Filed under: session | Tags: critique, exhibition, feedback, response, review
Scott Green, head of subject for art at Derby University cam to talk with us about the Connect exhibition. within the gallery space he gave his first impressions and then went onto speak in detail about each part of the display and individual’s work.
The questions and responses were helpful in allowing me to develop an overall view of the show as well as some insight into a first reaction from an outsider to my work. This will be used to add to my exhibiting module assignment 2 – critical review.
Filed under: session | Tags: costing, crafts council, finance, price, register of makers, research
Heather rigg covered aspects of cash flow and finance, including forecasting for the first year of business / career.
It terms of comparing my prices in relation to the competition Heather suggested looking at the Crafts Council’s DIRECTORY OF MAKERS.
Filed under: session | Tags: education, engagement, gallery, tasks, worksheet
Today’s session with Maggie was covering the history of galleries and their use within education.
Of the information provided the most useful was in relation to how we can incorporate some form of learning experience into our exhibition. The examples of packs and booklets from a range of galleries really inspired us to do something that involes questions to engage visitors and provide feedback about our audience at the same time. Gizella will make a draft copy of th format and we will each give a question and image to be included in a gallery worksheet.
For Maggie I need to get the value of the work (price list), text for the exhibtion panel and text for the display labels ready for 14th April.
Filed under: session | Tags: business, ceramics, handouts, pete moss, voice
PETE MOSS is a ceramacist, he presented the group with ways in which we can develop our own voice and turn our making into a business.
This session was invaluable, he provided useful handouts (mainly lists of ‘to do’ or contacts) and spoke with enthusiasm and passion about getting out there and doing what you love best. A great overview of working for yourself as a craftmaker. I’ll be referring back to this session in future without a doubt.
Maurice Maguire introducd his experiences in public and community art.
The session was really interesting and engaging in terms of how and what Maurice had acheived through his observations of space, community interactions, history and activity.
From a usefulness perspective, much like the sessions towards the end of last year, they raise my awareness of the variety of projects and ways of earning money from art, but I struggle see how, as a craftmaker, I can use these examples to further my own practice and business.
The group met to discuss the practical and operational issues around the Connect exhibition. It didn’t really feel like much work on our part as Maggie Warrn had a list of tasks / considerations to which we had to made decisions. This part of the session seemed to go without a hitch – all of the group agreed on aspects relating to comments books, invitations, timing for the provate view, sales and insurance.
Things became a little more tense when it came to making the model of the gallery and scaling our works down so we could see how it fits in the space. It was at this point we realised how cluttered the gallery was likely to be. Each member of the group had their own requirements: wall space, plinths, lighting, privacy, viewing distance… This was resolved through Maggie overseeing the basic requirements and then negotiations between individuals.
From my perspective, because I remained flexible I ended up compromising and in situation where I feel my work is not in a space that is conducive to what I am trying communicate through the display. I am placed next to work that is large, bright and overpowering, my work is small, detailed and intimate – I just don’t think it is going to work.
I will see arrange to see Maggie before the session next week to see if anything can be done to make this mismatch less obvious.
Filed under: session | Tags: buy handmade, calculation, cost, discount, formula, price, retail, wholesale
Always a sticking point with me – pricing and cost – but it has to be cracked if I want to make money.
Good to have a ‘formula’ from yesterday’s session to work with, it’s a starting pint at least – if nobody is willing to pay what comes out at the end then I’m going to have to rethink a few things.
I’m a bit confused about the different levels of pricing – wholesale, discount, retail. I’ll pick this up with Debbie, my mentor later in the week, she is really good at this sort of thing.
A good place to check out the prices of the competition (and sign up when i have made my stock):
BUY HANDMADE
Filed under: session | Tags: galleries, links, local, marketing, report, support, trade fair
I am really getting into these sessions that support the more business minded members of the group. It would be helpful to have some craft orientated lecturers to back up the ‘how to’ sessions though, as it remains more theoretical without a live example of someone who has been there and done these things. By the time I see my mentor, I’m onto something else that is more pressing for the time we have.
Some helpful links picked up from the marketing session that are of particular interest to me:
HARDING HOUSE GALLERY – Lincoln
BCTF – British Craft Trade Fair
CRAFTSPACE – Birmingham
HARLEY GALLERY – Welbeck
MAKING IT TO MARKET – developing the market for contemporary craft, an Arts Council report
EREWASH PARTNERSHIP – local economic development and regeneration
Filed under: session | Tags: aprehnsion, artist, langague, motivated, statement, viewpoints
I was not looking forward to revisiting the artists statement. On numerous occasions I have sat down and tried to get to the nub of what it is I’m doing and don’t feel I have ever got close. Hopefully things will get better this time around as I have really narrowed down my processes, ideas and direction of what I am doing.
Jane Bevan came to talk through the process of writing our statements to be used in our gallery packs, exhibition panels and beyond. I really enjoyed this session, looking at the why, how, what and who and looking at examples. I found the language guidelines particularly interesting – getting the right words, making them ‘fit’ and keeping people’s interest.
Through an exercise I had done in a previous job to help people see what others see we gathered comments from everyone else in the group in a sort of secret comment pass the note game. I think this proved useful, bringing out words and sentiments about our work as viewed by others.
I’m quite motivated to go and give this statement a bash.
I managed to get a couple of pieces complete in time for yesterday’s photography session with David Bryson at Markeaton Street.
I was amazed that more of us didn’t turn up as this was a great opportunity to get our work photographed professionally for free.
I feel I learned a lot about the lighting set up, angles, ways to set up a mini studio at home.
I’ll try a home set up and see what results I get using my old Olympus SLR and my less than up to date digital camera. Might have to think in investing in something a little more solid if I’m planning on doing this myself in future.
I’m really excited to see the images and use them in my promotional materials, it is just a shame I didn’t have more creatures with me.
