marketing question- pottery

[mopinko]

i am in a co-op of ceramic artists. there are 9 of us. we have a sale once a year, around thanksgiving. "back in the day" it brought in a lot of money. we had some well known folks, with good followings. this year's was probably one of the worst ever. this is mostly a function of not having those known folks, and needing to sort of start over. we worked hard, and got good pr, but still blech.
so, here is my question- our sale has been the weekend before thanksgiving for several years. the first weekend in december, however, there are a couple of other similar shows in town, (north chicago suburb) plus a few in chicago. i think we should just move to that weekend, and try to promote it as a tour. at least one other group is interested in the idea.
other members think it is an advantage to be first. wondering what you collectors think.

[Vinca]

1. The tour idea is a good one. Craftspeople in a town near me

do that every year. They advertise and put a map in the paper. There are potters, quilters, woodworkers, artists, etc. Another group of people who rent studios in an old woolen mill do it, too. I went this year and it was packed. One of the local radio stations set up shop and they have a raffle for assorted pieces donated by the artists. Do you have a web site?

[mopinko]

2. we have a website in desparate need of tlc-

http://midwestclayguild.org/

they do one out in galena-http://www.twentydirtyhands.com/
they had a great year this year.

[Vinca]

3. Wow - you guys are really talented!

The "Beat Bush Mobile" is yours, isn't it? :rofl:

[mopinko]

4. was mine. she died of a broken heart.

after what happened in ohio, she just couldn't get up again. i have an old suburban of similar decor now. i need to get some pics up.

[Gonzo Gardener]

5. Tours, In-Studio Demonstrations…

*Co-op with other fine artists and craftspeople/artisans not just potters. If your work compliments the others in the group you will draw more people and they will buy more... a little something for everyone.

*Kick off your summer season with a co-op party... invite EVERYONE your group knows! Display your wares, book a string quartet or acoustic background music of some sort, serve lemonade, iced tea along with simple hors d'oeuvres *on your functional pottery* on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Enlist the help of a few friends and family during events so, that they can help ring up and wrap items bought. The artists should mingle and talk to all the guests. Collect addresses so that you can invite new people to your following events!

*Host a series of weekend studio tours throughout the summer... a sort of weekender's 'Art Crawl' and offer short demonstrations. People enjoy seeing how things are made in-studio.

*Get out to some of the summer Art Fairs. Collect names and addresses from all of your buyers!

*Get in with your local board of tourism and contact local travel guides/magazines. Let them know about your co-op, invite them to come to meet the artists during one of your events. You're likely to get a write-up out of it!

*Most importantly, get people talking during the summer and then hit them with postcards, by the first of November, inviting them to attend your end of the season 'Holiday Sale'. Book another entertainer... serve spiced sangria & hot cider with holiday cookies and sweet/fruit breads, again, *on your functional pottery.

Sales that feel more like parties create a more intimate atmosphere and people will 'buzz' about your co-op all year long. Also, if you do commission work, make sure to let everyone know you are able to work with them to create custom pieces.

I'm in N-W Michigan a couple of months each summer. I have bought from many of these folks. They're a great bunch and very supportive of one another. Check out their sites... you may get some (marketing) ideas.
http://www.artistsnorth.com/
http://www.johntunger.com/
http://www.jordanriverarts.com/

That's all the ideas I've got...hope it helps a little. :shrug:

BTW, I attended SAIC, too!!! :toast:
Mo, if I may ask, which years did you attend? Me... 1987-91.

I'm going to go check out your site, more thoroughly, now!

[mopinko]

6. well meanie, artists co-op is an oxymoron.

all good ideas, just take a lot more time and resources than we can muster.
our sale does do a lot of what you say. we have a great time, serve great food, etc, put on a good party. costs a lot of money, tho, and depending on family, etc, is hard. it works once or twice, but in the end, this is my job, not theirs. some of the folks in the group feel that way, also, not just about family, but about promoting the group as a group. so, it is a pain of a process.
we did have some great pr this year, including a real nice interview with wbez. sent out nice press packets, yada yada.
there is a local arts council, and we did their arts week thing a couple years ago. we got one person. done a couple of studio tours, too. but the costs add up quick.
a few of us probably will be doing a couple of the local fairs this summer. like i said, we have a couple of folks who either have already made it, or don't care about making it. got a lot of new folks, tho, and hopefully that will mean a little more cooperation.

i went to saic from 82-85. did you take any clay?

[Gonzo Gardener]

7. I missed you by just a few years!

I took a handbuilding class. Couldn't ever throw worth a damn. x(

[mopinko]

8. was bill farrell still there?

hand building was more likely kitty ross. haven't seen her in a long time, but i have seen bill. his wife does our sale every year. small world this stuff.

[Gonzo Gardener]

9. Those names I do remember...

but the class I took was taught by a 'visiting artist'... damned if I can remember his name. The only thing I'm sure of is that he was constructing a series of large anatomical pieces. :shrug:

Tis a small world we live in. :pals:

[mopinko]

10. not sure who that would be.

so, how did you like it there? when i was there the teachers all understood their mission to be- chase away those students that didn't "belong there". a few of mine put me in that category, cuz i was a single mom of a young kid. i didn't have the gillion hours to hang around there. i hear tell things are different now. could have something to do with the absolutely stratospheric tuition these days.
i kinda wanted to go back once my kids got bigger, but it made more sense to just invest in myself. it made me crazy to be there in my late 20's. going in my 50's seemed like an invitation to an ulcer.

hey, wasn't it you that had a thread about a get together in the lounge? i didn't get a chance to reply. but if we did it in chicago, folks with low hygiene standards would be welcome to stay here. you can get here by all modes of transit. i even have a pop up camper that sleeps 7. it would be great. probably even get the chicago contingent to come out. they are pretty hard to organize. other than that, tho, put me on the list of folks who would love to do it. especially if it is a camping thing. very comfy trailer.

[Gonzo Gardener]

11. The freshman weed out process was pretty intense!

I think half of my freshman class dropped out or failed and didn't return for sophomore year. I'd totally forgotten about that trial by fire, heh.

I think our experiences there were likely very different... I was accepted straight out of a 'School for the Arts' program. I was 17 and didn't have all of the pressures and time restraints that someone with a family to raise would have had to deal with. I was in studio/at school 16-18 hours a day M-F and 12 hours a day on weekends. I was totally immersed in it and relished the hours heaped upon hours that I could spend in-studio and loitering in the museum galleries.

Do you remember the big hubbub in the student gallery with the Aldermen who ordered the police to arrest David Nelson's painting titled "Mirth & Girth" in 1988 and the ruckus in 1989 surrounding, my old friend, Dread Scott's "What's the Proper Way to Display an American Flag?"? Those were my formative years! :evilgrin:

Yes, I started a couple of threads last week about planning some kind of Midwestern DU meet up. I want to get a group together for the Traverse City Film Festival (I've been a volunteer since it's inception). I thought Midwest DU'rs might enjoy checking it out and coming by the cottage for a weenie roast. I think there's going to be a meet up during the May 17 & 18 Green Festival in Chicago. Also, there is talk of some type of DU meet up in Ohio… tongue in cheek… a ‘DU Camper's Jamboree‘. Nothing is set in stone, many are open to different possibilities. I’ll be posting more on meet ups soon. Keep your eyes peeled for more info on dates or PM me anytime!

It's time for family game night... hope I got my Texas Hold'em mojo back! My 12 year old had all of my $10 chips stacked in front of him before midnight, New Years Eve.