(604) 683-9623

Potters Guild of British Columbia

1359 Cartwright Se., Granville (sland
Vancouver, B.C. V6H GR?

Sletfer—

APRIL 1993

ISSN 6319 812X

IT LOOKS LIKE A GUILD SALE!

How can the Potters’ Guild of B.C.
increase its gallery profile in the community
and provade a selling opportunity for alll
Guiki members throughout the province?
Have an annual PGBC sale-that’s how!

Responses to Jan's survey before the
AGM indicate a definite interest. Ideas
are staring to percolate, amd enthusiasm
is catching on over the comoept, ancd why
not? [t's a great pes.

Recent awareness of the Oregon
Potters” Association's (OPA) annual May
“Showcase” in Portland, Oregon has
shown the potential of such a sale. Last
year Was their Lilith annual, with the sale
growing to earnings totalling $150,000.
Much work and commitment is required to
make a show pgeew and evolve to be as
successful as this one, that’s for sure, and
ideas on how they have organized such an
event can save us a lot of ome “remventng
the wheel’. [ thought you might be
interested im some of the overall layout
ideas I've learned so far in phone
discussions with helpful members of the
OPA, Please consider them, a your input
and partecipahion here will be greatly needed
and appreciated t make this event
successtul,

This year Showease will be in the new
Oregon Convention Center and wall have
[OO 10x10 booths and a gallery area that
will include more than 100 potters.
Acceptance for a booth mvolves a first-
come-firsi-serve regusiruon and having
been an OPA overnber for more than one
year, Por the past couple of years, a
wartime list for a booth has been necessary,
and a pout system has been established to
determine a fair method of distributing the
last few awallable spaces. Points are carned
by participation in subcommittess for
Showcase (churing a committe: will

ensure a booth), years of membership,
and other OPA activities, The gallery
space is open so all members as well, even
if you have just joined the group. Three
pots per person can be entered in the gallery
space and replaced as they sell. There is
no entry fee, | to 3 hour work shifts. and a
slightly higher commission required for
gallery space. The booths have an entry
fee that has ranged from $40 to $90 ($75
this year for a full booth) and the
commission from 15% to 20% (S16 this
vear, decreased as a 7.d@ rebate was
reimbursed from last years’ profits! ).
Homths can be shared, joined and made
bigger with the display and restocking of
{pour booth being your responsibility. Booth
participants are also required to commit te
3-3-hour work shifts during the sale.

This is a non-juried sale and each OPA
member | have spoken to believes this te
be @ positive aspect, wath comments such
as, ““the quality is self-regulating and
supportive’, and “‘people have an
upportunity to become more aware of their
work and the improvement in work from
ane year to the next is obvious’, and
ultimately a ‘‘non-issue’*, There is a central
cash/charge/wrapping area for al) sales.
The organizational effort requires 20
subcommittees with some requiring a
minimal amount of preparation, e.g..
demonstration area, to the publicity
committe: involving the most work and
expense. The enportance of thorough and
akxquate advertising ts believed to be the
key factor in the swocess of this sale,

This is a basic o¥erview of the

Organizational aspects of Showcase, with
ideas well worth applying to a sale of our
wen, Realistically, we wall start smaller,
learn, and grow over the years. A number
Of us plan to go to Oregon's Showease on
May 14th though |6th this year to look,
set, amd lean mere.

How does next spring sound to you? We'll
keep everyone posted with updates
through the newsletter as to ongomg
progress.

Cathi Jefferson,
March 3,'93

Editer's note: As noted im the Board
Meeting update on page 2, some prelim-
mary planning of the Board and other
members mbterested in the “Ot sale es taking
place. All those interested in helpong to
work on the organization of the 1994 sale
are encourmped to let us know. Combat
the Guild office if you have any questions,
suggestions, of just the need to
communicate!

The most recent issue of the Studio
Potters Network newsletter has just
armved. Those of you who have shown
interest in recerving the two issues this
year by paying $5.00) towards postage
and handling | hope will not be
disappomted by discovering the two-
page feature spread on our can Guild.
It started out as a half-page, and grew!