Wholesale Matters

Natasha Wozniak and the case of the Indian knockoffs

I just learned from an AC Forum post that Buyers Market exhibitor Natasha Wozniak has a blog!  Sadly, Natasha only posted the link when discussing a copyright infringement issue on her work.

Natasha found that a company in India was a) using her images in their email marketing, and b) claiming to have HER DESIGNS available for order. 

While there was a technical fix that someone offered up in the AC Forum to prevent the images from appearing in their emails, the bigger issue is whether or not Natasha has a good way to stop them from producing her designs. 

Unfortunately, the legal channels needed to pursue this are often costly and time consuming. 
Most artists know that they'll get knocked off at some point or another.  Many are resigned to that as an inevitability. 

Aside from creating a new line (or several new lines), and contacting the U.S. Trade Administration (part of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce), what other options are open to Natasha? 

If you have an idea, post them in the comments below, or log onto the AC Forum.

Earn your city or town fortune and fame

Well, at least some fame.  The voting for the 2008 Top 25 Arts Destinations is now open!  Visit www.AmericanStyle.com to cast your vote.

Craftcast with Alison Lee

A few months ago, Wendy did an phone interview for Craftcast with Alison Lee, a fantastic podcast for artists.  In the interview, Wendy goes over her Top 10 Business Mistakes for Artists list and talks about a few other goodies.  Plus, if you're not already receiving it, there's a special offer for NICHE magazine.  Click here to listen!

Alison has interviewed a number of people in the wholesale craft community, including Bruce Baker, Robert Diamante (a craft photographer), and former NICHE Award winner Elise Winters (which is how I originally came across Alison's website).  Alison is also an  accomplished jeweler herself.

And, while we're on the topic of podcasts, have you ever checked out Nicolette Talmidge's Crafting Voices? Wendy was interviewed on one of Nicolette's first podcasts, along with Joanne Hildt of Pinnacle Gallery.  The interview was recorded right after the summer 2006 Buyers Market.

(And for those of you who don't know who Wendy his, she's the founder & president of The Rosen Group--which runs this blog.  Read her bio here.) 

5000+ Resources to Do Just About Anything Online

Wow!  I mean, WOW!  This is an incredible resource for anyone who wants to do, well, anything.  There're  tools that can help you blog.  There're links to tools that can help you email.  There're links to tools that can help you edit digital images.  There're tools that can help you work more in harmony with the environment (and probably the universe). 

It'll probably take some time to go through all these things, but enjoy!

Five More Cost Saving Ideas for Exhibitors

Going off our recent post about reducing costs, William Lasley at the about.com: arts/crafts business website offers the following five tips for saving money in your business:

1. Shop Around
2. Buy at Wholesale Costs
3. Buy in Quantity
4. Use Recycled Materials
5. Shop at Discount Stores

Check out the full article for a more detailed explanation. 

Letter to a young artist

Normally, I don't like reproducing large chunks of other blogger's writings.  But in today's case, I just can't resist. 

Alyson B. Stansfield posted this wonderful quote from painter Gregory Amenoff.  While it's geared towards 2-D artists, I think a lot of craft artists would feel the tension between market demands and what they want to create.  First, though, here's the quote:

. . . LET YOUR STUDIO BE YOUR SANCTUARY. Have no illusions . . . the art business, despite the pretension that surrounds “cultural products,” has more in common with other businesses than it does with art. When your work leaves the studio and moves into the world, its character changes. One doesn’t need to consult a Marxist to understand that art is a luxury commodity. You learn to live with this fact (and find ways of justifying it), but in the studio things are different. Within that space you create and take chances, destroy, and create again. If the marketplace finds its way (spiritually) into that studio you have abdicated your essential power. Keep your studio clear from concerns of the marketplace. You might have to dance with the wolves but you can still keep them near the door.

On the one hand, craft artists need to separate themselves from the marketplace to some degree.  That's how they come up with unique and original designs. 

But on the other hand, can craft artists subsist without creating work that will sell?  This question is particularly poignant for production artists, but I think that those doing limited editions and one-of-a-kind works need to examine to what their market is. 

Yes, a studio should be sacred.  It should be the locus of creativity.  No, artists of any sort should not kowtow to consumer trends.  But, as we've mentioned on this blog before, we should be aware of them.  Finding that happy medium between what you love to make and what will sell is a difficult path.  Artists go through phases, where they want to create one style of work, only to find that it isn't selling (or that they're not reaching the right market).  It's a process of discovery and learning, as is as much a part of the creative process as experimenting with, say, color.

Reducing costs to beat the credit crunch

With the current credit crunch, small businesses in a variety of industries are racing to make sure they remain viable.  One of the best ways to keep your business running smoothly is to reduce your costs.  Here's a list of things you can do to help reduce the cost of running an arts business:

• Reduce wasted materials
• Re-use wasted materials
• Streamline your production process so you can make more work
• Hire an intern or a part-time helper in the studio (so you can make more work)
• Shop around for vendors to make sure you're getting the best deal on materials
• Find ways to reduce the physical costs of running a studio (such as turning the lights out when it's not in use)

Have you found some fun ways to reduce costs in your studio?  Post them in the comments section.