Sonia Schimke, via e-mail

I think the size of your line will determine this.  A small tight line that reads as a collection would be presented that way.  When I was buying for the shop I always appreciated seeing the parts of the story grouped together whether I was looking at jewelry or pottery.  A buyer has to always be mindful of the story the merchandise will tell in their store and seeing related items together on each sheet helps with that vision. A large line would best be grouped by collection, further; putting one collection on each page would allow you to give the buyer only the pages they need.  This accomplishes several good things, you save paper and postage costs and the buyer has less paper to keep track of.  It’s always important for us to remember buyers are working when they’re shopping and anything we can do to make their job easier will generate great good will us and our line.

-Cherry McIntosh, via e-mail

I can’t actually answer your question but I think I can give you some tools that will help you answer it for yourself.  In light of the economic challenges we face today and the toll they have taken on retailers and craftspeople across the country it’s really important to have a well researched business plan before you begin. 

The plan will answer the four big concerns:  what, why, how, who.  What first.  Deciding what to make is the first decision and it sounds like you’ve made this one. I’m a bit concerned about the range of unrelated products you propose, see below.   Let’s do why next.  Market research will help with this one. I would start with an Internet search for each of the items you plan to include in your line.  If you find lots of offerings that’s a good thing, there must be a demand or there wouldn’t be multiple choices, just think about the cereal aisle at the supermarket. On the other hand just a few returns could be a warning you’ll need to consider.  Your first sales probably won’t be on the Internet so now go shopping in your area.  Most likely you will market your first round of products to local shops.  Are you finding any suitable outlets for the range of products in your line?  My experience suggests you will need a different outlet for each of your offerings. The dog collars don’t go with the belts which don’t fit with the wreaths.  Be aware that marketing to different segments of the market adds to this expensive and will be time consuming.

Assuming you find enough evidence that there is a market for your products the next issue is to develop a production and marketing plan.  Personalized means ordered so how will the customer know what they can order?  Will you provide each retailer with a sample of each item to show in their shops and them be able to write an order which you will fill and send to the shop to be picked up by the customer?  Be aware this is a complicated process, and also an expensive one.  Perhaps you could do this with a well designed brochure but this won’t give the retailer any tools to build a strong display that will drive sales.

Finally who are your targeted customers?  The market for dog collars is the easiest to justify, dog owners everywhere buying expensive items for their pets are driving what is now a major market segment.  It was good to see a picture of one of your country style wreaths; you’ll want to know if there are shops selling this type of merchandise in your area.  You would want to do the same search process for the belts.

A second set of questions comes to mind.  Why would the customer choose my product?  What makes it more attractive to the customer than those of my competitors?  How am I better at this than other craftspeople making similar products?  What will I do to market my product that will set it apart from the competition?

I’ve answered your question with lots of questions of my own.  I did this to get you to think through your ideas, evaluate the marketability of your products, refine your thoughts and make a solid plan that will be an invaluable aid as you begin and grow your business, good luck.

Best not to draw the line too quickly, jewelry breaks and needs repair from time to time.  Pearls and other beads that are strung on fiber cord need to be restrung periodically.  Of course you’re not responsible for jewelry breaking or in the case of earrings getting lost but you are the logical one to fix what you’ve made.  However, you should be paid to do this work.  As you figure out what to charge for repairs it might be helpful to be mindful that you are providing a service to your accounts and their customers. You’ll want to be paid but perhaps not as generously as for your production time.  On the other hand you might decide that the interruption in your production routine is expensive and charge accordingly.  The lost earring is a bit different.  If you’re still making the style in question you could sell a single for half the cost of a pair plus a bit of a surcharge. Items you no longer produce present a more difficult decision, since it might be time consuming to find the materials needed I might just say you’re no longer producing the style and can’t replace the lost piece.

 Most shops have a system for dealing with repairs.  It might be a notebook with a page for each jeweler represented.  Or it could be a page in a folder in their computer.  In addition to contact information, the artist’s page could include recommended care guidelines and the types of repairs they would undertake as well as the procedure for sending repairs to them.  It would be helpful if you prepared a repair policy and forwarded it to all your accounts so they’d know how to proceed.  Then when a customer shows up with a broken item the transaction can be handled efficiently and professionally.  Typically you would then get a call or email describing the work to be done.  You can then provide a quote before any work begins. When the customer approves the repair the piece would be sent to you.  Providing repair service builds good will for your retailers and yourself.  A customer will be comforted knowing they can get a special piece repaired and may very well come back and purchase another as a result.

-Barb Lippert, via e-mail

You’re smart to be thinking ahead on this one.  Finding skilled help can be a challenge. It would be good if you could find someone with some knowledge of the tools and techniques used by wood workers. What you have going for you it that the upheavals in the economy over the past year have put many people into the job market. You don’t say what you make in your shop but here are some ideas.  You might begin by sending the word about what you are looking for out to your wood worker network.  Perhaps they have someone they no longer need or they may have been approached by someone seeking work in a wood shop. Is there a technical high school in your area?  If so a call to the wood shop teacher may lead you to s student who might be available as an apprentice.  Typically an apprentice works for lower wages in trade for what they will learn on the job and access to the tools in the master’s shop.  A third approach would be to place an ad in a national publication such as The CraftsReport or Fine Wood Working.  Also don’t forget the Internet, I’m not familiar with them but no doubt there are blogs and chat rooms where wood people exchange information. These would be another place where you could post your request for help.

However you find your new helper be aware there will be a period of time when you’ll be putting out more than you get back.  The learning curve for artisans doing fine handwork can be long. 

Everything we do is a reflection on our brand; you’re smart to want to get your printed materials up to speed.  Consistency in the look of these materials is of paramount importance.  A customer looking at any of them should be able to visually connect to you and your products.

Do you mean order form when you say invoice?  The invoice is simple; it can be generated on your computer and be printed on your letterhead.  A simpler way to do this might be to have your order forms printed on 3 part NCR forms.  One copy goes with the buyer when the order is placed, one copy stays in the studio to work from and then goes in the box with the order, the third copy gets mailed as an invoice.  I wouldn’t be as concerned about handwritten entries as much as what the writing is on. 

A well designed order form provides all the information you and the buyer will need about the transaction at hand.  It is preprinted with all your contact information and provides space for the buyer’s information to be added.  In addition to space to write the actual order there should also be an area allocated to your terms of sale to include payment arrangements and shipping costs. You’ll also want a place to enter the ship date and any special arrangements the buyer may require.

Changing location whether across town or across the country can be difficult for any business.  Careful preplanning can make the transition much less disruptive. As soon as you have a new address and phone number you can swing into action.  To speed things up I’d suggest you use your cell number, or get one if you don’t have one.  You have the Internet on your team and you’ll want to make good use of it.  Prepare an announcement of the upcoming move and email it to all your current and former accounts (you never know when they might pop up again).  In addition to your new contact information be sure to let accounts know of any black out times when deliveries will be slower or not available at all. 

You probably should meet with your graphic designer and get the necessary new designs for your printed materials done so you can use them before you move.  One piece you’ll want is a post card that you will mail to all the contacts on your list just before you move once again letting them know you’re on the move.  The Internet will allow you to send materials back and forth and continue with this designer from afar, so take the time to set up this new working arrangement.  We haven’t seen our graphics person in over a year yet she provides work to us every month.

Search on line for publications in your new area.  Prepare a press release that will go to the business editors announcing the arrival of a new small business.  I’d send this as a hard copy as well as via email.  Papers are always looking for local interest stories; you can make yourself one of these.

Of course you will have to legally set your business up in your new state.  If you are incorporated you’ll have to move the corporation’s home state too, you’ll need an attorney for this.  Your new state will require you to get a tax ID number and file tax forms with their treasurer’s office.  Again the Internet will help with all this, search for the web site for your new state; once at the site you’re a click away from all the information you’ll need.

Once you’re in your new home and your studio is up and running don’t be surprised if you find yourself working on new and exciting designs that will no doubt come from your new surroundings.  Be sure to send out an eblast and perhaps a postcard showing your new creations.

Conversations with makers, wholesale sellers, retail buyers and others revealed very different thoughts about the current challenging wholesale climate and the tactics needed to thrive in the years to come. An interesting conversation with Carol Sedestrom Ross, former Director of and current consultant to the Handmade Division, at George Little Management, the promoters of the NYIGF, set an upbeat tone for the subsequent interviews. Ross who has been the major player in craft marketing for 3 decades has seen her share of recessions. She has observed that craftspeople come through recessionary times better than the larger manufacturers because they can change products and marketing stategies quickly in response to the market. Unlike the big manufactures who may need 12 to 18 months to get new product to market we can do it in 2 or 3. We can also implement new marketing plans quite quickly. You talk to the product development department, you, and the marketing department, you, and then you decide what to do.

The majority of the exhibitors I talked to reported sales down in the last quarter of 2008 and they were also expecting sales to be down at this show. However, there wasn’t a shared solution to this situation, rather as I talked with various people many differing ideas came forth. At one end of the spectrum were the people who admitted their sales were down and had no special plans to use incentives to get buyers to use their open to buys. Although I didn’t talk to Roger Fargeon, Sales Manager, for Annie Glass, annieglass.com, about the companies sales, he did share that he had talked to his sales representatives around the country before deciding how to proceed. His reps had told him that offering incentives such as discounts or shipping deals or changing minimums really wouldn’t help the struggling merchant. They planned to work with customers to help them fill in their best sellers. This makes sense to me. Retailers know that as sales slow venturing into the unknown is a no no. The message here, this is not a great time to introduce lots of new product.

Jill Pearson, the jewelry designer and CEO of Wasabi, wasabijewelry.com, definitely had planned for a different selling experience. She had taken a smaller booth and redesigned her display. Pearson, who has always had a way with Pearls, displayed these designs in ¼ of her booth. The minimum order here was also reduced from $500 to $350; orders of $500 or more received free shipping and $1000 orders also got a 5% discount. Wasabi is a large seasonally changing, fashion driven line and Pearson had therefore never taken on the expense of printing a catalog. Serious customers at this NYIGF were offered a photo pack of selected designs to facilitate buying from the office. Another first for Pearson was the addition of a retail component on her website. “I use it to feature only the one of-a- kind pieces I create incorporating classic costume jewelry fragments”, she said, “I never compete with my stores.” The Wasabi site has always been used to drive business to the shops selling the line and Pearson continues to be careful not to infringe on these businesses.

Kiln Design Studio, KILNENAMEL.COM, is a Brooklyn based company producing high end enameled tableware. James Leritz, the designer, had created a group of more moderately priced pieces for this show. The minimum at Kiln Design Studio had also been lowered from $750 to $500. In addition Kiln allowed better customers the opportunity to trade back product to bring in the best sellers and keep their display fresh. Even in the best of times this is a very smart way to keep your display fresh and drive sales

An old friend, Judy Jackson, a master studio potter, whose studio is in Manhattan has been doing the NYIGF for about 15 years. She feels it offers valuable exposure for her line and provides the opportunity to show her new items to the largest possible audience. Jackson is a strong believer in the value of customer service. She has begun working with a rep on the west coast, a move she feels will provide better service to those customers she can’t see herself. JudyJacksonstoneware.com serves as a gateway to her line and connects retail customers to the shops offering her work. She, like Jill Pearson, is very careful not to compete with shops carrying her line. Jackson’s best customers were sent a little gift before the show, now how’s that for smart marketing! While visiting another booth a buyer carrying a big bag came by and gave the exhibitor a gift from her store saying she’d be back to place her order after she delivered the rest of her gifts. Thoughtfulness never goes out of style.

At the booth of Jonathan’s Wild Cherry Spoons owner Jonathan Simons was quite philosophical and spoke of nurturing the creative spirit that got him into the business in the first place. He has used his creativity to develop better packaging and presentation materials. He also mechanized his production in a move to minimize the cost of repetitive labor intensive work. The use of lazars to cut new designs has allowed him to enlarge his line and at the same time keep costs down.

Another old friend, Alison Alten who with her husband, Bo Jia owns Middle Kingdom, middlekingdom porcelain.com, had an interesting idea. Middle Kingdom imports very simple classic porcelain vases and bowls designed by Bo and produced in his home town in China. As holiday 2008 approached she began calling their better customers and offered to consign pieces from inventory. This resulted in sales of items that would have sat in the warehouse and also brought in a number of reorders, not bad.

As I walked the aisles, ears and eyes open I collected a number of ideas that may be helpful. A number of manufacturers were sharing booths and many were in smaller spaces. There were deals everywhere, for instance, $1000 orders receiving free freight and free freight on the next order of $500 or more, offers of free product with the minimum purchase, and display furniture offset by product (the biggest guys have always done this).

In one aisle I encountered Susan Levine and Elaine Powell, co owners of Jubilation in Newton Centre, MA. We used to shop together when I had a shop. Since they were still at it I asked about their current shopping tactics. They have an interesting strategy that allows them to travel to fewer shows. They contact craftspeople whose work they want to buy and request a shipment of available items. They go through the box choose what they want and return the rest. They pay shipping both ways and guarantee the goods with a credit card. I’ll bet we are going to see more of this. First of all it makes economic sense and second it’s green, it takes much less energy to more a box than 2 bodies.

A seminar, Retailer to Retailer: How to Thrive in a Changing Economy caught my attention, I’m always interested in change and thriving is always a good goal. The presenters were Carol L. Schroeder, a store owner and author from Madison, WI and Tom Ungrodt, a publisher of catalogs for independent gift stores and also a store owner from Ann Arbor, MI. This team presented a number of ideas during their hour seminar. I’ll share a few highlights here that I feel can be helpful for the producer as well as the wholesale buyer. Perhaps the most straight forward message, shopping will go on; birthdays and anniversaries for instance will continue to generate gift purchases. Ungrodt pointed out that historically the gift industry is the first to feel the negative effects of a recession and is the first to recover as the recession ends. Since we’re in the gift business this news works for me. Buying locally according to Schroeder will be an increasingly important factor in shopping decisions as we move into the 21st century and what is more local than buying from an independent retailer or directly from a craftsperson. Ungrodt was emphatic that we must go forward with the confidence that we are going to be successful. I totally believe in the power of believing in ourselves.

So as we go forward let’s find strength and confidence from the knowledge that in the era of mass production handmade stands out as a true luxury. And as Pam Danziger has pointed out, luxury doesn’t have to be expensive, just special. More targeted promotion of our businesses will allow handmade to grab a larger and larger market share as new shopping patterns evolve and play to our strengths over the next decade.

The Snow Farm campus is a blend of 18th century farm buildings and modern architect designed structures. Snow Farm’s four modern living modules are designed as a series of double rooms each of which opens out onto a large outdoor deck. They provide living spaces for as many as 85 students. Studio spaces for about 100 are housed in the farm buildings and in a modern structure that also houses the kitchen and dining room. This all adds up to an idyllic place where creative people find the calm and quite to develop their skills

At the Williamsburg campus Sinauer continued to grow the program and strengthen its artistic and financial bases by adding other programs. A relationship she began with Elderhostel continues to flourish today. Weekend and weeklong classes were added in the spring and fall.

In 2000 after nearly 20 years of camp life, Sinauer was ready for a change and announced she was selling Horizons and would focus on her cultural tourism business. Mary Colwell and her husband A. J. LaFleur had been involved with Horizons from the outset and were not comfortable with the thought that the program might end. Colwell set about putting together a group of investors and purchased the Program and its campus in 2000. The new owners renamed the Program, Snow Farm, a reference to the last family that worked the property. Mary Colwell became the Executive Director, a position she held until the end of 2008. During her time at Snow Farm she added programs and oversaw major renovation projects on the campus and in studios. The kitchen was also a focal point of her attention. Colwell insured that Snow Farm residents would be provided great, tasty, wholesome food made from fresh ingredients. Each meal reflects the same creativity and thoughtfulness that guides the entire program. In addition formal and informal participation in the kitchen creates a real sense of community.

Karen Totman, the current Executive Director, sees Snow Farm as a place for anybody to come whether they just thought about taking a particular class or if they are artists looking to expand their skill base and find inspiration, rejuvenation and escape.” Under Totman’s guidance Snow Farm offers programs that fall into 4 categories, its program is almost year-round, with over 1,000 students (some on scholarships), ages 14 to 92.

The high school program continues to be the center piece of the programs. To be accepted a student must provide reference letters and write a personal statement about what they want to do. In July up to 85 high school students spend 2 or 4 weeks on the campus. Once on campus the students work with master craftspeople in the two media they have chosen to study. They can choose from Ceramics, Drawing and Color, Photography, Textile Art, Metalsmithing and Jewelry Construction, Glassblowing, Flameworking and Welding. It is quite common for students to spend ten hours each day working in studios. Pat Bennett, the Studios Manager who also teaches welding and flameworking says, “It’s great to teach this group because they are so interested, interesting and motivated.” Many former students have pursued higher education at arts institutions such as Rhode Island School of Design, Carnegie-Mellon, and the Massachusetts College of Art, and have become professional artists and artisans.

From the outset making the summer camp available to as many students as possible has been a goal of Snow Farm. To this end the Second’s Sale was put in place. Each November as many as 150 artists provide their work for this sale. The proceeds from the sale provide scholarships to needy high school students attending the July program.

Janet Weber coordinates the week long Elderhostel and In Depth programs that take place during 13 weeks in the late spring and early fall. Elderhostel participants must be at least 55 and are often older. The In Depth program is open to students of any age. In an interesting twist Weber mixes up some of these classes creating multi-generational situations. It is not uncommon to encounter young and old students in intense conversation walking about the campus or over a meal in the dining room. The generations bond as they learn and share skills and life experiences. The Intensive programs that meet for 3 days over a weekend allow a student to study a particular skill in depth with a master craftsman. These weekends also appeal to people of all ages and are also interesting multi-generational situations.

The eastern foothills of the Berkshire Mountains create a breathtaking backdrop for the Williamsburg campus. The area surrounding the campus is known as the “Pioneer Valley”. This section of the Connecticut River valley is the home to 5 colleges and one of the largest concentrations of working craftspeople in the country. Snow Farm draws many faculty members from this pool and enriches the experience of the students with visits to art sites in the area.

Northampton, the home of Smith College is close by. In addition to the resources of the college Northampton also offers a vibrant retail and entertainment scene. The city’s carefully restored Main Street now the focal point for the area is lined with small mostly independently owned shops and restaurants. Of particular interest to the craft minded are the four fine craft galleries and two fine art galleries. Long the culinary center of the area Northampton now certainly has at least two restaurants per block. All this adds up to a rich intellectual, cultural and social experience, just what Fannie Clary enjoyed when she lived in the old brick farm house at Snow Farm. Clary actually lived in the house at the end of the 19th century; however some believe she still visits bringing with her encouragement and warm intentions.

Consignment is always tricky and can create a number of situations that can cause a craft person a problem. I would suggest that you only work with stores that have contracts that clearly state their consignment terms. Or better yet write your own contract. You can search on line for sample contracts, read each carefully, create one that suits you and then insist that the shops you deal with sign onto your contract.

Here are my thoughts on your specific breakage question. I think there are three different scenarios this could take. First, an item belonging to a shop is broken. Second, a consigned item in a gallery is damaged. And third, a consigned item in a shop is broken. In my mind the owner of the venue where the damage occurred is unquestionably financially responsible for any damage to items in their possession. If they own the item it’s quite simple, their merchandise is no longer saleable. Whether the consigned item is in a shop or gallery the owner is still responsible for the work of their artists whether it is in the gallery or any other site where the gallery may be showing the work. A good consignment contract would state this very clearly.

Now your concerns about making the customer who caused the damage in the first place pay for the item. It is pretty universally understood that if a customer damages an items in a retail venue it’s their responsibility to pay for them. Fortunately I have only had to deal with this situation a few times. I don’t feel we should try to make money off someone’s bad fortune so my approach is to ask the customer to pay 50% of the selling price. This either gets back the cost of the item or if it’s consigned the money to pay the artist. Only once did a customer refuse, at his point I realized it wasn’t going to be fruitful to push the issue and we paid the artist ourselves.

Well, maybe you use the glazes you do because you can’t get the colors you want with glazes that don’t contain lead. That would be a good reason to continue using your current techniques. However, if you’re using these glazes because you always have it may be time to consider a change. We are aware of the health risks of continued exposure to lead found in some glazes and it is impossible to import functional pottery that contains lead. Potters in this country who produce functional work long ago moved away from lead glazes. So if you want to make your work food safe you need to change glazes. I’m not a potter but I know this can be complicated, but it may be worth undertaking.

There are certainly reasons to want your work to be both functional and decorative. First, the duality would open up a larger market for you. Second, marketing guru Pamela Danzinger is telling us that the consumer is becoming less interested in items that don’t function; we don’t want to dust stuff any more. You could begin with the platters and bowls, lead is not an issue with vases. Customers might be confused if some of your work is food safe and other of it is not. A good goal could be to transition as fast as possible. On the other hand if you have a solid market for your decorative pieces you may want to produce two lines and use Angela Fina’s approach. Angela a potter in Amherst, MA produces a line of Ikebana containers and sometimes uses glazes that are not food safe. Some of her forms could be mistaken for serving bowls, she writes “Not for Food” on the bottom of these pieces with a ceramic pencil. If you chose to change your work be aware that it may take your customers a bit of time to catch up with your new ideas.

Think about the acorn and the mighty Oak. How small at the beginning and how proud and powerful at maturity. I would choose to participate in a smaller show first. This will allow you to get your act together as a booth designer, set up person, salesperson and most importantly as a product designer. We work in the protection of our studios, produce items we think are great, the best we’ve ever produced, but the real test is when we present them to the buying public. I think it’s always best to start small, have a positive experience and grow a business based on the markets response.

A thorough read of the show brochure will probably answer most of your questions, if not get on the phone with the show producers. You would want to know attendance information especially where the attendees come from, is this a local show or do people interested in buying crafts travel to see this show. It would be good to know the promotion plans, how much is being budgeted for paid ads and where they will run, especially on line. You might also ask about special events that will bring people to the show. You may also have questions about the number of artists working in your media. While it is always appropriate to contact the show producers with your questions I think the people you really want to talk to are the crafts people who have been in the show. They’re the ones who can give you the clearest information about the show and their success there. You can ask an exhibitor if they are returning, why or why not. They should be able to provide information about the best price points and the type of items they sold well. Then you need to weigh this information carefully, the show that was good for the jeweler may not be good for you, the potter, for instance.

I

This is too simple, let’s think it through. You designed your booth to enable you to sell your work under the best circumstances. You have paid to be in a show you feel is a good fit for your work and you will sell well. Are you willing to compromise the success of your business for the sake of being polite? Here’s how I would have handled this. A second strong request would have been appropriate and this time done in a way the exhibitor without good English was sure to understand. If this didn’t work the next step is to go to the show promoter. It is their job to provide you with a booth space in which you can conduct your business without outside distractions; this is what you paid them for. Bright lights shining in your face and those of your customers are certainly a distraction and a deterrent to sales. I would also put music that can be heard outside the booth in this category. Anything that takes away from the ambience you create in your booth is a distraction and will affect your ability to sell your work. We should not be hesitant to speak up for our businesses and ourselves.

I’m always encouraged when I read about an artist systematically analyzing galleries and being careful about entering into relationships with a gallery. So let’s think about why you want a gallery in the first place. The obvious answer is to sell your work so you will want to know something about their sales record. However, I want to suggest there are other equally important reasons to have a gallery. One of the most important jobs of a gallery is to build the careers of their artists. To this end effective galleries work very closely with collectors to place their artist’s work in private and public collections, so be sure to ask about the gallery’s relationship with collectors. You would also want to know if the gallery works with other galleries to get their artist’s work before a larger audience. The press is essential to an artist’s career. Ask about the gallery’s ability to get information about their artists in print or online. Speaking of print you will want to know who pays for any materials that may be printed to promote your work.

Now let’s look at the consignment issue. Since galleries do not purchase art this is the only way to work with then. A gallery operates by presenting a series of shows, each with a specific starting and ending date, unlike a shop that purchases work, puts work on its shelves and keeps it there until it gets sold. You will want to carefully read the consignment contract. Among other things it should be very clear about the % you will be paid, when you will be paid, the dates of the show and any extension of those dates during which the gallery intends to control your work. You will want the work insured while there and of course return shipping costs, if necessary, paid by the gallery. Discounts are a common tool used by galleries to sell work; you’ll want to know your financial responsibility if the gallery grants a discount on a sale. A gallery relationship is totally built on trust therefore you are wise to be considering this move very carefully.

I’m always encouraged when I read about an artist systematically analyzing galleries and being careful about entering into relationships with a gallery. So let’s think about why you want a gallery in the first place. The obvious answer is to sell your work so you will want to know something about their sales record. However, I want to suggest there are other equally important reasons to have a gallery. One of the most important jobs of a gallery is to build the careers of their artists. To this end effective galleries work very closely with collectors to place their artist’s work in private and public collections, so be sure to ask about the gallery’s relationship with collectors. You would also want to know if the gallery works with other galleries to get their artist’s work before a larger audience. The press is essential to an artist’s career. Ask about the gallery’s ability to get information about their artists in print or online. Speaking of print you will want to know who pays for any materials that may be printed to promote your work.

Now let’s look at the consignment issue. Since galleries do not purchase art this is the only way to work with then. A gallery operates by presenting a series of shows, each with a specific starting and ending date, unlike a shop that purchases work, puts work on its shelves and keeps it there until it gets sold. You will want to carefully read the consignment contract. Among other things it should be very clear about the % you will be paid, when you will be paid, the dates of the show and any extension of those dates during which the gallery intends to control your work. You will want the work insured while there and of course return shipping costs, if necessary, paid by the gallery. Discounts are a common tool used by galleries to sell work; you’ll want to know your financial responsibility if the gallery grants a discount on a sale. A gallery relationship is totally built on trust therefore you are wise to be considering this move very carefully.

This is too simple, let’s think it through. You designed your booth to enable you to sell your work under the best circumstances. You have paid to be in a show you feel is a good fit for your work and you will sell well. Are you willing to compromise the success of your business for the sake of being polite? Here’s how I would have handled this. A second strong request would have been appropriate and this time done in a way the exhibitor without good English was sure to understand. If this didn’t work the next step is to go to the show promoter. It is their job to provide you with a booth space in which you can conduct your business without outside distractions; this is what you paid them for. Bright lights shining in your face and those of your customers are certainly a distraction and a deterrent to sales. I would also put music that can be heard outside the booth in this category. Anything that takes away from the ambience you create in your booth is a distraction and will affect your ability to sell your work. We should not be hesitant to speak up for our businesses and ourselves.