By Melissa Hart

Sculptors this season promise whimsy, color, and endless surprises in the form of a giant metal sculpture of a rock topped by a sheet of paper and bisected by red-handled scissors, a 6-foot leopard-print stiletto trimmed in red fur, or a couple of professional tennis players forged from a family’s heirloom silverware.

This curated list of the season’s top sculpture exhibits takes lovers of 3-D art across the country, from Theodore Gall’s fantastical bronze busts in a Beverly Hills park to Ai Weiwei’s towering installation of 42 steel bicycles at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Prepare to be amused—and amazed.

Endless Line: 3-D Printed Work by Kevin Caron
Feb. 5–27, 2016
Walter Art Gallery, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Kevin Caron specializes in large 3-D-printed sculptures. A 3-D printer will run during the opening of the show, offering a close-up look at how the artist creates his vibrant resin forms.

Genesis Breyer P-Orridge: Try to Altar Everything
March 11 – Aug. 1, 2016
Rubin Museum of Art, New York, N.Y.

This exhibit of paintings, sculptures, and installations examines the influence of Hindu mythology and Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley on P-Orridge’s work and interests in devotion and ritual. Visitors will have opportunities to interact with the artist, whose work also explores physical alteration in the service of creative gender identity.

Spectrum Indian Wells
March 17–20, 2016
Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa, Indian Wells, Calif.

The newest addition to the lineup of Spectrum art shows, this Indian Wells event will feature a sleek, gallery-style exhibition space and an outdoor sculpture garden for 3-D pieces. Eric Shupe, Jim Keller, Time McClendon, and Nonos Gallery will be some of the highlights.

Jae Ko: Force of Nature, 白 Shiro
Through May 1, 2016
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Township, N.J.

Jae Ko creates paper-relief sculptures by soaking rolls of adding-machine paper in water infused with Japanese inks made from wood ash. The undulating sculptures stretch to as long as 80 feet and as tall as 14 feet. Grounds for Sculpture is also home to 270 permanent works of art.

Projects 103: Thea Djordjadze
April through Summer 2016
MoMA PS1, Queens, New York

Berlin-based Georgian artist Thea Djordjadze presents sculptural ensembles using basic construction materials, such as plaster, wood, wire lath, metal rods, glass, and fabric. The site-specific installation reflects the building’s unique architecture.

Megacities Asia
April 3 – July 17, 2016
Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston

Representing Asian megacities with populations of more than 10 million, this exhibition features 14 large sculptures and installations. Works appear in the Ann and Graham Gund Gallery and throughout the museum’s campus.

Joel Shapiro
May 7 – Aug. 21, 2016
Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas

Shapiro explores geometric form through complex composition. Along with key works from Nasher’s permanent collection and an array of drawings, the show will feature multicolored shapes suspended in the gallery at various heights and angles.

Beverly Hills artSHOW
May 21–22, 2016
Beverly Gardens Park, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Near the center of Beverly Hills, Beverly Gardens Park will showcase the work of 30 sculptors. Among the highlights are Jeff Davis, who will show free-form metal geometries welded from industrial parts, and Theodore Gall, who will display bronze sculptures inspired by film and fantasy characters.

Origami in the Garden
May 21 – Nov. 13, 2016
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Columbus, Ohio

Sculptor Kevin Box has created more than 20 giant metal sculptures inspired by the Japanese art of folding paper. The collection includes collaborative works with Jennifer Box, Robert J. Lang, Te Jui Fu, Michael G. LaFosse, and Richard Alexander.

Sculpture in the Park
Aug. 13–14, 2016
Benson Sculpture Garden, Loveland, Colo.

This celebration showcases 2,000 pieces of sculpture created by 160 sculptors worldwide. Year-round, the Benson Sculpture Garden is home to 148 permanent pieces of sculpture displayed around a lagoon and surrounded by trees and flowers, with the Rocky Mountains in the background.

Q&A WITH SCULPTOR ERIC SHUPE

ABN: Why did you choose silverware as your medium?

ES: On walkabout with my father as a child, he only took jobs to which he could bring me. He’d hand me a 2-by-4 and a pocketknife and tell me to whittle. He planted the seed that developed my three-dimensional mind. Later, I went into the Air Force. When I came home, to center myself and feel calm and creative, I’d go out in my garage and fool around with silverware. I think about how many people have had those spoons and forks in their hand—thousands of people—and different stories about each one. It’s not just a piece of metal; someone raised children with those spoons. They fed someone, took care of someone. Each piece is someone’s life.

ABN: How long have you been working as a professional sculptor?

ES: I’ve been sculpting for 17 years. Three years ago, a woman came to my house and said, “Where did you get these sculptures? They’re amazing.” She’d been doing art shows for 30 years and hadn’t seen anything like my work. The next week, she filled out an application and brought me a tent and said, “You have something special and unique. I paid for this art show in Ormond Beach, Florida, and I want you to go to it.” I flipped out a plastic table, and I won the show.

ABN: Your sculptures include everything from horses to mermaids to athletes. How do you choose your subject matter?

ES: I love to capture the explosion of energy. For one piece, I watched my daughter run track over and over to see all the movement, to find the spot where you can see all the muscles on the back and the arms. I’m doing a show in Indian Wells in March, and the last two days of the show coincide with the first two days of the [BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament], so I’m sculpting two tennis players. Some people will come to me and say, “I have my grandmother’s silverware. Could you create a sculpture to pass down like a family heirloom?” One woman whose daughter had passed away inspired me to create “Mary,” a sculpture of a mother grieving the death of her child. Some people could care less about a box of spoons and forks; as sculpture, they become a powerful statement about family.

ABN: What current trends do you notice in sculpture?

ES: People are gravitating toward handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces. They really appreciate being the only one in the world to have a particular piece of art. They don’t want to buy a reproduction or something that a factory has created. That’s why I find appreciation for my work: I get so many compliments from people telling me that it’s rare to find an artist who creates that one-of-a-kind, classy piece of art.

ABN: Where can we see your work this season?

ES: I’ll be exhibiting at Spectrum Indian Wells, March 17th to 20th; the Indian Wells Arts Festival, April 1st through 3rd; and at the Melbourne Art Festival in Melbourne, Florida, April 23rd and 24th.

Q&A WITH SCULPTOR HEIDI LOEWEN

ABN: Why did you choose porcelain as your medium?

HL: I started working in clay when I was 2. My parents were also phenomenal landscape artists; everything they did on the weekends was in the garden, and I loved to play in the mud. When I turned 10, my mother asked if I’d like to take a clay class and learn how to do pottery on the wheel. I absolutely loved my class and my teacher. When I got into Skidmore [College in Saratoga Springs, New York], I took classes in painting, drawing, jewelry making, and welding, but my favorite was ceramics.

ABN: How long have you been working as a professional sculptor?

HL: In Santa Fe, 22 years ago, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do when my child was young. I started off teaching, and then I took over a friend’s space downtown near the Georgia O’Keefe Museum and opened a gallery. I’ve never looked back. It’s the most hilarious and fun job I’ve ever had.

ABN: What drew you to sculpting shoes?

HL: I love shoes. Stilettos mean you’re ready for fun, adventure, action, and a great time ahead. I was producing wild and crazy sculptures with my porcelain; then, several years ago, I decided I should take a break and do something fun just with my fingers. I took a small block of clay and started modeling; the first thing that came was this fabulous little stiletto shoe. I decided I’d add my love of everything—lace, fabric, fur, gemstones, feathers, and gold and silver leaf. I display them on Plexiglas cubes. The back is a mirror, and the floor is a mirror, so you can see the sole. The shoes are approximately 6 inches long and up to 12 inches tall.

ABN: A much larger version of one of your shoes appeared at the entrance of Spectrum Miami last December. What was the public’s reaction?

HL: I cast it in Thailand and created a 6-foot aluminum stiletto covered in sparkling, candy-apple red automotive body paint and completed the inside with white marabou feathers and opalized quartz crystal up and down the back. The thing that got me the most excited was watching people’s faces as they came down the aisle; they saw this crazy big shoe and got the biggest grins on their faces.

ABN: Who are your favorite sculpture artists? How have they inspired you?

HL: I love what Kevin Box has done. He has no fear, knows no boundaries. He’ll work in aluminum, in stainless steel, in bronze. For his piece “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” he uses a real rock. Native American artists will often add turquoise or coral or various kinds of bones. I love it when people do anything out of the ordinary.

ABN: Where can we see your work this season?

HL: I have a gallery in Santa Fe where I show my work and offer private ceramic wheel work and sculpture classes. My only requirements are that people have a sense of humor and say only wonderful, uplifting things about their own work.

Q&A WITH SCULPTOR IRA REINES

ABN: How long have you been working as a professional sculptor?

IR: I’ve been sculpting since age 5 [and] professionally since age 15. I’m self-taught. At 21, I began collaborating with Art Deco artist and designer Erté. I transformed 69 of his two-dimensional designs into bronze sculptures and turned them into the Erté Sculpture Collections, pieces of which appear in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian.

ABN: Much of your work explores mythological figures, such as “The Three Graces,” a trio of larger-than-life figures that you combined into one 8½-foot-tall piece and unveiled at the Peninsula Shanghai last October. What draws you to sculpt heroic-sized characters from mythology?

IR: I discovered my own voice in the year 2000 through loss; my parents had passed away and a long-term relationship had ended. For the first time, I was completely alone. It was a devastating experience; I found myself completely broken open as a person and as an artist. Through my work, I was able to heal my soul. My work is a spiritual statement; I’m really sculpting the spirit of the ascendant human form.

The unveiling was astonishing; my gallery representors stood on one side of a 20-foot curtain covering the sculpture, and I was on the other side with my publisher. A beautiful opera singer from Shanghai sang a piece from Madama Butterfly before the curtain came down. The moment remains frozen in my mind as an example of aesthetic purity.

ABN: What current trends do you notice in sculpture?

IR: We’re doing more one-of-a-kind pieces; with our editions limited to nine pieces, they become more valuable and desirable to collectors who want to buy something that has worth as an investment.

ABN: What project are you currently working on?

IR: It’s the largest thing I’ve ever done, called “The Gates of Creation,” with 11 30-foot-tall figures. I use beauty as a metaphor for divinity. I have places in my sculpture that are extremely refined and smooth, which represent perfection of the soul and, in the same piece, places that are raw, showing the more elemental state we come from as human beings. For an artist to have his dreams and visions realized in bronze [is] an amazing feeling.

ABN: Where can we see your work this season?

IR: You can see my work at the Marcus Ashley Fine Art Gallery in Lake Tahoe, California, and at Midtown Artery in Greenville, South Carolina.

Melissa Hart teaches nonfiction for Whidbey Island’s MFA Program in Creative Writing. She’s the author of two memoirs and a children’s novel. melissahart.com.

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Schuster is also known for her generous heart. She donated the first painting from her “Splash!” abstract collection to a charity auction and has continued donating her work and participating in charity events ever since. The following is her story as told to Art Business News editor Megan Kaplon.

I’ve always felt like my art career found me. While working on my MBA at Xavier University, one of the requirements before graduating was to design a company incorporating all the aspects of the curriculum. I chose art publishing. After I completed my degree, my father encouraged me and funded me to actually bring the business concept to life, and it grew into a large family business. Then, after years of working with artists through the publishing company, I decided to try painting, and, eventually, I ventured out on my own as an independent artist.

Our art publishing business supplied framed prints to the furniture industry—a huge variety of things, from barns to scenery. We’d use sand and glass and all these different textures and media on different kinds of boards and canvases. It was a hodgepodge of a billion different things, and, through trying all this new stuff, I was able to weed out what I really liked doing the best. And it turns out it was plain old oil paint.

Entering the art world so relatively late, I had to deal with some insecurity. I did well in school, but it was in business and in books, nothing to do with art. It was such a brand-new world to me.

I eventually opened a gallery to unload the mountain of original paintings I had accumulated over the years, and I used that space and time to develop a signature look.

It’s hard to describe my painting style, because I do so many different things—from photo realism to pretty wild abstracts. My abstract collection entitled “Splash!” is my most popular. For these paintings, I use oil paint on metal sheets to create ethereal, vibrant abstracts.

I donated my first completed “Splash!” piece to a live auction event sponsored by Kindervelt, the charitable auxiliary of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, to see how it would fly. It generated a lot of interest for me and thousands of dollars for the organization. After everything that I had painted in my career, that first “Splash!” painting was the thing that felt the most like me, so it was very validating to get the positive response from the Kindervelt auction.

I support three primary charities every year: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF); Family Nurturing Center, an organization that provides child-abuse treatment, prevention, and education programs to families in the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati area; and Kindervelt. My sister was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 7, and, 40 years later, my mother still gets emotional talking about the excellent care my sister received from Cincinnati Children’s during that terrifying time. Although I have no direct experience with child abuse, just knowing that it happens—and with horrifying frequency—is enough to make you take what action you can to support the children affected.

I always say yes when someone asks me to be involved in a charity event or an auction, even if it’s just donating a rolled-up print or giclée. I have a deep and diverse group of generous and charity-minded friends. When they ask, I say yes. If the cause is worthy of their precious time and energy, it is worthy of mine.

There are two main reasons I participate in charitable events. First, it’s true that whatever you give, you get back more. Through my donations, I have been rewarded with new friendships and business relationships that will last a lifetime.

You just never know where one act of kindness can lead you. I donated a piece 10 years ago to Grace Jones—esteemed designer and owner of Dwellings, the fabulous interior design studio in Cincinnati—and she introduced me to Litsa Spanos, owner of the wildly successful Art Design Consultants, who in turn connected me with Gallery One in Naples, where I now exhibit my work.

The other thing is, although I have put way more than 10,000 hours into my craft, it would be foolish to suggest that I wasn’t unwittingly blessed with a gift for art, for which I am forever grateful. It feels good and right to share this. ABN

lisaschusterart.com

Striding for Cancer Research

One of Lisa Schuster’s charitable projects for this holiday season was an abstract painting she created for the American Cancer Society’s annual Striders’ Ball. This year, the event’s theme is “Hats Off to a Cure,” and Schuster’s painting features most prominently the theme colors—red, black, and cream—in addition to a highlight color for each of the various cancer ribbons: white for lung cancer, light blue for prostate cancer, teal for ovarian cancer, and so on.

“Clearly, there is no way to paint cancer pretty,” Schuster writes in her donation letter to the chairwoman of the event. “What I have tried to accomplish in this painting is to honor the heroic efforts of all those who do what they do to inspire hope, generate awareness, and move toward a cure. Thank you for inviting me to do what I do to support this noble cause.”

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Golf is a game that people either love or hate. A lot of money is spent by players at every level trying to improve their game. A serious golfer will use any tool, gimmick or gadget to enhance his swing or improve his distance. Most of these tools actually work to give the golfer an edge and help him to achieve better results.

Aren’t we looking for the same edge in business? Business owners are always searching for ways to improve their operations, grow their customer base and increase revenue—much like the golfer trying to improve his handicap. Any new knowledge, tool or technique the business can use to improve its game can make a big impact on the company’s bottom line.

One of the important tools available to businesses is mystery shoppers. When your frame sales are lagging and the business is not generating the income it once was, it’s time to step back and take a look at your business from a fresh perspective. There may be any number of reasons for slow sales, and mystery shopping can provide important insight as to how your business is really doing. It gives you an objective evaluation of your company’s strengths and weaknesses and if the tools you’re using are, in fact, working to improve your game.

Whether you hire a professional mystery shopper or you’re successful in persuading your cousin Tom to do it for you, the shopper’s attention should be directed to areas that generate the most revenue for your store.

Customer Service

When customers call for the first time, who answers the phone? How do they handle the potential business? Are they knowledgeable? Is their speech clear and inviting? Do they sound like they want the business? Can they provide clear directions to your location? At the sales counter, is the salesperson friendly and helpful? Are they dressed professionally? Are their suggestions and frame designs up to standard? Can the salesperson list the product benefits? Do they sound rehearsed or relaxed and confident? How is customer’s artwork being handled? Does the salesperson go out of their way for the customer? Are they able to close the sale? Your salespeople are the key factor in generating sales. If they are unwilling or unable to close the sale and get the order, changes may need to occur. Mystery shopping can reveal information about the store’s level of customer service—and that is critical to your business’ success.

Appearance

When a customer drives up to your storefront what do they see? Does your store have easy-to-read signage? Are the signs well-lit and free from overgrown landscaping? Are your signs visible from the main road? Is your parking area clean? If your store looks dumpy or is in need of paint and repairs, customers will likely pass it by on their way to your competition. When inside, what does the customer see? Is the store neat and tidy? Are the wall displays fresh and interesting? Are the floors clean or is it obvious it hasn’t seen a vacuum in weeks? Can you see customer’s artwork stacked up behind the counter? Is artwork being stored properly?

The information gained from a mystery shopper not only provides feedback on how your business is functioning but, more importantly, it can become a valuable training tool. It not only reveals the negative weaknesses in your company but it can also point out the positive strengths as well. The evaluation can provide the owner with areas of focus for sales training, goal setting, employee incentive plans and bonus schedules for employees that exceed your expectations.

Mystery shopping can provide owners with an eye-opening perspective of your business and salespeople. Roy Smith said, “The successful man is the one who finds out what’s wrong with his business before his competitors do.” Any business owner knows that is so true. Staying on top of your game requires owners to use any tool available, just like a golfer trying to improve his handicap. From the knowledge and insights gained from a fresh perspective, you can ultimately increase your revenue and take a few strokes off your score.

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Did you make big plans for 2013? A few months have passed since our annual turning of the calendar and it’s probably past time for some of us to check in with the goals we casually sketch out on notebook paper. If you’re like me, you’ve got big hopes for your business, but if you want those hopes to become reality, you’ve got to have a plan. It’s time to click the “refresh” button and map out specific details on how to make this year your best year ever.

The economic situation may have changed over the past few years, but it’s hardly as bad as the “sky is falling” reports you hear on the daily news. Downturns in the business cycle are a normal part of the glamorous and ever exciting world of self-employment. I’ll admit though, flat sales numbers are much less exciting than the double-digit growth of years past. This is reality of the job we chose, accept it as normal part of the business cycle and make solid plans on how to weather the storm. To thrive in the upcoming year, we must develop an annual business plan. Here’s how:

Look at the past

Before going in a new direction, reconsider what worked and what didn’t. Specifically identify which activities have been your most successful in terms of profit, not just income. Evaluate the services and products you offer. Did photo frame sales meet expectations? Did installation charges cover costs? Is there an employee that needs retraining, or perhaps replaced? How much money did you make selling Museum glass versus Premium Clear? Identify what made you money in the previous year and what didn’t.

List your goals

Write down everything you want to do in next twelve months. Begin with how much money you want to make, services you want to add, or products you want to take away. Be sure to include changes in work patterns and store operations. If it’s your goal to be home at three o’clock to meet the kids coming home from school, set a goal to hire afternoon help. If you want to expand to internet sales, make a goal to hire a reputable web-development company.

Be specific

Now is when you add details to each goal. Instead of simply saying you want to increase sales, be specific. List each product and service you offer and set a specific number for sales and number of customers you’ll need for each. For instance, if you want to double your sales of fillets; look at last years figures, set a number and project how many additional customers are needed to reach that goal. Repeat the same exercise with Museum glass, fine art and prints, installations and accessories.

Develop steps

After every goal, and the specific numbers of each, write down the steps needed to reach that goal. In other words, identify the specific actions you plan to take to insure your success. For example, if you want to increase your customer base you are going to need to attract more customers through marketing. List the ways you plan to do this; advertising, networking, e-mail campaign, etc.

Estimate resources needed

Each step will require time and money to achieve. Estimate the costs associated with each specific step so you can come up with a reasonable cost per goal. This will be a tremendous help when you’re building your budget for the upcoming year. Don’t forget to estimate the time needed to achieve each goal.

Assign people

Next to your goals, figure out who will be responsible for each and if any additional people will be needed. To reach sales goals, every sales person should be included, but if it is to “be green” you may want to assign the task of recycling cardboard to a specific person.

Prioritize your goals

If done right, this list would take more time and money than you probably have right now. So rearrange your list of goals and actions starting with the things you must do to survive followed by the activities with the highest chance of success. Be sure to give your plan a reality check, because if it is too far beyond what you and your employees usually do, you may need to re-prioritize.

Putting your plan into action will become more manageable when you assign a month, week or day for each task. Take it one step at a time and you will be on a steady path to success, strong enough to weather any storm.

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We all are well aware of a simple fact in marketing – Acquiring new customers is five times more difficult and expensive than retaining existing ones. We also understand that customer satisfaction and loyalty are inseparable from the well-being and long term growth of the company. In other words, the success of our businesses depends on how satisfied and loyal our customers are. Very simply put, loyal customers are essential to the vitality of our business.

Unhappy customers equal lost profits. That is why customer surveys are vital to good business. By gathering feedback from customers, we can identify and fix problems before they decide to take their business elsewhere. Evaluating customer satisfaction is one benefit from conducting a survey. With more in-depth questions, you can also gauge interest for new products and services and pinpoint areas for improvement.

An effective customer satisfaction survey program should focus on measuring customer perceptions of how well the company delivers on the critical success factors and dimensions of the business. These usually include factors like service promptness, staff responsiveness, and understanding of the customer’s needs, concerns and problem.

Most traditional “Customer Satisfaction Surveys” tend to be long, cumbersome and demand a lot of time and attention from your customers. As you can imagine this leads to a very low response rate for customer satisfaction surveys. For example, customers who are unhappy are not likely to go through a long customer satisfaction survey.

The other problem with traditional satisfaction surveys is that they are very difficult to analyze and produce results that are hard to decipher. On the other hand, if your customers get a short survey, the response rate will be much higher. The higher response rate will give you a more accurate evaluation of the customer’s perception of your company.

Consider what Frederick F. Reichheld wrote in a Harvard Business Review Article: “The path to sustainable, profitable growth begins with creating more promoters and fewer detractors and make the net-promoter number transparent throughout your organization. This number is the one number you need to grow. It is that simple and that profound.”

How do you effectively gauge customer satisfaction and loyalty? It is not as difficult as you may think. Amazingly, asking a single question can give you the information you’re looking for: “How likely is it that you will recommend [Your Company] to a friend?”

Have customers rate their answer on a 0-10 Scale. You can then classify their responses into three different categories:

• 9-10 These are your most cherished evangelists – they are very satisfied and will recommend your company any chance they get.
• 7-8 These are satisfied customers but passive when it comes to spreading the good word about your business.
• 0-6 They are the – fairly unsatisfied with you – most likely to leave you for your competitor.

If you have 60-70% of your customer base with a score between 9-10, congratulations, you have a powerful customer’s sales force working for you. They are happy with your product offering and are willing to put their reputation on the line for you by recommending your product or service. If the results are lower than expected you know there is room for improvement. In that case take advantage of this opportunity and ask more in depth questions. You may want to add more questions to your survey. For example, “List one thing we did right” and “What is one thing you would change?”

More Tips for Creating a Survey
Type your survey on self-addressed, stamped postcards. Include a card with every finished frame and invite customers to send them in.

Email surveys to your clients. There are many online companies like Questionpro.com that can build your survey, send invitations to your customers by email and provide you with instant customer satisfaction reports.

Keep it simple. An effective survey should focus on three important points; tell us how we’re doing, what we should be doing better, and if we’re good enough to tell a friend.

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Each year, Finer Frames hosts a juried art competition in the spring to build name recognition and highlight the work of many talented local artists. Fifty area artists compete for $700 in cash and ribbons in watercolor, oil/acrylic painting and mixed media categories. Promotion for this event begins months in advance with press releases calling for artists, distributing posters at area art supply stores, and getting the event scheduled on art events calendars on television, radio and newspapers.

This annual event has been a tremendous success and has become my signature event. Entry fees cover all of the expenses and the media coverage is free. It’s so perfect that the only down side is the tremendous amount of effort (and room) that it requires, but I’m convinced it’s worth it.



Recruiting artists.
To attract area artists, I sent out a call to artists, arts groups and local media. I began by preparing a press release that contained all the basic information describing the media categories, prizes, show dates and location. I faxed the press release to arts editors of four area papers and the college paper as well. Arts groups like the Idaho Watercolor Society included the release in their monthly newsletter, which helped to recruit great competition in that category.

Judging the show.
The judge of the contest has changed every year. Each has had a professional art background and has given careful consideration to every entry. The first year, I made the mistake of asking three experts to judge the show. When the three couldn’t agree, I finally had to step in and choose some of the winners. I learned my lesson and invited a single judge the following years. The most passionate judge was an art professor from a nearby college. He really seemed to enjoy his role and spent hours critiquing each painting. Thus far, all have been willing to do this for free, although I do give them a nice thank you gift.



Awards.
The judge’s results are announced at a special awards presentation on the opening night of the show. Artists are encouraged to bring their family and friends and all are welcome to vote for the People’s Choice award. Winners in each category receive a cash prize and beautiful rosette ribbon, which accompanies their painting for the duration of the show. I serve complimentary wine and hors d’ovres for the partygoers. It is an exciting evening for the artists and for all those who attend.

Where to hang the ugly painting?
It has always been my intention to encourage new artists, but when it comes to displaying amateur artwork in questionable frames, I start to get a little concerned. The first year of the show, the entry fee was only $10. I learned the hard way that the price was too cheap to attract professional artists but low enough to catch the attention of anyone who had a whim to put paint to paper. The nicest people brought in the ugliest work.



Promoting the show.
From the very beginning, the local media was very interested in my effort to support the arts. The newspapers, radio and television were generous with their coverage (which, by the way, was completely free). This was community news: an event to get excited about and one with pretty pictures too. I faxed details about the event to the paper and sent them photos of a few paintings. The news release appeared in the papers with a color photo by its side.



Hard work pays off.
The generous amount of media attention helped to drive new customers into my store. Artists who were unfamiliar with my services brought me their business and introduced me to their own family and friends at the awards reception. They were so excited to have their work exhibited in a gallery that they eagerly told everyone they knew about the show. Attendance was good as supporters of the arts came out to see the paintings, and many patrons asked to be added to my mailing list. The exposure was tremendous. The event and its coverage cemented in my mind the reality that it’s not what a business says about itself that counts, it’s what others say that matters.

The post Meg on Marketing: Let’s Put on a Show appeared first on Art Business News.

Consider what John Moore, a former marketer at Starbuck said about the ordering process:

While it may take a little longer to figure out how to order your double tall, half-caf, vanilla, nonfat latte, once you do, there’s a feeling of belongingness, that you’re part of the “club.”

Whether it’s an exclusive ordering process like Starbucks, a club membership like Costco, or a sense of community like Harley Davidson, creating a feeling of exclusivity is the best way of successful branding of your art and framing business.

The power of exclusivity is often overlook and under-utilized by framers focused on discount coupons to compete. But the truth is that it is the best way to penetrate a very tough marketplace and is best used when competition is fierce. Custom picture framing is exclusive by definition; limited distribution, sold at select stores and at a higher price. The major benefit of this is that customers tend to attach a higher perceived value to products like this which in turn allows for higher profit margins.

How can framers harness the power of exclusivity? Although it’s not nice to exclude people, you can be exclusive in your business. Here are a few tips to keep you focused.

Carve out a niche – Identify a target customer group, and not just one, make a list of several groups that need framing services.

Create a need – Think ahead to solves needs they haven’t realized yet. For example, golfers needing hole in one scorecard framed, or student pilots completing their first flight.

Invent ways to invite friends – Consumers that value exclusive memberships take pride in that exclusivity and will likely invite a few friends to join in.

Establish value for your framing services – Over the top frame displays, strong store merchandising and great website photos are a terrific way to create value by building trust.

Back it up with substance – Making sure every step of the sales process is executed to the best of your ability is the key. Deliver more that you promise is always the best policy.

Considering the success major brands like Starbucks, Costco and Harley Davidson have seen in a difficult economy, we should be encouraged by their commitment to offering a high quality product at a premium price. By following their example and harnessing the power of exclusivity framers can enjoy enduring success.

Meg Glasgow

The post Meg on Marketing: The Power of Exclusivity appeared first on Art Business News.

It was the week before Christmas when this customer came in looking for a print she has seen in the shop weeks before. We found the print and worked for nearly an hour selecting mats and a beautiful frame that I actually could have delivered in time for the holiday. When she came in the next day to pick it up it all seemed fine at first, then came the melt-down. I’ve seen a lot of different behavior displayed by customers over my 20+ years in retail, but I never expected this. She was upset – well beyond what would be considered reasonable. She was down right hysterical! There were whiney cries of disappointment in between big sobs and a river of tears. Everyone stopped, eyes open wide, jaws dropped while they listened to her rant and waited to see what I was going to say next.

This situation was uncomfortable for me, but a great training session for my employees. It reminded me of how important handling difficult customers can be and how critical it is to the survival of a retail business. Surveys say that 95% of dissatisfied customers become loyal customers if their complaints are handled well. Here are eight tips for diffusing customer anger and creating calm with cranky customers.

1. Respect the customer. Give the customer time to vent (and rant if need be) and let them explain their entire situation. Don’t apologize too quickly – they won’t hear it anyway. If you interrupt too quickly they may feel stifled and will be unwilling to hear your solution.

2. Don’t get defensive. Remember that their attitude and behavior aren’t personally against you. Keep your voice pleasant and your tone helpful and compassionate. You will make things much worse if you sound irritated or defensive.

3. Focus on the facts. Ask questions and listen carefully to what the customer is saying. Are they unhappy with the color or the design, was the project not completed on time or is there a problem with the frame. Find out exactly what the problem is.

4. Repeat the problem. “I heard you say you were disappointed with the mat color.” Restate their concerns so the communication is clear. “Do I understand you right…?”

5. Say you’re sorry. Say you’re sorry even if you didn’t do it, even if the customer is wrong. “I’m sorry this isn’t what you expected.” Don’t pass the blame – the customer doesn’t want to hear it. They’re talking to you – it’s your problem now.

6. Fix it. Before you offer your best solution, ask the customer what they would suggest to fix the problem. Perhaps they would be happy with $20 off the price, a replacement or refund. Tell the customer what you plan to do to resolve the situation and when it will be done.

7. Give a gift. To show that you care about them and their business, give them a coupon for $50 off their next order, a gift certificate. A small token of your appreciation of their understanding will be remembered.

8. Follow up with the customer. Even if the problem is solved send them a note in the mail or write an e-mail to make sure the customer is happy.

9. It’s important to remember not to let the customer’s drama become your drama. Try to create calm and correct the problem while diffusing their anger. Take these steps to resolve the customer’s complaint and an unhappy customer can become one of the 95% of satisfied customers that help improve your business.

The post Meg on Marketing: Cranky Customers appeared first on Art Business News.