ArtSmart Recap

Art Springs in Springfield was over a month ago but the memories of that weekend stay fresh in my mind. Standing in the back of the room listening to Cindy Lerrick, I looked around the room and saw artists at all stages of their craft brought together by their common bond. Whether the medium is glass or fiber, whether the tools are brushes or computers, the need to create is what defines an artist. Best of Missouri Hands’ ArtSmart conference gives artists the confidence, support, and knowledge to nurture the creative spirit inside.

From the Springfield Art Museum to the warm and friendly artists at Fresh Gallery, Springfield, Missouri offers much to the artist community and to Best of Missouri Hands. The reception that Fresh Gallery held for us downtown got the weekend off to a great start and then it was just a half block walk to Springfield Hot Glass and Art Inspired for short workshops in fused glass and recycled paper artwork.

The Missouri Life Welcome Reception officially kicked off the weekend at the University Plaza Hotel. This was followed by Friday Night Frolics, a night of artists playing in each others’ sandboxes. BOMH members led each other in Collage Greeting Cards, Paper Filigree, Beaded Jewelry, Pyrography, Printmaking, and Faux Tie Dye.

Cindy Lerrick took a little break from her duties as Executive Director of the St Louis Art Fair to present at ArtSmart. Cindy drew on her many years of experience in the arts world to give her take on the direction the industry is going and how artists can best position themselves to thrive and prosper.

Eunice Waller and Alicia Farris discussed working with galleries, from approaching gallery owners to developing a good working relationship. Kim Carr’s presentation on the ins and outs of Social Media was extremely popular and overfilled the room. It was so popular that we are trying to find a way to be able to take it on the road. Angel Brame used what she learned following her own personal tragedy to show others the best ways to be prepared. Trent Auch and Sandy Kolde finished up Saturday afternoon showing members how to work with the BOMH website.

Saturday ended with a reception at Waverly House for the Best of Missouri Hands Exhibit. The artwork of 25 BOMH members was displayed in this exhibit. Earlier in the day, owner Eunice Waller was presented with a certificate in recognition of her 10th anniversary of being a corporate member.

Sunday morning engaged the audience with a panel discussion on Wholesale Marketing with Kim Carr, Gail Crozier, and Dodie Eisenhauer. The three artists fielded many questions about wholesaling and entertained and informed with personal anecdotes and how-tos.

The final program of the weekend was the Mock Jury Image Critique with Vic Barr, Lee Richard, and Cindy Lerrick. The images were submitted in advance and the wide variety gave the commentators and the audience plenty to chew on.

It takes a lot of work to put on an event like this, a big Thank You to the board and committee for all of their hard work.  We also want to thank the Missouri Arts Council for their support of this event.

ArtSmart: Kim Carr Testimonial

By Kim Carr

As a relatively new artist and one that lives in a rural area, I am always looking for opportunities to grow professionally.  ArtSmart offers something for everyone, serving artists and craftsmen of all levels and disciplines.

ArtSmart allows me to meet and spend time with other artists from around the state and surrounding states.  I appreciate the chance to learn from these artists in a relaxed atmosphere that is geared towards learning, growing and networking.

I am not familiar with another opportunity to learn so much in one weekend that pertains to artists and their professional development.  The variety of speakers and topics is a nice mix of information that I can then apply to my situation.  I learn something from everybody and am able to tailor the information that I gather to fit my needs.

This is the third ArtSmart that I have attended, and each year I have taken home invaluable information that I have implemented into my business plan.  I have had sales and signed contracts as a direct result of information that I have garnered from attending the conference.

The conference provided opportunities to open doors that I may not have learned about otherwise.  I love coming home with useful information that I can then put into play for the future of my business.  Having different topics and activities packed into one weekend always motivates me to continue pursuing my dream.

With all the opportunity to learn and advance my career, I still must say, the very best part is meeting new artists and seeing old friends.  It’s amazing the amount of information that can be shared when a group of artists sit down at a table over dinner.  It’s nice making these connections. I have called upon these folks for advice, tips, tricks and in-depth information that relate to projects I am working on to shows that I would like to attend.  Truly, making these connections with fellow artists at ArtSmart gives me a family which I have come to rely on while going forward with growing my business.

ArtSmart is listed as a professional development workshop.  I consider it to be this and more.  Without a doubt, it is a personal investment in myself as an artist.  I walk away rejuvenated, motivated and inspired.  I am already looking forward to the next one.

 

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