Rick Monteverde on mon 6 aug 01
Wendy -
At 8:35 AM -0400 8/6/01, Wendy Rosen wrote:
>From what I've been able to gather over the past two
>months it appears that we've entered what I define
>as a "Republican Inspired Recession"... not that any
>single republican created this mess... but somehow
>they always seem to be the ones in office when these
>ugly things show up. (apologies to the few GOP artists
>reading this).
So next time the Dems trash the place, we'll vote Green or something
at the end of the run so you can blame them instead, ok? I can vouch
for the art recession though - it's dry in the flat-art world too.
Successful painters that were living high flyin' lifestyles for the
last decade are now taking non-art *jobs* to pay the rent. For
ceramics, maybe it's back to practical wares and low end craft fairs.
For a while. These things just run in cycles.
-- Rick Monteverde
Honolulu, HI
Wendy Rosen on mon 6 aug 01
From what I've been able to gather over the past two
months it appears that we've entered what I define
as a "Republican Inspired Recession"... not that any
single republican created this mess... but somehow
they always seem to be the ones in office when these
ugly things show up. (apologies to the few GOP artists
reading this).
In February at our spring Buyers Market, retailers
confidently wrote large orders ($39,000,000, a 10%
increase over last spring).
Artists promptly began to ship those orders in March...
In April sales began to slip... 10% off last year (month/month)
In May retailers were telling me that their
inventory levels were 10% over last year.
Gallery sales in June were down 15-20%...
July was even worse for some.... early returns seems to show
that the July Buyers Market was down 15% from last year.
I think glass and fine jewelry exhibitors were hit worst....
retailers are still stockpiling ceramics due to the long lead
time and production limitations of most studios.
My accountant ASSURES me that it's over. But I don't
believe that $300 is going to spike our economy back
to those old levels...
And retailers with 4 months on soft sales are really frustrated
and confused about how to buy for Xmas... for the first time in
years they are pulling on their credit lines. ...and those overextended
with too much growth are really hurting.
I'm writing some recessionary suggestions... and will post them soon.
Wendy
BTW--- February applications are now available on the web at
http://www.americancraft.com
Wendy Rosen
President, The Rosen Group
3000 Chestnut Ave #304 Baltimore, Maryland 21211
410.889-3093 phone 410.243.7089 fax
AmericanStyle Magazine..... http://americanstyle.com
Niche Magazine and Awards..... http://nichemag.com
Career Services & Mentors..... http://americancraft.com
The Buyers Markets of American Craft
Internships/Scholarships
Craft Business Institute
Market Insider Newsletter (FREE)
WHC228@AOL.COM on tue 7 aug 01
Wendy
Your letter is not what this list is supposed to be about. Republican bashing
or any political bashing is not what this list is about. I am surprised that
our moderator allowed it on.
Bill
KLeSueur@AOL.COM on tue 7 aug 01
Our experience at the February Buyer's Market was positive. We picked up new
accounts. Of those we shipped to reports are that our work is moving well.
We've received reorders from most of those new accounts. But they are being
cautious and our long time accounts report slowing sales and are also being
very cautious in their buying.
I expect that buyers will remain cautious and that we will be seeing last
minute orders for Christmas. We try to accommodate this need. But it's
difficult.
Kathi LeSueur
Sarah House on tue 7 aug 01
From my one day a month in a co-op, and for talking to a couple of gallery
owners in my area, we've noticed that there seems to be very little slow
down in the purchase of large ticket items, but that the under $50 sales
are way down. We have speculated that it's the little guys that arn't
buying or traveling this year, but that those with money havn't felt the
ressession yet. Anyone else noticed this in other parts of the country? In
the co-op, july was one of the best months ever, after the worst spring in
many years. Maybe we really are pulling out of the slump.
Sarah House
Little Switzerland, NC
http://www.skhpottery.com
shouse@mcdowell.main.nc.us
po box 84
Little Switzerland, NC
828-756-1191
Reg Wearley on wed 8 aug 01
Bill,
I certainly agree with you about the purpose of
this list. If Wendy wants to review the history
of this particular economic slowdown I don't
think she would like what she would find, so
lets just stick to clay and the concerns we
have with it. --Reg
--- WHC228@AOL.COM wrote:
> Wendy
> Your letter is not what this list is supposed
> to be about. Republican bashing
> or any political bashing is not what this list
> is about. I am surprised that
> our moderator allowed it on.
> Bill
>
>
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Janet Kaiser on wed 8 aug 01
I can only talk as a gallery, not even in the USA
either...
But FYI business here in Wales is down too. Although we
have the same numbers through now in July/August
(following an 80% decrease at the height of the foot &
mouth epidemic in March/April) as in previous years,
they are buying and spending less per person.
We are officially in recession in the UK and although
"high street spending" is still booming, manufacturers
are calling for a drop in interest rates. If that
happens, house prices will inflate. What has that to do
with the art market? Well, in our experience, a healthy
turnover in housing usually means a good time for
galleries and artists/makers. All those bigger walls
and more rooms to fill (= upsizing) or smaller spaces
which do not accommodate the extra-large paintings and
pots bought in the 1980s (= downsizing).
A stagnant house market is not good, unless you supply
the home improvement and/or gardening public. When they
cannot afford to move house, people start redecorating,
building patios, adding fish ponds, remodelling
kitchens/bathrooms, building an extension onto the
house or converting the attic into living space and so
on... So they need new pots, tiles, water features,
etc. etc.
All the practical and functional items like new lamps,
tiles for backsplashes or a feature in the garden like
a sculpture become "essentials". These are seen as good
investments, which will increase the value of the
property.
That may be why potters do not do so badly, whereas the
"luxury" media like glass takes a knocking?
I must tell you although we specialise in ceramics
(which accounts for the majority of the 3D work on
exhibition at any one time) it only generates 30% of
our total turnover. The largest chunk of sales/income
is from fine art (paintings/photography) with applied
art (slate, textiles, jewellery, re-cycled, etc.)
second. Card sales are a massive 5%. Of course we have
to sell a great many pots to equal the sale of a single
painting.
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
JAlexan491@AOL.COM on thu 9 aug 01
Wendy,
I did not take this as a Republican bashing. After all, Janet in the UK wrote
that the same thing is happening there. You gave us a very valuable piece of
news that the large ticket items don't seem to have been affected.
Thanks for your posts, as always.
Janice in NC
vince pitelka on thu 9 aug 01
> Wendy
> Your letter is not what this list is supposed
> to be about. Republican bashing
> or any political bashing is not what this list
> is about. I am surprised that
> our moderator allowed it on.
> Bill
Bill -
The above is out of place. Members of this list are perfectly free to
express
their opinions concerning matters related to clay/art/craft, and if those
opinions occasionally involve republican- or democrat-bashing or other
political statements, so be it. You start attacking stuff like this and you
are stiffling freedom of speech. I know you do not want to do that. When
the republicans make one of their recurring attacks on arts funding, it is
certainly in our best interests to be well informed about it. Wendy is in a
position to furnish such information, and she provides a valuable service in
doing so.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Earl Brunner on thu 9 aug 01
Vince, People are perfectly free to express their opinions on this list?
I don't think so. We have a moderator that has block replies to this
kind of discussion in the past. Wendy does a great job promoting the
crafts and pottery, but she attributed the current recessionary economy
and it's impact on the arts to the Bush administration or the
Republicans. Some of us would argue that the weakened economy was
swinging that way before the election, Bush just got left holding it.
I don't recall Wendy talking about the Republicans slashing spending on
the arts as being at the root of the problem.
As a artist, I don't think the government should be in the business of
"promoting" the arts. Art and politics? Sorry, I have a jaded opinion
about the government's ability to do ANYTHING right, and as a result I
prefer less government NOT more.
vince pitelka wrote:
>> Wendy
>> Your letter is not what this list is supposed
>> to be about. Republican bashing
>> or any political bashing is not what this list
>> is about. I am surprised that
>> our moderator allowed it on.
>> Bill
>
>
> Bill -
> The above is out of place. Members of this list are perfectly free to
> express
> their opinions concerning matters related to clay/art/craft, and if those
> opinions occasionally involve republican- or democrat-bashing or other
> political statements, so be it. You start attacking stuff like this and you
> are stiffling freedom of speech. I know you do not want to do that. When
> the republicans make one of their recurring attacks on arts funding, it is
> certainly in our best interests to be well informed about it. Wendy is in a
> position to furnish such information, and she provides a valuable service in
> doing so.
> Best wishes -
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
> Appalachian Center for Crafts
> Tennessee Technological University
> 1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
> Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
> 615/597-5376
> Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
> 615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
> http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec/
bruec@anv.net
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