NOVEMBER 2022 ARTBEAT

ARTBEAT

FIRST FRIDAYS ARTS WALK MAP INCLUDED

NCW ARTS BOARD GROWING

NCW Arts has had a busy month! First and foremost, we want to announce the newest additions to our board of directors: Holly Thorpe and Marissa Collins. Both of these lovely people have the passion, experience, and skill to help move NCW Arts forward in key areas of governance and communications development. We are so glad to welcome them as we wrap up our first fiscal year of operations in December and implement our plans for year two!

Second, we are proud to announce that NCW Arts will play a key role in coordi-

nating volunteers and participants for the Central Washington region during the upcoming 2023 legislative session in Olympia in support of arts and cultural initiatives.

Inspire WA has been touring the state over the summer and early fall, holding Town Hall events to hear from all communities about what is most important for each region with regard to the arts and cultural programming. NCW Arts will partner directly with Inspire WA to ensure that our voices are heard and that we can maximize the upcoming opportunities to speak directly to our representatives in support of the legislation that will benefit all of us in North Central Washington.

If you are interested in becoming directly involved in these efforts, please reach out to us at arts@ncwarts.org. We want to hear from you!

FEATURED EVENT

STUDIO VISIT

BOULDER BEND GLASSWORKS, PESHASTIN

Wenatchee Festival of Trees is downtown

Wenatchee’s premier holiday experience and a fundraiser for the Numerica Performing Arts Center. Various trees and

wreaths will deck the halls of the Numerica PAC for the public to view and bid on throughout a week of events. For more events, visits NCWarts.org.

ON THE COVER: Patrick Kikut, Arrowhead - Lanna NM, oil on canvas Nov.4 opening reception, 5-7pm. Lecture by Patrick Kikut, 7pm in MAC Grove Recital Hall

Not your Hobbiton Gaffer, these hot shop artists share the lead. I had the pleasure last Saturday to roll up to Boulder Bend Glassworks in Peshastin to meet with Craig Sorensen and Jori Delvo. I donned safety glasses and leaned into the furnace as Jori guided me through the glass blowing process. Craig was gaffer, the lead glass tech on the job for the day, which meant that Jori

would break every 30 seconds or so to support Craig as he formed magical purple ornaments with precision. Craig and Jori specialize in decorative and sculptural art-glass handmade in murine mosaic and cane work. I simply love the process, method and giant furnaces that can melt glass at 2,110 Fahrenheit. You, too, can be mesmerized. Craig and Jori welcome the public into their studio during business hours daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m during hot shop sessions to watch the artisan team work their craft.

Call (509) 881-1320 for appointments or stop by Boulder Bend Glassworks in Peshastin, 8210 US Highway 2.

SEEKING... STAGE KIDS IS HIRING:

Stage Kids is currently seeking instructors to run performing arts classes and camps for youth. They are also in need of production staff for youth plays and musicals. Find out more at stagekidswa.org.

CHECK OUT THE FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS AT NCWARTS.ORG

Megan Kappler

Natalie Dotzauer

MARKET SAVVY

BY LINDSAY BREIDENTHAL

We’re heading into the busiest time of year for most artisans. Seasoned, year-round professionals and annual crafters are all hard at work, preparing to entice and delight holiday crowds. If you have ever been a vendor you know how much work it is. I reached out to a few artists with different levels of experience - two ceramic artists, a jeweler, and a stained glass artist - to ask how they choose what shows to participate in, what are some challenges, and their thoughts on supporting artists directly.

Tacoma-based ceramicist and mixed media artist, Joseph Brooks, is a salty dog and continues to participate in a few of the same shows on a monthly and annual basis saying, “Some events are put on by friends or other artists I know or have met through others doing shows over the years. Some events have a long history, like Punk Rock Flea Market in Seattle.” Across the board, the best way to share information about upcoming shows is to maintain those contacts by reaching out to like-minded artists and organizers. When sizing up a new event, Joseph says

that, “…Another big factor for me is how an event presents itself on social media. When organizers start posting mostly about themselves and not the vendors this is a huge red flag for me.” It’s about all of the people who work together to put on a good event. Many factors are in the balance as an artist decides where to put their efforts.

Katelyn Mingo, owner of Gypsy Lotus Jewelry, considers what cities she wants to see among other important factors like the vendor’s fee and travel expenses. Joseph mentioned that he usually caps what he’ll pay for vending fees at around $150 per day which may seem like a lot for one who is just starting out or participating in a first time event.

Michael Caemmerer of Tall Tree Ceramics mentions that finding the right balance between sales and exposure is important. Just one year into the game, Caemmerer is enjoying success in the farmer’s market scene and finds the clientele to be very supportive of small businesses. Finding your people is key, and for most artists, connecting with community is a huge part of what you’re already doing.

Stained glass artist, Lady Luck, attracts a more niche clientele so she finds shows that suit her work, fit the vibe, and take place somewhere she actually wants to visit. Imagine seeking out the environment you would like to be a part of and letting it work for you. Beautiful!

These artists also mentioned challenges inherent in any small business, like determining how much work to make for a particular market or how the weather will influence crowds - persistent uncertainties for any vendor. Aside from the physical demands of hauling your tent, tables, chairs, and wares, Katelyn brought up the simple challenge of leaving your booth for a bathroom break or to get food - if a vendor is by themselves, they might go all day without the basics!

So whether you are interested in vending or love to attend shows, it’s a good time of year to keep an eye out for holiday markets, pop-ups and fundraisers. Reach out to other artists you admire when you’re curious about doing a show, and remember Joseph’s words, “If you want to vend, DO IT! When people tell you how to do it, you don’t have to take their

advice. That’s just what worked for them and their work.”

To my open-ended request for their thoughts on supporting artists directly, these vibrant souls and joy makers had the most heartfelt responses. Not only can you find one-of-a-kind items and bypass mass produced junk, Katelyn points out that, “You are … helping someone live their dream. You make a huge difference in their life and the life of their family.”

Lady Luck matches those sentiments, and raises them, adding that, “…when you support local artists you’re also supporting your own community.” So true in so many ways.

Thanks to contributing artists:

Michael Caemmerer @talltreeceramics

Katelyn Mingo

@gypsy_lotus_jewelry

Lady Luck

@lady.luckstudio

Joseph Brooks @josephbrooksart

Lady Luck

Tall Tree Ceramics

Gypsy Lotus

Joseph Brooks Art

SCAN FOR DIGITAL

INTERACTIVE FIRST FRIDAYS MAP!

FEATURED OPPORTUNITY OF THE MONTH

THE NEA BIG READ PROJECT

The NEA Big Read ProjectApplication deadline December 15

Gallery One and CWU Libraries seeks an artist or artist team experienced in illustration, typography, and/or printmaking to facilitate a community art project and develop an illustration to be used as a map in response to the themes of Ross Gay’s Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Grant and associated programming. Info: gallery-one.org

SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES, SO LITTLE TIME!

FIND MORE AT NCWARTS.ORG

Online map courtesy of the Wenatchee Downtown Association wendowntown.org

First Fridays After Hours @ Class With a Glass! 7-10 pm NEW THIS MONTH! A special after party for First Fridays! The fun doesn’t have to end just because the shops are closing. Get together with artists and art lovers for drinks, conversation and fun. A special thanks to CLASS WITH A GLASS for hosting this inaugural event.

FIRST FRIDAYS ARTS MAP

1. MAC at Wenatchee Community College

“Uncertain Nature: The Sublime in the Contemporary Landscape”, 5-7 pm, Lecture by Patrick Kikut at 6 pm MAC Grove Recital Hall

2. Lemolo Cafe

Len Harm, paintings, open until 8 pm

3. Two Rivers

Marsha Rae Thornton, paintings; music by Amy Albright, 12-8 pm

4. Mela

Allison Lewis, 5-7pm

5. Pan’s Grotto “Art On The Edge”, a group art show

6. Collapse

“A Believable Universe”, Alessandra Piro and Diana Sanford - Opening reception 12-9 pm

7. WVMCC

The Zoo in You, traveling OMSI exhibit free admission, 4-7 pm

8. Pybus Art Alley Guy Miner, music by Darnell Scott