Hello, My name is Barb - I'm a brand new member in this forum. I am a landscape/wildlife artist from Ontario, Canada and enjoyed reading through your posts. I recently decided to subscribe as it seems we all share a common thread. So nice to have this venue to learn and share ideas.

I am new to outdoor exhibits and will be doing one in August. I've looked in your forum for advice, but the responses I've looked at are dated back from 2010 and not sure if anyone else has more expertise to share.

I am particularly stumped in which product to purchase. Being from Canada, I am not able to check these out in reality. Sifting through nuts and bolts, metal vs aluminum, mesh panels vs canvas etc. I've been researching several manufacturers and narrowed it down to 3. Show Off Canopies, The Finale and Flourish Trimline.

Does anyone have any advice on the Show Off vs The Finale? As these are both aluminum frames. Trimline is steel, but wonder about their complexity in putting up/down. Your comments would be greatly appreciated.

The Trimline is the Cadillac of canopies. It's probably heavier and has more parts but is the most sturdy of all the canopies designed for the art show industry. As for what would work the best for you, no one but you can decide. Look for videos on the manufacturer's web sites or on YouTube.

Do you know anyone locally that does art shows that has a canopy you can check out? Or look for a used canopy that may be worth the drive to pick up. I used a Craft Hut for years and sold it when I stopped doing shows. When I started on a limited basis, I purchased a used Trimline and ended up selling it and picked up a Light Dome. If you're afraid the Trimline may be too heavy or difficult to set up, check out the Light Dome.