Be A Gallery Artist!
Hey, I thought I'd reach out to the Steemit community to see if any of you want to be in an art gallery in Laguna Beach, CA USA. It's called Cove Gallery and it's been around for over 40 years. It's an artist owned and run gallery so we all pitch in on the costs for running the place, and we each work at the gallery about 2 days a month (which is actually a nice way to meet potential customers and new contacts).
You Keep Your Sales Profits
What is really cool is that because it's artist owned, when you sell a piece only 10% of the sale price goes back to running the gallery, advertising, etc. The rest is yours! Most retail galleries take about 50% to cover costs. I like the fact that we all share rent, etc. but that if you happen to sell more work, you keep more of that income!
My Results
I've been an artist there since last April (I was contacted by another artist from the gallery back then to see if I'd like to show my work to the other artists for consideration), and I've really enjoyed being a part of the gallery. I've had my own art business for years, but being in a Laguna Beach gallery (a city famous for its art and picturesque beaches) has been a real boost professionally. My reach has grown and I've had some good sales (international too), and just got a new commission for a wave painting from across the country. Very cool stuff. (P.S. Funny little side note, I grabbed this photo to use and then noticed that if you look in the background you can see my brother @lukestokes in the photo - we had a fun time at the gallery's monthly Art Walk in December!)
Artist of the Month
I'm the highlighted Artist of the Month right now, and that has also really increased my visibility. Every artist in the gallery gets rotated into this spot - so this will be you, if you become an artist here! The artist of the month is featured on the home page of the website and gets to hang their work in one of the spots in the front window! It was so cool driving down Pacific Coast Highway and seeing my art there hanging in the window. I even had someone drive 90 minutes to come see the painting I have hanging there (and I "happened" to be the one working that day - we had an amazing, inspiring conversation, and are now international friends outside of the gallery) All that to say, I've really enjoyed the opportunities this has opened up for me!
How to Join
If you're thinking this might be a good fit, let me know you are interested. I'd be super happy to help you. These are the steps:
1. Review the "Permanent Artist Requirements" on the website www.covegallerylaguna.com (under the "Call to Artist's" tab)
2. Submit an Application online
3. Jury Process (i.e. show the other artist's your artwork and tell us about yourself as an artists, etc. It's pretty low key - we're all artists too!)
You're In!
If you're accepted you become a permanent artist at Cove Gallery! It would be awesome to have some fellow Steemians join me!!! (I want us to be one of the first galleries in Laguna Beach to accept crypto currency!)
Let me know if you're interested. And share this with anyone you think might want to be involved.
THANKS SO MUCH!!!
Kara Elizabeth
www.karaelizabethdesigns.com
Another great post! Congrats for being the featured February Artist at Cove (I've passed that place a million times on PCH while looking for surf!) and warm greetings from Thailand from @suitcasemama and me! :)
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Thanks so much about the post!! I'm really enjoying being involved at the gallery. It motivates me to keep going (It's kind of the kick in the butt that I need sometimes! Haha!).
I love that you know right where it's at. It feels really neat to be in a space that is well known and visible, and has a really diverse group of artists too. Now I need to go to Thailand so that I can recognize things that end up in both of your posts! (It's on my bucket list....Hmmm.....You may have a visitor!)
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Come out! @suitcasemama and I love hosting people! I'm finally in a place where people want to visit (no takers for Sudan, Haiti, or West Africa during Ebola, hmmm) and loving it! We've hosted entire families and are expecting more this summer. Just got to sign the guest book and love to eat!! :) Seriously, plan on it! Tickets aren't too bad, there are often deals for around $650 RT.
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That's awesome! I would really love to do that. I can sign the guest book and I love to eat, so I guess we're in! I'm gonna start having some chats about this...
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Kara!!! Youll beat all the other drawing posts in our guestbook when you come and stay! Wed love to have you and show you around!
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OOhhh fun, I didn't know that I could draw in the guestbook too! (Why do these things not occur to me?) Now I have to come visit. Since I'm going to be doing "art" in the guestbook, does that count as a tax write off? (haha!)
Although, on a serious note, how amazing would it be to come and see Thailand!!? It is one of my all-time favorite cuisines, and there is so much about the culture that I still don't know. That would be incredible to come visit. I'll have to start brainstorming about how to make that happen.
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I'm afraid I'm not an artist, but this sounds like a great endeavor and I wish you well on it.
I lived in Orange County for a few years and actually met my wife in Santa Ana. We got engaged on the beach in Laguna 30 years ago this July 4th. Man, how time flies.
Great place to visit (and if you can afford to live there, even better). We were just down there in September. It had been a while, so we got lost and turned around, but still had a great time. Hard to beat the weather.
The next time we go, we'll have to look for your gallery.
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How fun that you've got some wonderful history here. One of my favorite little coffee shops, Gypsy Den, is in Santa Ana. And how can you top getting engaged on the beach in Laguna?! Just wonderful!
If you do stop into the gallery, be sure to tell the person working at the front desk to put your Steemit name into the notes for Kara. That way the next time I worked in the gallery, I'd see you stopped by. That would make my day! I'm looking forward to having my Steemit world intersect my everyday world.
Thanks for chatting!
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Oh man, that would be so awesome if your gallery accepted cryptocurrency! Maybe you could get your fellow artists on Steemit, and I and others could upvote their work. Steemit could become an unofficial sponsor through the rewards pool. :)
That’s fun that you grabbed a picture which has me in it. I so enjoyed visiting. I just got back from Acapulco, Mexico yesterday. It was anazing! I’ll be working on a post to tell all about it.
Love you sister! Will resteem in hopes of spreading this around and finding you an awesome Steemian artist!
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I'm thinking we have a really great opportunity to do it. It's a pretty forward thinking group and they are open to starting new things (as long as someone is up for getting it started, a.k.a. probably me!). All the artists elected a group to help keep things moving forward (Steering Committee) and I'm a part of that group, so I think it's a good chance we can make it happen.
I'm thinking to start I'll get the gallery signed up on Steemit to show them the great platform and then have whoever is working the gallery to post something about a piece of their art. Could be a nice way to increase our visibility, create an additional revenue stream, foster great connection, and add exposure for the artists - very cool all the way around! I'll keep Steemit posted on my progress.
I thought it was fun too when I saw you in the background after I had resized the photo for posting. Happy coincidence!
Thanks for the love and support. I would be so excited if I had a local Steemit artist friend (or two or three!) at the gallery - that would be like an epic full circle!
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I'm pretty sure that's me in the pic just to the left of Luke....with the gray hoodie :) Glad to see another post from you....
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Yes, you're absolutely right! I looked at another photo and you were right there. That was a fun night!
I'm having fun posting too. Glad to be able to post.
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