Back Road Events - Upscale Artisan Teddy Bear Shows In New England
Back Road Events - Upscale Artisan Teddy Bear Shows In New England
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2010 SHOWS
Chicagoland Teddy Bear
Show
Chicagoland Teddy
Bear Show
2008 SHOW REVIEWS Back Road Bears by Daphne Blau
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The Maine Teddy Bear & Fiber Arts Show The 4th Annual Maine Teddy Bear & Fiber Arts show took place on July 11 in the coastal town of Wells, ME. It was the first weekend we’d seen sun all summer… the perfect beach day! We created our own sunny day inside the bright and beautiful Coastal House with a Hawaiian theme including colorful decorations, a themed display of artist creations and exhibitors wore their Hawaiian shirts, sundresses and leis. Collectors came despite the beach weather, trickling in throughout the day along with curious tourists who were amazed at the sea of color and texture and sweet furry faces! Many stayed for hours, ooohing and aaahing and in the end attendance was higher than last year and many bears and critters found new homes. But truth be told, spending was indeed down. What else could we have expected given the state of our economy? I heard many sad stories of jobs lost, retirement funds suddenly dry, adult children moving home again. So many seemed to have lost so much yet being at the show lifted their spirits, they chatted and laughed, shared hugs and their hearts were warmed by so many wonderful teddies and other creations. This proved once again what wonderful medicine a teddy bear show can be!
Show attendees and artists were treated to many exciting and informative demonstrations like Susan Fitzpatrick's of Collectible Heirloom Teddy Bears on working with recycled fur. I don’t think we realized just how many types of fur there were or the many differences between them! Carol Thompson of Thymeless Treasures with help from Kelly Graham of Ted E. Graham Originals showed us how to needlefelt and create the face of a bear with wool. Jackie LaRochelle of Bearied Treasures showed us techniques for giving bears facial expression and Ellen Bonney of Children of the Sun explained the various types of armature used in dolls and bears to help them pose.
The Artist Gallery featured one of a kind pieces made by our artists with a “Summer Fun” theme. Judy Eppolito’s lion “Laid Back Leon” lounged under an umbrella with his shades on looking quite cool. Diana Lee Palomba’s little bear “Sailor” just beckoned for someone to play with him and his sailboat and “Timothy” by Sandi Rexford was just waiting for the wind to pick up so he could fly his special kite! Collectors loved the theme, imagination and creativity put into these pieces and many were adopted.
Click on thumbnails for
larger photos of some of the gallery pieces It was a fun day for everyone, experiencing the magical atmosphere of a teddy bear show, catching up with old friends and making new ones, sharing and laughing. Many collectors understood the challenges we as artists face during these difficult economic times. Many told me how deeply they appreciated us coming out to show our work and keeping the shows alive. Artists said they had a lot of fun, realized there was little we could do about the decrease in sales and looked forward to coming back again next year. They aren’t giving up! It may take a while to see a significant improvement in our economy but when it happens collectors will still have shows to go to and artists to buy from. Their spirit is contagious and gives me renewed enthusiasm as I look ahead to plans for my next show, The Chicagoland Teddy Bear show in Schaumburg, IL on October 24th. Thank you to all who support the shows… artists, collectors, suppliers, magazines, family and friends!
Hugs,
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Last Update: July 15, 2009 All Rights Reserved © 2008 Back Road Events |
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