The Surtex, NSS and ICFF 2015 Shows - A Year of Flexibility and Transition

After 3 consecutive years of exhibiting at Surtex, this year we decided to take a break and take care of some personal affairs instead. However, we did walk the shows - Surtex, NSS and ICFF - as Press. Why did we do that?

Last year we started to publish some interviews and editorials in an On-The-Road Series and we will continue doing so as we travel around the globe. We also wanted to find out what's going on in the world of commercial art and share our findings with this very generous community of amazing artists. Many have asked me to report straight facts, so here we are, with no embellishments.

I also always advise to read up on all blog editorials to get the full view of what's going on. You'll find down below several links to posts I have found so far.

SURTEX 2015

We walked the show all three days and the traffic seemed to be pretty much the same as last year and the year before. Yet some manufacturers said to me that they felt that the energy was different from earlier years, that the show was missing something this time around. Exhibitors told me that they had better quality clients approaching them.

So what changed? Several things changed and I will list just a few that were the most obvious. To begin with, Surtex was smaller and was sandwiched in between the NSS and the ICFF.

The Furniture show expanded and in addition to the first floor, it took over part of the 2nd floor where the Surtex Atelier section used to be. Many veteran and non-veteran artists chose not to exhibit this year, for whatever reason. The show management changed, manufacturers were newly qualified by the show management, and fewer artists walked the show because of the higher entrance fee.

We gathered some informal and rough data by counting the number of booths for the past three years out of the Surtex Directories for 2013, 2014 and 2015. Below is the chart that shows the results, and although this graph is not the only way to measure whether the show was a success, it does indicate that it is in a transitional phase.

I am not sure how this transitional phase will play out, but Surtex is indeed changing, for better or the worse.

In my opinion, the transition with Surtex is but a piece of the larger transition enveloping the whole design industry as there are many other ways to sell or license a design now. New technologies allow for faster communication but that's not the only change. Artists are collaborating more and more amongst themselves in the form of collectives or joining in an exclusive partnership with manufacturers.

Agents are in demand, as the costs to exhibit through an agent are generally less if they bear all the fees. And of course, if they do so, they want a guaranteed return, so they pick the best selling artists to be in their portfolio. Or, some also share the costs of exhibiting with their represented artists. Some don't show at all but they are internet savvy and do online marketing instead. Today, there are many different business models being used.

There are also other design shows that have successfully increased their marketing, affiliates and exhibitors. Take for example, the newly launched virtual world of the Art Licensing Show, where artists virtually show their work for a fee. There are many online POD sites as well as professional sites like Linkedin, Pinterest and Instagram, where visuals are the key to connecting with clients.

Yet Surtex has positioned itself as the premiere event for selling and licensing original art and design. Many independent artists still prefer to exhibit there in addition to the above venues or other shows, like the AmericasMart Atlanta or the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas to name only a couple. There are so, so many more. It would be interesting to do a survey of who sells, licenses or freelances but I think it would be safe to guess that some combination is the new business model for most artists starting out and perhaps for veteran artists who need to keep relevant.

In short, the competition is fearless and flexibility is the password for such transitional times. Even the trend conferences we listened to at the show stressed the mix of styles and trends, the transition, and the flexibility of doing business.

I took some quick notes about the themes and trends, although I am sure other blogs have done more in-depth analyses and more will be talked about in upcoming weeks - don't miss the Ask Paul Brent on May 27, hosted by Tara Reed - Paul will be doing his fabulous SURTEX trend review as usual.

Aside from the still going strong birds (including owls !!!), butterflies, sheep, dogs, cats and other cute animals are all over the market. Lettering and editorial art is still strong. Humor and cuteness was displayed by many. Abstracts, geometrics and florals are everywhere. Black and white, a classic, is again on the rise and adult coloring book line art is highly desired by the Publishing market. In short, nothing particularly new that I could tell with the exception of more hand painted art, which is finally strong enough to compete against the flat digital art that started flooding the licensing arena some years back.

The most exciting thing about Surtex this year was to meet with many artist friends, agents and exhibitors. Here are some photos, although I wish I have taken many more!

Kelly Ventura - Surtex 2015

Kelly's fine art is very fresh and colorful. Her contemporary take on florals and abstracts is for sure unique amongst the numerous hand painted artwork at Surtex this year.

Caleb Gray Studio - Surtex 2015

Caleb Grey's art is so much fun and uniquely modern in style with a fun, retro vibe. In Italian we say "simpatico"!

Giordano Studios - Surtex 2015

Bob Giordano is a veteran of art licensing. Every year he exhibits at Surtex, Licensing Expo and AmericasMart Atlanta. I will publish a full interview with him this summer. I can't wait to have him as our guest! You can find his lovely work here: www.giordanostudios.com.

Monika Forsberg - Surtex 2015

I recently interviewed both Monika (above) and Jennifer(below), who exhibited at Surtex as part of Cloverly Art Collective - such lovely and unique work!

Jennifer Orkin Lewis (August Wren) - Surtex 2015

Sarah Frederking - Surtex 2015

Sarah has done Surtex for the 3rd year, although she also exhibited many years ago. Her textile books are really cute and fun! You can find out more about her patterns and designs here: http://sarahfrederkingdesign.com.

Kate Austin - Surtex 2015

Kate has exhibited in the Atelier section of Surtex last year and this year decided to be in the art licensing section instead. Her colorful patterns stood out at the show. You can find out more about Kate here: www.kateaustindesigns.com.

Ashley Rodriguez Reed - Surtex 2015

Ashley walked the show a couple of years ago and this year took her designs to Surtex - her lovely hanging wall planters and patterns looked very playful! Her website: www.ashleyrodriguezreed.com.

NATIONAL STATIONERY SHOW

It was fun to walk the NSS this year. Of note, letter press and hand painted art were nicely displayed by large companies as well as small businesses and independent artists.

I took some pictures with the exhibitor's permission, although the lighting wasn't the best. I will publish more interviews and articles in future weeks.

Katharine Watson - NSS 2015

Katherine hand painted her backdrop wall and has block printed her images on paper. Her stationery and textile products are fantastic in both quality and design. You can find her work here: www.etsy.com/shop/ShopKatharineWatson.

Our Heiday - NSS 2015

Patricia Shen walked away from a legal career to pursue her dream and launched her own business in June 2014. Her work is colorful and fun! You can find her designs here: http://ourheiday.com/.

Mara-Mi - NSS 2015

This display was one of the best at the NSS, although my photo doesn't do it justice. The design was lovely. You can find more about Mara-Mi here: www.mara-mi.com.

INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE FAIR

I loved it! It was so much fun to see some of the trends coming in from Europe and how the interior design in the 21st Century is influenced by many trends and the flexibility of emerging designers who are also artists. Small businesses created by them exhibited here amongst large or well established businesses. Very brave indeed!

The eco outdoor/indoor themes were very present and it was great to see how they were incorporated in interiors to play together.

We saw more of exotic and sophisticated rustic textures, vibrant and neutral colors, and hand painted art was also visible at this show, along with natural fibers and other innovative concepts.

Fom Icon Mag 2015

Sylvie and Mira of Lisa Peck's home accessories company.

Sylvie's method reproduces her watercolors for interiors, curtains, rugs and wall paper - made in the USA.

Valerie Laudier

Valerie created these Japan-inspired interiors with a European twist, featuring some of her exquisite hand stitched artwork - made in France.

Ronel Jordan

Ronel has been a textile designer for 26 years. Inspired by nature, she featured these beautiful hand crafted felt florals - made in South Africa.

La Fabbrica del Lino

La Fabbrica del Lino manufacturers a beautiful stone-washed linen and other high-end goods - made in Italy.

Garden on the Wall

Garden on the Wall exhibited real plants treated with non-toxics chemicals to adorn interior walls of houses and buildings. Really nice work made in the USA.

Antolini

Antolini showcased some beautiful marble textures in geometric forms - made in Italy.

PRESS & PROMO KITS

Here some of the best promo kits we picked up from the Press Room. There were many, many more but we couldn't get them all. Watch out for upcoming interviews with artists who did have a Press kit!

Fox & Fallow & Design Design

One Canoe Two

Kelly May - Krenz

Printable Wisdom

Our Heiday

Miriam Bos

Neiko Ng

SUMMARY

We think Surtex is still a great show and per what we gathered the quality prevailed over quantity, however since the attendance of the exhibitors significantly dropped this year in all three categories of exhibitors (Atelier, New Exibitors, Veterans), it will require some stronger and innovative marketing to draw an increasing number of qualified manufacturers to make it worthwhile for independent artists to continue to bear the high costs of future exhibitions. Manufacturers are the clients, true, but without the artists there is no show.

We will continue to go to shows and explore the increasing landscape of possibilities for designers and artists. Trends are not as important as the quality of the art itself and the connections between the artist and the manufacturer. We did talk to several of them after some of the conference workshops and we will write more editorials on those topics as well in upcoming weeks - we just couldn't condense everything here.

The NSS is still strong although it also seemed smaller compared to other years. I don't have the directories for 2013 and 2014 though, so I can't say for sure. We liked the more sophisticated letter press mixed with hand painted art. It looked fresh and very crafty.

The housing market is on the raise and so therefore is the demand for good Interior Design. It's now another venue for creating and selling art on a commercial basis through manufacturing your own home decor and accessories. The combinations are infinite! Wall art, curtains, wall paper, small objects, eco-friendly accessories, you name it!

In short, it seems there have never been more opportunities for artists to find ways to get their art into the hands of their public - though this means that the world of art and art licensing is growing even more ambiguous and challenging than ever before!

OTHER BLOG EDITORIALS ON SURTEX

(I will add more as they get published)

https://blogjnet.wordpress.com/2015/05/20/national-stationery-show-surtex-observations, by J’net Smith

http://www.nicoletamarin.com/blog/surtex-2015-under-new-management.html 

by Nicole Tamarin

http://annietroe.blogspot.com/2015/05/photo-review-look-at-surtex-booths.html

by Annie Troe

http://www.annewashereandthere.com/2015-surtex-national-stationery-show-recap 

by Anne was Here

Additional Notes on the NSS, Surtex 2013 and Our Fabulous Artist Community

We briefly walked the NSS on Wednesday morning before flying back home. Some quick notes and impressions from the show are that we didn't notice anything particularly new or different from last year but saw more of the same, such as beautiful hand drawn/painted art as well as fancy lace-lasercut and trendy chalk art. Sophisticated and fun letterpress is still big.

We also chatted with a couple of fun sales people on the floor who shared some insights into what is selling well and what isn't - owls are still hot along with deer and birds. It depends on territories. Soft lines, circles and round shapes are also trendy. Craft materials such as burlap and wool felt were also present. In all, it seems the there is an increasing interest in an artesinal style.

As for other curious insights, I was offered freelance work by one of the sales personnel while I was looking at some ribbons I liked! Another artist, who was selling cards at her booth said she licensed her art with three manufacturers right there at the show. I am sure other blogs and articles covered the Stationary show more in depth. Next year I will try to get more time to see what's going on there.

Some of the many inspiring artist Surtex 2013 press kits 

But here is the real deal – the truly fun part of Surtex, aside from exhibiting and making connections with great companies, was to hang around with some really nice and helpful neighbors. It was an incredible and unexpected pleasure to see how a great, spontaneous mini-community developed between our neighboring exhibitors. We had a great time together with Mark Gonyea, Pimlada Phuapradit, Kim Gann, Eric Comstock, and Audrey Hopkins – openly sharing experiences, tips, and insights when not working with visiting manufacturers.

Colorful cards dropped off by artists at our booth; many of them
will be featured on this blog throughout the year!

And, for us a special highlight of the show was the fantastic opportunity to meet so many new and veteran artists who took some of their precious time to stop by our booth and say hi and to those who also shared a doodle with us. I know more exhibiting artists wanted to add their magic touch to our doodle board but didn't have time to come by.

The Moon From My Attic Doodle Board was a real hit and will be made into a permanent feature at our booth in future shows.

We also had a Guest Book where artists and other professionals left kind notes to us and we want to thank everyone again for being so nice and supportive and for reading this blog! 

In the next 2-3 months we will be publishing interviews and articles with many of you who we met at the show, including agents, attorneys, consultants, and manufacturers. The list of names is too long to publish here but watch out for their so ever inspiring stories!

Nurtured in Nature - Artist Peg Conley

Last year I walked both Surtex and the National Stationary Show, which are next to each other and loved both the exhibits. It was fun to see what new art and products come to the market but it was also very educational to see who does what. You can see many trends and also how art fits on products.

I personally love nature themes and have been a fan of florals and gardens for many years - they are so inspirational! My latest nature-inspired design was picked up this week by the fabulous Print & Pattern blog (scroll down to see my promo piece), and my matching postcards have now been mailed out to manufacturers, too. This is another step of the promo and marketing I have been working on for sometime.

A love of nature has also always been a part of artist Peg Conley's life. I met Peg at a local artist meeting where she mentioned she was going to exhibit at the NSS this May, in booth # 2043. I asked her if she could tell us her story and share some of her lovely work.

© Peg Conley

Peg grew up in Indiana and, she says, would often jump on her bike to ride out amongst the cornfields to sit by a creek and contemplate life. Since 1981 when she drove her VW bug "out West," she has lived in Salt Lake City, Seattle and most recently San Francisco.

All of these places are accessible to good hikes, beautiful gardens and exquisite scenery. She tells us about Nature's creations: the Beauty of a Flower, the Elegance of the Moon, the Simplicity of Bare Trees and Majesty of Mountains - all images that she captures in her watercolors. "The outdoors inspires me not only with the peace of mind that comes from breathing fresh air but also with the beauty that is inherent in Nature." As is evident in her work, she is "nurtured in Nature."

© Peg Conley

"I began licensing my art in 1999 when Brush Dance picked a few images for their Boxed Holiday line. I continually added images each year for both EDC (Every Day Cards) and their Holiday line of cards. In 2006, I had my first calendar licensed with Brush Dance." "In the Garden," her calendar, was a part of their line until 2012. Peg adds, "I began my own greeting card line called Words and Watercolors in 2010. I've been adding images and additional products ever since. Currently I have over 170 greeting cards in a variety of categories: birthday, inspiration, comfort, thank-you, love & friendship, anytime/blank, baby, wedding, congratulations, anniversary and holiday. Boxed notecards and memo list pads (with magnets) were added to the line in 2012. This year we launched wrapping paper in January. Last spring I had a big sit down with myself and brainstormed, a newsprint pad and markers allowing the creative juices to flow, on how I saw the future. I decided I would continue to pursue my own line of paper products but I wanted to license my art with manufacturers for a myriad of other products."

© Peg Conley

Peg attended the NSS for the first time last year and was very happy with the orders written for her Words and Watercolors line and inquiries into licensing that she received. "I'm happy to announce that my collection of quilting fabric will be available with Clothworks this fall. And I've just signed an agreement for my art on coasters with CoasterStone."

She is now busy preparing for this year's Stationery Show. As mentioned above, Words and Watercolors will be exhibiting in Booth #2043. "I'll have my greeting cards enlarged on foam core boards for display purposes. It is a great way to capture the attention of the buyers walking past the booth … a large image can stop them in their tracks as they take a moment to look more closely. From there I can easily engage with them," she adds.

As for her advice to other artists, Peg suggests this: "Dogged determination and persistence were traits I honed over a 25 year career in Corporate Sales. It was those traits plus my sales background that have enabled me to grow both my own line plus make contacts and follow up with licensing opportunities.

© Peg Conley

"I've been planting seeds and laying the groundwork the past 3 years and expect to see many rewards in 2013. My advice is stay with it, even when you get discouraged. Find a network of friends to talk to. I was lucky enough to find out about the Bay Area Licensing Artists group that meets once a month in Berkley. It's great to network and know you are not alone. Reach out to others, ask questions and have fun!"

Peg's website: www.wordsandwatercolors.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Words-And-Watercolors

https://www.facebook.com/pegconley

The Dynamic Surtex, NSS and ICFF Shows! ...And Now, What's Next?

Colorful cookies based on one of
my designs - handed out at the show! 

It was a great show! It was so much fun and amazing to meet up with artists and agents from around the country - I got to meet many of you, which I think was the highlight of my trip!

The aisles between the colorful booths were bustling with people, licensing artists who were happily ready to present their new fabulous work, focused manufacturers looking for specific and novelty artwork, and curious but respectful newbies pondering whether they should be exhibiting next year. Free and paid seminars were delivered in different locations while monitors in the Cafe area advertised all sorts of design styles and new concepts.

The Surtex staff were also busy taking care of everyone and doing a great job. And finally the Press - The Moon from My Attic was also present amongst those walking the floor, and was very active in setting up interviews and sharing insights with many smiling faces, including the four finalist students of the annual Surtex-sponsored student design competition, who were all awaiting for their designs to be judged by a panel of licensing experts.  Check out Designext 2012 link for the winner!

Surtex 2012 Designext Finalists

I will be publishing post-Surtex interviews for the next couple of months to give the opportunity to many emerging and established artists to share their own stories about the show and their passion for art. My agent, Montage Licensing, was very happy about the outcome of the three days there and was in fact so busy talking to clients that I could barely chat with her when I went by the booth. Time will tell, as follow-ups are just as important as the concentrated frenzy of the show, but we can all hope for the best.

My own impressions of the show: as I talked to many, some were very happy, while some were not as pleased but everyone seemed to enjoy the meetings with manufacturers that were diligently set up before the show started. So this is one thing I learned over again - it's important to set up your appointments before the show as opposed to waiting for some unspecified walk-in to show up at your booth.

Some booths were spectacular, so well planned and set up. Cheers to many of you who went the extra mile to display your work!  You can see pictures of some exhibitors who have shared their booth displays through their blogs, through the official Surtex site, or as part of some of the interviews I'll be publishing in the coming months.

The other important piece of information from the show, in my view, is that the National Stationary Show adjacent to the Surtex area was also jammed with people and manufacturers - it was interesting to watch the stationary show exhibitors crossing over to shop for new art, while licensing artists were crossing over to pick up the pulse of new trends and products. I wish there was a way to evaluate that exchange of energy and information flow, as it is potentially one of the most dynamic aspects of Surtex I believe. It seemed very engaged this year.

As for trends, I am not an expert but my opinion is that brighter colors were showing up a little bit everywhere, especially the warm tones in connection to neutrals like grays and browns - I had noticed this trend coming in from Europe last year, which was confirmed in a very well hosted free seminar by French designer Emmanuelle Linard with Edelkoort, Inc. Yellow is the new pink, she mentioned, and green/eco design is also a growing trend she talked about which I saw very clearly in all three shows (Surtex, NSS and ICFF). Although not a new one, it is definitely gaining even more prominence and strength.

The large growth of vendors providing letterpress printing services is another example that illustrates a trend that has been emerging for some time now and more explicitly could be described as the return to hand made crafts, an alternative in-touch-with-nature life style assisted by high-tech futuristic technologies of tomorrow. I noticed, for example, that laser-cut, lace-like techniques are being applied by some start-up vendors to numerous products such as stationary and cards and other commercial products, which illustrates how artisanal handmade and high tech collaborative concepts can be turned into appealing products for the mass market.

From the International Stationary Show, 2012

Other trends spotted at the shows are the ever classic retro and vintage ones, as well as designing with words. Still strong and fun, they seem to be the favorites of many artists.

Finally, the one trend I personally love and favor is the hand drawn-illustration style of artwork, which is showing up everywhere. Many companies had this type of art as a background to their displayed products in the NSS but this style is also everywhere in the artwork of many artists. Not to say that flat-digital art isn't still a strong design look, but it is nicely balanced by the counter-trend of the DYI-hand drawn and primitive art. Again the handmade and natural ethos comes to life here.

So what's next after Surtex?

Follow-ups are key to all involved with the shows, so this is on the top of my list. In my next blog post I will give a few more details on specific trends I think are closer to my heart, including colors, shapes, home textiles and furniture. I will also add that there will be a special editorial sometime soon with a manufacturer and art director who have been very instrumental in sharing their side of the story as art licensing is concerned. So we'll cover the field from all fronts.

I advise you to read all the other blogs that are covering the 2012 Surtex/NSS shows as well, since multiple views are invaluable to help you get an overall idea of what's going on. Since we have such mix of trends and concepts, you can pick the one you feel is closest to your heart and art style!

I want to thank several of the artists and friends we met, including Montage Licensing's team, Cathy Heck Studio, Sue Zipkin, Lance Klass' team, Eriko Maeda, the DANG! gals, Carol Van Zandt, Iza Pearl, Paul Brent, Marilyn MacGregor, Lilla Rogers, Chris Reed, Tamara Holland, Jennifer Castoldi, Karen Harris, and Linadona Botanical to mention a few, as well as many others who made time to say hi or agreed to be interviewed. 

Finally, after the massive input and impressions I received while at the show I decided to just get some fresh air and see a little bit of NYC. I picked a walk down the High Line Park and really enjoyed it! Interestingly, the park rather exemplifies the trend towards a high-tech solution that incorporates vintage elements with a back-to-nature ethic. Here are some images from the stroll along this beautiful elevated green path, not too far from the Javitz Center. What a treat, and what a great way to end a fantastic trip to New York!

The High Line's busiest resident - © 2012 Paul Stout

Best views of New York - on the High Line  © 2012 Paul Stout