Why choose #Cafdgg?

I have been researching other Art Fairs, Shows and nearly every event that I have seen on Facebook and Instagram – it was a long job but worth it as it made me realise that #Cafdgg is rather special.

I came to three observations:-

• Very few events offer social media support for their artists once the event has finished

• Applying to an event is often fee driven and a tedious drawn out form filling process

• There are a minuscule number of events that offer high quality artwork that are free to all visitors to attend, charging between £7.00 to £25.00

What I concluded is that #Cafdgg offers extraordinarily good value for money for both the artists and visitors and I should celebrate it!

There is no charge for applications or for visitors to gain entry to the Fair however many times they visit during the weekend. I would like to raise Stratford-upon-Avon as an artistic hub in the region, and open access to good art is a firm starting point.

I feel that if an artist has gone through the Panel’s application process into #Cafdgg and exhibited with us, then their work is worthy of longer support than just the lead up to the Fair.

I actively support artists who have exhibited with us as I realise that an artist doesn’t stop working after exhibiting. I love being able to share their work and support on social media at least until the next #Cafdgg in June or November, and often carrying on way past the next Fair.

#Cafdgg is coming up to its sixth fair, so I have a goodly number of artists whom I have had the joy in supporting over the years and will continue to do so.

Year on year I get more applications to #Cafdgg from regional and national artists and my waiting lists swell with hopeful artists and as there is always the movement in artists pulling out as they deal with real life issues, so when I offer a place on the waiting list it is not a closing of the application process.

I realised that being able to offer 35-40 places for artists to exhibit means that I have to employ a rolling list of artists to bring on new artists and allow other artists to develop their work for the next #Cafdgg.

I view the artists who exhibit with #Cafdgg as partners, and we work together to make #Cafdgg the best it can be; we then review the process and I take whatever is said as a gift and it is so often the blindingly obvious things that are missing, so this year everyone will have a nameplate on their stand to say who they are and what they do – see what I mean? So obvious!

If you can think of any way to make #Cafdgg better, please let me know on judith@discovergathergive.co.uk