Fall Studio Workshops & Artist Entrepreneur Series at The Artisan Center

A Touch of Glass - Advanced Fused Glass
Instructor: Special Guest- Cara Dimassimo
Saturday & Sunday, September 22-23, 2012

The magical properties of glass and its interaction with light will dazzle your creative senses as you experience this exciting chromatic art form. Let your inner artist shine through as you learn glass cutting techniques, effective two-dimensional design, fusing practices (melting glass together in a kiln), slumping (shaping glass into molds) and creation of various effects. You will marvel at your own creations as you design and melt your ideas into form! No added costs...your glass, supplies and the firing are included in your tuition. $213 Cara is a professionally Juried Artisan of the Artisans Center of Virginia. 

Bronze & Copper Clay Jewelry Creations

(Beginners & Intermediate Level) Instructor: Special Guest- Martha Bigger
Saturday, October 13, 2012 

For beginner and intermediate level students. Learn to make warm, inviting jewelry suitable for any taste with Copper Clay. With ample copper clay (market valued) and jewelry pieces to work with, the cost of your materials is included in your tuition. All ages will also try this newest of metal clay materials - "Fastfire Bronzclay". Learn basic techniques to create unique personalized jewelry. With ample bronze clay (market valued) and jewelry pieces to work with, the cost of materials is included in your tuition. Students need to bring their lunch. $125 Martha is a professionally Juried Artisan of the Artisans Center of Virginia.

Making and Working with Shop-Sawn Veneer
Instructor: Special Guest- Gary Dalton
Saturday & Sunday, October 20-21, 2012

In this two day course, students will learn how to saw their own veneers. The class will also cover veneer substrates, edge banding and joinery options. Students will also learn how to build their own simple flat veneer press. Students need to bring their lunch. Supplies are included in your tuition. $145 Gary is a professionally Juried Artisan of the Artisans Center of Virginia.

Have You Thought It Through? Getting Started as an Artist Entrepreneur
Tuesday, September 11 from 6-9 pm

In this workshop Sherri will cover the basic components that you need to consider when contemplating an artistic business endeavor. You have the talent but have you developed a business owner's mindset while considering the systems and scalable solutions that will be needed to follow through with your artistic entrepreneurial effort? What is your unique idea? What is your selling proposition? What are your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the operations of your endeavor? Who are your competitors? Collaborators? Understanding that an artist's desire is to create and be successful at their art, Sherri will outline some of the building blocks and time factors that can aid you in growing your business while preserving the reason you decided to advance your art in the first place....the love of your artistic creations!

The Art of Social Media
Tuesday, September 18 from 6-9 pm

Marketing your artist business today requires that you stay in contact with your audience, the people who visit your shop and/or buy your art. The internet allows you to maintain contact in ways you could not person-to-person and with little financial investment. And you don't have to be a computer genius to make the internet work for you. Learn to connect via email blasts with current and potential customers, share marketing information and links with other artists, craftspeople and other businesses and tie your email blasts to social media like Facebook and Twitter. Learn the art of crafting your email to entice your audience to actually read and respond. Examine the possibilities and potential pitfalls of emailing your public. By the end of this workshop, you will have a working knowledge of how to craft effective email blasts and build your contact network while gaining an understanding of the importance of maintaining your business' email marketing list.

Entrepreneurs, Artists and Taxes; Can We All Get Along?
Tuesday, September 25 from 6-9 pm

Find out the answers to the following and much more: What are deductible expenses? Does mileage count? How about deducting part of my house? Do I need to keep records? What is my charitable contribution really worth to me? Do I really need an extra bank account? Why is everybody telling me to become a LLC? Do I need to make estimated tax payments? Can I really have my own pension? It's time to hire an employee, now what?

Art for Sale! Working with Retailers
Tuesday, October 2 from 6-9 pm

Have you thought about your art from the retailer's perspective? Many artists in their desire to expand their market and diversify their outlet points are beginning to turn to independent retailers. In turn, because of today's market swings increasingly more retailers are looking for ways to abate the risk of wholesaling by commissioning works from artists who can meet their client demographic. Pricing, Commission, Competition, Seasonal Considerations, Proximity, Time Management, Co-branding & Marketing, Inventory/Point of Sale Restrictions are but few of the nuances that artist must understand when working with a retailer. In this workshop Sherri will share key factors to consider when considering a sales relationship with a retailer. Although retail displays are often quite beautiful, the retailer is focused on the sell, not the show ...it's a no-nonsense approach that can be win-win for artist and retailer when everyone understand the ground rules.

Photographing Your Work
Tuesday, October 9 from 6-9 pm

Having trouble getting photographs of your work for a website or to submit to a show? Are you tired of digital photos that make your creations look dull or are the wrong color? This class will teach you simple methods of photographing your work and how to size them properly for website uploading. We will explore some online photo editing programs to help you size with ease. We will cover background choices, light sources, camera and lens selection and exposure tips to improve your photographs. We will learn ways to make your images sharper and the colors in your photographs more accurate. In one evening I will answer questions and demonstrate equipment and methods that will help you create better photographs of your creations.