By Cameron Meier
SA Editor
If you're a fan of folk music, you're probably already humming this story's headline to the tune of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" And you're also probably writing your own second line, possibly "gone to buy/sell, every one." But unlike the song made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary, among others, there is no simple yet profound lyric to explain the slow demise of mall shows. And complicating the analysis is the fact that many artists and craftsmen - though not as nearly as many as 10 years ago - are still making a decent living at mall shows.
It doesn't take a genius to notice that mall shows have decreased significantly in the last 10 or 15 years. You can examine the listings in Sunshine Artist to find that out. Or you can simply walk big-city malls. Fifteen years ago, you would see more - and larger - shows featuring original art and craft, especially around the holidays. Today, though, malls and shopping centers are dominated by kiosks and other displays that gel thematically and aesthetically with the malls themselves, free of the metal crafts and electric extension cords that many mall owners hate. True art and craft shows are difficult to find.
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