We were delighted to be part of the first ever Surfside Studio Tour this past weekend – an event highlighting the artists and artisans of Highway 207 from Lawrencetown to Chezzetcook along Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore. With the prospect of a new studio event we decided to innovate on our approach to this year’s tour. Reflecting on our values led to our choice this year to focus on four C’s – customization, collections, collaboration, and classes. The results have been very positive.
Customization: Art, for the sake of art, has its place and we love to be innovative and to use various media to express our creative energies on a unique artistic project. But we sometimes, necessarily, forsake our love for true art in favour of production volumes to sustain the ongoing costs and effort of being an artist – and preferably not a starving one.
OK – so if I make an interesting doodad that a hundred people would like to have, then maybe I should make a hundred of them and sell to those who wish to have it. Moreover, I guess there is nothing wrong with a customer coming in and picking up one of a dozen similar turned pens or identical cutting boards if they really like them. What we were trying to get folks to consider this week is the notion of intentionality and personalization in buying items for themselves and others. We are always happy to have the challenge of a client saying “Well my friend, Jane, is such a fanatic about xxx – can you put something together for her?” and then working with that client to come up with the perfect item that may be a one-of-a-kind product specially made for that recipient. In many ways it just feels right in terms of our philosophy of sustainability, to make things that are purposefully made to support the interests or needs of a person rather than trying to convince them why they need this knick-knack that probably isn’t all that relevant.
Collections: Our ability to create mixed media and diverse items allows us to deliver a multi-faceted gift or multi-use package of items that serve a similar purpose or can celebrate a special event. A visitor to our open studio event has friends about to have their first baby. Seeking to find a great gift for their friend we suggested things like a custom baby quilt, a monogrammed baby bib, a hand-turned rattle, and a custom wooden mobile with various unique and colorful natural woods.
The mix of media skills we offer creates a one-stop shopping experience for that person and we anticipate her return to put together a package of gift items in a single purchase. Once again, we feel that this speaks to efficiency and sustainability and it feels good to present this idea as both an economical and environmentally responsible option.
Collaboration: ChezCraft, Gary Dumas, Brad Holley
Collaboration: We have many friends and colleagues with similar skills (and their own unique styles) in fabric and wood, but also others who work in different aspects of art & craft such as potters, jewellers, blacksmiths/ goldsmiths, photographers, stone carvers, to name a few.
This year we were able to match some of our own products with the work of Gary Dumas and Brad Holley in a special Asian-inspired collaboration. While our colleagues got additional exposure to a market they would not otherwise have been able to access, we were able to present the talents of two exceptional artisans to extend our collection and build our reputation for delivering high quality artisan creations.
Classes: The production of art and craft items is our primary line of business right now. But on its own it will not pay the bills of even a moderate shop like ours. Diversification of products and services is critical to our long-term survival. Although I feel the artisan and woodworker when I put on my apron, you just cannot take the educator out of someone who has been a teacher for any length of time, as Mary Elizabeth and I both have. This year we will leverage our educational background to offer one-on-one and small group training in the skills we have come to master. We are also hoping to launch a new YouTube channel with some short teaching pieces for specific projects and techniques. Based on our own custom patterns and plans, we think we can monetize the digital assets while offering some online instruction for free.
These four C’s really speak to a fifth one which is a favorite of ours – commissions. This is valuable as a revenue generation approach, but more importantly speaks to both our philosophy of sustainability, as well as our desire to get to know our clients more intimately – to develop deep relationships with Customers who are the most important “C” of all.
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