COLLABORATION CAN GIVE YOUR BUSINESS A BOOST
by Susan Ferguson
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Strength in Numbers
COLLABORATION CAN GIVE YOUR BUSINESS A BOOST by Susan Ferguson |
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 A sterling brooch, engraved, chased and patinated, measuring 1.5 inches by 4.5 inches, by Susan Brooks. By sharing studio space and costs, Brooks says she was able to launch her crafts career faster and easier than if she had started out on her own. |
Collaborating with other artists and craftspeople is a great way to enhance your own business activity. Generally speaking, a collaboration is a process that brings together the talents of like-minded people for the purpose of achieving a mutually beneficial goal. The goal may be an expanded mailing list, increased retail customer traffic, promotion of a new trend or technique, or making a social connection among artists.
A strong, healthy collaboration in the crafts community can bring about many benefits, including:
A strong collaboration also allows artists to discover individual strengths, set new goals, and generate new ideas to stimulate business. Often, groups stick with their original purpose, honing it to perfection over time.
Marketing together
Berkeley, Calif., jewelry artist Susan Brooks began her career sharing studio space with a fellow artist, splitting rent, utilities and even marketing costs evenly between the two of them. Because the other artist worked in wearables, Brooks foresaw the complementary nature of their relationship from the beginning. "It was wonderful collaborating," says Brooks. "Clothing and jewelry are a natural mix."
Although each had a small following before the collaboration, they were able to bring in customers that they wouldn't otherwise attract by combining mailing lists and promoting themselves together. "There was no pettiness [regarding costs]," says Brooks, "even though I had more mailings. I did the graphics for announcements, and she kept the mailing list up to date."
The two artists gained a bigger and bigger following, finally setting aside a third of their studio to show and sell their work. "The [work] promoted by one was now promoted by two," says Brooks. "My business was strengthened for having engaged in the collaboration -- not the space [exactly], but what was created there, the business cooperation."
Aside from sharing the studio, however, each artist maintained their own separate business for the duration of the collaboration (10 years). By sharing studio costs, Brooks says she was able to launch her career faster and easier than if she had been on her own. "It's a great thing for artists to be around other artists," she says. "You're less frightened to try something new. A lot of times, the expense of an event will keep you from doing it."
For a successful working relationship, says Brooks, it is essential that the artists not be petty. "Be as open to new ideas as you possibly can," she says. "And give a little more than usual -- it will come back to you in the long run."
The collaborative process requires lots of time and effort from everyone involved. The balance of work can shift if people don't pitch in at the right time. The matter of competition can also be a touchy subject for some. "If artists can put away their fears of competition, there are tremendous benefits in helping out other artists," says Brooks. "Things get passed on. This is a good thing."
 Furniture by Rachel Fuld, who takes advantage of the resources at 1102 East, a furniture cooperative in Philadelphia, Pa. |
Sharing space and equipment
In Philadelphia, Pa., a different kind of collaboration is taking place. At 1102 East, a furniture cooperative that houses workshops for new and veteran furniture makers, the sharing of ideas is almost as prevalent as the sharing of costs and equipment.
"People own different things," says Rachel Fuld, one of the dozen artists taking advantage of the cooperative. "By being at 1102 E. Columbia, I am able to have a shop without the expense of outfitting a complete shop for myself."
The cooperative is basically a "big shop," says Fuld. "With everyone working [in the shop], you wouldn't know if people were working together or on their own," she says.
Artists rent bench and machine time for $186 and $75 a month respectively from the building's owners, well-known furniture makers Bob Ingram and Jack Larimore. The bench space is about 12 feet by 15 feet, and the machinery at 1102 East includes band and table saws, routers, painting and finishing rooms, and a veneer press.
Although each artist must have their own insurance (Fuld pays about $50 a month), the sense of community among the artists is free. "If I need advice, an opinion, or help lifting a cabinet, I can always find a willing hand," says Fuld. "People are willing to share some of their time as well as their tools."
With so many artists sharing the same machinery, things can get a little tense sometimes, though. "It's like a family," says Fuld. "Things can be difficult if everyone wants to use the veneer press at the same time, but [for the most part] it's a fun, free-flowing exchange of tools and ideas."
CONTACTS |
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1102 East Rachel Fuld 1102 E. Columbia Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19125 (215) 425-4606 Susan Brooks Essex Fall Craft Show OASIS Gift Show Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival RJB Handcrafts/Calabash Gourd Club |
Sharing responsibilities
In Silicon Valley, where hi-tech mergers and buyouts happen at breakneck speed, the Calabash Gourd Club enjoys collaborating in a more casual way. The group shares booth space at regional art fairs. The club's show committee, which includes about 20 members, divides the responsibilities of promoting, scheduling, marketing, display design, and computing sales. Each participating artist pays a set amount, which helps cover the cost of show fees, transportation, display equipment and other established expenses.
"Our booth becomes like a small gallery, each artist with their own unique style, but the [medium] is still a gourd," says Rebecca Black, gourd artist and owner of RJB Handcrafts in San Jose, Calif. "The quality of the booth presentation brings more customers. The variety means there is higher probability there is a piece that meets what the customer is looking for."
Black says the collaboration has proved to be a great way for someone to break into the business of selling crafts because it brings together new and experienced artists who learn from one another. The collaboration also offers the benefits of shared expenses, shared time and effort, and providing fresh ideas and inspiration to fellow artists.
However, there have been a few problems getting into juried shows that do not accept groups, says Black.
Indeed, show promoters have mixed opinions about collaborations. Sally Washburn, promoter and organizer of the Essex Fall Craft Show in Essex, Vt., says collaborations are not what promoters have in mind. She says promoters receive only a handful of requests from artists who want to share booth space.
"When you combine media, you sometimes end up with a not very professional-looking booth, kind of a mishmash," says Washburn. Requests for booth sharing from artists working in the same media are addressed on a case-by-case basis, she adds.
The Essex show allows artist and craft trade organizations to maintain a presence at the show for educational purposes.
Booth sharing is not part of the policy at the OASIS Gift Show in Phoenix, Ariz. A spokesperson for OASIS says temporary alliances are permitted, however, in which artists form an alliance operating under a partnership name for the show. Booth space remains the same size, 10 feet by 10 feet; artists in the alliance would decide how to utilize space and manpower.
Partnerships are welcome at the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival in Santa Fe, N.M. Each artist is juried, and if one doesn't get accepted, the others have the option of downsizing or dropping out, says Ruth Gore, the show's executive director. Promoters do take into consideration the way the booth will look with more than one artist's work.
"If it doesn't look like a good match, we'll ask how it's going to work," says Gore. "We try to discourage the booth if it looks funny."
If more than one artist is accepted for a booth, one person is designated the responsible party for the contract and fees, Gore adds.
Susan Ferguson is a Kansas City, Mo.-based freelance writer and can be contacted at sferg@sky.net.
NOVEMBER 2000: TABLE OF CONTENTS