[Jewelry making - Article 01270] - Re: [Orchid] Artisan's troupe

[JSEllington]

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>     I agree with your frustration and applaud you for trying to come
>     up with another solution. That said, I wonder if the reason that
>     shows charge $375, rather than 10% of show income is that show
>     income is not very dependable.

    We would not be producing a show for the sake of a profit. We would
    only expect enough to build a fund to produce future shows. At the
    outset, the artists might have to pay a regular show fee until the
    administrative fund was viable. Even if you only have 50 artists and
    an average of $1,000.00 per artist the administrative fees for the
    shows would be $5,000.00 (i.e., 10%). Then the artist's expenses for
    the next show would be less because there would be some
    administrative fund to work with. 

>     Secondly, it could take a while for the word of your group to get
>     to the participants who would be excited by it.

    We would hand-pick artists from the shows we are already doing. They
    would not have to apply to us. If someone contacted us, we would
    tell them that they have to be recommended by several artists from
    the troupe and then pass the governing board (elected by the
    artists) or some such scenario. 

>     Finally 100 artists and 20 shows seems like a whole lot.  In parts
>     of the country outdoor shows can't start until May and end in
>     October. That's almost a show a week.

    Why so many outdoor shows? Probably cheaper for the show promoters.
    I would lean toward doing indoor shows if it is financially
    feasible. I know our Holidome here in Midland leases for less than
    $200.00 per day. Then no rain-outs--no leaves, dirt, pollen, no
    sunburned and heat-exhausted customers and exhibitors, no fire-ants,
    no damaging winds, no soaked merchandise, etc., etc., etc. 

>     Some artists may not want to do so many shows. How would that be
>     handled? Do they need to pay for the shows they missed?

    It would be agreed before we started as to how many shows we would
    do. It could be handled a number of ways if an artist agreed and
    then had to miss--they could find their own replacement who had to
    go through the same process as any other artist to be accepted. If
    at the last minute, we would accept the artist sight-unseen based on
    the recommendation of our group artist--knowing we had hand-picked
    these people to begin with. 

>     I have seen artist's groups with websites on the Internet. I
>     wonder if this would be a good place to start.  Perhaps the
>     overhead would be less.

    I have a prejudice against anything online (that attitude may not be
    well-founded?). When you look for handmade one-of-a-kind jewelry you
    come up with jillions of search replies. I have looked at some of
    the online groups and even read ganoksin mentions of them--isn't
    SLOW sales the name of the game? If so, no one could depend on that
    to replace shows. 

    I've had a couple more ideas: 

    Charge admission to EVERY show. That way you lessen the idea that
    art is the entertainment. If the public came to expect a very quality
    artisan's show, I believe they would pay $5.00 or more to get in. It
    would not be an event for the whole family complete with pony rides,
    face painting, live music, lace bunnies for sale, mimes wandering
    the grounds for no apparent reason, an emerging artist's areas, a
    booth about all the nonprofit ventures, a food-tasting, a preview
    party where the locals come to bob and weave but not buy,
    hand-crocheted doilies, homemade bread, etc.,etc., It would just be
    a chance to buy quality, handmade work of artists and artisans. 

    Our administrator might be a former gallery owner who understands
    art and the atmosphere required to sell it or he/she might be a
    former show promoter who understands art. I have seen what appears
    to me a disparity between what the show promoters feel is necessary
    for the artists to sell and what is indeed conducive to selling art.
    Some seem to think that all they need are a lot of people---that
    doesn't matter if they don't have any discretionary income or if
    they are not sophisticated enough to understand and appreciate what
    goes in to making art completely by hand. What could show promoters
    be thinking sometimes? One of the benefits of the troupe is the
    ability to pick the cities and the areas where people who can afford
    and do buy art live. 

J. Sue Ellington
432-557-8785 

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