for the improvements and for heeding our inputs. All the sorts and field narrowing features work great. It's getting harder and harder to find things to complain about, but I'll find something! Keep up the great work."
— Mark Lewanski (Glass) Portland, MI
"I think your product is by far the most useful thing I've ever come across for planning my show schedule. The online reviews from artists who were in the show are priceless information. I wish I had signed up a few years ago when I was starting out. I'm in my third year now. The first two years I spent way too many weekends on shows that were a complete waste of time. Now that I'm signed up it's been great to read how other artists did at shows and their thoughts before even applying. This is an amazing tool and I wish I'd been using it earlier"
— Cameron Gillie (Photography) Madison, WI
"I just bought the SourceBook, and I can't believe I haven't used it all these years. It was worth every penny."
— Patrick Dragon (Ceramics) Marquette, MI
"If you are going to travel to far away festivals you need as much info as possible to make a wise decision and Art Fair SourceBook is a great place to gather more information - the statistics are good and the reviews are helpful. It is expensive but if you find two or three good shows then it is worth it."
- Layl McDill (Sculpture) - January 4th, 2016
"I have found the Art Fair Source Book to be a tremendous help to me when preparing my schedule for the year. I used to blindly try out fairs and waste a lot of time and money finding out which fairs were not right for me or what I sell. With AFSB I can save a lot of time because of the ratings that compare average sales minus costs.
The first year I used AFSB, my gross sales went up by $22,000 over the previous year, so it was well worth the price. And I think AFSB deserves credit for all of the hard work putting all that information together for us."
— William Waite (Puzzle maker) Wisconsin
"If one is changing up their shows, you need AFSB. If you do the same old thing year after year, don't bother."
- Anne Wooster (Printmaking)
AFSB contains tons of info about the shows that cannot even be found in the show prospectus or website. I appreciate having all the info in one location where I can find it easily.
- Charlene Marsh (Painting)
"If you want to make money in this business, I would subscribe!"
- Daniel Callahan (Wood)
"AFSB gives you a fuller picture of whether or not a show is a good fit for your artwork. "
- Joan Schulte (Photography)
“Don't waste time or money on crummy shows. AFSB helps me get the research done to i.d. shows with potential."
- John West (Wood)
"You have saved me thousands and thousands of dollars! Knowing about a show before you go is so critical."
— Laura Matson, Shibori Fiber Art / wearable, Seattle WA (August 2019)
"AFSB is a great source for determining which shows are worth doing. Time is a precious commodity and you may as well spend it at an art show where you product is going to sell."
— Carlos Davis, (Photograohy) Melbourne, FL
"I need time to focus on building my inventory of art to sell. AFSB's website with the Diamond Service helps me keep track of show dates, application deadlines, and even helps in deciding when to cancel shows as inventory is sold/low. I get distracted easily, it's nice being able to navigate info using one source. If the show has a website, the information I need is typically spread all over ... and I can't be spending hours looking at fascinating photos while I'm looking for prior day setup, electricity, or simply the dates of the show. The websites are laid out 100 different ways, just having all the websites listed reliably is a HUGE help. Thanks Greg for providing this service and continually improving and streamlining it.
At my high prices, my client base needs to be impressed with how far I'm going to spread the word about my work. AFSB allows me to search for and plan shows to do on the way out and the way back from top shows all the way across the country; I can say "yes" to a show three or four days away, because I'm doing three top shows with a total of 9 days travel."
-Charles Tersolo (Painting) Boston, MA
"AFSB provides a wider range of shows than either Zapplication or any of the other art show websites."
- Dusty Shutt (Jewelry)
"AFSB gives info/data to compare art shows apples-to-apples, instead of relying only on word of mouth and art show organizers' message. It’s awesome to be able to search shows on criteria instead of trying to find and collect info from across web."
- Erica Leep (Painting)
"I'm glad that people told me about the SourceBook early on. Without it, getting started doing shows would be a NIGHTMARE! The service you provide is invaluable."
— Jerold Siegan, Painter, Chicago, IL
"With word of mouth, by the time one finds out about a show it's already in decline. With the SourceBook, I find out about shows when thet're up and coming and I can still get in."
— Gaurav & Anju Agarwal, (Jewlery)
"AFSB gives an updated view of our industry. It is current, accurate and is a needed tool in order to navigate the year in marketing our art."
- Gregory Strachov (Painting)
"AFSB will SAVE YOU A TON OF MONEY. It's a fantastic tool for planning your show season, the perfect tool for FINDING THE RIGHT SHOWS for your particular medium and needs."
- Hunter Brown, (Sculpture) Hensley, AR
"We wasted our money on a subscription to Sunshine Artists. The difference between AFSB and SA is like night and day in terms of accuracy and quality of reviews."
— Marnie & Bill Winn, Puppet Artists, Darby, MT (Summer 2018)
"AFSB is currently the best and most complete source for evaluating the quality of shows prior to exhibiting at them."
- Nathan Hunter - (Fine Craft Furniture)
"AFSB show reviews are very accurate and from that point of view alone, it's worth its purchase price. AVOIDING just 1 BAD show can easily SAVE $1,000 or more in fees, travel and time!"
- Paul McClain, Mansfield, OH (Painting)
"I love Art Fair Sourcebook as the reviews from Greg and the artists are right on the mark. Giving back to the artist community is key, so reviewing shows for other artists is just one good way to do it."
— Peter Togel, Printmaking, Seneca, SC
"I would encourage any artist to purchase a subscription to AFSB because it is the best and most comprehensive guide out there."
- Richard Kolb (Metal)
"I tell people ... would you rather spend $100, $200, $300 on a SourceBook subscription or LOSE $1,000 going to ONE TERRIBLE SHOW.” It's got all the information we ask our show friends for ... ALL in 1 place, with numerous viewpoints which help sort through the gray areas.
— Sam Hitchman (Ceramics)
"I piddled around for a year trying to decide whether to sign up for the Sourcebook ... I see that now as wasted time. The wealth of information that I get when I can look up a show and see not only its history, but also how my media (2D) will stack up against what else is in that show, is invaluable. A good friend and subscriber, David Wolter, told me he didn't do a show without consulting the Sourcebook and it made me take a second look. Yeah, it's an expense, but don't eat the junk food at the art fairs and buy this instead ... a much better alternative."
— Marge Luttrell (2D Mixed Media) Knoxville, TN
"AFSB is a valuable tool for both experienced and inexperienced artisans. Greg's Opinion & Commentary are spot on and the exhibitor reviews add important information that is very helpful to [those of] us who navigate this large industry from year to year. Knowing the odds of acceptance, net sales, attendance, exhibitors' experiences, etc. is crucial when determining whether or not to apply to an event. I have avoided many costly mistakes by using AFSB. Thank you, Greg!"
— Melanie Moore (Hair accessories) Malden-on-Hudson, NY
"Hey Greg. You signed me up last year. I got Volume 1 and Michigan and you gave me the Diamond upgrade to set the hook. It worked. I love AFSB. The only thing I’ve wished for is access to more shows.”
- Andy Carter, Commerce, MI
"I like how you provide the average money made at each show plus how many applications were sent in. It is also helpful to know what type of art sells best at each show. I subscribe to many of the state editions. It is very helpful information. You can't get this kind of honest info and reviews anywhere else. Thanks for everything!"
- Jolyn Hecht (Photography)
"I will never do another show without checking out your source first - even the ones I have been doing for 20 years."
— Karen Antos (Painter) Dallas, TX
"We wish we had subscribed to the SourceBook sooner, it would have saved us from some really bad shows"
- Karen Cooper, 2-d Fine Art, Waco, TX
"AFSB has INVALUABLE info in a consolidated location, about many show factors, incl. set-up details, electrical, booth layout, as well as the expected show attendance/revenue."
- Marianne Shepardson (Painting)
"It is the only objective resource we have found when it comes to selecting juried fine art shows to participate in."
- Michelle Fahmy (Jewelry)
"If you are new in the business, AFSB can be a real time saver."
- Paul Lambrecht (Wood)
"It gives detailed information about each art fair but also about various art categories and how they have done at the fair. Things keep changing, and AFSB does a great job of keeping up!"
- Rachel Derstine (Fiber / Decorative)
I liked being able to order just the part of the country I need!
- Richard Russell (Painting)
“After I subscribed to the SourceBook online service my average sales at shows went from $8,000 to $27,000 the first year.”
- Ricky Lowe, 2-d Fine Art, Parkland, FL
"I'm inept, like most artists. But with a subscription to ArtFairSourceBook.com, I'm EPT! It's the best money I've spent in 32 years doing art fairs."
— Samuel Ruder, painting, New Smyrna Beach, FL
If you need to find out about shows, I consider this publication "The Bible" of them all. It is aimed more at contemporary artists than say “Sunshine Artist”, which I believe is aimed at more traditional arts & crafts.
— Scott Matyjaszek (Photography)
"Art Fair Sourcebook has continued to help me navigate through the many show options available by sharing the ‘REAL TRUTH' through its show surveys completed by the participating artists."
- Stephanie Saint-Thomas (Jewelry)
"Great value. An X-Ray of the art fair scene."
— Yoram Gal (Painting & Printmaking) Old Jaffa, Israel
"I have to say that I appreciate the website and what you all do. I tell a lot of artists about it because it's really helped me to find better shows, and save a ton of money by sitting out the shows that aren't worth it."
- Cody Kuehl, Denver, CO