Dissapointing Show

[mikeg]

Well, I just got back from the woodcarving show put on by the Green Mountain Woodcarvers. I was dissapointed to see that it was much smaller than the last time I went, 2 years ago. Sad It has gotten smaller each of the 3 years I've been.

The people were great as usual and there were a fair number of visitors but there were a lot less tables. Of course, I was a person who didn't have a table which I suppose makes me part of the problem.

Has anybody else noticed a decline in show sizes? This is the only show I've been to and I'm hoping that it's not a national trend.

mikeg

[Eddy-Smiles]

Our show downsized due to location but I wouldn't say that participation was a factor. Many of our members choose not to exhibit but still donate the rental cost of a table so as to help support the club.

[susieq]

Judging by what I have seen over the years with our club, they tend to go through cycles. They swell in size and number sometimes, then dwindel down and folks whisper that the club is doomed. Our club is on the down side of that cycle right now. Our last show was still as good as ever but it is getting hard to find people to chair the show and do the work. After a while the same people who have done it forever, finally wear out and stop doing it.

That is usually what it takes for someone else to step in and take over....the thought of the club ceasing to exist. I think it was in 97 when we were in Vermont visiting friends who were carvers and we did that show with them. It was not a real big show then but nice.
susieq

[JIM QUILICI]

I wonder if it because people just don't do hobbys as much as the past years. around my neck of the woods a couple of hobbie shops have closed down ( lack of bussines )even our wal mart has down sized the hobby dept. most of the carvers in our carving gathering are old . not many younger wipper snackers are carving . where did we go wrong lol.
Jim

[Muscade]

I also did find the show relatively small, However, the quality was evident and well worth the drive to Morrisville from North of the border .

Mikeg said:
The people were great as usual and there were a fair number of visitors but there were a lot less tables. Of course, I was a person who didn't have a table which I suppose makes me part of the problem.

Therefore, now is the time to join; I'm sure you would be welcome.

Muscade

[BobD]

I wonder if it because people just don't do hobbys as much as the past years. around my neck of the woods a couple of hobbie shops have closed down ( lack of bussines )even our wal mart has down sized the hobby dept. most of the carvers in our carving gathering are old . not many younger wipper snackers are carving . where did we go wrong lol.
Jim

Maybe it's time to use the power of the forum to make a change!

Like Shannon said in the magazine about our goals...we want to bring more kids into carving. I've started a similar thread on the SSW&C site, and I think it's time to start one on this site as well...I'll start a new thread on it!

Bob

[chuckt]

I think Jim hit on a large part of the problem - time factor & age. Susie hit the other - burn out of the minority who put in the organizational effort.

Pro carvers are probably too busy earning a living and keeping up with orders to have much time to participate. Non-retired amateur hobby carvers are perhaps getting fewer due to increasing demands for time from:
1. Longer commutes
2. Longer working hours (some times 2 jobs) to keep up with expenses
3. More activities to shuttle the kids to
etc.

Therefore, you seem to see mostly older retired folks participating and they have their own issues that may limit participation (health, transportation, costs on fixed income, etc.)

Now - I hate to say it, but I will have to admit that when I first attended a local carving club I felt more than a little out of place with all these "old" folks (I am 46 - not so young myself compared to some, but still the youngest by far at this club at that time). However, I found a great bunch of "old" folks who where very welcoming and helpful. My point here though, is that some will let that age difference deter them . . . especially teens and 20 somethings who have other "cooler" pursuits in mind than sitting around with a bunch of "old farts" and carving. However, when exposed to it in public situations, I think there is an attraction to carving that younger folks feel - the awe of seeing someone take a raw material like wood and turn it into something neat by hand is something that many have never been exposed to in todays modern world where everything comes from a store. This is something that could be capitalized on to attract more participants.

Then on the perceived value of carving - I think the non-carving general public who have not been educated to the artistry and value of hand carving - have seen the machine carved production carvings, resin casts, and inexpensive imports "cheapen" the value of "carvings" and they are not willing to pay the top dollar that these carvings may actually be worth. Here I am talking mainly in the "craft" vein of carving - as opposed to Architectural, or "Fine Art" sculptural carving.

So for many who would consider taking up this hobby and hope to earn some side income from it to at least pay for itself . . . they see other possible artistic & craft pursuits to be more value for less effort, further supressing participation. Leaving only those who truly do it for the love of it, and the hard working few who pursue the elusive dream of making some $ from it either selling or teaching, or writing and publishing.

That's my take on it all. Kinda depressing, but perhaps not insurmountable. Just more of a niche hobby that's all.

ChuckT

[Eddy-Smiles]

I think that it's hard for the newer generations to find the time or even appreciate craft type hobbies.... any kind of hobby. Jim hit on the head with his comment about Wal-mart. My wife went to our wal-mart the other day to purchase some inexpensive cloth for a sewing project and found that the department had totally disappeared. To me that's almost unheard of for Wal-mart who tries to compete in every facet of marketing. Our kids and their kids are either too busy earning a living or two busy spending their free time in instant gratification activities....i.e. electronics and communications. Give a kid a choice between a craft project and an Ipod and guess which one is selected. I'm not sure what the solution is but perhaps a "thermonuclear pulse" that wipes out all magnetic transmission and storage capabilities would help..... just kidding....