Regional crafts newsletter, emailed 9.5.03
(Thanks for all the email news, folks.)
Nadia Korths, Regional Craft Programs Coordinator.
These blurbs are a mix; some come directly from you folks, some are emails between you and I, and the rest I discover.
Some highlights:
This issue includes some 8 workshops (Ebay, Marketing, homebiz expenses and deductions and others).
This issue includes results from the first nationwide survey of Canadian retailers and a comparison of this region's craftspeople activities and income mixes to the national CODA survey.
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Featured artisan and retailer at Adirondack North Country Crafts are William and Elaine Betrus, Adirondack Trading Post, and Ralph Kylloe, Ralph Kylloe Gallery
Featured Artisan
Adirondack Trading Post Rustic furniture and accessory makers who are not yet discovered. Bill has just received an order for his ice storm bed from a customer in Hawaii!
Bill is gathering names of regional producers who may wish to sell product at his website. So email him if you are interested.
Featured Retailer
Ralph Kylloe Gallery
One of this region's most successful retailers of rustic.
Vicki,
Looks great. All the biz essentials on home page (of www.vickispaintandpetals.com) easy to find. Congratulations. Would you recommend Wired Solutions to others?
I will link your site to Looking for A Gift page at Adirondack North Country Crafts sometime in the next 2 days and announce your new site in upcoming bimonthly newsletter coming out today-tomrrw.
Later Nadia
Nadia
Thanks for the compliments. And we appreciate your listing us with ANCA. I supplied the text and photos, but Jason Eisele, email jasone@wiredsp.com, at Wired Solution Providers is the genius behind the whole design. He is wonderful to work with, accessible, and I am sure he would love to hear from you. Thanks again for the listings.
Vicki
===========================
Sue and Terry Young, Young's Studio and Gallery, RR1 Box 198 Rte. 86, Jay. 518.946.7301. Young's Gallery.
Nadia, I forgot to mention, we have updated our website - new pictures (they were taken at the wholesale show - Tim Holmes - Cricket Press. She is very fast - always looking for way to get more hits on the site.
=========================
Nadia wishes to thank the following folks for taking the time to review and edit last year's applications. I will be incorporating many of them.
Rob Igoe Jr, North Country Books, 315.735 4877, rigoe@7sadatanet.net.
Sandy Maine, SunFeather Natural Soap Company Inc., 315.265.3648, Sunfeather Natural Soap Co.
Ralph Ruf, Pennyfield Studio (glass), 518.251.3588, wispy@att.net
=========================
Nadia wishes to thank Rob Igoe Jr, North Country Books, 315.735 4877, rigoe@7sadatanet.net;
for mailing me the following articles "Do's and Don'ts (of good boothmanship)" and "Useful Tips and Tricks for Trade Shows Sent in by our Readers" and "The Top 10 Mistakes Exhibitors Make" all 3 from Exhibit Marketing and "How to Avoid Common Exhibit Marketing Mistakes" from Trade Show Week
For those who would like copies of these articles, please mail a SASE with 83 cent stamp to Nadia Korths, 12 Prescott Place, Saranac Lake NY 12983 with a note to remind me that you wish for the 'good boothmanship' articles.
=========================
CONGRATULATIONS TO
Andree' Newton
Gourd artist...
While participating in the Annual Inlet Arts and Crafts Festival in July,
won the Best show for Ethnic Creations-Gourd Mask creations.
Upcoming I will be participating at the:
Sept. 13-Adirondack Gathering for Family Talk and Tales,McCauley Mountain, Old Forge. I will be wood carving and displaying my maskcreations along with several other crafters through out the day. Story tellers present will be: Joseph Bruchac, Fran Yardley, Peggy Lynn, Bill Smith, Dan Berggren and Mart Allen (local storyteller)
Sept 27&28 -Remsen Barn Festival.
Nov 8&9 -Herkimer Arts and Craft Festival
Nov 22&23 -Sauquoit Arts and Craft Festival
For more viewings of my works:
Adirondack Gourd Artist
If cannot get in this way enter: gourdpg.html on the search line.
Best regards
Andree' Newton
Gourd artist...
============================
CONGRATULATIONS TO
Linda Allen
basketry@gisco.net
Thanks for the email. I'm not much on telling people about awards or whatever but I guess it doesn't hurt. I don't usually say anything, I let somebody tell me that they saw them or heard about them.
My baskets I entered in the Lewis County Fair in July all came in first place and a couple of best of show. I entered one basket in the State Fair and that came in first place.
These are the baskets I entered in the Lewis County Fair - the fishing creel was also the one entered in the NYS Fair.
DSCN0646.jpg
if anyone is interested in a class schedule or my baskets...or would like to be on a mailing/emailing list.. they can email me....
==============================
CONGRATULATIONS TO
Hilary Oaks
The Creative Spirit Art Center
6 Raymond Street in Potsdam NY
Creative Spirit is pleased to be one of the first 15 merchants involved in The Northern Adirondack Trading Cooperative - an initiative of the St.Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, Senator Clinton's office and E-Bay. Starting in November you will be able to purchase items from Creative Spirit online in this special section of E-Bay.
"Printmakers Paradise" a new exhibit of printing techniques and book arts will open with a reception on Saturday evening, September 6th at 7:00 pm All are welcome to attend. This exhibit will be on display through October 11th.
We will also be developing a website for the giftstore and gallery later this fall that will offer a virtual tour of the gallery, featured profiles of our artists, and list our upcoming events, exhibits and ofcourse, our store hours and driving directions. You will be able to find us online at: Spirit of Creativity.
==============================
(I will be emailing this survey to all of you right after this newsletter.)
Bernadette Logozar
Rural & Ag Economic Development Specialist
Cornell Cooperative Extension Franklin County
355 West Main Street
Malone, NY 12953
Phone: 518-483-7403
Fax: 518-483-6214
Cooperative Extension of Franklin Co.
I was talking with Jane Desotelle and she mentioned that you had done or
were doing a survey of the crafters in the Adirondack Region. i was
wondering if I could get a copy of the survey, cover letter and survey
results (when those are ready).
Jane's survey looks fine to me, I jotted a couple of notes on it, but
nothing too important. Since it is a large amount of info, more than you
might need for the initial project she has in mind, you should really
stress that the info is needed for grant proposals - point out that
organizations are more likely to provide funding if they are provided with
a considerable amount of detail on the current situation.
Nadia - you could also mention AdirondackCraft.com again as an
online retail alternative, especially as Christmas approaches, and we will
continue to offer the service of putting products online at no cost, as
long as we can. We are averaging almost an order a day (.8 orders/day).
... we have a small amount of grant funding for improving Adirondackcraft.com and one improvement will be the development of a printable catalogue of products on AdirondackCraft.com that could become a wholesale tool as well as a retail tool. So if there are producers that want one or more of their products in a printed catalogue they should take another look at AdirondackCraft.com. We have a fairly streamlined process for getting products online, described at: Adirondackwood.com.
==============================
Scott & Dori Phillips, Adirondack LogWorks, RR1 Box 19 -CC Hoffman Rd., Schroon Lake, NY 12870. 518.532.9473.
Hi Nadia! We don't presently have any digital product pictures to e-mail you that buyers would be interested in (only log railings & stairs), but here's the website: Adirondack Logworks. Our new line of log stairs has been well received by homeowners.
Thanks for all you do!
==============================
CONGRATULATIONS TO
Akwesasne Museum
321 State Rte. 37
Hogansburg, NY 13655
akwmuse@northnet.org
518-358-2461
Akwesasne Museum
One of Akwesasne's premier basketmakers, Henry Arquette, will be a recipient of Traditional Arts in Upstate NY's North Country Heritage Award on September 21st of this year. Henry is the finest utility basket maker around!
Buy Akwesasne Mohawk Black Ash Splint and Sweetgrass Basketry directly from Mohawk people! The Akwesasne Museum shop has baskets in stock from over one dozen Akwesasne Mohawk basketmakers in a variety of styles and prices. See one example of a Mohawk fancy basket on the website www.akwesasneculture.org a website designed to promote our education kits. Orders may be arranged through e-mail at akwmuse@northnet.org or by calling 518-358-2461 Monday - Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
==============================
(this non profit specializes in exhibiting non traditional gallery work from artisans of the region and beyond)
LAKE GEORGE ARTS PROJECT,1 Amherst Street,Lake George, NY 12845.(518) 668-2616. fax: (518)668-3050. email: mail@lakegeorgearts.org. web: Lake George Arts Project
August 26, 2003 contact: Laura Von Rosk, Gallery Director
Opening September 13 and running through October 17, 2003, the Lake George Arts Project’s Courthouse Gallery will present a two person exhibition with sculpture by Tim Clifford and paintings by Bill Mead. There will be a reception for the artists on Saturday, September 13 from 5 - 7 pm. Admission is free and open to the public.
Clifford and Mead use dramatic juxtapositions of architectural reference to create psychological nuance. Both artists reveal a unique sense of order, logic and geometry in their intuitive investigations of place.
Tim Clifford's sculpture and drawings use unusual points of view to show how architecture imposes order on natural space. The sculptures in this exhibit highlight the underlying meanings of the picket fence, playing off different notions and purposes of the fence, while exploring its formal sculptural possibilities. Some sculptures open or fold, creating new spaces. Others create barriers, offering either isolation or security, as the individual picket boards are extended to a thickness of several feet. Clifford says: “With its nostalgic associations, the picket fence is used so often as shorthand for an image of the traditional American home that we seldom notice the great variations that exist in individual fences. In these variations it is possible to see the picket fence as an elegant, vernacular solution to the need to demarcate the land around a home.”
Clifford received a B.A. from Bard College. In 2001 he was awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Sculpture. His work was recently exhibited at Felissimo Design Space, Hunter College’s Times Square Gallery, Artists Space, Sperone Westwater Gallery, Apex Art and the Sara Meltzer Gallery, all in NYC, and was part of a group exhibit titled “On/Of Paper 2” at the Clyde Snook Gallery, Adams State College, Alamosa, CO, and also “Location/Location” at the Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.
Bill Mead’s densely layered casein paintings feature simple forms, such as milk cartons, houses or brick walls, against contrasting fields of color. The paintings can generously be interpreted as anything from landscapes to still lives to abstract compositions. Mead’s interests include the frescoes of Pompeii and Herculaneum, particularly how time has affected or obscured their images and created worn out, irregular surfaces. His interest in this physical aspect of these ancient works is reflected in his painting process, as he explains: “I edit, I redraw, I scrape paint away, I paint over. Consequently, the surface is transformed, images and color building and wearing away, emerging like an excavation.”
Mead received an M.F.A. from Maryland Institute College of Art, a B.F.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University, and also studied at the Skowhegan School in Maine. His awards include a Juror’s Award from the Academy of Arts in Baltimore, a Visiting Critics Award at the Maryland Art Place, and an Artist’s Grant for Painting from the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. He has been awarded residences at the Provincetown Fine Art Work Center, MA, the Millay Colony, NY, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. He currently lives and works in Woodstock, NY.
This exhibition is funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency. The Lake George Arts Project’s Courthouse Gallery presents 5 to 7 exhibitions yearly of regional and national contemporary visual artists in all media. The exhibits feature emerging, as well as professional artists, with preference given to work created within the last 2 years, and to experimental or non-traditional work. The Courthouse Gallery hours during exhibitions are Tuesday through Friday 12 – 5 pm, Saturday 12 – 4 pm, and all other times by appointment. The Courthouse Gallery is located at the side entrance of the Old County Courthouse, corner of Canada and Lower Amherst Streets, Lake George, NY. For more information call (518) 668-2616, or email: mail@lakegeorgearts.org, or visit www.lakegeorgearts.org.
==============================
Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co., 1st annual garage sale and craft fair, September
13th, 2003, 8:00am-3:00pm at the firehouse, located at 1080 Bay Road in the
Town of Lake George. (Approx. 3 miles north of Adirondack Community College
on Bay Road) Space inside, 10 x 10, $30.00, 15 x 15 or 10 x 20, $50.00,
outside space, $25.00 no limitations, but please, no exaggerations. NO FOOD
VENDORS. Tables limited, $10.00 each if needed.
==============================
Regional craftspeople survey results compared to CODA National Survey results
(*** lines are ones which indicate definite need for regional economic dev't.
*Interesting
+these results could be leaning more to wholesale than what I expected
because my core group is the Buyer Days group and they may have had more
likelihood to complete survey because they knew me.)
In the region 54% work alone in studio compared to 64% in CODA's national
survey.
*In the region 40% work with family or friends compared to 18%.
***In the region 6% work with paid employees compared to 16%.
In the region 85% work in a studio located on or in their residential
property compared to 79%
*In the region 29% are members of a craft organization compared to 78%
(wow!)
Average total family income is $53,300 compared to $50,000
Average family income derived from craft-related activities is about 47%,
same as national
***The average gross sales/revenue per craftsperson is $35,700 compared to
the national average of $76,025.
(The region's craftspeople have a lot less expenses is one guess.)
18% derive all their income from crafts compared to national of 22%
+The average craftsperson in the region derives 56% of their income from
wholesale compared to 27%.
+The average craftsperson in the region derives 44% of their income from
direct retail accounts as compared to 52.87%.
Direct retail account sales break down in the following categories:
50% comes from craft fairs, same as national average,
25% coming from studio sales, compared to 27.09% nationwide
15% from commissions, compared to 14.80% nationwide
and 10% from other, compared to 6.31%.
***In the region, 87% of gross annual sales/revenue are made in NYS,
compared to the national average of 60% sold in home state.
55% of craftspeople in region are female compared to 64% nationwide.
30% of craftspeople in region are between the ages of 46 and 55 compared to
41%
The median age is 51 compared to 49.
(Total surveys returned 35. Total surveyed 1000. Percentage return of 3.5%.
These surveys were collected in late 2000/early 2001.)
Any comments after reading this survey?
==============================
Chris
wholesale show is on Oct. 20-23. It's the New York Souvenir Show. It's at
the City Center. Al Bass is the promoter. albass@attbi.com or 508.238.5800.
Connie and Jane usually go with some others from the region and split a few
booths. Show fee is 225 and booth fee is 300 for an 8x16.
Nadia
==============================
Nadia,
Thanks for the newsletter. How often do you send this out? I want to add
that I have added Rustic Cube tissue box holders to my wholesale line if
anyone is interested. They are made of 1/2 in. pine with White Birch and
Twig trim. My email is tacbw@telenet.net. Bruce Wight, Truly Adirondack
Crafts, Newcomb, NY. When is the buyers days for the spring show taking
place in Saratoga?
I retired this year. I have been very busy with family and rustic sales.
All is going fine and hope to do more wholesale orders.Thanks for all the help with dropping my name to others. I will be doing a work shop in August at the Hand Weaving Museum in Clayton and an ElderHostel program in late Sept. there also. I am interested in doing workshop,demonstrations, and programs if you have any contacts. I find that very worthwhile for me. As a teacher it comes easy to relate to people.Thanks again and I will keep in touch.
Bruce Wight
Truly Adirondack Crafts
518-582-3581
Bruce,
the regional resources page at Adirondack North Country Crafts has links to some 40-50
regional art orgs, many of which provide workshops. One of the reasons I put
this page up was to provide you folks with the links to these orgs so that
you could check out their website and see if they offer workshops and then
approach them. Let me know how page works for you.
Retirement - congratulations. I'm thinking you're probably busier than ever.
I'm delighted that you're thinking of going to the wholesale show. The
retailers will love you.
The applications go out late Sept.
Nadia
Dates for adk rustic nature show is March 31, April 1 (Wed./Thurs.) at City
Center, Saratoga Springs.
Catskill Crafts Market very undecided. Non profit has lost the funding for
the October events and much of its energy. I need to decide in next 2 weeks
or so if I want to do it on my own. I would need a nonprofit to cover the
liability insurance coverage maybe the Catskill Mountain Foundation. You
folks seem to think it is worth developing. I welcome any thoughts on this.
Nadia
===============================
Jennifer Pietrow 398 Closson Road Scotia, New York 12302
pdesigns@nycap.rr.com
Pietrow Designs
Hi Nadia,
I was given your name by someone I just met who's done your show (a
boatbuilder) and he recommended that I contact you about joining your
list of craftsmen for the Buyer Days show. I make fused glass jewelry
and have been selling one-at-a-time to NY businesses and would like to
hit them all at once by doing your show. The one drawback I have is
that mine are one-of-a-kind pieces that I would sell wholesale that day
and not take orders for. Is this possible? Please let me know and if
it's within your policy to allow that, could you please send me an
application and information.
Thanks!
Jennifer Pietrow
Jennifer,
Thank you for your interest in Buyer Days. You can check out last year's vendors at Adirondack North Country Crafts click on Buyer Days.
What is your mailing address? The application goes out late Sept./early Oct.
You are welcome to sell at show. You may wish to attend the "How to Establish and Maintain Wholesale Accounts" workshop usually scheduled for sometime in Oct./Nov. You can often package your work so you aren't committed to doing exactly the same thing but kind of the same thing and get orders as well.
Look forward to seeing your work.
Nadia
Regional Craft Programs Coordinator
===============================
Stephen and Marilyn Leonard, Rusticwood.com, 122 Horning Rd., Palatine Bridge, NY 13428. 518.673.5411. steve@rusticwood.com
We did extremely well at the Adirondack Living show in Saratoga over Easter weekend. We will be at the Lake Placid show by the same promoter July 18-20. He is already nearly filled up for the Saratoga show next year - this is probably the best retail show we have ever done. Might be of interest to some others. Promoter is Jeff Frasier 518-371-6363. He actually knows what he is doing. Stop by the horse show grounds, we'd be glad to see you! Adirondack Living Show. "A celebration of camps, cabins and lakeside living."
Nadia did stop by at the show in Lake Placid and it looked classy. The traffic that was there were serious shoppers only($10 at the gate). I never got to talk to Stephen and Marilyn. How was the show for you?
And how did the CraftProducers mid August show in Lake Placid turn out for you? Again, classy looking show. Wonderful looking vendors under beautiful tents in the Olympic Oval.
===============================
Melisa/AJL Designs
Hi Nadia,
I have a few questions maybe you can help me with. Information
about the Rochester show, we may want to do our own booth (maybe next to
ANCA) if possible. Who do we contact? Or maybe we could do a group booth.
Do you know of any wholesale/retail shows in Pennsylvania?I think there is one around March.
Do you have a date set for Buyer Days in Saratoga Springs next April? We have had much success with orders at this show and quite a few orders after the show. I'm still taking orders now from new accounts.Thank you.
Have you heard good things about ADK Country Living retailshow/Jeff Fraser?
Hope all is going well with yourself,It seems that the summer season is here after a cold,wet spring. Take care,
Melisa/AJL Designs
Melisa
I've heard good things about Jeff Fraser. I've got to go check out his show
this weekend.
March 31, April lst, 2004 are dates for next year's Buyer Days. That's great
that you're still picking up new accounts!
Call Jane Desotelle, Underwood Herbs, to talk about sharing a booth or being
near them, 518.425.3306. Go to Western New York Gift Show to submit your
name to get application in Oct.
Check out links at Adirondack North Country Crafts resources/product page to national craft
shows. I think you're talking about Marketsquare show.
Later
Nadia
==============================
Anita Drozdyk
SLAC Schroon Lake Arts Council
518-532-9259
Nadia
We are the Schroon Lake Arts Council and are always looking for new vendors/demonstrators for our annual Adirondack Folk Music Festival - this
year on August 10th from noon - 5pm. Got some good contacts thru this e-mail and would look for more. If anyone is interested in being a
vendor/demonstratorcontact me via e-mail or phone at the Arts Council 518-532-9259. Our website is in the process of being developed and will be ready in the fall.
Anita Drozdyk
SLAC
Anita,
I'm pleased you got some good contacts out of this email newsletter. The
next email newsletter will go out at the end of August. If you have any news
appropriate for that mailing (your website address, for one), I will be
happy to include it. I hope your August 10th Folk Music Festival goes well.
Nadia
=========================
Martha Deming
Painter - Landscapes and Florals
Meadowtop Art
mmdatmeadowtop@aol.com
Hi Nadia, Thanks for the newsletter. Nice to see a few friends mentioned.
Is this the organization (ANCA) that I applied to and sent a check to last
year? I've never heard a word in response to my application and check, and to tell the truth, had actually forgotten about it til your newsletter arrived. Do we get a membership card and listing, gallery/studio map, anything of that sort?
How often does the newsletter come out? How does one submit news?
Martha Deming
Hi Martha,
The Self-guided Driving Tours went out May 27 and you were mailed two
packets of them, 30 each. I will mail you another bundle. The Fulton Chamber
of Commerce should have received another 250 last week. What is more
important is that if you do not already do so, please ask your studio
visitors how they found out about you. This is the only way we have of
tracking sales made from the Self- guided Driving Tours publication.
The email newsletter comes out approximately every 2 months. The next one
will come out towards the end of August. Just email me your info and I will
be happy to include it.
Nadia
Regional Craft Programs Coordinator
We are looking for other crafter with websites to swap links. (we be on theirs and they be on ours) Thanks - Karrie
Hi Nadia, Just to let you know, we received about 6 orders from people who saw us in Vogue. They were from; Florida, Colorado, (you would think they could find Antler stuff out there), California, NYC and a interior designer from East Hampton. It was fun to see our stuff right along side of Ralph Loren, Banana Republic... The best part, it was FREE.
Karrie
==============================
Hi Christine (Saratoga Downtowner Motel),
Thank you for taking care of my craft folks.
Buyer Days at City Center is booked for Wed., March 31, and Thurs., April l, 2004. I'd like to book same setup as last year's Wed and Thurs. April 2 and 3 show.I know the big season is coming upon you but just so you have it in the back of your brain. I will get in touch with you in early Sept. to confirm.
Nadia
Regional Craft Programs Coordinator.
=================================
(This nonprofit has provided some great services to women (and now men) starting out their own businesses - they just offered a booth workshop with Bruce Baker for only $20!!!). Only 3.5 hours away (at least from Saranac Lake). Well worth checking out their website for upcoming workshops to coordinate carpooling.)
WREN
2011 Main Street
P.O. Box 331
Bethlehem, NH 03574
603-869-9736
603-869-9738 (fax)
wren@wrencommunity.org
Wren Community
Ovation! Store
The WREN Ovation! retail store, is open everyday, 10am-5pm, 603-869-3100. Please stop by anytime! We are located right on Main Street in the cozy town of Bethlehem, New Hampshire.
Nadia wrote:
Hi Katy,
Natalie said you folks have a group booth that you've taken to the Portland show. Did you buy a standard booth display? Is it something I could rent from you to use at the Rochester Show in mid Feb? (I'm going that way Sept. 15-17 and will be stopping in to see what the display units look like.)
I'm also going to mail you an application to Buyer Days so those who have nature/rustic theme product lines can be exposed to 130 shops from No. NY. Maybe we could explore something together for Rochester Show as well.
Later
Nadia
Hi Nadia -
A group of members did the Portland show two years ago - several of them used display items we have stored in the basement. There is nothing standard - but lots of shelving units etc and of course you would be welcome to using any of it for your booth in February. I've never attended the Rochester show and would definitely be interested in attending. And yes - I would welcome any ideas for collaboration.
Katy
======================================
Darren Miller
Program Director
Adirondack Lake Centre for the Arts
PO Box 205
Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812
tel.518-352-7715
e-mail :alca@telenet.net
“Painting for Nature: Art and Conservation in Italy and America”
August 16-September 26 2003
Adirondack Park is twinned with the National Park of Abruzzo,Lazio and Molise, one of Italy’s older and principal Parks. A nature art exhibition in Abruzzo,hosted by the Park during the Millennium Park convention and organised by Stefano Maugeri, was at the origin of a special bond between Adirondack Park authorities, Paul Bray and Dick Lefevre, and the artists. Sharing the same feelings about the importance of Nature and Wildlife Art for bringing out a message of conservation,this American event is the first of hopefully more and larger cultural exchanges of this kind.
The event schedules:
An exhibition of works produced in Italy, and possibly a further section displaying the works produced on the spot, from 16 August to 26 September 2003, at the Adirondack Lake Centre for the Arts.
The exhibition is under the auspices of the Italian Cultural Institute of NYS.
The inauguration will take place at 7 p.m., August 16; the artists will give an illustrated talk on the situation on nature art in Italy and a guided tour of the exhibition.
The exhibition will be divided in sections, ranging from Mediterranean nature to flora and fauna of the rest of the world.It will be enriched with explicatory panels,about the importance of art for conservation, of biodiversity etc., and a short presentation of the authors and of each work.
The two artists will be hosted by the Adirondack Museum, for two weeks .
On August 21st the artists will give a second talk with slide projection, on the history of Man’s representation of Nature from the origins of civilisation to our days in the Old World,i.e. Europe, at the Adirondack Museum.
They will also hold an “en plein air” painting workshop on the 19th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..
The Adirondack Park authorities provide insurance coverage for the pictures, pay for the print of invitation postcards, offer lodging to the artists and publicise the exhibition through their channels (website, press releases, event listings, advertising, radio, photocopiable supplemental materials).
The artists, on their side, will help hang the exhibition; will provide the graphics for the invitation postcards; will make profit of their stay in order to see and paint as much as possible of the beauties of the place; will try to meet local nature artists and naturalists for an exchange of ideas and experiences.
Mr. Nicotra, Board of NIAF, has given his support to the project by scheduling a 3 page article on the magazine “Italy Italy”(Sept. Issue).
Sponsors of the event are Alitalia, offering shipping for the works, and Neos Edizioni, that will publish two articles on the Italian review Fax.
Artists: Stefano Maugeri
Via Adriano Tilgher 41, Roma
Tel. home 0039.6.821122
Mobile 39333.5812488
Concetta Flore
Via Pietro Venturi 21, 00149 Roma
Tel/fax: 0039.6.55272867
Mobile 39333.8553643
e-mail:conciflore@inwind.it
Local Coordinators: Paul M. Bray
Glynwood Center
159 Brevator Street, Albany, NY 12206
tel. 518.459.9284
e-mail: PMBRAY@aol.com
Darren Miller
Program Director
Adirondack Lake Centre for the Arts
PO Box 205
Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812
tel.518-352-7715
e-mail :alca@telenet.net
On Aug. 7, Nadia went to a meeting in Bethlehem, NH (at the WREN office). At the table was a woman interested in starting a company with funds solicited from investors which would create marketing outlets for artisans throughout the Northern Forest for some and/or all of the following marketing channels;
1. Studios
2. Commissions
3. Craft shows/fairs/festivals
4. Mail order
5. Internet
6. Wholly owned retail store front
7. Direct sales to retailers (craft stores, galleries, gift stores, etc.)
8. Wholesale trade shows and sales representatives
Representatives from the Northern Forest Center and from ANCA (Nadia), WREN (Natalie), Mainewood.net and Sugarwood Gallery (Chris), and Businesses for the Northern Forest (Kelly), were asked whether there are needs for these services in the area and how feasible would it be to provide these services.
We said yes and that it would be a challenge. I am excited that the Northern Forest Center is considering focusing on furthering the economic development of craftspeople. I'll keep you updated on progress.
=======================================
Marleen Blair,
Portobello Road,
182 River St.,
Troy, NY 12180
Hi Nadia....thanks for the newsletter. I, as a buyer wish to make a plea for any show information in Sept. and Oct. be sent to me because this is when I will be buying for Christmas. The show in the spring is way too early for me, although I did buy some wonderful things then. Thanks....
Marleen
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(This description of Buyer Days was included as a Success Story in the Northern Forest Center's monthly Success Series emailed to many nonprofits [I'm assuming some 60 or so] throughout the Northern Forest)
Northern Forest Success Series and Clearinghouse
August 15, 2003
This monthly series highlights successes from across the Northern Forest and provides links and information about regional activities and resources. The Northern Forest Center encourages you to contact the groups featured each month to learn about their experiences. Scroll down to find additional information about regional news, resources and events.
Success Story
Tradeshow Generates more than $1 Million in Regional Sales
Key Successes: This year at the Adirondack North Country Associations, "Nature and Rustic Buyer Days" at the City Center in Saratoga Springs on April 2 and 3, 2003, 123 shops came to see 74 vendors from northern New York and beyond. The total estimated dollars taken in orders at the show was $200,000. Based on industry guidelines the tradeshow coordinator estimates that vendors will bring in another $400,000 in sales from orders placed after the show. Retailers, doubling the wholesale price on products bought as a result of the trade show, will make approximately $600,000 in sales. All told, the accounts at this show are likely to generate $1,200,000 in annual regional sales.
Context: The Nature and Rustic Buyer Days were started in 1985 to help crafts people diversify their income streams, and to give them access to a larger market for their products.
Project Description: The show is geared to vendors and retailers who specialize in creating and selling nature and rustic theme product lines. Traditionally, most of the participants have been from the Adirondack area, but recently the show has begun to attract both vendors and retailers from across the Northern Forest. Vendors are recruited through mailings, word of mouth, and through the Adirondack North Country Crafts website. To recruit buyers to the show the coordinator mails out postcard invitations to 3,500 buyers. The show is also promoted in trade publications.
Contact Information:
Nadia Korths
10 Park Place
Saranac Lake, NY 12983
(518) 891-1632, 1-800-552-2627
korths@northnet.org
Adirondack North Country Crafts
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Survey results from 1600 Canadian retailers can be linked to from
CGTA (it glitched on me - maybe it won't for you). These results are from the first nation wide survey of the Canadian giftware industry by Retail News.
Some survey results follow:
The top 5 categories are: general giftware, candles, decorative accessories, Christmas/seasonal decor, and Canadian-made.
What's trending up:
Jewellery (35%), general giftware (32%), decorative accessories (31%), small/occasional furniture (31%), furniture (30%), garden product (30%), gourmet food (30%). Percentage of retailers planning to buy more in these categories.
What's trending down:
Collectibles (29%), Christmas/seasonal decor (25%), clothing/apparel (25%), plush (23%), pet product (21%), music (20%). Percentage of retailers planning to buy less in these categories.
The data shows the more suppliers you deal with the more times your inventory turns. Over one third (34%) of retailers buy from fewer than 20 suppliers and are turning inventories 2xs a year. Conversely, just 12% of retailers dealing with 80 to 99 suppliers have inventory turns of 2xs annually.
17% of retailers do not report any fulltime employees and 23% didn't record any partime. Over half of the retailers that do have staff have 2 full time employees and/or 3 or fewer parttime employees.
Over half of retailers pay fulltime staff members under $25,000 annually with just 13% providing health insurance and 4% offering a pension plan. And even though the staff is working hard only 44% offer paid vacation. Merchandise discounts are offered by 40%. It would seem that retailers are not concerned about losing employees - staff retention scored 2 out of 5 when we asked about challenges to their business.
(Interesting paragraph about margins and keystoning)
Too many retailers look for ways to lower their prices rather than ways to increase their margins. There is no set formula to pricing. Look for product, whether it's brand name, convenient, trendy, hard-to-find or unique that you can get better margins on. Rick Segal, the author of The Retail Business Kit for Dummies says keystoning is dead and that retailers should be considering the above when determining prices for merchandise.
"The difference between what you pay for merchandise and what you can sell it for called your margin." Segal drills the point home by saying, "Do you think Bill Gates is selling his windows software based on doubling his cost? I doubt it. I'm sure Microsoft calculates the highest possible selling price it can get in order to sell the most it can. The company takes its mark-up when it can and takes less when it has to."
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Export Seminar slated on Sept. 10 and 11, 4-6pm, Free. First one in Watertown, second one in Ogdensburg.
The sessions will offer companies a chance to learn about exporting programs that are available to help them get started, how to get their product to the foreign market, how to collect their money from foreign sales, as well as talk with local companies that have expanded their markets to include other countries.
Preregistration required and may be done by visiting the Training Link at CITEC or calling CITEC's marketing director Tricia Wilson at 315.268.3778 ext. 23.
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Metroland, an entertainment weekly of Albany, Schenectady and Troy, has a "we're Gifted" Gift Guide 2003 annual issue. Deadline: Dec. 3, Issue: Dec. 11. 518.463.2500, ext. 130 or 132. Don't know anything more than that about it. 180,000 readers.
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Gretchen, shop in PA, 717.993.9639, looking for red cedar Adirondack chairs.
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Make Money with e-Bay!
and other internet auctions
Location: Colonie
Overview: Internet auction sites such as eBay, Yahoo, and Amazon.com have enjoyed uptick in popularity because most people have something sitting around the house that can be exchanged for cash. Your instructor, whose experience straddles both the electronic, and the bricks-and-mortar auction worlds, brings a unique perspective to this popular topic. Unpack the boxes in your attic and find out how to sell through internet auction sites.
Topics: auction definitions and terms • advantages and disadvantages of selling on-line • what to sell: new, unused items, antiques and collectibles, handmade products, etc • general auction sites vs. specialized sites • how to set up an account • costs involved • protecting yourself from a bad bidder • pricing your items • how to word the promotional blurb • photographs • setting a minimum bid • collecting payment • shipping • the possibilities for expanding your internet auction hobby into a business • where to find additional goods to sell
Instructor: Shelle Hamil has had great success selling items on the internet and draws from experiences in the traditional auction world.
Overview: You've sold a few items through internet auctions and now you'd like to turn your hobby into a business. In this advanced class you will learn how to set up a bookkeeping system, deal with taxes, manage inventory, and ship in volume. Now position yourself as a serious seller, troubleshoot your auctions and sell internationally. You will learn how to find the right software to manage your auctions and, sell more with the same effort.
Topics: getting a DBA • E-Bay® stores • setting up a bookkeeping system • dealing with the taxes • setting up your office • digital cameras • positioning yourself as a serious seller • selling internationally • troubleshooting your auctions
Recommended Prerequisite: Make Money with e-Bay
Instructor: Shelle Hamil has had great success selling items on the internet and draws from experiences in the traditional auction world.
Create a Retail Business on the Internet
Location: Colonie
Want to know how to market and sell your products on the INternet... The information packed seminar with Steve Veltkamp, founder of the profitable Bizshop series of on-line sites, will tell you exactly how.
Topics: the advantages of Internet retailing - how to get and keep your customer's attention - how to price your product for maximum profits - how to accept credit cards, checks and other forms of payment - how to design your website to make things easy for your customers including shopping cart systems and on-line purchasing - how to drive traffic to your on-line store.
Course Fee: $45 Members: $35
Materials fee: $3
One time only. Oct. 25 1:30 to 4:30pm
CONGRATULATIONS TO all those from the Adirondack North Country Region who went to the Hunter Mountain Culture Festival this year and as a result, are in the book highlighting the artisans of the show.
You are:
Adirondack Pine, Jim Dugan, adirondackpine@aol.com, furniture and accessories white pine
Mark Sears, Rustic Creations in Wood, rustic furniture and accessories
Bonnie Gale, English Basketry Willows, baskets
Barry Gordon, wood spoons
Eugene Albright, Refined Rustics, wall and mantle hangings
Rusticwood.com, Stephen and Marilyn Leonard, rustic lamps and wall scones
Truly Adirondack Crafts, Bruce Wight, tacbw@telenet.net, rustic ranging from twig pencils to king size beds
Corbae Fox, Audre Fox, 518.581.5900, unique artistic clothing, quilts, pillows with electic international and spiritural flair
Rosebud Designs in Wire, Anne Busse, rosebud4@nycap.rr.com, handmade glass beads and sterling silver jewelry
Suzanne's Adirondack Basketry, Suzanne Clayton, 518.834.9209, wide range of baskets
Darlene Badger, Walking Clover Farm, all natural herbal ointments and oils
Terry and Mark Smith, Wild Ravens, mark@wildravens.net, hand dyed, hand screened casual wear with wildlife designs.
And how was the show? Would you go again?
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9.16.03, Lender's Workshop, Comfort Inn, Plattsburgh, NY.
Meet area bankers and discuss your business needs. Speak to area lenders.
9am-12noon, $20, SCORE, Plattsburgh/North Country C of C, 518.563.1000, Score Plattsburgh
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9.12.03, Home Business Tax Responsibility (IRS), Tupper Lake C of C, Tupper Lake, NY. 4-6pm. $8.
An IRs rep. will present this workshop. It covers all areas of a home biz and biz use of your car. Learn what taxes you must pay and what deductions are available.
SCORE, Plattsburgh/North Country C of C, 518.563.1000, Score Plattsburgh
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Deadline: Sept. 15. LARAC is accepting applications from high quality fine arts and crafts in a wide range of prices for its 5th annual Holiday Showcase running from Nov. 22 to Jan. 9. visit LARAC to get an application. 60 exhibitors will be accepted. In 1999, sales receipts doubled projections, and in 2000, sales were 34% higher than in 1999. Sales records have been broken in each of the past 3 years.
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Art Crawl and Electronic Cottage are marketing websites which connect the producer directly to the customer. EAch member at www.artcrawl.com can maintain their own page with fill-in forms.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO
Mary Blanchard, South Bay Jewelry, South Bay Jewelry, 315.354.5481, Box 35, Raquette Lake, NY
Mary was the May/June 2003 featured artist for Adirondack Life's Adirondack Made article.
Mary met Neil Diamond at Caroline Rhea's TV show. After he saw the necklace Caroline was wearing with his signature inscribed into that Mary had made, he ordered one on the spot from Mary who was in the audience.
"Mary hand-fabricates earrings, bracelets, and neckwear from sterling silver, fourteen-carat gold and gold-filled metal, often adding semiprecious stones like garnet, malachite, lapis, rose quartz, black onyx or freshwater pearls."
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CONGRATULATIONS TO
Wendy Harrington, Harvest Herb Company, 518.483.0030.
Wendy's business with its 300 mixed blends of seasonings, teas, soup mixes, original dip mixes, herb samplers, potpourri, jams and jellies, vinegar blends, salt-free rubs, sausage seasonings and more, was featured in the Spotlight on Business section of the Cornell Rural and Ag Economic Development Quarterly.
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Workshop "The Business of Art: Marketing Your Work" sponsored by the Corning Museum of Glass. Sept. 13-14, 2003. $100 for entire seminar if non-member. $20 per session for non-member. To register contact Louise Maio, 607.974.4084 or maiom@cmog.org. Corning Museum of Glass. Gallery Crawl on Friday eve. for those who show up the night before.
Saturday 9:15 am
Toni Sikes, CEO, Guild.com presents l hour workshop Connecting to the Consumer in Search of Beautiful Things
Saturday 10:15 am
Caitlin and Marshall Hyde. Caitlin has been selling her flame worked beads, bottles and small sculptures since 1996. She was named a "New Tale for the Millennium" by Glass Quarterly in 2000. Marshall, has designed websites for museums and has also produced flameworked beads. Caitlin has been selling on Ebay since 2001 and Marshall since 2002. Their 1 hour workshop is "Make big Money while working at home!: the hype, truth, and mysteries of selling artwork on Ebay."
Other workshops not as pertinent
3:30pm
"How to Price your Work" with Milton Townsend who has been selling his work since 1974. He now sells to 300 galleries and shops.
Sunday
Morn - other workshops not as pertinent
1:30pm
"Designing an artist's website" with Mark McDonnell
Mark has been working with glass for 25 years.
3pm
"Developing relationships with Museum Shops with Nancy Brennan"
Nancy has been a buyer for 14 years and has been purchasing glass for The Corning Museum of Glass for the last 10 years. She works with more than 1,100 vendors, ranging from large glass companies to small studios.
And there's more.
(Let me know if you plan on going. I can match up people to save on overnight costs.I'd love to hear Toni Sikes.)
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For those of you in the Glens Falls area, Sept. 20 is Open House day at the Troy Shirt Works Factory where some 30 artisans have had studios starting 2 years ago.
$300 includes heat and lights for an 800 square foot studio with other creators in the same building. About 5 spaces left. Cornelius Pardy, decorative and restorative blacksmith, told me that there were 2 quilters, 4 furniture makers, another blacksmith, 2 graphic designers, 2 galleries with a cooperative one to soon open up, 2 potters, 1 weaver, 2 watercolorists, 1 pastel, 2 glassblowers, 1 acrylic and 1 oil painter. And there's probably others, Cornelius was just remembering off the top of his head.
The owner of the building is a machinist who has studio space in the building! He is buying up more buildings in Glens Falls and in Greenwich (if I remember correctly).
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Karin Keene
Grant Coordinator
518.962.8778
artsgrants@westelcom.com
The Arts Council for the Northern Adirondacks
is running their series of Developing Community Arts Grants from Sept. 10 to Sept. 18 alternating between Bluseed Studios, Saranac Lake and the ACNA office in Westport. Artists can be sponsored by a qualifying nonprofit for a special project that benefits the general public.
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New York Foundation for the Arts
Artists' Fellowships Guidelines and application 2004 must be postmarked by Wed., Oct. 1, 2003. Categories this year: Painting, photography, architecture/environmental structures. $7,000 awarded. In 2003, NYFA awarded 144 fellowships to 148 artists, with 4 collaborations.
Adirondack region contact is Jody Maloy, Council on the Arts for Clinton County, 518.563.5222
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Yarborough Square 672 Bear Swamp Rd Peru NY 12972
CONGRATULATIONS TO
Yarborough Square of Peru, NY was among seven New York retailers named 2003 Top 100 Retailers of American Craft by NICHE magazine. More than 26,000 craft artists were polled. Criteria for selection include treating artists with courtesy and respect, paying on time, promoting and marketing American Crafts, contributing time and energy to the craft community, as well as mentoring emerging artists. More than 670 galleries, retail stores and museum shops were nominated.
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Nadia Korths, regional craft programs coordinator, Adirondack North Country Crafts, korths@northnet.org, 10 Park Place, Saranac Lake NY 12983. 518.891.1632/800.552.2627
L.L.Bean Home Outdoor Living Summer 2003 catalog features Adirondack, Rustic and Cottage product lines. I did not recognize any product lines from around here. Who's gotten some national magazine or catalog exposure this summer?
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Nadia Korths, regional craft programs coordinator, Adirondack North Country Crafts, korths@northnet.org, 10 Park Place, Saranac Lake NY 12983. 518.891.1632/800.552.2627
I'd like to put up a page at adknccrafts.com. featuring annual studio tours. I know of the Jay, Dingman Point, Salem, Saranac Lake, Sheep and Fiber Tour in Washington Co., Indian Lake's Christmas Tour, what's Sacandaga doing this year? and the St. Lawrence County one. Who else has annual studio tours? Give me whatever info you have and I'll take it from there.
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(interesting news for those who are going to or thinking about going to the Western Design Conference)
NEWS RELEASE
Western Design Conference Strengthens Position Through Sale
New owner to bring influential exposure and heavy promotion
Cody, WY - March 7, 2003 - The board of directors for the Western Design Conference voted at their March 5 meeting to sell the organization to Western Interiors & Design, LLC, a Jackson, Wyoming company that is launching the new Western Interiors & Design magazine. The sale closed on March 7th with the stipulation that the Western Design Conference will be held in Cody this September for the 11th consecutive year.
The Western Design Conference was organized in Cody in 1991 with the first full-blown conference held in 1993. The annual three day event offers a unique marketing venue for crafts people to showcase their finest original work in the realms of furniture, fashion, jewelry and home accessories as well as providing educational seminars on a variety of design topics. The conference attracts more than 3,500 people to Cody each September providing an economic impact of more than $3.5 million to the immediate area.
Cody resident Thea Marx, executive director of the conference from 1997 through 2001, will resume that role with the new owner. She hopes to continue being part of the Rendezvous Royale which coordinates three massive events – The Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale, the Patrons Ball and Western Design Conference - into one exciting week that celebrates the arts.
"The Cody area has the largest concentration of immensely talented craftspeople in the Rocky Mountain Region and the conference is the best venue to showcase their talents," says Marx. "But we never had the financial depth to provide the marketing the conference deserves. When I left the position in 2001 I felt the conference had hit its maximum potential with the limited funding we had for promotion. With the resources of a national magazine that speaks directly to the types of people we are trying to attract, we can now take it to the stars."
The board that oversees the Western Design Conference has been wrestling with financial limitations for some time.
"The sale seems the perfect solution for all concerned," says Roger Murray, president of the Western Design Conference board of directors. "The conference had a heavy debt load and we didn’t have the capital to effectively promote the event. The new buyer approached us, offered to assume this debt and promised to provide the conference promotional resources we could never afford."
The new owner, Carol Decker, Founder and CEO of Western Interiors & Design, LLC says her magazine’s inaugural May/June circulation will be 150,000 with research showing 900,000 will read the bi-monthly publication. Every issue will provide a page and a third advertisement for the Western Design Conference in addition to heavy editorial content supporting the event. Better yet, with national distribution and her executive editor located in Los Angeles and her publisher located in New York City, the conference will be exposed to many more influential industry leaders and potential buyers.
"We’re delighted to acquire the conference," says Decker. "The event has been wonderfully run for the past ten years. With our backing, I envision the show becoming even larger with a wider variety of craftspeople and suppliers making it more useful, interesting and successful for all concerned. Larger crowds will generate larger sales and a larger economic boost to the community."
About the Western Design Conference
The Western Design Conference exists to educate, to provide economic opportunities and to allow for the exchange of ideas which perpetuate the best traditions of Western design and craft. Now in its 11th year, the conference offers a unique marketing venue for crafts people to showcase their finest original work in the realms of furniture, fashion, jewelry and home accessories as well as providing educational seminars on a variety of design topics. To learn more, visit Western Design Conference.
About Western Interiors & Design
Western Interiors and Design celebrates and showcases the finest architecture and interior design of the American West. The magazine is written for the affluent homeowner who appreciates architecture and design and is continuously looking for ideas, inspiration and sources. Each issue will feature unique and exceptionally interesting homes and estates, remodeling and decorating ideas, and architectural and design trends – trends that very often set the pace for the rest of the United States. To learn more, visit Western Interiors and Designs.
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This issue is being received by 251 producers, retailers and supporting orgs. 19 more are receiving this newsletter than the last time!
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Previous issues are at Stories About You
I look forward to receiving your news: publicity, awards, expansions, changes, and more.
Questions and useful industry leads are welcome.
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Nadia Korths, regional craft programs coordinator, is sponsoring this issue.
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