The Toledo Art Show is going to be a fine arts convention at the Seagate Center in downtown Toledo Ohio, tentatively planned for October 2022. The idea for the event came out of a discussion with a group of people that regularly attend conventions and also occasionally paint or watch others paint landscapes based on episodes of Bob Ross’s The Joy Of Painting. I realized then that I wanted to find a way to put on a full event with the purpose of boosting up local artists and getting the general public interested in fine art both as the artist and as patrons.
I have spent the last several weeks gathering contacts and researching everything I might need to run the perfect show. I have a list of dozens of galleries, museums, schools, and other entities in the art world that I am going to survey for interest and support. A lot of time has been spent looking at other art fairs and unrelated conventions to ensure I can put on the best show possible. Lastly I’ve also been developing everything I need to create a 501(c)(3) corporation to operate the show. I want to ensure that myself and anyone who joins my organization is duty bound to work for the benefit of the public.
The event itself will consist of several different parts, thanks to the array of resources offered by the Seagate Center. As a convention, it will obviously need exhibitors. I want to provide at least 50 booths for local artists to show off their style and expertise and sell their art. Up to 160 booths will be available in total. I am hoping for a diverse enough field that there can be more than one juried award as well as public voting for best pieces. Seagate also offers a number of multi-media connected meeting rooms. With these spaces I want to offer opportunities for artists and educators to hold classes or discussions on a variety of topics which can be live streamed and/or recorded for later. Lastly there is also a brand new ballroom space which we can use for several functions, such as a banquet dinner for artists and donors, group painting area, and even an auction.
My dream event would include a number of specific items that may or may not be achievable. I learned recently that Bob Ross Inc is occasionally leasing some of Bob Ross’s Originals to museums and other events and I know showing off his art would attract a wide array of visitors and patrons. I want to be able to have group painting sessions for the general public to come in and paint their very first landscape based on episodes of the show. We could also make a competition out of the show by selecting a small number of episodes and asking the invited artists and anyone else who wants to participate submit a piece to be judged, displayed, and offered for sale. Of course, we probably could do this without invoking the Bob Ross intellectual property. I also want to be able to attract patrons who will actually buy large art pieces and to that I want to hold an auction for items in the $1,000 – $20,000 range.
My ideal schedule would be as follows: On Wednesday we do build-up along with a technology review for the speakers to ensure everyone can operate the multi-media rooms, and a banquet dinner just for the artists, speakers, and booth exhibitors. Thursday I’d invite local schools to take a field trip to the show, listen to the speakers, and paint with well-known artists. Friday would be fairly similar but I’d include another dinner including patrons and guests to present the jury selection awards. I’d also like to find a good keynote speaker and / or a band for entertainment. The final day of the show, Saturday, we’d hold the auction and host a party in the evening. Sunday would then be dedicated for tear-down. We could also facilitate any number of smaller group meetings either inside Seagate or in local spaces.
I am open to accepting any and all assistance offered. Any other advertising, contact sharing, or monetary assistance would also go a long way towards making this event a success.