Gary's Third Pottery Blog

When the going gets tough, dragons gonna get going....

Gary's third pottery blog

WRITE TO ME! garyrith@yahoo.com Come see me! Open studio HERE! November 25-26 (11-4 each day); Aurora Art and Design, daily until 12/24; Cooperstown Art Assoc. daily until 12/24; Ellis Hollow Community Fair, 12/10; December 10, Little Red Wagon at the Space at Greenstar. All material on this blog unless stated otherwise is copyright Gary Edward Rith 2016

Monday, October 7, 2013

OPEN STUDIO and juvenile delinquents...

There is a map and website for a popular local event: the Ithaca Art Trail.  I have been on the art trail before.
People ask "oh, do you try to sell things?" and
"does the county pay YOU to do this?" and
I reply
"GOOD GOLLY it costs ME about 500 bucks!  Of course I try to sell things, spending 500 bucks is a LOT of mugs!".
And anxiety!  You're like "I spent all that money, hope some millionaire comes along and fills some boxes!"
Which actually happened the first year I was on the art trail.  Of the four days, I sold 7 boxes of pots in the first hour!
That never happened again.

The way it is billed, people really do think it is some sort of educational experience for visitors, NOT a sales event.

There is a school for, um, JUVENILE delinquents nearby.
Each year of the 3 I was on the art trail a bus load of kids were brought over, they did not contact me to ask permission or anything, I was their outing for the day and they just showed up.  They were OK.  BUT, well, that is not exactly the buying public is it? Plus having strangers in your home studio can make you nervous.  Most people are wonderful, but....

So, I am doing my own OFF BROADWAY type event this weekend, kind of inviting visitors.
It is gonna be FUN, yes I am selling pottery, YES I am doing demos, YES it is wicked good fun and NO it costs me nothing :)  Come on over, contact me at garyrith@yahoo.com if you live in NY state and need directions!

Pots like these will be available...


7 comments:

cookingwithgas said...

That sounds great.
I think there are times that you need to have your own.
We have had buses come in but we find they are just out for the day, not buying.

Barbara Rogers said...

Oh goodie, an open house. And knowing you, Gary (which I don't except right here in Emerald city, er blogs) what are you cooking?

Michèle Hastings said...

Best of luck with your open studio. Sell lots of pots!

smartcat said...

Day Trippers! The "Oh, we're just looking" group.
Your event sounds great and fun....it should be profitable.

Claudia from Idiot's Kitchen said...

I wish I lived closer. You know I would be there in a flash. I'd even help out...pet the pets, fondle the pots, eat the cookies! Have a great (and wildly successful) day!

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

1. It costs $500 to be on the Art Trail?!? Holy Guacamole, I had no idea! I always figured those events were put on by the town because they wanted the tourism and the artists would only have a SMALL fee to pay for the publicity. Sheesh.

2. You were the field trip and they didn't check with you first? You know, to see if you even had room for that many people at once?!

3. Brilliant to have your own "open house" at your convenience. Hope it is a grand success! (Notice that I did NOT wish you a "smashing success"-- because I'm not British and I prefer your pottery in once piece!)

JB said...

Good luck with the open studio. Over here we would call this a fringe event.

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I am a full-time studio potter, sculptor, and dog walker, married to superhawt Missus Tastycake.