2012 for Asheville Artists

So I've been poking my finger into a lot of Asheville Art organizations lately.  I have mentioned the HARP, Arts 2 People's new program for economic development.  With the new E.D. of the AAAC, Kitty, there will be renewed vitality for the organization and more new opportunities for local artists.  I will help her to bring as many arts groups together with the common goal of promoting Asheville artists.  This is not a promotion blog but rather just my personal blog where I lay down what is going on in my art business.  It is all now rather intertwined but I can tell you that this will be a good year of opportunities for local artists and visiting artists alike.  If you are looking to plug in to Asheville Arts, check out this years Creative Sector Summit held by the AAAC.

Somehow, I need to make it into Woolworth Walk this month and do some maintenance on my booth. Work day in one week to do some updating to my display there. New pottery and tiles are coming out soon.

Trouble

So, it turns out that I'm a trouble maker.  If you didn't already know this, do not fear because I'm only interested in causing trouble in some very specific ways.  I am an arts advocate, so if your an artist or helping an artist, you can count on me to work in favor of opportunities that will be of benefit to you.  I do this because I am a local artist, a potter.  If you have ever known a potter, you will know that we are much more then benders of clay.  Potters are required by necessity (like many other medias)to hone skills in many areas not directly related to clay.  I have been fortunate to have some great teachers along the way and every one of them recognized and told me I was a trouble maker.

I can't help it. When I feel the system freezing up or dieing down into dysfunction, I subconsciously react.  Thoughts fill my head and memories churn out verbal satire.  As I age, I learn that keeping my mouth shut is often the best interpretation of the given situation but for this, for art, for the people that give there lives to the promotion of their own connection to creation, for us, I must speak up. 

I don't deal in negatives. Nor will I take into consideration those that bash and slander my efforts to promote equality within the system and provide open access to this market.  This is why I'm real trouble, I'm independent and weigh everything against the reality of being a potter.  I don't discriminate, either your helping or get out of the way.  I may be trouble with a capital T but the Pool Hall generates revenue for local creatives to be able to survive in this recessed economy.  It's my opinion that we need a bigger Pool Hall with tables for visiting artists as well as locals.  It would be nice if it could be kinda classy.  The result would be not only huge economic impact citywide but enhanced national exposure.

Am I looking for trouble?  No way.  It finds me but I certainly don't go looking for it.  My interests are to play nicely and keep my mouth shut but I'm sorry if sometimes, I can't help myself.

I have been working hard since the last post on the HARP. If you don't know what that is yet you need to check out the Arts 2 People website at www.arts2people.org/harp.html.  The great news is that it is ON for the  holiday market.  I'm thinking about calling it the Holiday Artisan Market or HAM. What do you think?
We have a sweet spot for it now and I will be sending out information for signup as soon as I have it.  If your an artist on my list then you will for sure get a call from someone on the volunteer staff as well as information in your inbox.

The one thing I haven't been able to get done lately is pottery.  I have to get into the studio and make some work for the Big Crafty on December 4th in Pack Place.  Its the one place other then galleries that I still sell my work myself to the public.  Come by and talk about art, festivals, the HARP or even pottery.

Wow. My last post was right after the storm.  Most of my life since then has been a storm of its own or spent recovering from that one.  There is still a pile of broken metal in my yard that needs to go. It wasn't easy to make it before as an artists but when Asheville Art in the Park started pulling in some real good numbers, I became hopeful of what was possible.  I have been working at finding some real opportunities for artists that could pull our momentum past just the Pack Square market and help Asheville Artists really make more money throughout the year.  When the storm hit us, it must have stirred up something inside me.  Ideas have been racing out of me like a stock market ticker tape.  I honestly didn't know what to do with it all? I have been throwing ideas out of my head only to have them slam back in with force due to some coincidence reiterating their importance.  Then I realized  the importance of letting it all go.  I was trying to hold on to it, to own it, when all I needed to do was give it away.

So, I went to Kitty Love, the executive director of Arts2People and asked for her help sorting out how to implement this new desire I had to let it all go.  She listened and helped me whittled down some bold sweeping ideas into some specific actions and programming that can make a real difference to struggling artists in the community.  On Monday, I will start to implement it. We need your help.  For the time I am working on this new program, I will be offering free, walk in and by apt. arts business consultation.  I am currently holding office hours of 10-4. M,W,T,F.  I'm in and out on Tuesdays and am often out on missions so be sure to call if you want to be sure to get me. Bla Bla bla bla. This is my personal ceramics blog so I should proly lay off all that "work stuff" but I am just so excited about it that I needed to get it out on my blog.

Speaking of pottery, I just had another load of tree mugs come out of the kiln and I have my new Potters Four Square game prototypes in action.  There is a copy at the ARC if you want to come by and help me play test it.     I am hoping to find some other potters that want to help be produce it for market.  You know, I have a few other things going on right now. So if you, the 3 or 4 people that sometimes read my blog, know of any good potters in the Asheville area.  lol.  let me know.

I hope to get on the river tomorrow with Jody and Sawyer. We try and float down the old girl at least once a season. . .  our window is closing fast.  Don't forget to come to Asheville Art in the Park at least one of the next 3 Saturdays in Pack Square.

Storm Slams Asheville Art in the Park

It was the worst case situation. A strong line of thunderstorms came in quickly and hard and hit the event with 60+ MPH winds. I was in the back of the B line when I noticed the back of the line of tents was about to fly away with vendors struggling to hold on to their tents to keep them on the ground. I held on to the upwind side of of the B line but the wind pushed so strong I was pushed backwards several feet before regaining my footing. I finally managed to pull the pins out on my side and get the tent to drop down letting the forceful wind to pass overhead instead of slamming into the tent.

When the winds finally calmed down, the square was total chaos. Tops were torn from tents, whole tents with weights were lifted up and smashed to the ground, one with a vendor still holding on and product was blown away or smashed to bits. A few of our potters lost everything that had at the show. Thankfully no one was majorly injured.

The amazing part is what came next. Artists started helping each other pick up the pieces. Seeing the devastation I changed the donation requirement at the show and started collecting for the artists that had seen the most damage. In the devastation I transferred several hundred dollars donated from the artists least affected to the most affected. Many artists gave more then the suggested 10% of sales.

As I helped clean up the huge mess created by the gusting wind, I saw artists that had just lost everything picking up trash in the street and helping other artists. The integrity and passion these artists have continuously blows me away and I am honored to be part of this community.

I hope you will come out to Asheville Art in the Park in Pack Square for our final June event on Saturday the 25th from 10 - 5 and support these great local artists as they recover from this disaster.

WLOS TV Coverage - > WLOS ABC 13 News :: Top Stories - Saturday Storm Damage

Mountain Xpress video coverage ->

http://www.mountainx.com/news/2011/sudden_storm_hits_asheville_destroys_art_in_the_park_tent_booths_video

If you have stories from the event, please share them on our group page here-> http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_146077699181&ap=1

xpress comment

Check out the original article here ---> http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2011/022311self-portrait-with-food-stamps

Thanks for starting this dialog Ursula. As a local artist, I have been dealing with the realities of life as an artist in Asheville for decades. The most important thing an artists can do for themselves is get educated in the business of art. There are many programs available to local artists via the many professional art organizations in our area. Learn the specifics of your particular art field. Ask other respected vendors in your area what it takes to get to their level. In general you will find most artists are happy to share the tips and strategies of success but make no mistake, they will all tell you it’s a lot of hard work.

A few years ago I got tired of looking for good local opportunities to self represent my work as I was continually disappointed with the events I would attend. I decided to create a local market of ONLY professional art vendors. Asheville Art in the Park started in 2009 with its first 3 consecutive Saturday market. In the markets first 9 days of operation artists have earned more then $100,000 from market sales directly at the event. They have also donated more then $10,000 to local non-profits that help us directly in our cause of making it here as artists.

Let me give you some more direct data to add some clarity to this important issue of the economic survival of Asheville’s artists. The lowest earnings of a booth at the Saturday market was $0. The highest was almost $3000 and the average booth generated $580 in sales. This is data from a cross section of about 175 local and regional artists. In general artists should look for events that payback at least 10 times the booth fee. This information dose not include wholesale orders, special orders or sales after then event hours.

Please check out http://www.AshevilleArtinthePark.com for more information about this continuing local opportunity.

Blizzard Outside. Sunny Market days inside.

So there is almost a foot of snow on the ground and its still coming down.  Inside where its warm, I’m planning some more sunny market days for 2011 thanks to all the artists that sent in letters to city council and the downtown commission.  As Asheville Art in the Park is set to continue in 2011, I am also working to bring some even lower cost opportunities to Asheville artists. If you were lucky enough to come out to one of the 3 perfect Saturdays in Pack Square last October, you will know that this group of talented professionals puts on an amazing display of some of the finest craftsmanship available.

Look for the re-launch of www.AshevilleArtinthePark.com in early February with new pictures, video of the Market, and details about signing up for the 2011 event.  You may even find out some details about an amazing new opportunity in a special new location.