We had our second meeting on Sunday. We now have 9 artists that have decided to pool our time and resources to get aggressive with our self promotion. Not only do we have a very diverse range of art, we have a very diverse skill set and contact base. I could never do this on my own! My studio mates and I have been struggling to get things off the ground with 3 of us.
The goals for this week are:
decide on a group name, one that defines what we are doing and that is search engine friendly.
Research local venues that support and encourage art shows, like local coffee houses and restaurants
Laying out a promo piece that includes printed material and a CD with additional images and information.
I am very interested in following up on corporate sales. It seems that articles geared at helping artists in the marketplace talk a lot about corporate sales, directly to corporate curators, through art advisors, and online. I am hoping to find resources at the local library or at the local university libraries. So far my online searches aren't producing much. There are large online galleries that sale primarily to large corporations but they don't make it easy for artists to submit material to be considered.
Outside of research this week, I am going to work on SEO for the Carter Building Alliance website and my own. One of our members presented some great articles on SEO and I found a few new ideas that I hadn't thought about before.
Marketing is a very large undertaking and very time consuming. I've always felt overwhelmed and not gotten very far along before I 'find something better' to do! Now I can take it one step at a time, one day at a time, and know that I am accountable to the group that is eager to hear what I learn and to share their new gained knowledge.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
First Friday at the Carter Building in August
A big part of pulling together a marketing plan is defining yourself as a business. We started the process this winter with new studio space, a name, and a logo. Our business goals weren't quite so well defined; we could do this to make money, or maybe this,...should definitely do that...You know how it goes. I got swallowed up in tax season, Lee had to finish the school year at the same time she and the girls were adjusting to Jeremy's long distance commute, and Tunde has been relocating to Boone. And have I mentioned the record heat?! Very debilitating!
While the heat continues to rage, I think we're starting to adjust to it. My house is still 89 degrees inside most days but I don't seem to feel it as much. Only problem is when my arms stick to my art work! Tunde finished his move this weekend; it's going to be hard to have him out of town but I think the stress level will be reduced and he'll get back to painting more and things will be right with the world. And now we have 2 art markets to focus on!
Lee's girls are getting restless, it's time for school to start back! We are using the time constructively while trying to keep them occupied. Yesterday we tore the whole studio apart. Tunde took most of his painting supplies, just leaving little bits of himself behind and since we moved into the space in a hurry in Febuary, things have never been properly put away. We literally pulled everything into the middle of the floor and started fresh: paper's in one place, the screws and nails are sorted, the office supplies are put away....and all the wrappers and trash are thrown away! We added 10 feet of surface work space! And we made room for a 4th person. I love the way the floor space is opened up again, there is breathing room and the sun seems to shine brighter. Today we are going to re-hang the walls and finish getting things in place for First Friday.
Now, we should be able to focus on defining our goals. We have started a group within the Carter Building to pool our time and resources. We met Sunday for the first time and brainstormed. First order of business is research. It's great, some one is tackling galleries, corporate sales, online galleries, promotion/proposals and then we have our next meeting scheduled - a very important next step. It will serve to keep us accountable!
Time for Daisy to take me for a walk. Did I mention the heat!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
While the heat continues to rage, I think we're starting to adjust to it. My house is still 89 degrees inside most days but I don't seem to feel it as much. Only problem is when my arms stick to my art work! Tunde finished his move this weekend; it's going to be hard to have him out of town but I think the stress level will be reduced and he'll get back to painting more and things will be right with the world. And now we have 2 art markets to focus on!
Lee's girls are getting restless, it's time for school to start back! We are using the time constructively while trying to keep them occupied. Yesterday we tore the whole studio apart. Tunde took most of his painting supplies, just leaving little bits of himself behind and since we moved into the space in a hurry in Febuary, things have never been properly put away. We literally pulled everything into the middle of the floor and started fresh: paper's in one place, the screws and nails are sorted, the office supplies are put away....and all the wrappers and trash are thrown away! We added 10 feet of surface work space! And we made room for a 4th person. I love the way the floor space is opened up again, there is breathing room and the sun seems to shine brighter. Today we are going to re-hang the walls and finish getting things in place for First Friday.
Now, we should be able to focus on defining our goals. We have started a group within the Carter Building to pool our time and resources. We met Sunday for the first time and brainstormed. First order of business is research. It's great, some one is tackling galleries, corporate sales, online galleries, promotion/proposals and then we have our next meeting scheduled - a very important next step. It will serve to keep us accountable!
Time for Daisy to take me for a walk. Did I mention the heat!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Glenwood South, Raleigh
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