AWGB Woodturning Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: bodrighywood on February 22, 2015, 11:14:22 AM
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The mention of galleries and our show yesterday at a craft centre in Dorset yesterday triggered a thought (or rather day dream) that has been rattling in my head for some time. The only all wood gallery that I am aware of is the Dansel (http://www.danselgallery.co.uk/) in Dorset though there my be others. Most galleries are aimed more at pretty much anything rather than wood. Seeing all the empty shops around in so many towns wouldn't it be great if somehow we could do a co-operative style gallery in some of them dedicated to wood art. I am aware of the difficulties involved but often think it would be good to have more public exhibitions of the better work that we so often see here and on other forums making the public aware and giving them access to it.
Pete
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Pete
You might have an idea, the AWGB is a resister charity and there are charity shops everywhere, if it could be done under the AWGB members could display and sell their work and the AWGB would take a commission raising funds and promoting woodturning.
I believe that charity shops get reduce or no rates and other benefits
Ed
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There is such a thing in operation at the moment. Attend the seminar and bring a piece for the instant gallery, if it is good enough it will be chosen for the travelling exhibition.
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I know about that John but how many people other than those already interested in wood oriented things will see it? That's a question by the way not a criticism LOL. It is a great advert for the craft and shows what is being done with high quality work on display but I was thinking of something that is based in a high street, shopping arcade etc and is seen by Joe public. Judging by the comments I and probably others get from people at shows I get the feeling that there are a huge number of people who are unaware that there is anything like wooden art, craft etc in this country. The assumption as often as not is that it is something that has been bought in from abroad. Maybe I am just ignorant of what is available but as an example, a gallery in my local town that has genuine local crafts "doesn't like to stock 'wooden stuff' as it is not really proper art or craft is it."
As I said initially it is just a day dream that I have had in mind, probably impractical.
Pete
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I'm not 100% sure, but I do seem to remember the ABWT putting pieces into an empty shop in Thornbury along with various other local artists of various medias a few years ago.
I know I have seen 'other media' shown in empty shops recently.
And Burnham WTC put a display into the local library but that was more for advertising the club looking to grow it's membership.
So the opportunities are there, the trouble appears to be finding the person in the council or letting agency that would allow that.
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i didn't know that burnham had their own turning club?
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George is the instigator and Chairman.
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There was a scheme a while back known as "pop up shops " whereby with council and owners permissions empty shops , especially on high streets could be opened for a few weeks to help liven up / rejuvenate trade in the area I saw some good ones and some not so good .... not so many empty shops now though , here-abouts anyway .... Terry ...
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George is the instigator and Chairman.
are we talking about the same burnham??
i live in burnham, where do you mean exactly?
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Burnham on sea in Somerset.
Pete
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Over the last 12 months the AWGB Seminar Gallery has bee transported to "General" as opposed to wood orientated event in the hope of showing off the output whilst at the same time showing some of the practical skills. The exhibits, with the owners permission, were available to purchase. I personally along with Dave Atkinson (Treasurer) attended the Cheshire Show and can say that the exhibit's were very well received and viewed by many people who would have otherwise been unlikely to see our hobby. Plans are in train to this year attend "Woody" and "Non Woody" shows around the country. I would therefore recommend the seminar gallery as a good starting point for having your output seen and possibly sold.
I do however think that local clubs and branches can help themselves with pop up shops, I attended a very successful event organised by Staffordshire and South Cheshire Woodturners Association in an empty shop in Newcastle under Lyme.
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I think it safe to report that the Travelling exhibition will be on show at Trowbridge town hall after the seminar. We will see if it arouses the interest of the public then. Of course Pete, you may have other (slightly) more important things to be doing that month ( ;D ;D ;D )
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What's that then John? Might be able to get a bit of time to myself and get involved............well a bit LOL
Pete
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Thinking aloud......
The travelling exhibition is a laudable thing, well worth visiting I would imagine and may well sell the odd item but if I understand it correctly it must spend most of the time locked away in a cupboard somewhere and be brought out just for special occasions..... It is never going to produce regular and frequent sales so is not really what I think Pete is talking about.
The ideal situation ( as suggested above ) would be if the AWGBs charity status could be used by local clubs to acquire serial temporary shop space but that would require people at club levels to organise it and from what I have read and experienced of local clubs it will be the same individuals who are already doing all the work. So probably not realistic.
Maybe it needs some kind of cooperative of Pro's. What is the status of the RPT ?
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Graham, unlike the AWGB the RPT is not a charity, and not meaning to be rude but neither are their members. This is why so many of us keep moaning about prices and quality and stuff 'cos we earn our living at it (I don't wish to start the old debate again)so I very much doubt if professional turners would open a gallery that included work by hobby turners.(I still hate the term amateur as that in my book is indicative of lesser quality and lesser care taken in production which most of the time is not the case)But the other thing to take into consideration is staffing, insurance, building maintenance and all the little bits that go to running a shop. I am part of a co-operative and that takes quite a bit of time up.
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John
I have said on several occasions on this board that I have no interest in being professional or in trying to sell my work. Apart from the fact that I am nowhere near good enough or fast enough I am to old for all that crap. So I don't consider you are being rude.
However, there have been several threads on the forum about where, and how, the Pros ( and maybe good hobbyists ) sell their work and the difficulties involved. All businesses have to invest time and money in the sales side as well as the manufacturing side of the business. If there is any evidence at all that a 'solely wood' gallery is financially viable then just ignoring it seems a little short sighted.
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Graham I was replying to your comment (or query)about the RPT. Although having said that they do get involved with the exhibitions in London hosted by the Worshipful Compay of Turners.These exhibitions are well worth a visit by the way. I think by nature woodturners would not tend to group together and form shops or co-ops, I know we have the clubs and pros demo at clubs etc. but we never pass on all of our secrets.
I once teamed up with a woodturner to help sell our stuff but it soon became apparent that he was only interested in selling his own whereas I was selling and showing to customers both of our works equally. So I do feel that if a shop was to start then those that ran it should not have their own work up for sale.
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Yes, I can see that would be a problem.
I was thinking more that if charity status could be used to get a cheap ( if temporary ) shop then a dozen or so turners could join together to pay someone to run it impartially.
But Pete is right. It will never happen.
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Just an idea - :)
A charity shop or more a charity gallery for woodturning where the work has to be vetted could raise the profile of woodturning.
The Kent Woodturners (AWGB club) hold two events one for a week in the summer and one for two weeks in November where the club members display their work in a gallery format it's run on a rota system by the members and it seems to run quite well.
I could see a shop working on this format, but it would take some work and a team, it would need a charity behind it to get the cost of rent and rates down.
So if say the AWGB was to support a program like this and then a AWGB woodturning club for an area was to run a shop local to that club under the charity umbrella and members of the club rallied to support it then it could work.
The club committee could vet the work and set the standard and also help with pricing. Then a percentage of the sale could go back to support the AWGB a bit like the commission any gallery would take but not as high.
It then would not matter who you were in the world of woodturning you would just need to be a member of that AWGB club.
Ed
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Ed it sounds idyllic but I can't see it working. I batter on about quality of work and stuff all the time but I would hate to be the one to look up to a fellow club member and tell him his/her work is not up to scratch. And I know this has to be done to raise standards. It would take a great deal of organisation, we can't organise much on a Saturday in our club as the underlying comments are "we go shopping on Saturdays". so with no grown up thinking we certainly will not get grown up solutions.
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As I said in the initial posting it is just a daydream I have had. I agree with John that the organisation etc needed is more than at first appears. Part of my thinking was based on the fact that those galleries that exist often won't even look at wood turning and though the artistic side of the craft has blossomed and the reception at shows is good there is still that idea that if it made from wood it isn't art. Ok if it is an unmade bed or a dead cow but not wood. I don't know what it is like on the continent but the States and Australia seem to have a more updated view than us, maybe it will come
Pete
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Pete we are a way behind the USA but I think that there is a slow turning :) in the right direction
BHT your right it would take a lot of doing but who knows from ideas on forums.................:)
Ed
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Hi All.
It is not as easy as putting stuff in an empty shop.I was one of the original members of http://www.somersetcrafts.com/ we now have 20 members and a very large display area.There are always problems with Stewarding we take it in turns my wife Sue and I do two Sundays a month.You need this many members for stewarding and even then sometimes you have a job to fill spaces.Then there is presentation you need professional looking plinths it is no good sticking stuff on old tables and boxes.Myself and a furniture maker made all the plinths and display cabinets and painted them.If you are in a temp space they have to be stored between venues and somebody has to store and move them Security and insurance is another issue.Most empty shops have the power turned off.And out of hundreds of members who decides who can occupy the space and for how long not to mention who decides if work is a high enough standard.The only way I could see it working is if you had a benefactor who would let you use a very large building for free members that were prepared to make display cabinets and a committee to run it.
In our woodturning club http://www.burnham-on-sea-wtc.co.uk/ we have nearly closed down because we cant get members to be on the committee.
Unfortunately Pete due to lots of problems and peoples cant be bothered attitude it would never work but a good idea anyway.
Regards George
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Sadly I agree George. I know at least one person who tried to run a craft shop in Devizes but lasted only a year. I will keep trying galleries that are already in existence but seem to have to travel further afield all the time Got one i Reading to go to tomorrow, another in Salisbury. Few and far between though.
Pete