Isle of Wight Arts Open Studios 2011

Application Deadline

Mon 14 Mar 2011

Proofing Period

Thu 7 Apr - Fri 15 Apr 2011

contact us

Isle of Wight Artists'
Open Studios
c/o Almond Cottage
Mitten Road
Bembridge
Isle of Wight
PO35 5UJ

email
info@isleofwightarts.com

Welcome

We are delighted to tell you that this year’s Open Studios event is open, under the management of a group of volunteer artists who have taken over from Isle Of Wight Council and formed a not for profit, limited company called Isle of Wight Arts Open Studios.

This change in structure is happening to many open studios events up and down the country because of changes in Council funding. We have already made great strides to ensure the continued success of Open Studios; Pepper Creative has been retained to design the brochure and update the website, Red Funnel has come on board as a major sponsor, funding an additional 10,000 brochures, and we have started a programme of press releases and advertising to publicise the event.

We’re excited at the prospect of running the Island’s Open Studios by artists for artists and we hope you will join in this year.

The Open Studios team is Mandy Bangerter, June James, Richard Hodges, Annie Smith, John Sparrow

FAQs

How do I register for membership of Isle of Wight Open Studios 2011?
Use the links at the top right-hand corner of this page to reach the sections of the application. You don’t have to complete the form all at once – you can save each section and log out

Your membership of Isle of Wight Arts Open Studios will include:

• A new Facebook group to facilitate artist and visitor communication.
• Publicity through the brochure, distributed island wide and through Red Funnel ferries and terminals.
• Copies of the brochure for you to distribute.
• Press releases to local media and general advertising
• A professionally designed website, well optimised for search engines, with your own page that you can update
• Public Liability insurance cover for each studio
• Open Studios training event and brochure distribution, Quay Arts Thursday 23 June
• Launch event and showcase exhibition (throughout July) at Quay Arts Thursday 30 June
• An opportunity to promote your work and build a mailing list
• And demonstrate your working processes
• Promotion of and feedback for your work
• To be part of a nation-wide network of Open Studios
• Networking opportunities with other artists and makers
• An opening to sell work and gain commissions

Last Year’s Open Studios was the Island’s most successful yet, with the number of visits increasing by an estimated 95% to 10,000 and the number of artists from all over the island increasing to almost 100, whilst the grand total of artists’ sales reached approximately £55,000 a 69% increase over 2009.

How much does Open Studios cost?
Membership/registration fees have been kept to a minimum:

£70 - for individual artist opening their studio, with website page and brochure listing
£60 - per artist entry for shared venues, with website page and brochure listing
£30 - for website page and short listing in brochure only without studio opening

The good news is that these rates are one of the cheapest in the country!

What is the difference between an individual and a shared venue?
An individual artist opens their own studio to visitors, whether it’s a professional studio, rented space or a space in your home. You will need to be there on all the days you have agreed to open, between 10am and 5pm. It’s a good idea to get a little help running the studio as it can be very busy and finding time to make a cup of tea and a sandwich can be tricky - really!
A shared venue involves a group of like-minded local artists getting together at a venue such as a village hall or someone’s large house. Each artist must register individually, at the shared venue price, to ensure an individual entry in the booklet and website. And remember, though you are not in your own studio, visitors do like to see work in progress and examples of your process.

What is the website and short listing only?
You may not want to or be able to open your studio to visitors, but a listing in the Open Studios brochure and a page on our professionally designed website can provide a brilliant boost to your art/craft business. The brochure is around all year and is often used as a contact base for art opportunities.

Why do I need to register online and pay by post?
Ah! the conflicting demands of new technology. By registering your membership online you are saving one of our hard pressed volunteers (well John actually) from an arduous task of keying in your details. Thank you. However we haven’t had time to set up an online payment facility, so one of our other hard pressed volunteers (well Annie actually) will collate and process all your payments.

I’m struggling with my online application - help!
Although we’ve tried to ensure we have no gremlins in the system there is always a small chance of an error - not yours of course! So one of our hard pressed volunteers (yes that would be John again) will be there to rescue you. Email him at info@isleofwightarts.com or if things get very tricky you can give him a call on 872049.

How do I prepare for Open Studios?
People want to know that you are participating in Open Studios - so you will need to tell them!

• Prepare a mailing list by post and email to invite visitors to your studio
• Isle of Wight Open Studios has always had a strong image. Artists have put up red bunting and balloons, made banners and generally drawn attention to their studios.
• Talk to others artists locally to plan publicising Open Studios in your area. Maybe print a local trail map.
• Distribute your copies of the brochure widely - identify potential outlets - local businesses/shops/restaurants, dentist/doctors, newsagents, friends, neighbours etc. Remember to top up supplies as they often go quickly.
• Use Facebook, Twitter and blogs if you have them
• Put up posters
• Maybe organise a private view
• Have plenty of good, clear road signage at and leading up to and around your studio/house for visitors and passers by. Remember it may be raining so laminate any paper signs. Beware! If you attach any posters or information to street furniture you may be unpopular with the powers that be. Anything that is on show MUST be removed on the final day of your Open Studios
• Keep a visitors’ book - this will help you with feedback and build up your mailing list.
• And finally.......stand back and look at your studio afresh - is it welcoming and interesting and does your work look ready to sell?
• AND COME ALONG TO OUR TRAINING EVENING ON 23RD JUNE AT QUAY ARTS
• How do I make my studio welcoming and interesting to visitors?
  
• Visitors love to see artists at work and have the chance to chat about what you are doing.
• Make it obvious that visitors are welcome to enter your workspace - plenty of signs to direct them to you and a sign that says OPEN when they get there.
• Have a good variety of work - framed pieces, unframed pieces, limited edition prints, maquettes, work in progress - available for them to enjoy looking at.
• Have portfolios/sketchbooks/photos of old work - plenty of things for people to browse through to catch their attention and hopefully lead to interest in your work and a sale.
• Postcards, greetings cards and low cost items often encourage your visitor to ‘buy a little something’ and they will be taking your name and hopefully website details home for future reference.
• Fresh flowers and a bowl of sweets always look welcoming.
• Tidy away obstacles and trip hazards - especially electric cables, open paints, knives, etc. Label any problem areas e.g. ‘mind the step’, ‘low beam’.
• AND COME ALONG TO OUR TRAINING EVENING ON 23RD JUNE AT QUAY ARTS

How long do I need to be open and how many visitors will I have?
You can open your studio for a minimum of 2 days and a maximum of 4 days. Decide when you register how many days you will be able to open and this information is then printed in the brochure. Remember, you must be available for visitors from 10am to 5pm on each of those days.
The number of visitors will depend on your location to a certain extent, but how proactive you are in preparing your event and working jointly with other artists in your area. Inviting people, local publicity, good signage etc also makes a huge difference.

How do I price my work?
How much did it cost to make? Add materials, cost of production, studio costs and your time. Don’t devalue your work, but do research into the market price of similar work by similar artists. Have a range of prices if possible - and consider the current economic climate. If you also sell through a gallery or retail outlet do maintain the market price. Remember to photographically document your work before it goes.

How do I sell my work?
Any of your work available for sale should be priced, or labelled with a price list available. Visitors occasionally wish to negotiate the price so always be clear about how much you want. When you sell work, make sure you have change available if visitors are paying in cash - which is of course the safest way to take payment. If you accept a cheque we suggest you ask for a guarantee card and take the name and address and phone number of the customer. If your visitor does not have payment with them you may want to ask for a cash deposit, even as little as £10 can ensure the visitor returns to pay the balance and collect the work.
Have packaging available - recycled is fine.

How do I follow up on my Open Studios event?

• Document your event - photograph the studio set up and your work.
• Keep a visitors book and use it to update your mailing list - these are your future customers.
• Follow up on all enquiries.
• And most importantly - to ensure that Open Studios is the organisation that you want it to be - fill in the feedback form asap with details of your visitor numbers, sales and comments for 2011 - PLEASE.

And good luck!