components––was also designed to disappear into the background. These were all permanent investments made during the devel- opment of the site to not only lay the groundwork for an enjoyable experience, but also make for an efficient setup. “When we come to a new site, we put a lot of infrastructure in so that everything is dialed in when we come to set up for the show,” Susan said. “We put an asphalt pad down that the tent sits on top of, as well as water, sewer and electric. Every- thing is underground,
ing with my marketing and design team to create ads and marketing materials, coordinating with upwards of 15 local and national publications to place articles and ads, and planning PR and content with my PR team to get the word out to the media,” Susan said. “Then we start working on all the elements to put the show together. I have a spreadsheet with all of the items that need to be ordered and by when. Then I start securing necessary permits, which often have a long lead time. Being organized is key.” As the opening of the show nears, the asphalt pad is painted, the re - stroom and office trailers are ordered, delivered and installed, and then the interior walls, electric and all other set - up takes place. Meanwhile, the artists start planning the materials they’ll need for their studio space. “We provide foundational walls, the electric and general lighting, but the artists are allowed to build out their studio in a way that will best reflect their work, and they have one week for setup,” Susan said. “So there’s a lot of planning, coordination and communi- cation involved for everyone.” The day before opening night, there’s an artist meeting to get ev- eryone up to speed. Any new artists go through a brief training about the processes and procedures. With less than 24 hours until the big opening, the anticipation builds as artists look forward to reconnecting with their
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making magic
F rom the outside, it may seem like the Celebration of Fine Art is a sea- sonal operation. But even before the show ends and artists begin packing up their temporary studios, work for the next season has already started. From the careful dismantling of the tent to the juried application and re- view process, and from the permitting to the equipment ordering, ongoing customer relations and marketing, the operations never truly cease. In fact, a majority of the work that goes into this well-oiled show actually takes place in the off season. Even for the artists, the nine months between the end of the show and start of the next becomes a time of fulfilling commission work, and planning and building their in- ventory for the next year. “I’m thinking about what I’m going to bring to the show all the time,” Ter- rell Powell said. “We always say, ‘I’ll see you next year’, but it’s really only nine months months away. So I’m working on the inventory all the time.” “People are often surprised to learn just how much goes into putting on an event like this,” said Susan Morrow Potje, co-owner and show director.
it remains a small, but mighty team with Susan overseeing much of the operations and her husband Jake Pot- je helming all of the infrastructure. "We couldn't do what we do without the incredible team of people who help make it happen,” Susan said. “Our office team, setup crew and each member of our show team are all truly integral to our success. We are grateful for each of them." The monday after The Monday following the last day of the show is go-time. The artists begin the deconstruction of their studios while simultaneously wrapping up end-of-show artwork sales that contin- ue to come in throughout the weeks after, and even the rest of the year. Meanwhile, in the office, the team is preparing artwork that needs to be shipped, closing out sales, and begin- ning to label, organize and pack up the office equipment, much of which is routed back to the main office in the Scottsdale Airpark. While this flurry of activity is hap- pening, Jake and Doug Morrow, Su- san’s brother, work with their crews to start the process of
tent needs to be precisely cleaned, folded, stacked and stored. We have a sizeable warehouse in the Scotts- dale Airpark with everything stored in a particular order, as loading the warehouse properly is key. Jake has become good at Tetris. His skillset in every aspect of set up and tear down are invaluable. I couldn’t ask for a bet- ter partner in business and life.” After relocating back to the main office, Susan begins the jury process for the next season. “The first thing we do after moving everything back to our office is go through the applications to jury the returning artists in and assign their studio spaces,” she said. “That takes most of April. Once we get the return- ing artists in place, we open up the applications for new artists. Simulta- neously, however, we’re also prepping for the next year while Jake and the team continue taking down the tent.”
Jake Potje and the crew putting up the tent structure.
The groundwork Luckily, much of the substructure and above-ground infrastructure is reused each year, but this took a lot of upfront planning and labor-intensive work. Everything was designed and built to sustain the show over the long haul, but also fade seamlessly into the back- ground so the artwork was always the star of the show. “When we first started, my dad Tom Morrow and my husband Jake, designed the structure that holds the walls together,” Susan said. “They designed all of the interior walls so they could be taken apart, stacked and stored, and Jake built every one of them.” The substructure––the electrical, plumbing, asphalt pad, and other
so there’s a lot of infrastructure that’s never seen, but that’s very important to the success of the show. It takes a lot of planning to execute such a high-quality event where with- in 10 steps or so of walking in, people forget about being in a tent because the art surrounding them is so dy- namic and fabulous. The experience takes them away.” This year, in preparation for the move to the new location on the adjacent plot of land, the team will go through the process of permitting and building the infrastructure again. “Leading into 2025, we’re going to have a big project as we do the improvements on our new site, which is just across the street to the south,” Susan said. “We’ll have a new infra- structure in place and ready for us to open for our 35th anniversary in 2025.”
"When the art lovers come in and connect with the artists who are here, it brings so much joy." – Susan Morrow Potje
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collectors. “There’s a lot that goes into this, but it’s worth it when we get it all put up and people walk in,” Susan said. “The key is, people forget they’re in a tent because they’re surrounded by incredible artwork and beautiful dis- plays that showcase the work. All the little details make the magic happen, and one of the things I love the most about bringing the Celebration of Fine Art to fruition and opening up to the public every year is getting to intro- duce that year’s artists to the public. When the art lovers come in and connect with the artists who are here, it brings so much joy.”
The "off season" Throughout the off season, in addition to solidifying artists, Susan and the team manage the online market- place, plan the advertising and pro- motion schedule, create the program and other marketing materials, secure necessary permits, order needed equipment, publish the quarterly Art Connection magazine, work with artists to prepare them for a success- ful show, manage the ever-growing and evolving customer database to keep everyone looped in on important dates and happenings, and the list continues. “Throughout the summer, I’m work-
"I'm always so impressed with jake's determination and focus. He is dedicated to making the show the best it can be." – Susan Morrow Potje
dismantling and prepar- ing for storage the overall structure––the cafe, tent, sculpture garden equip- ment, lighting, cabling, and other furnishings. This is typically a multi- month process and a test
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of one’s strategic skills. “Putting away a 40,000-square- foot structure and everything in it takes a lot of time,” Susan said. “When you are basically setting up and taking down a building struc- ture, there are a lot of moving parts. After everything is emptied out, the
“Often, people think we work 10 weeks out of the year, but we work year round in all different capacities.” Perhaps even more surprising is the size of the team that makes all this happen year after year. While that number increases during the show,
Watch the 'Making Of' video here.
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Issue 3 | Winter/Spring 2024
Issue 3 | Winter/Spring 2024
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