Liberty Con 23 Chattanooga, TN

I will preface this post for any new followers that Liberty Con was a blast. The reviews I post on my blog are focused at penetrating and accurate reviews for artists and don't always accurately convey the moode/feel/enjoyment of an event. In the case of Liberty Con, I would be tempted to just show up and hang out at this one with or without a professional agenda.

Libert Con 23

As this was not your normal genre show, I am going to skip the formal review. Liberty Con is a literary "relaxacon" in Chattanooga, TN. At the aptly named Comfort Inn, I spent the weekend with some close friends (Mike and Paul Bielaczyc) displaying in the Art Show and, well, relaxing, The staff was friendly and accommodating (shout out to Brandy, Derek and Shannon!)and the atmosphere was very cordial. With an Art Show and no Dealer's room we spent the weekend eating and drinking and chatting with the Artists GOH: Darrel K. Sweet. I even squeezed in an hour or 2 of painting on my most recent piece (to be revealed soon!). Mike, Paul and I participated in an Iron Artist session for charity and then each of us painted our rendition of an Iron Artist and donated it to the Art Auction. They all sold with multiple bids each and the Charity auction raised nearly 2k all said (yay!).

As far as sales go, I would really rather not talk about that. This group seemed really close knit, and like to buy from folks they are friends or familiar with. Diving Pac-man and Demonic summonings were not to their liking and my age and appearance (and shenanigans) could have been perceived as intimidating. Stranger Danger!!! As Brandy advised/admitted, you have to let these folks get to know you before they will buy a print or painting. Sooo from a professional standpoint, if you have an interest in sales, this is probably not a show I would recommend. Unless of course if you have either:

1.) Cats
2.) Dragons
3.) Dragon Cats
4.) Castles
5.) Princesses

in your work. In that case reap the whirlwind. Seriously. Some folks made bank, but this is not a show that will support the extravagant or erratic piece with money. This show demands a very tailored setup with only a few blips of non-conventional collectors.

That said, I would still recommend this one if you just want to hang your work and have a good time. The Art Show was very well run with several assistants, the peg was new and sturdy and the lighting was excellent. A fantastic Con Suite (Killians on tap!) and a 24 hour pool were serious bonuses. I was very discouraged by the lack of reaction to my efforts and progress, but at the same time I did win Best In Show: Kid's Choice. If you have a free weekend and can spare the dime, do this one with some buds. Will I be back? It would really depend on the pieces in my portfolio and whether I can get my Show Space comped. If that happens, and I have little to no hanging expenses to recoup, I will pretty much plan on 2011.