News For and About Regional Shopowners and News for Craft, Food and Artist Producers
Emailed 4.23.03. Always looking for more regional news: publicity, awards, expansions, changes, and more. Nadia Korths, Regional Craft Programs Coordinator.
At Adirondack North Country Crafts , this month's featured retailer is Great Camp Sagamore. The featured artisan is Creations in Wood.
Congratulations! Albert Worthen (Mountain Music and the Banjo Shop) of Thendara was the focus of a feature article in the December 2002 issue of Adirondack Life magazine tracing his musical journey as a banjo player to a craftsman/builder of custom banjos.
Spring Open Studio Sale at Saratoga Clayworks, in Schuylerville, east of Saratoga Springs, 100 Burgoyne Rd., 518.695.3602. Works by Doug Klein and Darren Pordger. April 26 and 27, 2003. 11am - 4pm.
News from Dori and Scott Phillips, Adirondack LogWorks, Schroon Lake. Dori wrote to let me know that they were unable to attend Buyer Days this year (hope to be back next year) and they have made a down payment on a steel building and are in the process of buying a piece of land in the Schroon Lake Business Park. They are looking forward to moving the workshop out of the basement and hope to have a full time assistant soon. They are going to offer log staircases in the future and have added a complete line of bedroom furniture, including log beds, dressers, nightstands and log-framed mirrors. Their email address is adirondacklw@email.com. (Dori, you were missed at registration!)
Deadline: May 5th. We're looking for 2 more craftspeople to sign up for the full page color ad in the Lifestyles Crafts directory distributed to 20,000 buyers from across the nation in July. Pay $260 to ANCA for a sixth of a page which would cost you $425 otherwise. Art Baird of Art Baird Pottery turned us on to this directory that has been published since 1985. He's happy with the number of orders he's gotten - some 50 from running his ad for a few years. Signed up already are Art Baird (pottery), Rusticwood.com (lighting or and/or rustic clocks), Northwoods Field Guide (birchbark framed prints), and Nonesuch Designs (contemporary mirrors). Go to http://www.ohiocraft.org and click on Buyer's Guide to see sample pages. Mostly gallery type work. Very clean layout. Besides a good photo (it can be a group shot), you'll need to provide brief description of complete line, your address, phone number and terms to Nadia. Lifestyles Crafts also provides names printed on labels ready for you to mail your promotional materials to shops actively interested in your work. Email Nadia at korths@northnet.org if interested.
Looking for a reasonably priced second floor space in Keene to display your works - start a coop - there's room for a few. Contact Stephanie Wilber, of Town and Country in Keene Valley. 518.576.9731.
Congratulations! New Scenic Adirondack TV show on PBS this March featured music from "Listening to the Adirondacks" and "Adirondack Aire" from Scott Adams, Orchard Park Recordings (one of our regular Buyer Day vendors. Scott plays his accoustic music for us during the show. Thanks, Scott.) Footage by award winning videographer Paul Frederick. DVD and VHS of program now available.
Congratulations! A new craft shop opening up in Wilmington! Terry and Sue from Young's Gallery in Jay are opening another shop in Wilmington this summer. Can't wait to see what works by whom will be for sale.
In Plattsburgh, two producers have a few leads on a production, shipping and shared employee space with, maybe, retail space. They're looking for more producers to share costs. Jane Desotelle, Underwood Herbs, and Connie Cassevaugh, Snowshoe Publishing. Contact Jane at 518.425.3306.
Congratulations! The Adirondack Museum is opening up a year round retail space on Lake Placid's Main Street sometime in June. Demos by craftspeople in the new shop.
This year's issue of the Self-guided Driving Tours of the Region's Arts, Crafts and Food is getting ready to be printed (30,000) for a Memorial Day Weekend mailing to some 300 B&Bs, 90 chambers, 90 libraries and other venues (600 in all)throughout the Adirondack North Country Region. For those of you interested in signing up ($70), contact Nadia at korths@northnet.org.
See copy and images from participants in last year's publication at Crafts, Arts and Foods.
Testimonials about Self-guided ...: Terry Young of Young's Gallery in Jay did a late fall 2002 survey of where every visitor found out about his shop and he said that the Self-guided Driving Tours turned up "a couple of times, that they had traveled from far away, and that they were pleased with their visit." John MacAbee, Adirondack Craft Center, Lake Placid, recently said "We definitely would not sign up each year if we did not see people coming in with the publication in hand." S.E.H. Burns, Northern Paradise Gift Shop, Wellesley Island, who passes Self-guided ... out at the Renaissance Festival said in 2000 that they definitely come because of this publication. If you have a story to tell about visitors coming to your shop or studio from Self-guided ... I'd love to add it to the testimonial files. Thanks. P.S. The Plattsburgh/North Country Chamber of Commerce just made a special stop in Saranac Lake at ANCA's office to pick up 250 of them.
For those businesses who have already signed up for the 03-04 Self-Guided Driving Tours of the Region's Crafts, Foods and Art, your website links have been posted at Looking for a Gift.
The annual Adirondack Artisans shindig at the Lake Placid Lodge will take place on May lst from 6 to 9pm. $25. Monies go towards funding marketing needs of an artisan or two each year via the Adirondack North Country Arts Council. Meet some of the most well known rustic furniture makers and artists of the region.
Regional business story: In Mineville, in Southern Essex County, a 28 year old company which 18 years ago focused on developing canoe accessories, counts itself as one of the largest employers in the region and as an international supplier to canoe manufacturers. Essex Industries sales will come in to about 3/4 of a million dollars in 2002. EI hires 72 people in staff, supervisory and craftsmen and craftswomen positions, many of whom are disabled. Steady development of the product line has been carefully planned and implemented. They've grown carefully and add a new product every year or two. Free Trader Today, Dec. 28, 2002, p.1.
New this year - booth shots of 72 of the 74 vendors at this year's Buyer Days posted at Buyer Day vendor booth shots. Those with websites are linked. If you need contact info for others just email korths@northnet.org.
Average of $2700 per vendor taken in orders at Buyer Days which took place on April 2 and 3. Down from 135 shops last year to 123 attending this year which, considering war limbo, stagnant economy, and let's not forget the weather (icy, sleety, rainy on Thursday), is acceptable. Thanks to all for making this show an important part of your sales and the region's economy.
Handmade to the Northern Forest is looking for more shops, studios, museums, galleries, etc. from the Northern Forest (that's the Adirondack North Country region of NYS) region. Appalachian Mountain Club has just agreed to publish and distribute the book. This guidebook, new to the Northeast, is based on North Carolina's popular Craft Trails Handmade in America a book which sold 50,000 copies in three editions. Handmade is looking for an image and description. Sample layout and online application at Handmade Northern Forest Those who completed the survey (that's 67 of you) in the fall do not have to redo the application - info at website. Only 14 have signed up so for from NYS. Let's show VT, NH and ME (other states who share the Northern Forest with us) what a great collection of regional handmade we have here. $35 fee.
Useful and new links at Resources/Product and at Regional Resources/Products. Both retailers and producers will find links to trends, forums, issues, and more. These two links have great resources for new craftspeople and retailers to self-educate as well as for the established ones to keep up with continuing education.
Some new links are Woodcentral (great website for you wood folks, lots of links, photos, shop talk about equipment and more); links to monthly and quarterly newsletters from Rosen Group, George Little Management, and Whereoware.com (article on costing website for a store in April issue); handmade section of GLM shows, and more show listings. There's other new ones as well. I do try to add new ones every 2 months.
New section on resources/product page is "website development."
Some new links on regional resources/product page as well. Most of the links to organizations that provide small business technical assistance are now up. You can link to the art councils and find out what they're offering in the way of gallery exhibits that you might be able to enter in, if they're looking for workshop presenters or if there is a workshop you want to attend, or since some of them now have calendars, to check on craft show dates, and so on. You may find the closest quilt guild, etc. here as well. I'm happy to add more. Email korths@northnet.org with contact info. Regional.
Froogle is Google's beta online catalog search engine. If Google's traffic can be drawn to this, sales could be generated. If you have a online catalog that can be datafeed to Froogle (it's free to load up your catalog), this has potential.
Need a specific product line now!!! And wish to order from a regional producer. Visit Looking for a Gift. Links to some 50 craft, food, and other artisan websites. Some shops here too.
Need a specific product line now!!! And can't find it in the region! Visit Resources/Product.
This issue is being received by about 115 producers and 70 retailers (some are both).
I look forward to receiving your news: publicity, awards, expansions, changes, and more.
Questions and useful industry leads are also welcome. Nadia Korths, regional craft programs coordinator. This newsletter is sponsored by Adirondack North Country Association
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