Sunday, October 4, 2009

Canopy Epiphany


IMG_6139
Originally uploaded by cosmosmoonjewelry
Insight- focused by insult....
that's what I would call this latest charge into the unknown....

So, here's the story...I've been a permanent artist at a well known gallery in Arizona for the past 8 years- It has always been an up and down (mostly down) relationship- I've never really felt quite at home there...

But, I stayed with it, because during those years I also
had my son, and my life and work went through some differing stages...the gallery was something I could count on...the ability to say, " I show at________" and have people understand instantly that I wasn't just fooling around, stringing macaroni on yarn...

And yet, there was that something missing, the thing that nagged me constantly- I guess you could call it independence or control or...(gasp!) sales......

On top of that I never had feedback from the gallery (and yes, I would inquire) - had no idea who was interested in my work, and have no idea why pieces sold or didn't sell...
So, fundamentally I felt like there was a major disconnect in our gallery/artist relationship.

But, I continued showing there, thinking, "well, it's got a good reputation, I have friends who show here, I can count on a few sales a month"....

but here also lies a problem- Though I was consigning the work, they insisted on an exclusive throughout southern AZ! Effectively tying my local success to a lead weight and throwing it off the boat. Countless opportunities would pop up and I would have to refuse because I had a contract with _______. And honestly, until a few years ago that worked out fine- I was spending my time, raising my kid- not much time to stock multiple venues...

WHEW! that was a very long winded and verbose way of coming to my point....

WHY??WHY??WHY?? stay in this relationship? well, I thought...and I pondered...and..

snap! that last straw broke this camel's back...in the form of a backhanded insult from the new gallery owner. (she asked me in front of other artists how expensive my materials were...implying that my work was way overpriced, based SOLELY on Materials! ..oh boy, that's
another blog post all together!*will rant about this later when I can do so without really sounding bitchy*)

Now it is clear that what is holding me back is myself- not taking charge and bringing my work to the public- relying on a broken and ineffective system to distribute my work....and the only thing that is holding me there is a (breakable) contract and(here's a biggie) the lack of a booth shot for juried retail shows..

well, knock me over with a brick- that is a FIXABLE problem- no blood drawn, and some new adventure in the wings...

that insult from the gallery has focused my resolve- and today I took a drive, spent a little money, and bought myself a brand new commercial grade Canopy....there are shows in the horizon, a ton of designs and ideas to be brought into reality , and (once I break up with that gallery) nothing holding me back!

as they say out here in the west...yeee haw!
:-) ciao- Maureen

psst- stay tuned, I'll be bringing you tales of trials and tribulations in booth design...and (eek!) my dip into the world of craft shows

5 comments:

bonsai said...

Love those drive-by insults. You're so right to have been offended.

Good on ya for voting for your feet.

Maureen Bz said...

I have yet to leave- I committed my pieces to this particular show and will honor that commitment- but as soon as the show goes down I'm outta there! wish I could feel ok about leaving NOW but I'm not that girl

Janice said...

Good for you! And what an inspiration!

I just did my first show in Sept - did the same one this past weekend - my booth will EVER be evolving! And the same thing has stopped me from applying to juried fairs - no tent. I am now happy to say that I can MORE than fund a tent from my sales this weekend. I hope to set something up in my backyard in late October and get some good photos. Will be following along to see how yours comes along!

Janice

Katie Do said...

right before I got my tent, or built my frame for my indoor booth, I decided to apply for a show that required a booth shot. I cleared out my dining room, and turned it into a make shift "booth". The picture turned out great and I got into the show forcing me to build my walls. Here is the link to the photo I posted. http://kmjewelrystudio.blogspot.com/2009/04/indoor-booth-setup.html

Sometimes putting the cart before the horse isn't such a bad thing...just as long as the horse can catch up when it needs to!

taueret said...

what is it about some gallery owners?! That story could have almost been word for word told to me by more than one friend- from all over the world! Good on you for getting canopied!

ganoksin

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