Anthrocon's art show seems as strong as ever. That may, in fact, be your problem - both conventions do not allow artists to ship work directly to the show, and they are within a two week period. I'm guessing that many artists have to choose between Califur and an event which is five times larger and closer. You could try asking artists why they didn't come.
As for the Ursa Majors, 20 might have been closer to the figure . . . I think you need to look at where your votes are coming from, and how many (or how few) categories they are voting on. Judging by the strength of the victory of My Little Pony and Equestria Daily, many voters may not be heavily associated with furry fandom.
You're probably also overestimating the proportion of furry fans who attend Califur. We know from surveys that perhaps 40% of fans who can be bothered to fill out a survey go to conventions. In addition, many live overseas, and many others only go to regional conventions. At best, I'd say Califur is picking up 5% of "dedicated fans" (compare Inkbunny's 100,000+ members, and it's not the largest).
Anthrocon's art show seems as strong as ever. That may, in fact, be your problem - both conventions do not allow artists to ship work directly to the show, and they are within a two week period. I'm guessing that many artists have to choose between Califur and an event which is five times larger and closer. You could try asking artists why they didn't come.
As for the Ursa Majors, 20 might have been closer to the figure . . . I think you need to look at where your votes are coming from, and how many (or how few) categories they are voting on. Judging by the strength of the victory of My Little Pony and Equestria Daily, many voters may not be heavily associated with furry fandom.
You're probably also overestimating the proportion of furry fans who attend Califur. We know from surveys that perhaps 40% of fans who can be bothered to fill out a survey go to conventions. In addition, many live overseas, and many others only go to regional conventions. At best, I'd say Califur is picking up 5% of "dedicated fans" (compare Inkbunny's 100,000+ members, and it's not the largest).