Holiday Marketplace

The Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen is proud to be producing our annual show, the Holiday Marketplace to be held this weekend Nov. 14-15 at the Swain School (1100 South 24 St., Allentown, PA).

This is an intimate show consisting of 30 fine craftsmen and artists working in a variety of media ranging from wood to jewelry and from glass to photography. What I really enjoy about this show is the laid-back environment and ability to spend time with each craftsperson and artist.

Holiday Marketplace is the perfect opportunity to get started on, or even finish, your holiday shopping in a low stress showplace.

The “M” Word

Come out to our meeting tonight for an informative presentation on marketing your craft. Here is a description of the program from our Vice President – Del Morgan.

The “M” Word – Marketing! What exactly is that beast? And how does a one-person show do it all?

 This is a meeting and speaker you definitely do not want to miss! 

“Everything we do at Speak Easy is based on helping people better understand the communication process and how to use it to achieve their vision of success.”Join us as  Kerry Paterson, President of Speak Easy Communications, Inc. helps us each of us discover how to present our self and our art and craft to the world.  At this extremely informative meeting Kerry will cover key points and open our awareness about how to effectively use various forms of communication and other media that will get your products into the public eye!

 

Our meetings are open to the public and especially those interested in hand-made fine craft. Follow the link ( LV Chapter ) for directions and meeting time. Hope to see you!

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Connecting with Local Galleries and Shops

Join the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen on Tuesday September 15, 2009, as we discuss how to get your artwork and fine crafts into local stores and galleries. The meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. in the basement of the Emmaus Moravian Church at 146 Main St., Emmaus, PA. After a brief business meeting we will have two local gallery owners talk with our members about how to expand their businesses beyond craft shows to reach people looking for fine art and craft at local establishments. Valerie Yurza, co-owner of Out of Our Hands in Emmaus, PA, will talk about how her store of fine handmade crafts selects the works that are on sale. She’ll also talk about the costs and contracts associated with displaying at Out of Our Hands. Ron Morris and Ken Jones of Mercantile Home, will also present information about their gallery located in Easton, PA. The duo curates specially themed shows every few months that involve a variety of artists from the East Coast. Their gallery also sells other art work that is not part of the current exhibit. More information about these stores can be found at www.outofourhands.com and www.mercantilehome.com. The meeting is free and open to the general public. Come and join us as we discuss new ways to get your fine handcrafts into the hands of buyers.

(Written by Susan Newquist)

Horse Hair Jewelry Class – Aug. 2, 2009

The Lehigh Valley Chapter’s Susan Newquist (Redtail Designs Jewelry), is leading a workshop on Horse Hair Jewelry at the Museum of Indian Culture in Allentown, PA. The class will be held on Aug. 2, 2009 from 10:30am to 12:30pm and does require pre-registration. Contact the Museum at 610-797-2121 for more information or to sign up for the class.

Susan notes that “you will learn to create a beautiful adjustable hore hair bracelet from horse hair I bring or tail hair from your own horse”. You will also be able to choose from a variety of beads to finish off your bracelet. Contact Susan at Susan@Redtaildesigns.com for horse hair cleaning instructions (if you’re bring your own) and more information.

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Chapter Photographers Take Awards

At the Peddler’s Village Fine Art and Craft Show this past weekend, two Lehigh Valley Chapter members received awards in the Photography Category. A 2nd Place Prize ($300) was awarded to Paul Grecian and a 3rd Place Prize ($200) to Del Morgan. Both Grecian and Morgan are juried members of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsman as well as the Lehigh Valley Chapter.

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Dealing With Scraps

At our next meeting of the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, we’ll be having some fun with scraps. You know, those bits and pieces of materials you don’t know what to do with? This will be an opportunity to test our creativity as we swap our scraps and explore new usages of our materials.

At our last meeting, our Vice President and Programs Chairman - Del Morgan, led a great discussion about writing biographies and artist/craftsman statements. This definitely got me thinking about my own.

Our Program Chairman leading discussion at LV Chapter meeting

 If you have an interest in craft or the business of craft, our meetings are a great place to be for both. We will be meeting on May 19 (third Tues. of the month), at the Moravian Church in Emmaus, PA at 7:30. Refreshments and good conversation are included. See the link on the right for our website for directions and more information.

Paul Grecian – Photography

As a visual artist, Paul Grecian expresses a reverence for nature through the medium he adopted in high school. Grecian works with photography as an art form using design, light, color, and perspective as creative elements. He applies his formal training in photography and education in animal behavior to create striking and compelling works. His images have been honored with Nature’s Best Foundation’s International Photography Awards in 1997 and 2003 (the year his winning image hung as part of a special exhibit in the Smithsonian) and with an IRMA (International Regional Magazine Association) Award in 1999. Grecian’s work has been selected for use in several Audubon Calendars and various books, magazines and by organizations including the National Park Service. Since 1995, Grecian has offered fine prints of his images at Juried Art and Craft Shows to private collectors from many states and several countries. Paul is a State Juried member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. Every image is printed, matted, mounted, and framed with museum quality materials and processes.

Paul is the current President of the Lehigh Valley Chapter. He is State Juried and Chapter Juried with both the Lehigh Valley and Reading-Berks Chapters. See Paul’s work on his website – www.paulgrecianphoto.com.

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Artist’s Bio and Artist’s Statement

Two important components to any artist’s or crafter’s marketing folder are the Artist’s Biography and Artist’s Statement. These two pieces are actually quite different and serve different purposes. They are both however, often difficult to write. Our next meeting of the Lehigh Valley Chapter on Tues. April 21 will deal with these two important documents. Everyone interested is invited to come and attend. Just follow the link on the right for our website for meeting time and location.

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Spring Tea and Boutique – Getting Press

The Lehigh Valley Chapter’s  Spring Tea and Boutique is this Saturday, April 18. The event was listed in the In Your Town section of  The Morning Call yesterday (April 13). This is always a well received event and proceeds go to support our scholarship program. For more information, call Buffy Albright 610-966-4951.

The Most Important Part ….

The most important part of any organization is its people! The Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen is composed of highly creative and skilled designers, craftspeople, and artists. Our Chapter-Juried members uphold the required high standards for quality, originality, and style. Each Juried member brings their own vision and background to the pieces they create. To truly appreciate the work they make, it is important to know about the craftsperson themselves. Juried members from the Lehigh Valley Chapter will regularly be featured here along with their contact information so that you can follow up with your own questions or request a unique item as a gift or personal treasure.

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