Rachel Campbell on sun 4 nov 07
Hi all,
Several members of the Potters Guild of Annapolis (including myself)
are opening our studios to in a couple of weeks, as
part of the Annapolis Pottery Trail. Since this is the first year
for this event (and the first time I've ever done an "open studio"
tour) I have NO idea what to expect-- how many people will come,
etc. So I figured I'd come to my favorite "knowlege base" (of
awesome open experienced artists!) and see if anyone is willing to
share your best "lessons learned" for this kind of thing.
Oh, and if anyone is in the Annapolis area, and wants to come by for
a visit on November 17th &18th, I'm ALWAYS happy to see
clayarters! (info at http://pottersguildofannapolis.com/potterytrail )
Thanks for any tips! :-) --Rachel in Odenton, MD
http://DownToThePottersHouse.com
Carole Fox on mon 5 nov 07
First off- ADVERTISING! You can't have a successful open studio with no
people coming. Send out a mailing to everyone you know. Drop off postcards
or flyers at the library and around town. Get your kids to stick a postcard
or flyer in the doors or mailboxes of everyone in the neighborhood- hey, you
are set, girlfriend! I remember you live in a BIG neighborhood!
Make sure you have good signage to get people to your place. The signs
should indicate that there is a pottery sale taking place - the date and
times will help people know that the sign is not old one. At each location
on the tour have a pamphlet with maps to all the studios on the tour.
During the sale, collect the names and addresses of everyone that walks in
the door. ( Good info to have for next mailing!)
Have some cheapie little things to sell- it's almost a guarantee that they
will buy something.
Make sure you put a business card in every bag or box.
There is no way to guess how many will show up. Be prepared for lots and
hope for the best.
Have some help- someone to answer the door or help pack up sales while you
chat with the customers.
Good luck, Rachel. Relax. You'll do fine.
Carole Fox
Silver Fox Pottery
Elkton, MD
silverfoxpottery@comcast.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rachel Campbell"
To:
Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2007 10:18 PM
Subject: Open Studio Shows--Best Tips?
> Hi all,
>
> Several members of the Potters Guild of Annapolis (including myself)
> are opening our studios to in a couple of weeks, as
> part of the Annapolis Pottery Trail. Since this is the first year
> for this event (and the first time I've ever done an "open studio"
> tour) I have NO idea what to expect--
John Fulwood on mon 5 nov 07
Rachel,
It is too late to do it know but, Full color postcards placed in shops and restuarants in the area is a great way to get the word out. They are inexpensive and beautiful. You can get 1000 from postcard press for less that 300.00
If you have a e-mail list, you still have time to put something together and get it out before the show.
Good luck,
John
-----Original Message-----
>From: Rachel Campbell
>Sent: Nov 4, 2007 10:18 PM
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: Open Studio Shows--Best Tips?
>
>Hi all,
>
>Several members of the Potters Guild of Annapolis (including myself)
>are opening our studios to in a couple of weeks, as
>part of the Annapolis Pottery Trail. Since this is the first year
>for this event (and the first time I've ever done an "open studio"
>tour) I have NO idea what to expect-- how many people will come,
>etc. So I figured I'd come to my favorite "knowlege base" (of
>awesome open experienced artists!) and see if anyone is willing to
>share your best "lessons learned" for this kind of thing.
>
>Oh, and if anyone is in the Annapolis area, and wants to come by for
>a visit on November 17th &18th, I'm ALWAYS happy to see
>clayarters! (info at http://pottersguildofannapolis.com/potterytrail )
>
>Thanks for any tips! :-) --Rachel in Odenton, MD
>http://DownToThePottersHouse.com
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, or change your
>subscription settings here: http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots2@visi.com
John Fulwood
Kissimmee River Pottery
One 8th St. #11
Frenchtown, NJ. 08825
http://www.kissimmeeriverpottery.com
Snail Scott on tue 6 nov 07
Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2007 08:00:58 -0500
From: Carole Fox
Subject: Re: Open Studio Shows--Best Tips?
...Get your kids to stick a postcard
or flyer in the doors or mailboxes of everyone in the neighborhood...
Not the mailboxes. US law allows only the postal service to put
things into a mailbox. Not UPS, not the newspaper, nothing
except things that have gone through the mail.
Your local postal carriers might be the laid-back type and just
warn you to cut it out, but then again, they could be sticklers
for policy and make trouble (fines, etc). Since these flyers
will all have your address on them, don't do it. Make sure the
flyers get tucked anywhere BUT inside the mailbox itself.
Sounds silly, but taken very seriously in some postal districts.
-Snail
Carole Fox on tue 6 nov 07
OOPS! I meant mail slots! Rachel lives in a neighborhood where it would be
easy to go door to door.
Sorry. Snail is right. Just takes one person to complain and they will nab
you.
Carole Fox
Silver Fox Pottery
Elkton, MD
silverfoxpottery@comcast.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Snail Scott"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 9:01 AM
Subject: Re: Open Studio Shows--Best Tips?
> Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2007 08:00:58 -0500
> From: Carole Fox
> Subject: Re: Open Studio Shows--Best Tips?
>
> ...Get your kids to stick a postcard
> or flyer in the doors or mailboxes of everyone in the neighborhood...
>
>
> Not the mailboxes. US law allows only the postal service to put
> things into a mailbox. Not UPS, not the newspaper, nothing
> except things that have gone through the mail.
>
Rachel Campbell on tue 6 nov 07
Hi John,
Yeah, we actually had 5000 full-color brochures printed up (with descriptions, directions and pictures of work from each of the studios, and a map), and we are making every effort to paper Anne Arundel County with them. ;-) Plus, I have 4 kids in school (elementary and middle), and my mom teaches at the high school, all within 5 minutes of my house, so I've also hit the art teachers and the teachers lounges with brochures. Plus mailing them to 80 or so of my closest friends (;-)... and I plan on sending out an email in a couple of days... so really, I have no idea, I could get totally inundated, or spend the day chatting with a few friends that can be counted on to come by so I won't get lonesome.
I figure we've done (hopefully) all we can do in terms of publicity... I'm now obsessing about how to set things up, what kind of food to offer (or not? but I can't imagine having people come to my house and not feeding them...)... and things like Carole's suggestion for a guestbook (hi Carole, thanks for the tips!) etc. etc. and wondering how many things I haven't thought of!
A friend sent a suggestion off-list to think about kids-- people bringing crazy kids through and potentially wreaking havoc... Who knows-- my OWN kids may be wreaking havoc themselves! (Although I'm working on shanghaiing someone to take them off somewhere... this thing is requiring a LOT of support from those around me... between trying to find people to hang with me and open the door etc.-- just BE THERE -- plus babysitting, not to mention trying to get the house in shape and (gasp) KEEP it that way!!! It is NOT a Lone-Ranger activity! )
Anyway, along the lines of John's suggestions, if anyone is thinking about publicity for holiday shows, www.VistaPrint.com gave very good prices, good service and quick turnaround.
Thanks for the tips, guys! And keep 'em coming! (Give me LOTS of stuff to obsess over ;-)
--Rachel in Odenton, MD
http://DownToThePottersHouse.com
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2007 12:25:23 -0500
>From: John Fulwood
>Subject: Re: Open Studio Shows--Best Tips?
>
>Rachel,
>
>It is too late to do it know but, Full color postcards placed in shops and >restuarants in the area is a great way to get the word out. They are inexpensive >and beautiful. You can get 1000 from postcard press for less that 300.00
>
>If you have a e-mail list, you still have time to put something together and get it >out before the show.
>
>Good luck,
>
>John
claystevslat on wed 7 nov 07
Vista Print does good work, but they sometimes put a
'membership fee' on your credit card. You may have to
cancel your 'membership' to keep from paying this fee.
-- Steve Slatin
--- In clayart@yahoogroups.com, Rachel Campbell wrote:
>
> Hi John,
> Yeah, we actually had 5000 full-color brochures printed up (with
descriptions, directions and pictures of work from each of the
studios, and a map), and we are making every effort to paper Anne
Arundel County with them. ;-) Plus, I have 4 kids in school
(elementary and middle), and my mom teaches at the high school, all
within 5 minutes of my house, so I've also hit the art teachers and
the teachers lounges with brochures. Plus mailing them to 80 or so
of my closest friends (;-)... and I plan on sending out an email in a
couple of days... so really, I have no idea, I could get totally
inundated, or spend the day chatting with a few friends that can be
counted on to come by so I won't get lonesome.
>
> I figure we've done (hopefully) all we can do in terms of
publicity... I'm now obsessing about how to set things up, what kind
of food to offer (or not? but I can't imagine having people come to
my house and not feeding them...)... and things like Carole's
suggestion for a guestbook (hi Carole, thanks for the tips!) etc.
etc. and wondering how many things I haven't thought of!
>
> A friend sent a suggestion off-list to think about kids-- people
bringing crazy kids through and potentially wreaking havoc... Who
knows-- my OWN kids may be wreaking havoc themselves! (Although I'm
working on shanghaiing someone to take them off somewhere... this
thing is requiring a LOT of support from those around me... between
trying to find people to hang with me and open the door etc.-- just
BE THERE -- plus babysitting, not to mention trying to get the house
in shape and (gasp) KEEP it that way!!! It is NOT a Lone-Ranger
activity! )
>
> Anyway, along the lines of John's suggestions, if anyone is
thinking about publicity for holiday shows, www.VistaPrint.com gave
very good prices, good service and quick turnaround.
>
> Thanks for the tips, guys! And keep 'em coming! (Give me LOTS of
stuff to obsess over ;-)
>
> --Rachel in Odenton, MD
> http://DownToThePottersHouse.com
>
> >------------------------------
> >
> >Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2007 12:25:23 -0500
> >From: John Fulwood
> >Subject: Re: Open Studio Shows--Best Tips?
> >
> >Rachel,
> >
> >It is too late to do it know but, Full color postcards placed in
shops and >restuarants in the area is a great way to get the word
out. They are inexpensive >and beautiful. You can get 1000 from
postcard press for less that 300.00
> >
> >If you have a e-mail list, you still have time to put something
together and get it >out before the show.
> >
> >Good luck,
> >
> >John
>
>
______________________________________________________________________
________
> Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@...
>
> You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, or change
your
> subscription settings here: http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots2@...
>
| |
|
