MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival: Millions in Fine Art in Store

18 Mar 2008

by: Diane Wolfe

Fine artists create for those in the market for works of art for the home, office

Fort Worth, Texas—The nation’s best artists exhibit and sell at MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival, produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. and presented by Coors Light April 17-20, making it the main event for buyers with a taste for the finest in original works of art.

Fine art fills a magnificent mile of opportunity for the collector during MAIN ST., one of the nation’s top art marketplaces and one governed by a juried process so stringent that less than one in seven artists to apply are selected to exhibit at MAIN ST.

“MAIN ST. jurors take most of the guesswork out of buying at the festival,” Jay Downie, event producer, said. “Once the collector is here, it is simply a matter of taste.”

For those beginning or building a collection, MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival and sculptor Lewis Tardy, its 2007 Best of Show winner, offer the following advice.

Research art works and individual artists, then blaze a trail for others to follow. Begin with a visit to the Participating Artists' Gallery at www.MainStreetArtsFest.org before heading downtown to meet the artists.  “Whether they’re looking for a sculpture or painting, the more prospective buyers can know about that medium and technique, rather than trying to learn on the spot, the easier buying can be. Know what to expect in terms of price as well,” Tardy said. “My sales are pretty painless. In my experience with clients, they see what they want, and it’s a pretty quick decision. When (a piece) grabs hold of them, they can’t let go of it.

Buy what you love. Artwork will be a part of the collector’s home or office for years to come. Tardy himself buys according to one simple test. “I buy solely on the basis of what moves me,” he said. “I tell my prospective buyers: first you have to like it. Less important is whether it’s going to go up in value and or whether it goes with the couch.”

Ask questions and bring answers. Artists are eager to answer questions for a prospective buyer. Provenance, condition, artist information, and history are all aspects of the piece that affect its value. Artists themselves will have questions for prospective buyers. As a sculptor, Tardy first asks what space the buyer will fill with a work of art. “I’ve had prospective buyers really interested in a piece, but they’ve had to go home and check the dimensions of the space; when they returned, the piece was gone. Knowing the dimensions of your space can spare you a disappointment,” he said.

There is no right way to collect.  Each collector has his or her own method of purchasing art, whether buying multiple pieces at once, purchasing a select piece every year or so, or commissioning a work. Each must find a style of collecting that suits and stick with it.

Look for artists like these at MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival presented by Coors Light.

• Lewis Tardy, Sculpture--Tardy’s biomechanical sculpture won him Best of Show from last year’s MAIN ST. jury. Look for Tardy’s work, which brings metal to life and motion, this year at MAIN ST.
• Paul Runde, Glass--Runde’s heart of glass produces works ranging from durable sculptures to delicate palm-sized pieces, and the artist’s interest in archeology is transparent in his work.
• J D Hillberry, Drawing/Pastels--Hillberry’s original drawings have a Trompe l’Oeil feel that arrests the mind in contemplation what is real and what is illusion.

Preview all the artists exhibiting and selling this year at MAIN ST. in a visit to the Participating Artists' Gallery at www.MainStreetArtsFest.org.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and until 8 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free. For information on parking and transportation, go to www.MainStreetArtsFest.org or www.fortworthparking.com.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. (DFWII) and presented by Coors Light. It is listed as one of the top 10 art festivals in the country by the Art Fair SourceBook and the Harris List. Official Sponsors for 2008 are American Airlines, Chase, Ford, Sundance Square, Target, WaMu and XTO Energy. Media Sponsors include CBS 11/TXA 21, Clear Channel Radio, Star-Telegram and D Magazine. Supporting Sponsors include Chesapeake Energy, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority and Green Mountain Energy.

Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. (DFWII) is a 501 (c) 3 organization formed in 1988 to complement the work of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and the Public Improvement District. DFWII provides a funding pathway for charitable, educational and public purpose activities such as community festivals, residential development and park management focused on downtown, and produces the MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival, the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights and the Fort Worth Christmas Tree in Sundance Square. With an annual economic impact exceeding $20 million, these events attract more than 500,000 visitors to Downtown.