Thursday, December 11, 2008

For Better or Worse

Well, some things are better others are certainly worse. Retail shows are slow. Traffic down, hands glued in pockets. I wonder if promoters will find a way to reach a new and younger audience, when people are spending again that is. Now is the time for me, with decidedly non-mainstream work, to investigate other options. Hmmm..., I'll have to get back to you on that.


2 comments:

Laura Crawford said...

Hi Thea - As an up and coming artist with "decidedly non-mainstream work" also, this is a question I'm mulling over myself, and I will be interested to hear what you come up with. Thanks.

Thea Clark said...

Hi Laura,

Thanks for commenting.
From looking at your website, I think you have a very clear identity. I especially love the Headgear "Jewelry for Bicycles". It seems to me that between that and your commitment to sustainability, you will continue to find pr opportunities, especially if you are actively promoting yourself. Seems like you are. There must be hip cycling catalogs that would be interested in your work.

I had a day job until jewelry organically took over. I went the American Craft Council wholesale show route, but there are others. ACC does have a mentoring program for new artists btw. Today of course things are so different. If you don't have to earn your livelihood from metals immediately, you have more time to develop your work, which is a wonderful and valuable way to spend the time too. This downturn lends itself to that.

Most of the people I knew when I started who didn't stop, the way I did to raise kids, are still doing a mixture of wholesale and retail. Everyone is trying to eke by now, ride this economy out. Personally, I'd like to expand my workshop teaching, which demands pr, getting into exhibitions, etc. So in addition to creating new work, this is my focus at the moment.
Keep me posted.