Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Shop to sell stuff in

Today a friend and I visited the Alcove Art Shop, part of the Box Hill Community centre.  It has a lovely range of small hand made pieces for sale. There was a range of techniques there - wood turning, glass plates, ceramics, textiles, jewellery, beading etc.  If you are a member, you can sell through the shop (if they accept your work) and only pay a 20% commission, it is more for non-members but not much more.  Membership is $25 a year, after paying a $50 joining fee.  (I think these details are correct, contact the store if you want to be sure.)

It is not a big space so the preference seems to be for smaller works.
There is also a Christmas sale coming up, still time to put some work in, and that is apparently very popular and quite a lot of work is sold in the two weeks of the show.
I believe there are art shows, featuring work of local artists, during the year.

I was very interested as our course has now finished. We still have the Graduate Exhibition to go but, essentially, the course has finished, no more classes.  I am wondering what I will do next year, what direction I will actually head.  I will have to decide which of the techniques we learnt I really want to develop further and I will have to cope without the teachers' pushing and without the invaluable feedback from both staff and other students. Scarey thought!  This shop provides a possible outlet for my work as well as some ideas of what sorts of things to make.

We have looked at possible outlets in a few subjects this year but, for some reason, today it seemed more real, not just an exercise for the course.

We were also given brochures about workshops the Community Centre runs in various areas and I am interested in some.  However, I think it is about time I stopped being a serial workshop attendee (and student) and started my own practice more seriously.  That's not to say I won't still attend workshops (I have one booked for a weekend soon) but I need to not rely on them for my inspiration.  Anyway, it is the day after handing in our last work for the course, so I might just be thinking pie in the sky things, who knows.

2 comments:

Michelle said...

Have you thought about having an online store through Etsy? The site is www.etsy.com, and is world wide and fantastic!

I'm sure you'd fill up your store in no time - and Etsy take a 3.5% commission ;)

Mary said...

Thanks Michelle. It has crossed my mind but I haven't got enough stuff yet, I don't think. This shop allows you to have a smaller stock which suits me at the moment, while I catch my breath and decide what to do now that I have finished the course - assuming I pass. I will browse etsy a bit more though and see what I think. Thanks again for the idea.