holiday studio tour Q?

rosanna gusler · Post by **rosanna gusler** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 8:09 am

hi all, we artists on roanoke island are beginning to organise our first annual (we hope) pre christmas studio tour. any of you have any helpful hints/ideas to do (or avoid)? thanks, rosanna

Dani · Post by **Dani** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 12:00 pm

Have a theme and lots of food. I know, I know... you shouldn't have to entertain and feed the masses to sell art. But, guess what. You have to. When I had galleries, I was usually in an area with lots of other galleries nearby, so we all sat down and planned the event together including pooled advertising, musicians, etc. I was always the dessert gallery with coffee and cheesecake to end the evening. It worked. We all had steady streams of traffic. And there were regular sales. How do other businesses, the non-art kind, bring traffic to their doors in your area? That might be one of the best places to look. Then either take a card from them.... or do something so totally different, the public can't help but notice. And just think of the whole project as another piece of art!

rosanna gusler · Post by **rosanna gusler** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 12:34 pm

ok, that is a start. we are a diverse group, potters, weaver carver, painters,me.......... priobably about 15-20. last year we thought about this in october. MAYBE , starting now we can pull this together. rosanna

Kitty · Post by **Kitty** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 1:41 pm

i suggest any/all of bags, tissue paper, bubble wrap, packing tape, boxes, post-it notes, receipt book, business cards, and a cash box with sufficient change. might even be nice to have modern postcard print a card showing your work to use in lieu of a business card ... people will then know how to call you up to come back and maybe buy something else after the tour. your idea sounds like a money-making concept to me.

Mary Kay Nitchie · Post by **Mary Kay Nitchie** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 3:12 pm

rosanna gusler wrote:hi all, we artists on roanoke island are beginning to organise our first annual (we hope) pre christmas studio tour. any of you have any helpful hints/ideas to do (or avoid)? thanks, rosanna

Publish a map with numbers for all the different locations. At the bottom of the map, list each number followed by the name and address of the studio (heck, put the phone number in, too) and a brief description of the works available. Print these on pads of 50 and have a pad or two at each studio, so the people on the tour can pick one up at the first studio they visit.

Post a brightly colored sheet with the number (corresponding to the map, in a large size, so people can see it from their cars) on the door of each studio so it is easy for people to locate themselves on the map. Maybe add a red balloon or some other decorative something so it is easy for the customers to see who is participating.

The maps and markers help keep the customers focussed on the tour, so it is sort of like a scavenger hunt. Otherwise, customers become easily distracted and you may lose them to nearby taverns and restaurants!

(These hints courtesy of the Annual Richmond Neighborhood Garage Sale, Portland Oregon)

Mary Kay

Marty · Post by **Marty** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 9:11 pm

Hello Mary Kay- where have you been??!?!?!?!

Rosanna- in my area about 6 to 8 glass studios get together, rent a hall, rent tables, cover the tables with newsprint, cover the newsprint with glass (lots of seconds, thirds, and fourths), send out postcards to everyone on the mail lists, call the local press for publicity, and move an awful lot of glass the first weekend in Dec. I think it's going on it's 12th or 14th year. People line up outside an hour before opening. It's a hoot and very profitable.
I had one ugly piece marked $1.00- someone asked if the price was a mistake and I said yes, I'll give you a dollar if you take it! I did and she did. The trick was to empty the studio shelves and generate cash.

We liked that idea over the studio map/visit- we wouldn't have to clean up the studios, we had all the people in one place, we all benefitted. Jobs were assigned: one person did publicity, one got the tables, another was in charge of the cash registers, etc. Very do-able with enough people, and after a few years it seems like a piece of cake. Or bread with jam.

Dani · Post by **Dani** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 10:20 pm

And speaking of making money.... if you want to drum some up for advertising and other expenses, have a garage sale of all your other excess a few months before. Recently, faced with a move from our studio and not having found another place (including storage in a town where 18,000 troops are deployed to Iraq), we had a sale of all that "stuff" you schlepp around thinking you'll use some day... for something. You know, when you have time to learn welding..... that welder was such a good deal..... all the silver casting equipment... the shelves you bought at garage sale that now hold all the motors you'll use some day. Sigh. My husband the packrat. Two weekends it took to unload most of the stuff. Made thousands of dollars. And I have floor space in my studio. Life is good. Extra money and extra room are better than extra stuff in my book.

rosanna gusler · Post by **rosanna gusler** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 8:33 am

marty, you are too funny! 1$ ! i will throw this idea out as well. thanks. rosanna

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 10:52 am

cave creek/carefree az does this the 2 weekends before thanksgiving. here's the notice for it: http://www.sonoranartsleague.org/hidden.html

they have a couple of designated places around town that they set up info booths, which give out maps to the places, explain what and who is in each, etc.

WarmGlass.com

holiday studio tour Q?

holiday studio tour Q?

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