How to use this pageA Quick Weekly Review Will Help To Boost Your Profits !This feature of the website is for our Vendors only, it is password protected. If you forget the password, or cannot access, call Ann at the Gallery for the current password. The password will be changed occasionally. Please get into the habit of checking this "Vendor News" page WEEKLY. Content here is updated frequently. Doing so allows fresher information to reach you whenever you wish to review it, and eliminated the really long newsletter emails that went out every 6-8 weeks. On this page, information exclusively for our Vendors will be posted. Please, do not share the password with others. It will be freely provided to all current Vendors in good standing.
Important Dates For 2011
November 11, Friday, 4 to 9 PM... Holiday Open House... You being present for Demos &/or extra eyes & /or just being here to represent your wares to the swarms of visitors would be greatly appreciated. We usually have well over 500 visitors over the course of the evening. Dress a bit on the elegant side, and bring a small plate of treats for the table. This is usually the single best sales day of the year for us, and we have consistently seen that exhibitors who attend have the best sales by far over those who elect to skip the event.
OTHER EVENTS... Please, check out the Events page for more information on Downtown events. For all of them, having more eyes in the Gallery the better. Demo's are always great to bring people in our doors.
Dated UpdatesPlease, note the change... as of July 2010...As all of you are asked to check here WEEKLY for updates, only the most recent updates will stay here. Information that remains relevant will be dispersed into catagories further down the page. Old news will simply disappear after a few weeks. December 19HOLIDAY HOURS...We have joined in with DMI in having expanded hours, which started on the 15th. Open every day, details on Events page. NEW YEARS DAY... Will be open 11-3 on New Years Day. If you're not doing anything, come on down for a day of fellowship & networking with treats... I'm planning on setting up a crock of Hot Chocolate & adding in some cookies. RUSTIC CELLAR... Finally, at long last... the big press release time is at hand... though a few unexpected changes ate up time this past week, am still going forward with final modifcations and looking like the Grand Re-Opening of the Rustic Cellar is on-target for January. Planning for the week of Jan 10-14, back-up plan is for Jan 18-21. If you have plans to teach a class in the next 4 to 12 months, please get it on the Calendar ASAP. One of the things we will be promoting during the event is our range of Classes. The Workshop/Classroom area will be visitor-ready, and plan is for examples of the class projects to all be on display on the big worktable Reporter will be here on the 3rd from the Tribune to explore & take photos. We will be doing a special of 10% off everything on both levels for the Grand Re-Opening. This should help to boost your January sales of goods in the Gallery. As we've been doing over the few months, when you have things for the extra spaces, I need you to all keep up good communication with me about what is coming & going. Have been doing website updates & press releases about our selection, and try to keep them accurate. Also, as our various themed areas have evolved, we need to keep things in an appropriate zone. eBAY... Have finally figured out how to handle all of the logistics of doing eBay sales for Gallery La Crosse. We will list original arts & crafts, antiques & vintage, some greeting cards, some crafts supplies, rustic & primitives, and a few misc. odd things. Each of you who wish to sell on eBay will need to create a brief paragraph of what you want the eBay world to know about yourself & what you'll be inclined to offer for sale (please, 150 words or less). You may email it or attach a Word document to here, or use the computer at the Gallery to create it. I will include it in all of your item listings. Once written it will not need to be changed unless you wish to change it, so please make it a pit on the specifically generic side to fit OKwith all of your items. For each item, you will need to provide a brief description from you to include in the listing. I will handle the photos unless you have the ability & strong desire to do your own photos at the same time I do the Listing. Items will be set aside while listed in an area I am creating in our storage area. In-person customers may still purchase the item (they will have to see it on eBay or learn of it from you), we will just cancel the eBay listing at the time of sale. In-person customers may purchase the item at your regular price. We will be setting up an eBay Store in January, to allow for longer-term listings at lower cost. Thus, items listed will be on eBay for at least 30 days. From there, some items will be up for Auction on an intermittent basis. Because of the frugal region we live in, we should all be able to get items sold at higher prices out of the area. Items will be listed at prices I feel they can command, never more than a few pennies below your regular price. For example; your regularly $100 item would be Set Price trialed at around $235, and if in Auction format, would start at $99.99 with a Buy It Now price of $235. If you are selling an extremely similar item on another on-line site, please coordinate with me on pricing so as to not hurt the impression given by our eBaY or your other site. Gallery La Crosse will cover all the costs of Listing your items, and will handle the shipping (on eBay, Buyers pay the shipping costs on most items, which is the model we will follow for the most part). If your item needs extra special packaging, or has its original box, please provide such. You will be paid on the regular monthly checks for all eBay sales in the same month as your Gallery sales. The ususal 25% commission will apply to the final selling price for eBay sales, thus if a better price can be gotten for your items we all come out ahead. For now, have decided not to charge any initial listing fees, will just absorb the eBay fees from the 25%commission. November 6HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE...Is less than a WEEK away !!! NOW is the time to get your spaces refreshed & fully stocked.
We expect at least 500 visitors during the evening, this Friday, 4 to 9 PM. We have already been using the Holiday wrapping papers for Gift Wrapping. Many of you have let your spaces run down to very sparsely stocked, and customers have commented on this. Several of you have let a lot of dust accumulate on your exhibits, please, clean them up ASAP, as your neglect reflects poorly on everyone here. For this Holiday Open House to be a successful evening of sales for you, you really need to very abundantly stock your spaces. Also, we have some exta wall space to fill in at least temporarily, so please, if you have some extra 2-D work available, check with me about bringing is in. MONDAY & TUESDAY... In preparing for the big event, I will be here most of Monday & Tuesday fine-tuning a lot of things. If you wish to come in then to re-stock & tidy your space, just call me at 797-1831 to let you in. WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY... Wednesday I will be stripping out & cleaning the window, & Thusrday will be decorating for the Holiday. If you wish to assist with this project, help will be very welcome & greatly appreciated !!! NEW BATHROOM FIXTURES... Take a look when you're in, at the new bathroom sink & counter. When you see James Bohonek & Tristan Armstrong, be sure to thank them for helping to make it possible. The new sink & faucet with pull-out spray mean that we are now set up for doing some classes such as painting & mosaic. RUSTIC CELLAR... Still room for more goodies downstairs; especially vintage cookbooks, mid-century modern items, and Shabby Chic. As the spaces are being refined, please, check with me for placement of items you bring in. Thank you, for making this feature of Gallery La Crosse successful at bringing in customers who probably would not have realized they enjoy shopping in a Gallery!
NEW LIGHTING... We got very lucky... have been going to the Habitat Re-Store frequently over the past few months seeking some additional lighting for the Gallery. This past week the track lighting from the Pump House came available & it will be here this next week. Though it may take a couple of months to get it installed (as we will have to hire a licensed electrician), it will eventually be in & make a huge difference in the quality of lighting in the Gallery. NEW CONTRACT... If you have not yet gotten signed onto the new Contract document, please do so ASAP. Have the goal of getting everyone onto the same Contract before the end of 2011. RENT PAYMENT... Several of you are now past-due for space rent payments. Please, get current ASAP. Sorry, we are not able to waive any late fees. As of today, you may now make your rent payment on-line, using your Credit Card or Paypal Account, via the secure Paypal system. EBAY... We now have an eBay site, & will start selling on it after the Holiday Open House. Arrangement for now will be: you provide the written description as you wish it to appear in the listing, commission to Gallery La Crosse will be 25% of the actual selling price, and you are responsible for the eBay Listing Fees & Paypal Fees. We have decided to not charge any additional fee to do your listing. You need to decide whether to have a Fixed Price or Auction Style Listing & what your price ranges are for these. I do plan to create a Listing worksheet to make this easier for both you & I. Items listed will need to be set aside on the shelf downstairs while available on eBay. I will handle the shipping. October 13ON-LINE SELLING...Check out the new On-Line Selling page for our Gallery. We now are able to sell our Gift Certificates, & Patron Discount Cards, as well as to accept Donations on-line by credit cards via the Paypal system. Within the next weeks hope to have on-line Class Registrations ready. Also, today, got the eBay Home page for Gallery La Crosse set up, plan to begin Listings next week or at least by Nov. 1. So, start thinking about things you might want to sell via eBay; to start out, the items will need to fit onto a shelf in our downstairs storage space (cannot be items currently exhibited for sale), and will need to start slowly. Still need to workk out the details for this & will probably set up an item listing worksheet to keep it consistant (for now, looking at a nominal base fee + 25% commision, with Gallery covering the Paypal fees & seller covering the eBay Liating & Final Value fees), and I will do the photos for the Listings. All proceeds will support Gallery operating costs. Will include your eBay sales with your other monthly sales record & payment. HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE... Is less than a month away !!! NOW is the time to get your spaces refreshed & fully stocked. We have already been using the Holiday wrapping papers for Gift Wrapping. Several of you have let a lot of dust accumulate on your exhibits, please, clean them up ASAP, your neglect reflects poorly on everyone.
HALLOWEEN... The Downtown Safe Trick or Treat event is set for Saturday, October 29, 11 am to 4 pm. You being present for Demos &/or extra eyes & /or just being here to represent your wares to the swarms of families would be greatly appreciated. We usually have about 300 families visit. If you wish to add to the Candy bowl, I won't turn you down. Costumes are strongly encouraged. FALL & WINTER CLASSES... Please, get your class dates & descriptions for the Fall, Winter, & early Spring to me ASAP. Am in the midst of re-vamping our Registration forms & process, and making on-line Registration possible. Doing a class is a great way to convert your time into money, and can be a lot of fun, too.
NEW "SLOP SINK"... Within the next week or so, we will have a "new slop sink" in our restroom. It is a shallow single basin stainless steel sink, with a very nice laminate countertop & pull-out faucet. Have been several months in getting all of the parts (thrift sale, eBay, & Habitat Restore). This will allow for easy clean-up of classes, while still providing a very nice handicap-accessible privy.
HOURS... Have beeen open a lot of early, late, & Sunday, Tuesday hours over the past month to help get your wares sold. This has newly exposed our Gallery to a lot of local folks, so even though September was pretty typical (September is usually as bad for sales as February), I feel that the extra effort will pay off in the Holiday shopping season. (Also, the new Wellness Center & Vintage View next door, Cherry Pickers on the corner of 3rd & Main, & new restrauant "Crunch" across the street are seriously increasing foot traffic on our block of Main St. SWAP SALE... Is happening now.. ECO PARK BENEFIT SHOW... Is coming up fast.
CONTRACTS... If you have not yet gotten signed onto your new Contract, please do so in the next week or so. Anyone not yet on the new form by Nov. 1 will be getting a call to set an appointment to do so, so that going into 2012 everyone is on the same Contract.
RENEWALS... Most of you are current with your rent... THANK YOU !!! For those few who are still behind... billing statements are coming out very soon with a "deadline" for getting current before Small Claims Court Filing will be done. So, get current ASAP, & save yourself the added costs!
August 20 (& updated on the 23rd)HELP ?!?...A wonderful offer/request/suggestion was recently made by one of our very perceptive exhibitors... There are a lot of little chores to be done & I am really not good at asking for help. So, as suggested, I am giving you all the opportunity of providing your own "no" (and maybe some "yes"), and setting up some "work days". For each of these, I will have all needed materials on hand, and let you know ahead of time what the project of the day is. Just show up if you wish to. I have added a section for this to this page just below. Any & all assistance is VERY much appreciated.
SPACE ADJUSTMENTS... Recently, I have been working on some changes in the Gallery lay-out. You have probably noticed the migration of several display cases. Overall, the look is much less visually hectic. In keeping with the trend to minimize any sense of crowding in spaces, many of the existing spaces have had a little "tweaking" to expand their sizes. As a result of this a couple of you will find that your rented spaces have become just a smidge larger (there will NOT be an increase in your rent for them), and for a few the rent will be slightly reduced with the next renewal payment. We are not refunding payments already made, just giving you a better deal on your future renewals. The few rent reductions are being done to keep things equitible as some of the $20 spaces have been expanded closer to the size of the $30 spaces. This is being done as we are also moving away from spaces being priced entirely in $10 increments, to variations in $5 increments.
LEASE RENEWAL PAYMENTS... August & September are always very challenging months as far as cashflow is concerned, due to several annual expenses which come due. Please, be sure to get your payments in ASAP so rent & utilities for the Gallery can remain current. Also, Vendors who have fallen behind in their space rent payments will no longer be featured in the front promotional area. This is only fair, a change we should have put into place lang ago; using this very desirable promotional space for all who support our Gallery project. NEW CONTRACT... If you have not yet gotten signed onto the new Contract document, please do so ASAP. Have the goal of getting everyone onto the same Contract by the end of August as we end our 3rd year & begin our 4th.
OKTOBERFEST... Is almost upon us. Get your spaces stocked up & ready ! Popular items are anything with Maple Leaves, and of course Vintage OktoberFest items & just about anything related to Beer. SELLING FROM WEBSITE... We are very close to having the website set up with Paypal & a Shopping Cart feature. Initially, will start out by selling Gallery Gift Certificates & Patron Discount Cards. Hope to quickly progress to offering goods created by you. CALENDAR... I have lost my "master calendar", and after almost a month of frantic searching am giving up the search & starting to re-build the information onto a new one... Please, if I have scheduled something with you for the upcoming months (through end of 2012) help me out by calling or emailing or popping in with the dates & details. FIRE MOUNTAIN GEMS... Our twice-a-year "large group" order is set to close on Saturday, Sept. 17. You always have the option to order on your own, this is just a chance to split the shipping cost. For this, you really need to use our standard form. OPEN ON TUESDAY... Have been Open today (the 23rd), while doing chores, just a few small sales, though many new faces in & one potential Vendor... So, for the work dates I have set up, will be open at least a couple of hours of each to get us more exposure to the Monday & Tuesday crowd downtown. With the Wellness Center next door now open 6 days (11-6 on Mon-Fri, & 11-3 on Sat) we should see good results. August 6 (& updated on the 10th)NEW ENTRY SIGN IS UP...We finally have our new entry sign up. Since it went up on Saturday, we've seen a marked increase in the percentage of people strolling by who actually come in to look around. SUNDAY OPENINGS... I have continued to be open on some Sundays, seems the best time for sales is 1 - 3, though the most abundant flow of visitors is from 11 - noon. WEBSITE... If you have acquired a website (or 2) for us to link up with, please, get your URL address to me ASAP. Return links are greatly appreciated, but not required (many websites aren't set up to allow for them). NEW CONTRACT... If you have not yet gotten signed onto the new Contract document, please do so ASAP. Have the goal of getting everyone onto the same Contract by the end of August as we end our 3rd year & begin our 4th. BENEFIT SHOW... Remember, the Reception is Thursday August 11th, 5 - 8 PM SWAP SALE... This round of Swap Sale was our best so far, lots of good stuff & a goodly amount of it sold. We actually had a few customers who "came in just for the Swap" & ended up buying artworks, too. RUSTIC CELLAR... Continues to grow in content & popularity with our customers. Please, feel free to keep it well stocked. With the continued tough economic times, nostalgia is strong, and several of our Vendors are doing VERY well with the Vintage items. As we are entering into August, it really is the perfect time to bring in things which would appeal to the OktoberFest crowd. MONTHLY SALES CHECKS... We continue to work on making the process better for you. This month my son created a new format for the details record & for the slips which come with your checks which has more details for your tax records. He is working on creating an even better format with a program called Excel 2003, which should be ready for your August sales checks. As we run out of our former checks, you will see a new style come into use. As we still are far from being able to need a payroll format style & your sales information is on the detail slips anyway, I have purchased a new & very basic style which is much more affordable. CALENDAR... I have lost my "master calendar", and after almost a month of frantic searching am giving up the search & starting to re-build the information onto a new one... Please, if I have scheduled something with you for the upcoming months (through end of 2012) help me out by calling or emailing or popping in with the dates & details. ART WALKS... The July Art Walks (during Krazy Daze) were basically non-events. Hoping that the Arts Board does more advance planning & advertising for the next. Have heard that they plan on something monthly or on every-other month basis, but no details have yet been released by them on future dates. We will continue to participate & hope for the best. June 30JULY RECEPTIONS...Of course, you all know about tomorrow's "First Fridays" from 6 - 8 PM. Could be a good turnout in spite of the extreme heat, as the downtown hotels are booked for the Holiday weekend. We also have the two-evening "Downtown Art Walk", July 14 & 15 The La Crosse Arts Board scheduled the Art Walk for both Thursday & Friday, with the idea of catching the local folks who may leave town on Friday afternoon. Hours both evenings are 5 - 8 PM. (Will be a couple of long days, as we also have been asked by the DMI group to be open at 8 AM for the Krazy Daze event.) FACEBOOK... Will be up & happening soon. Have some fun ideas for promotion of individual exhibitors by use of the Facebook page. More details to follow as soon as it is functional. WOODLANDER'S GATHERING... Next week, I will be heading out sometime on Wednesday afternoon for Mineral Point, WI. Peder will be staffing the Gallery for me & for things that cannot wait, I will be just a phone call away. Please, be aware that during the blacksmithing classes, my cellular phone will be safely in a bag nearby & I may miss hearing it ring. Will check it several times each day for calls to return. One of my priorities for this year's workshops is to network with others for mutual website links with other wider region arts venues & groups. TV ADS... When you see James Bohonek, be sure to thank him for his generousity in funding the Krazy Daze TV ads which will run July 9 - 14 on the local TV channel 25 !!! TODAY'S EMAIL... (for those who don't have email) Hello All, Just a quick & friendly reminder that most of you are due for a payment of rent today or tomorrow. Please, check your Contract & past Rent Receipts to see when your rent is due. Remember that it is OK to send your rent payment by mail, & being postmarked on or before the first of the month is as good as if you bring it in person. I've been working all week on re-doing the record-keeping system for rent payments (and deductions from sales for late rents) all the way back to 2008 , am almost done with the process, and when done will be able to let all of you know your precise status. (silly me, thought I'd get it done in just a day or 2, now on day 8, & will finish tomorrow morning) When doing your renewals, check out the multi-month options for some serious savings... we have some new reduced rates as of the July 2011 renewals period the 4 months rate still gives you 7% off from the regular monthly rates, for the 7 months period you now get a full month of it FREE, & with 12 months, you enjoy 2 full months of it FREE. The new revised Contract is also ready, will be getting everyone switched over to it by the end of August. Many changes were made to reflect the newer added benefits & privileges of exhibiting here, website marketing, price reductions for Receptions & Classes, & etc. Several of you have fallen behind a bit & need to get current ASAP, so we can stay current with the daily costs of being open and marketing you & your wares. If you are paid up to "current" by July 2nd, we will be waiving your Late Fees; after July 2nd, will not be waiving any Late Fees ever again (except by circumstances as outlined in the New Contract for emergencies). So, this is the very last chance for any grace period on past-due rents !! Working hard to keep improving the value you receive as an exhibitor here. Thank you. Ann p.s. Remember our "First Fridays" Reception tomorrow evening... ...and I have some really nice promotional ideas for individual exhibitors when we get the Gallery's Facebook page up & running, soon ! ...watch FOX TV 25 July 9-14 for our 40 Krazy Daze Ads, courtesy of James Bohonek ! May 28PATRON-ONLY SPECIALS PROGRAM...Beginning June 15th, our customers may purchase Discount Cards for $25 per yera which will give them 10% off everyday & Patron-Only specials. See the new webpage. LOYALTY REWARDS CARD PROGRAM... Beginning June 15th, our customers may ask to have our Loyalty Rewards Cards, FREE. These will receive a stamp for every $25 or purchase, and when full give $10 toward the next purchase. See the new webpage. CONTRACT CHANGES... Coming soon. Please, visit with me about details & your individual concerns. All will benefit the long-term health of the Gallery & better outline the newer benefits of exhibiting here which we've added & refined in recent months. Will meet with you all one-on-one to go over the changes & get you signed on the new one by August. Some of the immediate changes are listed below. WEBLINKS... One of the changes is that you all may now have 2 links, instead of just one, as long as you are a Current exhibitor "in good standing". Links will be deleted for Vendors delinquent behind on their lease payments, as leaving them in place is not fair to others who keep current. As soon as Vendor is paid to current (including late fees), weblinks will be restored. Along with this, we will be cutting back on the outside links, to a very limited selection which have an underlying benefit to Gallery La Crosse. $10 SPACES... Are a thing of the past as of May 31st... ARE NOW $15... except for the "bonus" spaces in the front display case (must have a regular space elsewhere in the facility to pick up one of these). Effective June 1st, no new space leases will be made at the $10 level (except bonus), and effective August 1, 2011, all renewals will need to be made at the $15 or higher level. EXTRA THINGS... Effective June 1st... (to be fully functional by July 31st) This improvement is being made to thank those who are helping to keep our doors open, encourage those who have been at the minimum level to be more involved, and allow us to do more advertising for the benefit of all of our exhibitors. For all of you who are at the $20 or more per month level of support, no change. We will continue to allow you to bring in more works than fit in your space, regulated as always by "as space allows". Also, you are very welcome to help us fill in the Rustic Cellar with your Antique & Vintage items (also, as space allows). As before, you may be asked at times to remove&/or exchange some items due to space limitiations or our need to freshen the look. You will need to be supporting our mutual exhibition space in Gallery La Crosse by leasing at the $20 or higher (monthly total of regular & "bonus spaces" - front case & card rack) level to have things here beyond what fits in your leased space. For those not providing at least $20 per month in support, editing will need to be done so that your items fit within your leased space. All Vendors will continue to be able to have items in the Celebrations Corner without any change (five ornaments & one 2-D or 3-D item, more if space allows). FIRE CHIEFS' CONVENTION... The 3rd week of June (22-25), they are looking for Arts & Crafts Classes (1 - 2 hours, make & take) either at the Raddisson or here. The LCVB called here seeking this, please, help out. The event is bring 350 shopping spouses to Downtown for the weekend.
RECRUITMENT BONUS... Back again, but only through the end of June. If you recruit a new Vendor for either the Juried main level Gallery or the Rustic Cellar, and they pay for at least a $ 20 space for 4 months, you will receive a free one month extension on your existing lease. OR they pay for at least a $30 space for a 7 months, you will receive a free two months extension on your existing lease.
This must be a completely new Vendor (one who has never exhibited here in the past). Be aware taht we have Juried Waiting Lists for Photgraphy & Bead Stringing Style Jewelry. Don't miss out on your chance for this. Finding only a couple of good new Vendors will earn you a nice chunk of the year free !! SPRING & SUMMER & FALL CLASSES... Now is the time to get your dates set & onto the website, so that potential students have time to plan to take your class. For Fall think of classes on things people might give as Holiday Gifts. For Summer, maybe more involved learning of new skills, or classes in a Series format.
ETSY CLASS... Do any of you feel comfortable enough with your Etsy functioning to do a very simple class for the rest of us ?? Would like to schedule such a class for our Vendors in July.
HELP NEEDED & WELCOME...HELP ?!?...A wonderful offer/request/suggestion was recently made by one of our very perceptive exhibitors... There are a lot of little chores to be done & I am really not good at asking for help. So, as suggested, I am giving you all the opportunity of providing your own "no" (and maybe some "yes"), and setting up some "work days". For each of these, I will have all needed materials on hand, and let you know ahead of time what the project of the day is. Just show up if you wish to.
Any & all assistance is VERY much appreciated !!
797-1831 ...~for questions or to bring me up from the basementSEASONAL FRESHENINGSeptember 6, Tuesday, Noon to ??September 12, Monday, Noon to ?? Three times each year, I do a thorough cleaning up of the Gallery... In September to ready for the Holidays, in late-February to ready for Spring, and in May to ready for the tourist season. This involves: vacuum all carpets & cubicle panels & under furniture, dust all ceiling corners & doorframe tops, really good mopping of all tile areas, clean all glass shelves (other than those leased out), and tidy/clean storage areas. The whole project usually takes me about 3 full days to accomplish, so help is especially welcome !!! TOUCH-UP PAINTINGSeptember 17, Monday, Noon to ??We have so very many little parts & pieces which need a little touch-up... So for this date, will start with the bases & edges of several of our display panels & cases. Also in need of help are stairwells, lightswitch covers, doorway trim, pegboards, some wall areas, & etc. Pre-OktoberFest DETAILINGSeptember 22, Monday< Noon to ??General tidying-up in preparation for the start of OktoberFest. Come help me spot areas in need of quick detailing & lend a hand. Essential Checklist For All VendorsA TOP TEN (Check-) LIST TO BOOST YOUR SALES...Early each month (e.g. at the First Friday's Reception) is a good time to review your Exhibit, and to be sure that you are making the very best possible use of the many Marketing Opportunities that are included in your space lease with Gallery La Crosse... 1. If you have a website, even if just on eBay or Etsy, be sure that you have provided the COMPLETE & CORRECT ADDRESS for creating a Link from the Gallery La Crosse website. We have established many mutual links in the community (not just local) which bring a wide range of visitors to our website. 2. Be sure to always have signage in your space indicating ALL of the other locations where your wares may be found. I try to remember where everyone is exhibiting, but as we are growing, it is getting much harder for me to track everyone in my head. 3. Keep your exhibit well-stocked... you can't sell out of an empty wagon! Customers usually want to buy something "NOW", rather than to have to come back later to see if you've brought more in. 4. ALWAYS have your Business Cards present in your space. Though I am very willing to provide your contact information to customers; a card is the easiest way to do so, & provides a much more professional image for you. 4. Have you created at least a simple Binder, of a few pages about you & your work, yet, for the front reference shelves ?? Customers DO OFTEN look in the Binders that are there now, & some Vendors with Binders on display have received Commissions because of having the Binder available. 5. Have you done your set of two facing Pages for the group binder of "Artists Statements & Vendor Contact Information" ?? All you need to do is two simple facing pages; prehaps pasting on pictures of some of your work, with your Contact Information & maybe your statement. Most of you should be able to put something together in a half-hour or so. Along with this, PLEASE, take the Five Minutes needed to send me your current 3 lines of text for the website Description of what you offer here. 6. Dust & re-arrange your space at least once EVERY month! I don't know how to express strongly enough how IMPORTAMT this is for getting your things sold... Customers are VERY tuned-in to evidence of neglect! If you do not VALUE YOUR WORK enough to keep your display nice & fresh, customers will not value it enough to purchase what you have to offer !!!!!!!!!! 7. Be sure to bring in the things that have sold well for you in other venues. This will certainly help boost your sales here. 8. Look at your price-point mixture. If you do not offer a full range of prices from very affordable to very Fine, you are probably missing out on many potential sales. 9. Consider occasional movement from one space to another within the Gallery. Several of our Vendors have created a very fresh new appearance for their exhibit by doing so, resulting in better sales. The paperwork involved is minimal, so if interested in doing so, don't be afraid to approach me about the options. 10. Finally, even if you have done "THE CHALLENGE" a couple of times; resolve to do it AGAIN at least once a month, perhaps twice a month in the winter. This will benefit everyone greatly. * * * * * *
POLITICS...On the Local, State, & National level there are a lot of really HOT issues being debated.Please, respect that among our exhibitors & customers, we have the full range of political viewpoints from extreme left to extreme right and every variation of both. This establishment is a POLITICALLY NEUTRAL ZONE ! ! ! Agree to kindly disagree. Enough said on that subject. Thank you.
& On Down The Page...Much of what has been posted for a long time will be deleted or sections simply updated, keeping the most recent information in place. Please, do (at your leisure) check this page WEEKLY for new & important information to help your sales improve, and to help make all of our events as beneficial as possible for all of our exhibitors, & for our customers. Sundays & other odd hours... & DemosWe have been open on some Sundays, with mixed results. Have found that getting open as soon as possible after Church means more people coming in. The most productive Sundays are in December & April. As most other downtown businesses that are open on Sundays close at 2:00 or 3:00 PM, have found almost no visitors in the gallery after 2:30pm. Lots of people are downtown to shop, do coffee, brunch or late lunch until about 2:00pm.
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Having the "Live Artist Demo Today" sign out seems to roughly triple the number of passersby who actually walked into the gallery on our Open Sundays. So, give me a call any Saturday afternoon to see if we'll be open on Sunday, and feel very free and welcome to plan to do a very casual demo then.
Any day we are open, you are welcome just to pop in & do a demo. It isn't just on Sundays that we see more visitors with the demo sign out, works just about every time. If you haven't done one yet, please understand that you can do this very easily. Just bring in a current project & set up to work on it. Use the front window, or a table elsewhere to do your thing, and converse with folks who come in to watch what you're doing. If ever you wish to plan ahead a few days or a week or so to do your demo, that will give me time to list it on the website.
Just be sure you won't change your plans once it is listed there.
* * * * * * As my Nursing job & family needs allow, will try to be open at least one Sunday per month. Have also been lingering Open Late many Evenings, sometimes to 7 or 8 pm, finding mixed results... mostly just getting found by locals out for dinner, still good exposure, & some of them have been back on a later date & made purchases. More of the other Downtown stores have been adding limited extra hours after 5 PM, which is helping bring more early evening shoppers downtown. Opening early has had mixed results, ranging from no customers before 10:30 a.m. to being steadily very busy from 9:30 a.m. onward, with no pattern. Upcoming Receptions ~ First FridaysWe take on the expense of holding a Casual reception for you to be here to promote your work to the public, every month on the first Friday. Live demos are very welcome and strongly encouraged. Please, try to attend for at least one of the two hours. Whether dolled up for an evening on the town, or fresh from the garden in jeans & tennies, come on in. Remember, if you show up for these events when you are not a "featured" exhibitor, others are more likely to return the favor by showing up when you are.
If you attend for half of each First Fridays event, it is ONLY ONE HOUR out of your month (12 hours out of a year) spent PROMOTING YOUR WORK to the public. NEW EXHIBITORS & First Fridays... We have several new exhibitors in over these past couple of months. It would be really nice if all of you could try to be present for the First Fridays Receptions (for at least an hour anyway) to get acquainted with one-another. Please, also, invite friends to these Receptions, which are held to benefit all of our Vendors. When almost no exhibitors show up, our attending visitors from the general public really do express disappointment, and it reflects poorly on our absent exhibitors as well as on the Gallery in whole. Both Customers & other Vendors are disappointed when we have poor turn-outs, and delighted with the activities & energy when the turn-outs are good. Some of our First Fridays have been well-attended, seems more people walk in off the street when we have more people (exhibitors) already visible in the Gallery, and especially when we have someone doing a demo. FIRST FRIDAYS... Some improvements... We now offer 10% Off EVERYTHING, all day long, on every First Friday... "To help local folks support local artists." More businesses are open now on Friday evenings in the downtown, and the Friday evening Cameron Park Farmers' Market is in operation during the season. This should help with the number of visitors for these Friday events. Some very constructive comments have been received about how we appear to our visitors when holding the First Fridays (& other) Receptions. There is a bit of a feeling that it is a private party, due to all of us artists just hanging out together in the front of the Gallery & munching on the treats as we visit among ourselves. To lessen this perception, chairs will now be dispersed about the gallery for Receptions.
Remember, the treats are primarily here to help our guests to feel welcome & a bit pampered.Please, nibble/graze in passing, or take a little plate to where you are set up for a demo. And, most importantly, we need to focus on our visiting guests. Please, greet them, even if someone else has already done so, at least say "hello" &/or "welcome" & introduce yourself and offer to show them your work. Please, plan to spend most of the Reception time somewhere near your own space, both to represent your work to our guests, and to assist in answering their questions about your work. Please, also be a good ambassador for our other exhibitors by leading guests to the artists (if present) or to me for more assistance. Each exhibitor should be in contact with their established customers & personally invite those customers to view your exhibit here & enjoy the Receptions. DEMOS... are always welcome & always generate very positive interest from our guests. We now have several tables about 3 feet square that are quick & easy to set up. Ideally, you should be set up somewhere near your exhibit space for demos, too. Antiques & Vintage ~ Estate LiquidationWe have been promoting the Antiques & Vintage items which all of you who are supporting the Gallery by $20 or more per month in Rent are welcome to bring in. The effect has been that people have been coming in who, while in seeking Estate Liquidation items, happen to discover your artworks (& buy some!!)Tags are ready here for you to use. Be sure that whatever you bring is in pristine condition & absolutely clean. Please, check with me about the items you bring; I will honestly tell you which level to place them in, where on each level, & whether the item is appropriate to be here.
Finer things will blend into the Gallery, all others in the Rustic Cellar. Remember that as of June 1, 2011, you will need to be supporting our mutual exhibition space in Gallery La Crosse by leasing at the $20 or higher (monthly total) level to have things here beyond what fits in your leased space. We are moving along well with adding this as a feature, with the finer items in the Gallery area & most things down in the Rustic Cellar. Please, call or visit to get your questions answered about this. Guidelines are pretty simple... Everything needs to be absolutely clean (!!!) & in good condition. A couple of steps above what you would expect to find at rummage, think estate. Price to move in the La Crosse market: we don't want you to give it away, but do want to offer some great deals to keep people coming back often.
"The Challenge"A Challenge For YouTHIS WEEK...Approach just FIVE people whom you know have not yet been into the Gallery... Put one of our brochures into their hands... Ask them to visit in the Gallery "this week"... And to tell you sometime "early next week" what they thought of your artwork &/or vintage wares, or of your method of display or something similar... whatever question you think will get them to actually come in to view your goodies & everyone else's. IF... Every exhibitor does this, we could see well over 200 new faces in the Gallery in the next week or so !!! AND IF... You do this one day every month... very good things should happen... Renewals & RemindersRenewals for this month & beyond...Many thanks to all of you! Remember your Renewal payments are due to be received on or before the 1st of the month, or into the mail for postmark by the 1st. It is always a relief (& a joy) for me to get past the 15th of each month without receiving notices of non-renewal. Many renewals recently have been for 7 or 12 months, taking advantage of the new reduced costs for longer-term commitments, & assuring a very nice selection of wares will be available through-out the coming year. LATE PAYMENTS...
To help you all avoid the unpleasantness of having to pay the Contractural Late Fees, I am calling most months to everyone who is due for renewal payment. These calls will happen after the 15th and before the end of the month. This is being done as a Courtesy to you, to help you avoid those Late Fees, and each of you will receive only one notification. Keeping everyone current will make it much easier for me to keep the budgeted Gallery expenses paid on time. In order to keep Gallery expenses paid, the Late Fee provision will continue to be strictly observed.
Each month optional expenses, such as various advertising options & more improvements to the Gallery, are planned based upon an exhibitor & space census done right after the 15th of the month. BE AWARE, NO LATE PAYMENT FEES WILL BE WAIVED !!
Please, remember... Even if you have opted to use your space for little or no work currently showing, we are mutually under contract for the space, & it is not available for anyone else to use, until you have given your contractual written notice to withdraw from your space. Along with the use of space for retail, Gallery La Crosse provides multiple ongoing marketing services for you as one of our exhibitors, as long as you are still under contract here. These are legally contracted services which you are responsible for paying for. WEBSITE LINKS... As of April 2011, any Vendor behind in their lease payment will have their website link(s) suspended until good standing is re-established.
Reminder of the Value of being a Vendor at Gallery La Crosse...Reflecting on my experience at the Odin Arts Co-op, the yearly Dues worked out to just over $30 per month, we also paid a 20 or 30 % Commission (depending on membership type) on work sold, AND we had to Work shifts every month (& serve on Committees, and attend quarterly & annual meetings, too). Other Co-ops currently operating in the region have dues of $50 per month, plus commissions on sales of 20% to 35%, and for most members the requirement to staff. With single-day & weekend Portable Shows running anywhere from $20 to $225 (PLUS Meals, Lodging, Staffing Time, Transportation, etc.), being able to present your work to the public every day, and utilize all of the Marketing Services of Gallery La Crosse, we remain a very good deal even these tough economic times. Market Yourself !!!You've Paid for the Opportunities here ~ Choose to Use them...Customers contine to view Artist's Binders, and to express disappointment when an artist whose work they are interested in does not have one available. If you have other outlets for your wares, please, be sure to have something in your space to indicate where else your wares are available. Refer to your copy of the Contract for details about how to do this. I try to remember, but tracking where else in the region everyone's wares are available really needs your input & the simple act of posting something in your space. We often have customers asking to see more of what vendors have to offer. I do often send customers to find more work by an artist at other locations, and am finding that those other galleries return the favor. Will continue to try to keep up with who is where, but with 50 vendors in place, I can't be expected to remember all of those for all of you. Guidelines for these are in your Contract, please don't waste this opportunity that is an important part of what you are paying for when leasing space. If you are uncertain, ask Ann for guidance. The Calendar is wide open for anyone who wishes to present a Special Exhibit. Just pop in or call & we'll get this going. Would love to have about 3 per month. This allows our Gallery to have a short article in the LIVE! section of the Tribune, and brings in fresh faces to view everyone's exhibited items. This is a FREE service available to all of our regular exhibitors. All it takes is your chosing to do so. If you have a website (or 2) of your own to be linked from here, please, provide a COMPLETE URL address in writing, & be sure to proof-read for accuracy what you provide. Are You Out Of Business Cards ? ! ?If you don't yet have business cards, or are depleted from your supply here...Please, get some made up & bring them in. Almost every day I am having to go to someone's contracts for contact information for customers who have a strong interest in your work. If you don't have the means or the need for a large amount of cards, visit with me about just making up some basic cards on the computer here to print out one sheet at a time on your cardstock. It is not difficult, & I will be happy to help you with this.
WebsiteLink To Your Personal Website(s)LINKING to One or Two personal websites is one of the benefits EXCLUSIVE to our CURRENT vendors (in good standing) at Gallery La Crosse. A fairly good number of website visitors have exited from the Vendor website links page, indicating that they are taking time to visit the websites of our exhibitors. So, if you haven't yet done so, you would probably benefit from setting up an Esty or Facebook or other form of personal website for promoting your artwork 24/7. Options are available for your customers to make purchases 24/7 on many of these websites utilizing Paypal so that you don't need to pay for a Merchant Account for doing credit card sales.
Prior to March of 2011, you could only have one link to a personal website. Now you may have two... so if you have a website showing your work beautifully, but can't sell on-line, & you also have an Etsy or other site to sell from, both may be listed. Bring in the complete URL address for your link(s), and check your spelling! IMPORTANT... As of April 10, 2011... Please, note that if you are behind in your space lease payment, your website link(s) will be suspended until you are paid-up.
NEW LOOK... If you've been visiting weekly (as we would love to see you do to keep current), you will have noticed a new and different, and more complete look & content, with frequent updates. Since the late summer months of 2009, we have seen our website hits continue to increase greatly. Recents stats are available to view on our Vendor News & Information Board in the Gallery. Spring of 2011 & am still learning how to do this better, lots of cool ideas learned in Martina Skobic's Art Business class... will continue to implement them over the next few months... those already in use have increased our website visits about 30 % already !! As a courtesy to our former exhibitors who are in good standing and welcome back, they are also listed with their emails and just a few words about their wares.
The Slideshow page features a variety of views of gallery exhibits, will need to keep it down to under 20 views, and will do our best to include a peek at everyone's spaces. As we get better at doing these website features, will do more frequent rotation of photos. COOPERATIVE LINKS... You may have noticed that there is now a page for Favorite Links on the website. These are for entities with which Ann has connections, many of them have already done very nice things toward promoting Gallery La Crosse and they have placed links on their websites for Gallery La Crosse in return. We continue to build new connections for mutual on-line linking with other local & regional businesses, especially in the arts & travel industries. Some have provided us with new customers within days of making the connection.
ONLINE SELLING... We're finding that it will be extremely difficult to arrange for on-line sales from our website, so please, do consider doing an ETSY site that can link from here to promote sales of your wares 24/7, where Etsy handles the Paypal for you. (Etsy is a quick way to set up to sell on-line, or use eBay, or one of the "social media" sites like Facebook, etc.) Whatever your on-line link is, as a current Vendor here you get a free link posted on our webpage as one of the benefits of your space lease, so please don't let the opportunity go un-used. If uncertain about how to do this, we have some esources available to help you. The website for Gallery La Crossse continues to get a lot of visits every day. Don't miss out on your chance to have our visitors explore your on-line presence, & promote sales of your wares 24/7, where Etsy handles the Paypal for you.
Fire Mountain Gems OrdersWe have achieved "Platinum Status" ! ! !Order Anytime, Any Amount & Enjoy 200 Item Pricing...This means that you may order as a Member of the "Gallery La Crosse Group", any amount of items (no minimum amount), at any time, to be delivered to your home. Group members are limited to our Current Exhibitors in good standing. Pick up your instructions page at the Gallery. There is a special phone # & ext. # to use for this. You make your own payment, and delivery options include the $5 option + S & H. We will now do only 2 large group orders per year which will be open to outside folks, one in April & one in September.
Catalogs & On-LineWhen planning your order, be aware that the printed Catalogs will show items at actual size, & give measurements or with a notation of size variation from the photo. On-line listings will give you an image & measurements, but the size & view zoom setting for your computer will not usually give you a same-size image. * * * * *
Ann usually keeps her copies of the big catalog & the most recent smaller sale catalogs by the copy machine in the Gallery. You are welcome to use them here anytime (just please, do not make any marks in them, or take them home with you). Metals Market Price Timing...Per FMG... They get the new price for the next week when the markets close on Friday, and implement all of the new prices on Monday. So, the price you see on-line this week from Monday through Sunday, will not be the price you pay on next Monday. For April & September Large Group Order...Now that we have Platinum Status & you can do your own orders anytime & enjoy the group discount of 200 item pricing, the "large group order" will only be done twice per year.
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On (or before) the Order Date... 1. Have your detailed order information for all of your items, in a neat & organized manner, on our simple form (available in the Gallery). Be sure to enter ALL of the information needed. Having a single form in use does make the process easier for those of us who are actually calling in the order to FMG. If you are getting your item #'s from the FMG catalogs, the page # lets us check it if you didn't write down the item # correctly. Having the full Item Description is essential! Creating an order printout from the FMG website also works OK. 2. Figure your item cost at the 200+ item cost listed by FMG. Check your prices on-line at the FMG website a day or two ahead of doing your final tally (especially important with orders containing anything in silver, sterling silver, gold, & gold-filled, as these prices fluctuate almost daily with world-wide markets).
3. Have your full order cost, with additional $ 1 for your share of the shipping, securely attached to your order, in cash*. Deliver these to Gallery La Crosse on or before the Order Date. *Sorry, because we are all "sort-of-starving artists", and can't afford to carry credit for you; you will need to have full CASH payment for your items by the Order Date, or your items will not be ordered (personal checks take several days to clear, so will not be acceptable for these orders). * * * * *
ORDER WILL BE PLACED WITH FMG 3 - 5 DAYS AFTER ORDER DATE. YOU WILL BE CALLED WHEN THE ORDER IS HERE & HAS BEEN SORTED.
Normally, it takes about 10 days for the items to arrive in La Crosse. Items are then sorted & prices marked on each package, then re-checked agianst your order. When fully sorted & checked you will be called. Please, be aware that this all means up to 14 days from order placement until your items are ready to pick up. Please, be patient, as every time we've tried to short-cut the process we've had problems with somebody not getting their correct things. Please, try to pick up your ordered items within 5 days of getting called about its arrival. Items are clearly marked with your name & placed in a box in the Gallery's storage space downstairs. Any later-arriving Back-Ordered items will also be placed there.
* * * * * UPCOMING SCHEDULED ORDER DATES...
April 23, 2011 (Saturday) September 10, 2011 (Saturday)
* * * * * Please, be aware that the "deadlines" are absolute. We have 2-5 volunteers coordinating dates to process the orders. Lack of planning on your part will not constitute an emergency on our part.
Portable Shows & Your Space HereVery Important Information, Contractual Obligation...Many of you will be doing week-end or one-day shows... Please, review your Contract for information on how to maximize your space at Gallery La Crosse as a Marketing Tool for your wares exhibited here & elsewhere. Most importantly, 1... you need to Leave a Representative Sampling of your work, 2... information on Where you & your work can be found (show location & other local outlets), and 3... date you will be returning to Gallery La Crosse. (Remember, by Contract, you cannot just completely strip your space bare of wares for these events!) You'll also want to be sure that your business cards are available. Swap Sale DatesTo help you plan ahead to take advantage of these great opportunities to turn your unwanted Supplies & Equipment into cash money...Here are the future dates...
February 1 - 25, 2012 July 5 - 28, 2012 October 3 - 27, 2012
The REQUIRED special Swap Sale price tags are always available, so that you can prep your things well in advance of these dates. Juried Waiting ListsCurrent Status For Various Media/StylesWe have established a Juried waiting list for these media/styles.
BEADING-STYLE JEWELRY... (0) PHOTOGRAPHY... (6)
"More Opportunities"HERE - If you are doing embellished purses or elegant smallish textiles, we now have places just for them. Also, if you have some cool Vintage or Antique things for the Rustic Cellar, we have created an entirely new experience down there. We still have room in the main level Gallery for a few more really fine Vintage & Antique items.These are a part of my space sharing philosophy, so just bring in a couple of pieces & I'll arrange them within the spaces as space allows. This is a FREE courtesy for our Vendors. As long as the spaces remain unleased, will welcome items to fill them abundantly. If it gets too crowded, will have some or all Vendors prune back their amount of goods.
AWAY - We've become aware of several outside opportunities for our Vendors to check out. I'm providing the most accurate imformation available to me at the time of posting, please, follow-up on your own as many opportunities change circumstances often. This may seem counterintuitive, but it is in keeping with our mission here at Gallery La Crosse to support the La Crosse area as an Arts Destination. WELLNESS CENTER...Right next door. A blend of Aromatherpy, gentle Wiccan, Shabby Chic, metaphysical & jewelry. They are leasing spaces & also doing some exchange of space for staffing time & some straight commission sales. Talk with Tina or Louise for more details & work out your own deal with these nice sisters. Note: as of the end of Dec.2011, they will not have any opportunities for your jewelry, as they have someone coming in who will be having her studio & retail for jewelry in part of their shop, exclusively. VERNON VINEYARDS... They are looking for local Artists for both 2-D & 3-D, including Jewelry. Looks like it will be a 60/40 split, they take the 40. For small 3-D, such as Jewelry, the artist will need to provide a locking case that can be hung on the wall. Very nice people & they get an upscale crowd, located a couple of miles west of Viroqua. ECOPARK... The Myrick-Hixon EcoPark Gift Shop is still looking for artists to sell on commission. Information available in the gallery, or call Michelle Nelson at the EcoPark, or check out the EcoPark's website.
FIFTH COLUMN GALLERIES... Has been replaced by the STOREFRONT ART WALK put on by the La Crosse Arts Board. PAINTED PORCH... Peggy is taking a very limited selection of re-purposed goods for her new shop in the 200 block of Main St. Please, visit there sometime to get a good idea of what her style is. LARK... just across the street, Andrea is selling a very limited selection of jewelry & other accessories created by local Artists & Artisans, items that coordinate with her handmade clothing. COULEE REGION ARTS & CRAFTS CO-OP... closed... GALESVILLE... There is a big "Craft Barn" with about 200 Vendors in Galesville. They are still taking a limited number of new Vendors for the summer season, looking for things unlike anything they already have, especially items in the under $30 price range. They take 40% of the selling price. FARMERS' MARKETS... Spring through Fall is the time of the year to be geared-up for your visits. The Cameron Park Friday evening market is especially great for Arts & Crafts sellers. Saturday morning in the County parking lot is another. Sunday in La Crescent & also by Festival out by the Mall are 2 more. ETSY... An Etsy website is almost free to use. Sell 24/7 & worldwide. If you have an Etsy site, please, get the link URL to me & it will be listed on our website. Remember to check out the Arts Info boards & posters along the stairwell for other new short-term opportunities posted as they arise.
ClassesSee the Classes webpage for more details.Classes are a great opportunity to bring new faces in the door, and to market your own work. Also, a good way to turn your skills & spare time into $$ income. Please, review your Contract for details on holding classes, and feel free to contact Ann for answers to any questions you may have. The calendar is currently wide open, dates & times will be allotted on a "first come, first served" basis. Shirley has given some easels, bulk powdered paint, and scissors; all are freely available to anyone wishing to use them. These supplies are ideal for use in childrens' classes. Classes that would not soil or otherwise harm the carpet & tile flooring in the main level gallery are encouraged to be held there. Messier classes may be held in the Rustic Cellar area or in the back basement workshop area. If you have not been down there lately, you'll be pleasantly surprised with how much brighter it all is now. (Workshop area can be made tidy with just a few days notice.) Misc. Stuff to Know AboutDOWNTOWN BIG EVENTS...Through the year, the Downtown Mainstreet, Inc. group to which we belong holds many events. Each brings visitors to Downtown, with shopping in mind, and is an opportunity for you to promote your work to a wide range of potential buyers. The biggest of these are the Holiday Open House in early November & the Spring Fling in early April. Both bring between 500 & 1000 people through our doors in a 4 hour timeframe. Please, be here to meet & greet during these events. These are listed on the Events page of our website, now left in calendar order with the dates for each year updated as soon as the new date is known.
CHOCOLATES & CHATTER PARTY... It was really fun getting to visit with each other, with lots of chocolates (& a little bit of "joy juice") consumed in the process. OK, the dire storm warnings kept many of you home, and snow flurries did start just before we ended... So very many wonderful comments on the evening... will most certainly do this again next March, and will add another Vendors' party in September, too. Dates will be set & posted no later than June, so you can plan ahead. Will also also have two Walk-abouts, to check out what's up on Main & Pearl Streets. * * * * * * *
COMMUNITY GROUP MEETINGS... Over the past year, a variety of community groups have held meetings here in the gallery's gathering area. This has brought a wide range of people in to view your work who might not have otherwise found us. Many have returned & have become regular customers. If you are aware of a small group in need of an occasional meeting place, feel free to suggest that they contact me for arrangements. We have done these both during & after normal open hours. In addition to the usual seating, we have about a dozen folding chairs available.
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GETTING FOUND...
Many new faces have simply wandered in off the street while out on the town. We continue to see an increase in people coming back for a second or third visit, with many of them bringing in friends, relatives, and vistiors from out-of-town. Comments about your exhibits here indicate that we are getting to be known as an interesting place to look and to shop for high quality goods. Many of them either heard about us on the radio or were refered by friends who already knew about us, or were here for one of the recent Receptions.
Almost all expressed VERY positive compliments on the gallery's contents & displays. Positive comments on: quality & variety of items available, nicely displayed items, and the broad range of prices. Currently, we have items in place ranging from bookmarks under a dollar to original art at $5000. Well done!! Without all of your beautiful presentations here, this gallery would still be only a dream. We are marketing as "the place" to find locally created wares ranging from Heirloom Quality fine art, to affordable really nice unique things, to those "just for fun" impulse items. Don't hesitate to include some of your very best, this is one very effective way to market yourself to the public between shows, and to drive future buyers to your personal websites.
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NEW EXTENDED-TERM RATES ARE STILL AVAILABLE... The economy hasn't turned around yet, so to help you all survive, we are keeping our multiple month reduced rates which we started in January 2010. While the single Monthly rates will remain as they have always been, the rates for 4, 7, & especially 12 months were further reduced, to promote as many 4 & 7 & 12 month terms as possible. They work out to roughly equivilents of: in the 4 months term, 1 week free; in the 7 months term, 3 weeks free; in the 12 months term, 2 months free.
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CLASSES... Customers continue to ask about taking classes. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE... ! ! ! Consider setting a date now for a class or two in the next few months... The calendar is pretty wide open, use your imagination !
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NAPKINS... Some very usable used napkins rescued from potential trip to the landfill. James Bohonek brought in a big bag of them to share, they are in the cellar, just ask & you may have all that you need. Just please do put them to good use.
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RECRUITING "CRAFTERS" FOR THE RUSTIC CELLAR... We now offer Rustic Cellar exhibit opportunities to good Hand-Crafters. Even though the Rustic Cellar is very casual, Crafters will be held to standards. Items will need to be their own original handwork. All items need to be clean & in good condition, and presented in a professional manner. As always, if a Crafter has "Fine Crafts" to exhibit, those will continue to be a part of the mix in the Juried main level Gallery. Our hope is that welcoming Crafters will lead to increased sales for everyone, as we begin to bring in another demographic of customers.
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FRONT DISPLAY CASE... Since August 2010, we have a new opportunity for you inside of the Front Display Case. Four sections are be available at only $ 10 per month each. We are doing this like the Card Rack; only one per person, and you must have another space leased somewhere either on the main level or in the Rustic Cellar. This will be intended for "finer" wares. You will be expected to make very noticible changes in the contents EVERY MONTH. The fabric color will be changed at least once a month by Ann. A waiting list is will be established for when openings are available. (Failure to keep it fresh, or being late on your lease payment will cause your space in this Case to be made availble to others.)
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WHAT'S BEHIND THE CHANGES... Most of the changes are being made with the hope that it will be much easier for you to remain in place here, marketing (& hopefully selling) your work to the public year-round. Working within the cooperative spirit upon which Gallery La Crosse is founded, your many suggestions are listened to, and many of them are now being utilized to assure that the opportunity to exhibit your own artwork in your own way will continue. Especially with the availablity of more spaces priced at & under $30, we need to keep enough Vendors in place to meet expenses. At this point, we are just meeting the lease, utilities, basic supplies, and very limited budget for marketing, with every penny accounted for and no "wiggle room". Just SURVIVAL is not enough. It would be very nice to be able to afford more advertising, more lighting upgrades, and eventually the ability to pay our staff (I hope to acheive Minimum Wage status here before the end of 2011).
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CATALOGS... We are building a nice little library of supplies catalogs, thanks to many of you who have brought in extras to share. Please, feel free to peruse them here at any time, and leave them for others to share.
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"SHOP LOCAL" PROMOTIONAL BOARDS... Watch for the "Shop Local" promotional boards apprearing in local businesses. This campaighn was started by Penny of Visions of Light Stained Glass. Each business buys into the boards, for one of 22 slots. There is a booklet with the current special listed for each business, & a write-up about the business. Shoppers take the special business card from the board to the business for their "special". The idea is to cross-promote among people already tuned into shopping local small businesses, especially in the downtown.
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INVENTORY & PRICING... We have been discovered by the country club & Mount La Crosse sets, & many of the Courthouse & other Downtown employees. Tourists continue to visit daily from all over the USA, and several foreign countries. You'll want to be sure that your inventory is ready for our full range of customers. For youth, students, & impulse buyers of all ages; some very AFFORDABLE items (under $20). For most of our customers, including middleclass tourists; a wide selection across a MODERATE range ($20 to $350). For the HIGH-END crowd; selections from your finest pieces, and more frequent rotation of your wares ($50 to $7000). La Crosse area scenery in all price ranges is sought by a high percentage of our customers. These folks are not just tourists, often locals are looking for something to send to family & friends elsewhere. A couple of you freshen your spaces several times a month, others only every many months. All of our BEST SELLERS are those who tidy, re-stock, and re-arrange their spaces at least once a month. Best selling items continue to be a wide range of items under $50. We have several people every month buying for Holiday Gift Giving.
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TRAVEL GREEN WISCONSIN... I am still in the process of getting the gallery Certified as a Travel Green Wisconsin Destination. This will provide us linkage for our website through theirs to the State of Wisconsin's main tourism webpage. Currently, only one other "shop" is certified in our region (The Driftless Angler in Viroqua), and a just a few other lodging and tourism businesses in our region are also listed. Green travel is currently the fastest growing segment of the travel industry, and attracts a rather affluent mix of customers. Still trying to get this done, hope to have this process finished very soon. It got put "on the back burner", have it back on the essential tasks list.
* * * * * * * BROCHURE MARKETING... We are now in the racks at a variety of La Crosse attractions & businesses, including the Shrine, La Crosse Center, Treehouse Gifts, & about 15 others including several Downtown Hotels.
* * * * * * * MARKETING... We continue to have customers come in who were sent by exhibitors who were at the Season of Art shows this summer, and at the various Farmers' Markets all season. Hoping to have a Facebook page set up for us befor the end of the year. I am taking an art business class at UW-L which is taught by one of our former exhibitors (Martina Skobic) to improve my business skills. This class will also help me in finally getting our presence established on Portal Wisconsin. Several of us also exhibit at the Main Street Station (Public Market) in Viroqua, and have information about Gallery La Crosse in our booths. While the paid Marketing is not cheap ($200/yr for LACVB, $150/yr for DMI, $95/yr for brochure racks placements, $250/yr to purchase brochures, $300/yr for the website, $37/month for radio ads, $50 to $250 per magazine ad, $70+/- each Tribune ad, & $30+/- per month for Gift Certificates donated to various local fundraisers) we will continue to put the need to advertise the Gallery & grow our customer base at the top of our priorities list !
* * * * * * * PORTAL WISCONSIN... Got some really bad advice from a local artist about this opportunity, which has delayed our involvement in it. However, going forward happily, we will have a presence on Portal Wisconsin soon ! ContractNew Contract 2011The new Contract document is ready as of June 15, 2011.We need to get everyone switched over to it by the end of August 2011. This will put everyone into the same status as we begin our 4th year. Many changes were made to reflect the newer added benefits & privileges of exhibiting here, website marketing, price reductions for Receptions & Classes, & etc. Please, pick up a copy on your next visit to take home & read. Remember that as of June 1, 2011, you will need to be supporting our mutual exhibition space in Gallery La Crosse by leasing at the $20 or higher (monthly total) level to have things here beyond what fits in your leased space. If you are under the $20 level, please, either upgrade to $20 per month or downsize your items to fit into your leased space. This needs to be done by the end of August. Thank you.
Important Change In Contract RE: Classes FeesEffective today, August 22, 2009:The rate for holding classes at Gallery La Crosse is being reduced, by half !! Please, print out this section & attach it to your copy of the Contract... In Paragraph #33 the Sentence regarding rates will now be; "Instructor will pay to the Gallery $ 10 per hour for use of space during regular Gallery open hours, $ 20 per hour for before or after normal normal Gallery hours." This is being done in recognition of current tough economic times, and of the mutual benefit to all exhibitors when classes are held here. Please enter the Password. |