Frontier Days Now History

Well, it is Monday morning following 10 days of Cheyenne Frontier Days celebrations. This year marked the 112th anniversary. Vendors and people involved in the celebration have been very interested to see how the struggling economy would impact sales from visitors to our area. After all, tourism is a major producer of income for people in our state.

From my personal observations being downtown for the entire duration of parades, pancake breakfasts, and rodeos, the numbers were way down. Though I met many from areas all over the country, the majority of people visiting Cheyenne were more regional. And sales of non-essential, luxury items were very small compared to years past. Even the largest western art show, the Western Spirit Art Show which attracts buyers from all over the world was a dismal disappointmemt. Organizers of the event were stunned by the poor results. I think it is a trend that will be with us for awhile until people come to know what to expect from our national economy.

I spent the majority of those 10 days in the gallery meeting people and talking to them about my prints and large panoramas. I talked to hundreds of folks and though sales were not what I had hoped for, I did make some great contacts and hope to follow up on those in the next couple of weeks. Art is no exception to those areas that will continue to struggle, but we will adapt and continue to work hard. To those I did meet and who are reading this blog, I wanted to tell you again that it was my pleasure to meet you and shake your hand. My best to you and yours. Jerry