Total Art Licensing

AUGUST 2020

TOTAL Art

Licensing

AUGUST 2020

Welcome to the August edition of Total Art Licensing. Back in March when we were planning our various issues, I think everybody assumed (hoped) that we would have seen the back of the COVID-19 pandemic by now.

Well, how wrong we were.Whilst certain countries do seem to have got on top of the virus and are seeing reduced infections, some are still very much in the first wave. Tradeshows, such as Blueprint and Licensing Expo turned into virtual events and even looking ahead to October, Brand Licensing in London has become a month-long Festival of Licensing.

Clearly, we are not going back to normal as we knew it anytime soon.We all have to get used to the new ways of working.

Zoom,Teams and other facilitators have become all-important as ways of communication and doing business around the world. Art Licensing has been a huge seller on jigsaws, which saw an enormous leap in popularity as the lockdown took hold. New product categories such as facemasks have emerged and whilst many in the art licensing industry already worked from home, it now seems that everybody is set to do just that!

Online retail has increased by leaps and bounds over the last few months and shows no signs of slowing down, even as the lockdown is eased and some stores are tentatively opening their doors.

We are definitely living in strange times. But people are resourceful and business will carry on. It’s just a matter of getting used to the new ‘now’.We hope all our readers have a healthy and happy Summer and we look forward to reconnecting in the next few months – either face to face or, more likely, through our virtual terminals.

Francesca Ash, Co-Publisher

Jerry Wooldridge, Co-Publisher

August 2020 Co-Publisher Francesca Ash francesca@totallicensing.com Co-Publisher Jerry Wooldridge jerry@totallicensing.com Editorial Director Rebecca Ash becky@totallicensing.com Business Development Manager Joanna Cassidy joanna@totallicensing.com

In the Spotlight

Office Manager Helen Bowerman helen@totallicensing.com

Art and Design News................................. 4 JQ Licensing latest....................................... 6

Subscriptions www.totallicensing.com

Howard Robinson update........................ 10 The V&A in South Korea.......................... 18 The World of Little Hoots....................... 20 Licensing the Met....................................... 22

TOTAL LICENSING LTD 4 Wadhurst Business Park Faircrouch Lane, Wadhurst East Sussex TN5 6PT, England Tel: +44 (0) 1892 782220 Fax: +44 (0) 1892 782226 www.totallicensing.com

New Clients for Jewel Branding............. 25 Licensing a 100 Year Old Magazine........ 28 Total Art Galleries...................................... 30

Advertisers Andrea Turk .................................................................... 34 Art House Design ......................................................... 33 Artistic Designs Group ..................................................5 Bentley Licensing ..............................................................9 Business of Licensing .................................................... 27 China Licensing Expo ................................................... 19 Elizabeth Stirling ............................................................ 31 Howard Robinson ...........................................................1 Image by Design ............................................................ 32 JQ Licensing ......................................................................7

Kayomi Harai ................................................................. 34 Leeza Works .................................................................. 30 Lemonade ....................................................................... 36 Licensing International ....................................................2 London Portfolio .......................................................... 32 Margaux & Izzy .............................................................. 30 Total Licensing World .................................................. 17 Wild Apple Licensing .................................................... 33 Zolan Agency ................................................................. 31 List correct at time of going to press.

© 2020 Total Licensing Ltd Total Art Licensing is published twice each year.

All illustrations and images are reproduced by permission of their owners.

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CHRISTOPHER KNIGHT COLLECTION DEBUTS ON HSN America’s favorite middle son, child-star turned entrepreneur and leading home furnishing brand, Christopher Knight, recently announced the debut of Christopher Knight Collection on HSN. Building on the success of his Christopher Knight Home indoor and outdoor furniture line, the new Christopher Knight Collection includes bedding, pillows, throws, plates and dishware as well as wall art and other fashion-forward décor.

HSN will debut quilt and sheet sets manufactured by licensee Melange Home, that will feature an exuberant line of contemporary and retro designs heavily influenced by the 70’s.

“We collaborated with the talented designers at Melange in curating a line of new Americana designs to celebrate HSN’s Birthday in July. Inspired by classic styles from our nation’s past, the line is a retrospective of the American home.” explained Christopher Knight. “My entire history has been a life lesson in the power of fond remembrances.

This line pays homage to nostalgia and the warmth it evokes in all of us.”

Founded by Christopher Knight, the Christopher Knight Collection branded products help inspire people to “create a life you love” by providing products that adhere to the three pillars that make all people happy - quality, value and

style. Popular and trusted, Christopher Knight branded products have sold over $750 million in home goods over the past 5 years.

The Christopher Knight/Melange partnership was created by The Brand Liaison, the exclusive licensing agent for Christopher Knight Collec-

tion. Christopher Knight Collection licensing includes, bedding, table-top and wall art. Building on Christopher’s passion for home décor, The Brand Liaison continues to seek additional licensing partners in Home Goods, Home Décor, Soft Lines, Kitchen and Garden.

BRITAIN’S RHS RAISING MONEY FOR THE NHS WITH A BENCH DESIGN The UK’s Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) licensee Sitting Spiritually, a maker of bespoke wooden garden swing seats, rockabyes, rope swings, garden benches, tree swings and pergolas, has announced a one-off design to commemorate the NHS. The Rainbow Bench, so-called because of the way the woods used in its design create a natural rainbow on the back of the seat, will be raf-

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fled through the Just Giving site to raise funds for Dorset County Hospital.

The rainbow colours on the bench are achieved by the careful choice of woods in the bench’s design. The woods – including oak, chestnut, western red cedar, iroko, utile and walnut – offer a natural variation in their hue. Over time, they will fade to a silver colour, whose arrival, Sitting Spiritually says, is timed to coincide with the predicted introduction of a Covid-19 vaccine.

The winner will be drawn by a front-line nurse working at Dorset County Hospital on the 5th of August. Sitting Spiritually will share a video of the draw online.

The Rainbow Bench will be delivered and assembled for the winner. In order to ensure timely delivery, the raffle is open only to households

in mainland United Kingdom.

Sitting Spiritually, the only swing seat and bench maker licensed by the RHS, has been making bespoke wooden garden swing seats, pergolas, garden benches and rope swings for a highly discerning customer base for over 15 years.

Its exclusive seats can be found in the gardens of Michelin Star restaurants and A-list celebrities throughout the country, and, of course, in a number of RHS gardens.

Martin Young, founder, Sitting Spiritually, says: “The NHS has supported the country at a difficult time and, while we can never thank NHS staff enough, we hope this gesture will help to underline the gratitude we all feel. To everyone at Dorset County Hospital, we’d like to say one more great big thank you!”

Cathy Snow, Licensing Manager, RHS, also commented,“We are delighted to be associated with a company that both enhances British gardens and uses its creative skills to salute an institution that is doing so much to support the nation at a challenging time.We’re grateful to Sitting Spiritually for this unique gesture.”

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NEW BOOK FROM AMY FRAZER Artist Amy Frazer has a new upoming book published by Walter Foster, entitled Art Makers: Empowered Embroidery. The book is currently available for pre-sale and will launch in March next year.

The book features sketching and illustration instructions, basic stitches, embroidery techniques, and projects with portraits of famous women. The Art Makers series is designed for beginning artists and artsand-crafts enthusiasts who are interested in experiencing a fun hands-on medium.

Beginner embroiderers can start with the basic stitches and embroidery instructions at the beginning of the book. Essential tools, warm-up exercises, tips for embroidering facial features and hair, and general information on embroidery will give readers the know-how they need to get started. Then the more advanced can dive into sketching their favorite female cultural and historical icons, including Michelle Obama, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Frida Kahlo, Eleanor Roosevelt and Maya Angelou.

Once readers have sketched their figures, there are step-by-step embroidery projects as readers learn to stitch the women featured in the book.

All of the projects are beautifully paired with large photos so that readers can easily mimic the techniques at home while relaxing with their embroidery.

Amy L. Frazer is a Portland, Oregon–based illustrator, designer, and embroiderer uniquely suited to give instruction on this fun, trending

embroidery technique. After studying art and illustration at the Columbus College of Art & Design, Amy worked as product designer. She left the corporate world in 2015 and now teaches art workshops in addition to working with a variety of clients.

LISA FRANK’S FRIENDS In a nostalgic collaboration, Lisa Frank has partnered with Warner Bros. to bring fans a Friendsthemed collection. The limited-edition apparel collection includes a T-shirt featuring an iconic photo of Rachel and Ross — real fans will remember the scene right before Rachel finds the list — complete with Lisa Frank’s colourful doodles and graphics, as well as sweatpants covered in similar illustrations.

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EMERGING FROM THE WORLD OF LOCKDOWN Now we are emerging from the strange world of lockdown, Gillian Stirling, owner and Head Designer of Elizabeth Stirling Designs, has begun to reflect on the opportunities that a new way of working has afforded her team. The business,

located in rural Leicestershire in the UK, has always prided itself on its global reach and international clientele and, like everyone, was initially concerned that the pandemic would have an

adverse effect on its core business; yet, counterintuitively, as the world shrank within four walls so the business’s scope expanded and new connections were forged. A great part of this was because of Gillian’s skill and willingness to work digitally and virtually; combined with the studio’s vast experience in large markets - particularly the US - and its excellent reputation, this has proven to be a fruitful time.

Among other avenues explored, the team has been conducting zoom presentations and meetings with clients throughout the world, something that until the pandemic they hadn’t much experience of but that has now become a vital part of the business.

It has allowed the studio to reconnect with customers that they hadn’t seen in a while and has brough fresh opportunities that will hopefully continue to widen the scope of their business in the future. Elizabeth Stirling Designs will be showing their collection at the next Blueprint 22nd-24th September.

LONDON PORTFOLIO

London Portfolio continues to be present for customers and their needs during the industry changes due to the pandemic. Despite the cancellation of the spring print shows, they are always available to meet via zoom at a client’s convenience.

They are still focused on creating new designs for current and future trends and remain hopeful. They recently saw customers at the virtual Blueprint show which was held July 28th-30th and are looking forward to seeing everybody again as soon as possible !

FOR UP TO DATE LICENSING NEWS VISIT www.totallicensing.com

CRAYOLA’S ONLINE IMAGINE ARTS ACADEMY Crayola launched online programming for Crayola Imagine Arts Academy aimed at inspiring children with art experiences that broaden their creative horizons.

While these programs are typically offered inschool, at camp or via birthday parties, Crayola’s programming is now offered online to provide families learning opportunities while

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schools are closed across North America. As part of the program, children aged five to 12 can virtually interact with instructors who guide them as they use Crayola art materials.

“Our brand has always encouraged children to explore the colorful possibilities and with this online programming we’re now able to guide them through the journey, and help out parents

at the same time,” says Warren Schorr, vice president, business development and global licensing, Crayola. “During this time of rapid change and uncertainty, parents and children can count on art as a creative and emotional outlet.”

Children will learn about the world around them in three programs, each offering various classes including World of Design which provides children a chance to discover design careers from animation to architecture. Other classes include Artist’s Passport which highlights a global adventure and Wild World which examines the art of animal conservation.

“We are thrilled to be able to continue offering our programming virtually during these challenging times, to help parents as they try to manage wearing many hats, including that of a teacher,” says Shafik Mina, president and chief operating officer, 2inspire, the parent company of Crayola Imagine Arts Academy. “Our art classes provide children with the perfect outlet to express themselves creatively during these unprecedented times, while also teaching them empathy for the world around them.”

In addition, Crayola launched a number of licensing agreements to help families during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a line of masks.

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SMITHSONIAN LICENSING PROGRAM Lisa Marks Associates has recently been appointed by the Smithsonian Institution to develop a consumer products program covering the key food and beverage and health and beauty categories. This licensing Then program will reflect the Smithsonian’s celebration of culture, heritage and the beauty of the natural world and will parallel current macro trends in the market.

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum and research education complex, comprising 19 museums and galleries of art and culture, the National Zoo, and multiple research facilities. For over 170 years, the Smithsonian has been dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, discovery, learning, and storytelling, providing multiple lenses through which to explore the human experience. A portion of the proceeds from every Smithsonian licensed product goes to support the Smithsonian’s educational mission. The food and beverage program will fo-

cus on healthy foods, meals and dining concepts that adhere to principles of sustainable and ethical food sourcing, social responsibility, and environmentally friendly production and packaging.

Products in the health and beauty category will take inspiration from Smithsonian’s collections, for example, the rich, striking colors of gems, geodes and minerals of the natural world.

“The Smithsonian Institution is in a category by itself, and we are thrilled to work with this world class organization,” said Lisa Marks, President of LMA. “LMA is committed to sharing the Smithsonian’s vision by developing meaningful long-term, strategic partnerships that will amplify the well-established values of the Smithsonian in the core Food and Personal Care sectors.”

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NATURE’S INSPIRATIONS AWAKEN THE DESIRES …

Art with a sense of purpose, originality, and creativity takes on more importance in our evolving world to inspire beauty and awareness to life, to home and to social projects supporting our planet.

Zolan Agency’s newest Design Partner, YU.ME Design and Development, brings a vibrant, crisp, fresh look to the world of Nature and Floral design at a time when people are seeking beauty, inspiration, happiness and comfort.

YU.ME was founded in Florence, Italy in 2016 by two visionary women in a small studio on the Arno River. With 20 years experience in art, fashion, product design and product development, the Artists decided to create and design their own brand, YU.ME, which in Japanese means to dream (YUME).

Inspired by the rich tradition of Italian art and design, the hand painted watercolors take us to dreamlike places where nature’s beauty expands in its simplest form through the brushstrokes

of Florentine artist,Valentina, connecting people back to nature and all its wonder.

What makes a YU.ME brand unique and original is its rich experience of Italian design heritage combined with its extensive knowledge in product design and contemporary styling.

YU.ME with its nature focused designs and design philosophy of living in harmony with the planet delicately blends the colors of nature’s palette into amazing patterns and designs licensable for most product categories including children’s books.

New licenses for YU.ME include back to school, apparel, diaries, garden journals, pop sockets, and cards. Licensing opportunities are available in all categories.

For licensing inquiries and projects to support social causes, please contact, Jennifer Zolan, Zolan Licensing Agency at +1.203.300.3290 (USA) or +39 366 2317118 (Italy). @zolanagency. www.zolanagency.com

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MARGAUX & IZZY

Margaux & Izzy, creates stunning surface and textile collections for home decor, apparel and stationery/gift markets. Owner and artist, Liz O’Brien, sells, licenses and welcomes commissions. Her versatile style has developed over time and Liz works in both acrylic painting as well as beautiful lush watercolor. With over 28 years of experience in the creative industry as an art director and product developer, Liz has sold successful designs for manufacturers selling to clients such as Pier One, Target, Macy’s, TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Joann Fabrics, American Girl, Nordstrom, Bed Bath & Beyond and Indigo Stores as well as designing products for boutique lines such as Papyrus, Mara-Mi and Vivian Claire.

Areas of expertise include: product ideation, product development, surface design, illustration, painting, pattern development, packaging, trend/mood board creation, and presentation.

Liz expresses her passion for print and pattern creating fun and fresh designs in her studio at home in Minnesota.

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CREATIVITY IN A TIME OF UNPREDICTABILITY Are you looking for tidbits of positivity in this chaotic time? Right now, people are starting to listen to one another and act - that alone right there is encouraging.

But there is more to it, chaos and unpredictability have often proceeded incredibly creative periods.

Coming out of WWI and the Spanish Flu Pandemic, we saw the emergence of Surrealism and the Dada movement.

After WWII we saw Abstract Expressionism take off. Here in the U.S. during the late sixties and early seventies saw a period of unrest including the anti-war protests, the Hippy antiestablishment culture and the growth of the women’s movement.

Following that we see the introduction of the contemporary art genre and postmodernism, not to mention some great music. What awaits us as we grow through this both individually and collectively?

Okay, so let’s look at this thought on a more practical level. In a survey by Brandar Consulting released this week, 2019 showed sales of licensed art products up 4.9%.

After being cooped up in our homes for such a long period of time, I believe that we will see two extreme reactions from consumers. The first group is going to come out of this time looking for a bit of nostalgia and comfort – or even just a bit of humor.

The second is going to come out ready to change everything about those four walls that they have been staring at for months. Art licensing has been successfully navigating both types of consumers for years and we are uniquely

prepared to provide the images that will resonate. We also need to consider that a number of brick and mortar retailers will be sitting with a large amount of inventory on their shelves.

We don’t want to ignore this, nor does it have to stagnate sales for years to come. What can we introduce now to compliment that inventory and give it a new kick of excitement?

You can already see the ADG artists responding to these coming trends. The colors are brighter than they have been in recent years, there Is a bit more humor. They are focusing on all of those new gardeners, cooks, builders and DIYers that have been using their own creativity during this period. They would love to work with others to navigate the upcoming needs and trends.

Until they can see you face to face, those interested can schedule a virtual meeting to discuss their needs and see what is available. Drop ADG a line at info@Artsdg.com, or visit their website - www.artsdg.com - or call 410-923-3786.

JIGSAW PUZZLES AND CRAFTS FROM PORTERFIELD’S Porterfield’s Fine Art Licensing is riding the giant wave of consumer demand for jigsaw puzzles and crafts, and has recently expanded its art offerings as a result.

One major addition to Porterfield’s roster is artist Peggy Davis, who is well-known for her fine art wall décor, including prints and canvasses, and has now expanded into licensing. Her initial art licensing launch has been very successful and her beautiful fantasy gardens and forest images, as well as seasonal, beach and Christmas images are creating a stir.

Porterfield’s Fine Art Licensing is an international art licensing agency that represents commercial and fine artists in the licensing field today.

Porterfield’s was established in 1995 and over the years has grown to become one of North America’s foremost art licensing agencies, with over 35 artist and more than 3000 pieces of compelling artwork.

Their focus has ranged from home decor and accessories, kitchen and tabletop products, dining room decor products, fabric and apparel to giftware, cards, stationery, all types of paper products, quilting and bolt fabrics, puzzles and toys, and a host of unique and compelling products made even more attractive by the use of artwork licensed from Porterfield’s artists.

TOP DRAWER EVENT GOES VIRTUAL This year’s edition of the UK lifestyle trade show, Top Drawer will be held virtually. Top Drawer’s new digital platform will offer the show’s community new opportunities to network and expand trade. The September programme will provide both UK-based and international buyers easy access to exciting product launches, expert advice, inspiring case studies, next season trends, and much more.

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WILD APPLE SIGN TWO NEW ARTISTS Wild Apple Graphics is proud to announce they have signed artists Nancy Green and Megan Gallagher to create new art collections for global audiences.

“We are pleased to have signed Nancy Green and Megan Gallagher,” says John Chester, coowner of Wild Apple. “Their incredible art and creativity are an invaluable addition to our market offerings.” Wild Apple has released new art from both artists, available for both wall decor and art licensing.

As the daughter and granddaughter of Boston interior decorators, Nancy Green grew up imagining that a matching set of luggage looked

like a pair of rope-handled textile sample bags

- overflowing with vibrant brocades.

She followed her love of the decorative arts to become a surface pattern designer. Nancy’s designs draw upon the exotic and whimsical, inspired by Mexican textiles, Iznik pottery, or Japanese Shibori. She earned her stripes (and polka dots too) creating dinnerware collections for retailers the world over. Nancy currently lives and works in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Megan Gallagher grew up in a Victorian house under constant renovation in the mountains of Utah. Her mother nurtured her creative endeavors, and after her death from Alzheimer’s Disease, remains an inspiration for Megan’s art and the namesake for her shop, Modern Lily. Megan studied interior design, art and printmaking, before establishing herself as an artist/designer living in Kansas City, Missouri.

She’s an avid gardener and draws most of her inspiration from the plants. She sells her art and plant-related wares from her shop. She primarily makes digital art and acrylic paintings but she’s also passionate about watercolor, printmaking and being a

maker of any kind. She and her husband enjoy the outdoors with their dog Bowie.

Working with incredible artists from around the world, Wild Apple creates on-trend, traditional and style-forward art, design and patterns for wall and home decor collections worldwide.

Wild Apple offers a wide variety of market-current themes and styles, and our dedicated sales team works with each customer to ensure the art our customers need is the art they get.

To find out more about Wild Apple visit www. wildapple.com

THOMAS KINKADE STUDIOS GROW PROGRAM Thomas Kinkade Studios licensed products can be found in a variety of more than 16,000 retail locations such as mass, grocery, drug, book, toy, specialty, craft, gift and stationary stores in the United States alone. Through their longstanding licensing partnerships, they develop a wide assortment of products embellished with the art of Thomas Kinkade and Thomas Kinkade Studios.

The Thomas Kinkade Studios brand has excellent recognition in the United States and further opportunities internationally will drive growth. Their well known images depict gardens, cottages, estates, cityscapes, plein airs, holiday scenery, and commemorative American landmarks. Thomas Kinkade Studio continues in the path that Thomas Kinkade himself started and developed. Thomas Kinkade Studio Artists paint in the true Thomas Kinkade style with great attention to detail and an overwhelming appreciation of the way a picture can tell a great story.

Key partners include Andrews McMeel Publishing who are launching a 2021 Monthly

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Pocket Planner featuring the Disney Dreams Collection by Thomas Kinkade Studios. Further partners include Bradford Exchange, Ceaco, D Parks & Associates who have represented Thomas Kinkade’s art for more than 18 years, Hallmark Cards and Lionel.

In up to date news, Thomas Kinkade Studios is

currently touring select Costco stores across the United States. They will be showcasing a variety of artwork in popular formats, including gallery-wrapped canvases, framed prints, wall murals, and more. Art from the Disney Dreams Collection by Thomas Kinkade Studios is also now available.

Do you want to know who handles a specific brand?

Do you want to find new licensees for your art?

Do you need a lawyer, accountant or agent?

Look no further...

All of these, and much more can be found at Total Licensing World - the go-to, interactive, comprehensive directory for all things licensing

Subscribe today: www.totallicensingworld.com

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THE V&A FORGES AHEAD IN SOUTH KOREA

The V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum) has recently announced an exciting new five-year partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Korea, enabling additions to its collections and redevelopment of the museum’s Korean Gallery as well as supporting an expansion in future programming dedicated to contemporary Korean culture.

This initiative enables the V&A to celebrate the diversity of its collections and introduce new audiences to Korean cultural history.

The V&A licensing programme has been operating in South Korea since 2015.

Working with its exclusive agent in Korea,

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Infiniss, the V&A has increased licensing and retail collaborations throughout the territory. They have licensees in apparel, accessories, bedding and electronics, and are looking to build further core product categories such as home interiors, homeware, jewellery, cosmetics and stationery.

South Korean licensee LIDC launched their first collaboration with the V&A in summer 2019 with a range of womenswear and accessories, including dresses, pants, a selection of shopper bags and pouches, as well as a line of eco-friendly hair accessories produced from excess production material. Following that success, LIDC are set to release an expanded V&A apparel range this summer, to include menswear and swimwear, all featuring a ‘Cool & Comfort’ technical fabric perfect for the humid South Korean summer climate.

As the V&A’s vast archives allow for multiple developments in single categories the museum launched a debut collection with premium South Korean womenswear brand Michaa, for summer 2020.

Inspired by the designs of well-known British potter and novelist William De Morgan, who made original works in the field of decorative tiles in the 19th century, the range includes beautiful floral dresses, shirts, skirts, trousers, t-shirts and draped-style blouses. The collection is available in Michaa stores, online and in five pop-ups in upscale department stores in Seoul, Seongnam, Busan and Daegu, with a further collection due to be launched in Autumn this year.

The museum continues its long-standing collaboration with Samsung.

The V&A has over 20 artworks on Samsung’s The Art Store for The Frame TV – a clever concept of being a ‘TV when it’s on, art when it’s off’.

From classic wallpaper patterns of the celebrated British Arts and Crafts movement, to dramatic Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints, users can enhance their surroundings with

a digital display of V&A images that are the perfect mix of art and history.

The Samsung newsroom has launched a threepart series exploring how collections are created, how The Frame helps talented artists expand their reach, and the museum’s role in introducing incredible works of art to users’ living rooms, featuring an interview with Amelia Calver, the V&A’s Brand Licensing Research and Development Manager.

Further activity over the summer includes the addition of new artworks to the store and a dedicated partner page on the website, giving users more in-depth information on the museum, its artworks and exhibitions.

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If you’ve never heard of LittleHoots… get ready to smile.

The LittleHoots memory-keeping app has helped families worldwide capture over half a million quotes, conversations and stories with their children.

It’s the largest database of quotes from young children on the planet! Parents love it because the Creation Engine™ instantly styles and saves memories. Everyone else loves it because the wit-and-wisdom of pint-sized perspective is good for the soul. These little gems are profound, honest and unexpected… we couldn’t make them up if we tried!

LittleHoots is currently looking to work with licensees who need these gems of joy to light up their products.

For information, contact Lacey Ellis, Founder at lacey.ellis@littlehoots.com.

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Here, we speak to Victoria Whellans, Group Brands, Director at WildBrain CPLG Lifestyle; Linda Morgenstern, VP, Brand Management at Beanstalk; and Lisa Silverman Meyers, Head of Licensing and Partnerships at the Met, on why now is the perfect time to launch this extensive brand program

Victoria Whellans, Group Brands Director at WildBrain CPLG Lifestyle Which areas of the globe will WildBrain CPLG be looking after? How well known is The Met in some of these countries?

WildBrain CPLG is the exclusive licensing agent for The Met across the UK, EMEA and Russia.

The Met is one of the most famous museums in the world and the brand enjoys very strong international awareness. Each year, people travel from around the world to visit The Met and view the many iconic masterpieces housed within its walls, by artists such as Van Gogh, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Rembrandt, Monet and Pollock, to name just a few.

In 2018, a third of The Met’s visitors were from outside of the US, with visitors from France, Spain and Italy being in the top five of these countries. I think anyone who has visited New York from overseas, especially those who have an interest in art or history, is likely to have visited The Met, or at the very least walked past the iconic location of its main building situated alongside Central Park.

Having been widely used as a film location, The Met is also very familiar to many through its frequent appearances in movies, and of course there’s the famous Costume Institute and the Met Gala which every year receives widespread global publicity.

Traffic to The Met’s website also shows a large number of visitors from key European markets, including the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.

What kind of partners are you looking for and in which categories?

Homewares will be a key category – bedding, trade textiles, tabletop, room décor – in addi-

tion to gifting; apparel, including halo-fashion and brand collaborations; and stationery and paper goods. And eventually we’ll extend into accessories, health and beauty, and toys and activities.

There will be short term opportunities such as sustainable fast fashion collections with accessible price points while also maintaining good quality and design, alongside longer-term brand building products with a mix of accessible and premium price points.

We will also be looking for partners that have a commitment to environmental responsibility to reflect The Met’s commitment to promoting sustainable practices.

Across the programme though, we want to create a merchandise offering that targets not just museum enthusiasts, but also a broad pool of families and millennials so we can engage and educate a diverse audience.

You will have a treasure trove of pieces to work with – how do you choose which parts of the museum will form the licensing program to start with?

The Met collection is vast – it includes paintings, artefacts, sculptures, drawings, decorative objects, ceramics, silver, textiles, jewellery and more – so this is a very nice challenge to have and a fantastic opportunity! We have been working closely with the team at The Met who have highlighted many iconic masterpieces, artefacts and some lesser known works from their collection that we’re really excited to utilise within the licensing programme.

There won’t be style guides in the traditional sense, as the programme will be very trend led.

We will work closely with the team at The Met to review trends and create mood boards using assets from the collection to work into these.

Victoria Whelans

Linda Morgenstern

Lisa Silverman Meyers

Two of the biggest licensing agencies in the world have signed to represent The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in several territories across the globe.

WildBrain CPLG for the UK, EMEA & Russia, and Beanstalk for the US & Japan are gearing up for what looks to be an incredible global licensing program.

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In the first year, our focus will be showcasing the breadth of The Met’s collection by utilising assets from a cross-section of its 17 curatorial departments, while combining this with the energy of New York and the museum’s mission to inspire and educate. We will also have the ability to work with licensees to create bespoke ranges for retail utilising assets that are grouped together into themes, such as time periods, artistic movements, motifs or geographic locations.

How will you maintain and expand the brand ethos of The Met? The licensing programme will aim to bring art and culture into people’s lives and homes and educate consumers about the art, people and beliefs behind The Met’s iconic collections.

We’re looking for partners who have the ability and passion to tell a story and can translate The Met attributes and its assets into creative product ranges that align with The Met’s mission to inspire and educate.

Linda Morgenstern, VP, Brand Management at Beanstalk Why do you think the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) has chosen Beanstalk as its partner in the US? From our first meeting, Beanstalk was very passionate about The Met as the most dynamic and inspiring art museum in the world and its mission to expand access to its unparalleled collection and educate visitors about 5,000 years of history and culture through art. Having built an award-winning licensing program for the Andy Warhol Foundation, we demonstrated a creative vision for what’s possible and a strategic plan to execute on that vision.

Given the iconic nature of the institution, is there any particular reason for the timing of driving the licensing program forward?

The Met is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. As The Met looks to the future, it is an excellent opportunity to expand its product footprint, globally. As The Met was founded on the principle of making art accessible to a broad range of audiences and celebrating cultures from around the globe, the time is now for The Met. Tell us about the kind of partners you will seek.

Beanstalk will be inviting best-in-class licensees who have experience interpreting a world renowned brand such as The Met to take part in the program. There is so much storytelling that accompanies the art, so we’ll choose partners that share our passion for The Met and its mission of making art accessible to and resonate with all audiences.

Bashi-Bazouk, 1868-69. Jean-Léon Gérôme.

Gift of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 2008 And are there any areas of particular interest for licensing?

The Met program will be built upon three pillars – home décor, social expressions and gifting, and beauty and apparel.

You will also be looking after Japan – Asian countries have a long history of interest in Western cultural institutions. What plans are there in this country?

Japanese consumers are among the most sophisticated in the world with a design aesthetic that is often cutting-edge, taking a fresh, fashion forward approach in how artworks are applied to product. We will work with partners to ensure that the stories and translations are relevant and appealing to the Japanese consumer.

We are confident The Met-branded product will do exceedingly well in this market.

How will you go about choosing which pieces of art, etc, will form the core licensing program?

Working closely with the team at The Met, our program development will be categorized by theme and across 17 curatorial departments.

For example, The Met’s Arms & Armor is the

best in the world and makes for an endlessly fascinating design inspiration. Additionally, seasonal themes like botanicals, beasts, fauna, fantastic voyages, and a myriad of textile and other decorative designs come through all areas of The Met’s collections.

And tell us how you plan to maintain and yet expand on the brand ethos of The Met? The Met has presented and highlighted cultures from around the world for the past 150 years.

We intend to choose best-in-class licensees that will reflect the quality and unique perspective, offering the specialness the institution has always stood for.

Lisa Silverman Meyers, Head of Licensing and Partnerships at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Can we have a history of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 by a group of Americans – businessmen and financiers as well as leading artists and thinkers of the day – who wanted to create a museum to bring art and art education to the

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American people. Over the past 150 years it has grown and deepened its collection and mission to present works of art spanning 5,000 years to people from all over the world.

Since its founding,The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art has come alive in the Museum’s galleries, through its exhibitions and events, and through its digital programs, which reveal new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures. World-renowned for its seventeen curatorial departments including its collections of European Paintings, Greek and Roman art, Egyptian art, and the Costume Institute; it houses world-class collections of Ancient Near East, Islamic, South American, African, and Medieval art, as well as decorative arts, textiles, musical instruments, and much more.

As a result, The Met is one of the most visited and well-known museums on the planet. In 2019, The Met welcomed over 7 million visitors and has more than 10 million followers on social media.

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The Met it is an iconic institution – why now in particular to drive the licensing program forward?

We feel strongly that a global licensing program amplifies and supports the Museum’s mission to inspire and educate through sharing the stories of its more than 1.5 million works of art.

At this moment, there is a hunger for beauty, for resonance, for meaning and for stories that foster connection and understanding. This is equally true in the licensing space, as consumers in the new normal give deeper thought to their purchases and buying decisions. With the help of our licensing partners and curatorial staff, we are uniquely positioned to bring art to the everyday, educating consumers and inspiring future generations.

Are there any areas and categories of particular interest for glonal licensing?

The Met branded licensed products are inspired by its diverse collections, cultures, and beautiful stories. While we are excited to work across all categories, we are particularly excited to work with sustainable and diverse partners in the trade, home and gift category. We also love

the idea of bringing beauty into everyday living through consumer packaged goods, personal goods, and social expressions. Additionally, we believe there is immense opportunity in the kids space for educational toys and publishing that we are excited to explore.

Where do you begin when choosing works to use?

It is simultaneously thrilling and daunting! With 1.5 million works, it can be overwhelming to create collections for licensing within our 17 curatorial departments. Beyond the iconic collections that The Met is known for, we work closely with our partners to create collections that are aesthetically appealing and on-trend. Every object in our collection has a story, and we look for artworks that tell compelling cross-cultural stories that resonate with consumers. It is our goal to raise awareness of lesser-known works while also celebrating fan favorites, in hopes to broaden knowledge about the spectrum of human creativity showcased within The Met. It is the biggest thrill of my life to be surrounded with these works and to work with the talented staff of the museum.

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Licensing

NEW CLIENTS FOR JEWEL BRANDING Jewel Branding & Licensing (JBL) has announced recently signed clients and has introduced new licensing partnerships with their roster of design-based brands.

JBL has quickly adapted to the changing retail climate as Covid-19 accelerated the shift to a predominantly digital marketplace. During the pandemic, consumers are spending more time at home and are looking for affordable ways to spruce up their living space. JBL’s partnerships with print-on-demand companies including iCanvas, Art.com, Circle Graphics and American Flat have had success with wall art featuring works from JBL’s extensive portfolio of talented artists and designers.

The CatCoq program with York Wallcoverings has flourished with their fresh new line of trend-driven peel and stick wallpaper. Consumers are also looking to purchase activity-based

products they can enjoy at home with increased demand in puzzles, coloring books, paint by number and diamond painting. JBL recently signed a deal with craft kit company, Diamond Dotz, to create art kits with intricate designs by Nikki Chu, Sara B. and Sally Eckman Roberts. A new program of adult coloring books recently launched with publishing company Better Day Books, featuring the works of designers Sara B., Pen + Paint, and Car Pintos. In addition, JBL’s creative services division has received more requests to help with product design and trend projects for businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic.

Over the past 6 months, JBL has added several new clients to their roster including lifestyle fashion brands American Leather Co. and Aimee Kestenberg, which they’ll expand into ap-

parel, accessories and home.

Additionally Iconix has appointed JBL to extend its health and wellness women’s lifestyle brand, Danskin, into home categories.

The House of Turnowsky has signed with JBL to further expand their licensing program in North America. JBL has recently signed ecologically sustainable lifestyle brands, The National Wildlife Federation and Kathryn Beals. JBL has already secured a licensing deal with home textiles manufacturer, Britannica Home Fashions, with other new licensees in the works for a collection of NWF home products.

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) continues to flourish with their second collaboration with Tea Forte -- a collection of tea inspired by the fruits and flowers at the garden. JBL client, Plum Pretty Sugar, the west coast lifestyle and beloved bridal brand, partnered with Blue Sky to introduce a collection of planners, calendars and planning accessories now available at Staples. Finnish heritage brand, Finlayson, has partnered with York Wallcoverings for peel and stick wallpaper with Scandinavian designs. Rachael Hale, known for the world’s most lovable animals, has signed Vernier for watches and Graphics and More for print-on-demand gifts.

Collier Campbell, the London based design house, continues to expand in the home including the launch of a 2 pack pillow set now available at Costco. Additional categories include fashion bedding, kitchen textiles and stationery.

Southern comfort lifestyle brand, Heirloomed, recently partnered with Shanghai Direct for a collection of home textiles including quilts and throws now available at retailers including Stein Mart and Country Door Catolog. JBL continues to broker deals for highly sought after interior design brands, Stacy Garcia and Nikki Chu. Jaipur Living has had a very successful collaboration with Nikki Chu, with their latest launch of globally-inspired rugs handmade in India. Interior designer Stacy Garcia has two new deals with Klaussner Home Furnishings and IMAX

Home for furniture and home décor collections.

JBL’s top art influencer brands have been enjoying grest success. Fashion illustrator, Rongrong DeVoe, collaborated with Me & My Big Ideas for an extensive and wildly popular line of planners, stationery, stickers and inserts available at JOANN’s, Michaels and Hobby Lobby.Additional partners including Prima, Certified International and Sino Gifts have extended Rongrong into drinkware, home décor and gifts sold at craft and off-price channels. Bouffants & Broken Hearts (BBH), known for the bold, quirky designs of artist Kenda Dandy, continues to gain global attention with collaborations with licensees all around the world. Wall art manufacturer, Uniek, has launched a line featured thorugh Homegoods retail locations. Sun-Yin has expanded their collection of BBH pillows to bedding and other home textiles.

Back-to-school continues to be a hot category for the brand as many new partners have signed deals throughout Europe including Vadobag, Stationery Team Europe, Bagtrotter, Positiv Trade, Paso and Vivat.

BBH has also expanded through Asia with makeup, gift and accessory collections with Mercci, Tonymoly and Francfranc. Australian partner Albi renewed their partnership with Bouffants & Broken Hearts, releasing a tropically inspired collection of tabletop, home décor and gift items. Both Rongrong and BBH have partnered with Fit + Fresh to introduce adorable lunch kits and bags with products debuting at popular retailers including TJMaxx and Homegoods. EttaVee, by art influencer Jessi Raulet, known for her vibrant designs with splashes of color, will launch a wide range of products thanks to new partnerships with Tervis for drinkware, Lang for stationery and gift and Conimar for tableware.

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Licensing

MHS TAKE ON NEW ARTISTS MHS Licensing & Consulting is representing the lovable new fashion brand Fine Frenchie. Russian born artist, fashion designer and creative entrepreneur,Valeria Krasavina is the creator of Fine Frenchie, a French bulldog character who has a love for all things super glamorous.

Launched in 2018, Fine Frenchie exudes a lighthearted fashionista vibe through its French bulldog character; an influencer, blogger, and world traveler, who loves to travel in style. Fine Frenchie is an animal rights activist and a wom-

Leanin’ Tree will be introducing a line of Fine Frenchie greeting cards in early 2021.With the brand’s popularity on social media and the worldwide success of limited-edition prints, the brand offers a great chance for licensees to leverage the existing awareness. Valeria’s witty portfolio is available for licensing on fabric, home textiles, bath ensembles, stationery, wall décor, totes, giftables and more.

Fine Frenchie is Valeria`s personal outlet for creativity and a platform to encourage oth-

en’s rights advocate, carrying a strong inspirational message.

“We are thrilled to be working with Valeria on this whimsical and engaging brand.” says Marty Segelbaum, President of MHS Licensing & Consulting. “Fine Frenchie connects so well with its

ers to never give up and to always believe in themselves. Valeria has her own gallery space in the heart of Miami where she lives with her two adorable French bulldogs that serve as her main inspiration.

On a different note, MHS Licensing & Consulting has announced a partnership with artist Terrence Fogarty. “Terrence has a rare gift for capturing the nostalgia of youth and amateur sports on canvas in incredible detail. Considering our current sports-starved environment, sharing his work through licensing comes at a very opportune time. Puzzles, greeting cards, calendars, fabric and more are all appropriate categories for his art,” says Marty Segelbaum, Fogarty grew up in St. Paul, MN attending sporting events with his father, creating memories that would inform his future commission work on a regional and national level.

His unique ability to connect with the emotional attachment to sports is his hallmark.

The artist is often commissioned by professional and collegiate athletes and organizations to create commemorative paintings. More recently Fogarty’s work has ranged beyond sports to include aviation and vintage train artwork.

target audience of women, 16 to 60, and we feel there is huge licensing potential in a host of merchandise categories. We can spread the positive message through quality products from targeted licensees.“

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ITALIAN AGENT FOR SPACE ARCHIVES Italian agent Maurizio Distefano has recently announced that he is actively licensing the International Space Archives (ISA) in Italy. International Space Archives (ISA) is a digital library containing the best of the incredible imagery created by our planet’s exploration of the universe Over the past fifty years, manned and unmanned space programmes in the United States and other countries have amassed a huge amount of still and motion photography which is unique in its scope and splendour. For the first time ever, the International Space Archives is bringing together the best of this still and video imagery into one comprehensive collection which is available for licensing worldwide through LMI Ltd, and now in Italy through MDL. The Mission Patches, photos, films and video contained in the archive come from a variety of sources including NASA (the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and the international space programs of Russia, Japan, China, India and the European Union.

Maurizio Distefano, MDL president, says: “This is a unique opportunity for new potential licensees to bring on their products the iconic images of ISA. This property has the strength to be suitable for all product categories and to be an unmissable new-entry in the Italian licensing market”.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Do you want to know how to write a licensing contract? or how to figure out what royalties you should charge?

These and many other questions are all in The Business of Licensing - a book written by licensing experts aimed at everybody from beginners to experienced licensing executives.

For more information, visit www.totallicensingworld.com/site/ business_of_licensing

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Licensing

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE LICENSING PROGRAM FROM A 200 YEAR OLD MAGAZINE

By Cris Piquinela, Director of Licensing at Curtis Licensing The name The Saturday Evening Post usually conjures images of classic Americana. Idyllic small town images, happy families enjoying the simple and worriless life, the glowing expectant faces of children waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve and of course, there is Norman Rockwell.

No other artist has ever been more celebrated for his sentimental, and often humorous portrayals of American life than Rockwell.

Whether you grew up reading The Saturday Evening Post or are completely unfamiliar with Norman Rockwell, when presented with the classic illustrations that made the magazine famous, most people feel a clear connection to them. But how do you translate that to a viable, sustainable licensing program?

When I joined SEP, the bulk of the licensing agreements were driven by the Norman Rockwell covers. While there were also a good number of licensees that utilized covers by other artists such as J.C. Leyendecker, Stevan Dohanos and John Falter, the offerings were heavily skewed towards Norman Rockwell, and with good reason.The man is a legend when it comes to illustration. His original works are routinely sold at auction for millions of dollars, his covers are recognized all over the world and he has generated images that are often imitated by

4, 1821. As reference, James Monroe was the president of the United States at the time and that was the same year that Napoleon died!

At the start, SEP was only a 4 page “broadsheet”, but by the early 1900s it had grown into a weekly magazine with over 100 pages of articles, photos, illustrations and cartoons per issue! And that only accounts for 1 magazine within the various publications included under our umbrella, which include Country Gentleman as well as various children’s publications like Jack and Jill, Playmate, Turtle, Child Life and many others.

Given the huge popularity of the SEP covers, it seemed only natural to base the beginnings of our licensing program on those images. Among our first merchandise licenses in early 1960’s

other artists, such as the iconic Freedom From Want image.

However, as they say, you can’t put all your eggs in one basket, so in order to grow, we had to expand beyond the classics.

One thing that most people don’t realize about SEP is the sheer enormity of our archive.To give some perspective, the first official issue of The Saturday Evening Post was published on August

were prints and greeting cards in the most popular themes. Fast forward to 2009 when I started at SEP, and still the bulk of our licensing business was based on the same classic wellknown images. But then two things happened that radically changed how we did business.

At the same time that our licensing division started looking into different materials to generate revenue, our Publisher, Joan SerVaas, began implementing a legacy preservation project for SEP that consisted on scanning every issue of the magazine cover to cover. This massive

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scanning endeavor was aimed at not only preserving the historical value of the collection, but also eventually offering the archive to consumers digitally.

From a licensing perspective, this growing scans collection meant that we could now view various pages on a digital screen simultaneously, rather than physically going through the printed issues page by page looking for materials. In the years since the scanning project began, we have accrued 437,663 pages of content for The Saturday Evening Post and over 300,000 pages from our other magazines, and counting. We are also tagging the various materials which will make our future searches even more efficient and productive. Previously, it would take us days to gather a few images for any given theme…now we can gather a collection in a matter of hours.

The ability to quickly view and search for images also further opened our eyes to the multitude of other content that we had at our disposal for our licensing program. Cartoons, children’s stories, poems, articles, the possibilities were endless.We informed our licensees about this new content, while also displaying it at tradeshows.

Little by little, requests for these new materials started growing, aided by our willingness to

Licensing

go the extra mile and search for anything a licensee may be looking for. When foxes started trending, we looked for foxes. When mid- century Santa’s became the hot holiday look, we looked for those too. Our ability to promptly respond to trend-based requests became a key to our ongoing success and the size of our art archive tripled in no time.

With a growing art collection came also a new challenge. Harvesting great content did not necessarily mean that the art was usable as is. Many illustrations only make sense in the context of the story they accompany. So, it became clear that we would need to start modifying some of the art. While art adaptation had always been part of our process (we did remove the SEP masthead from images and did cropping and modest modifications), as our content grew, our creative approach to design really took off.

Flexibility had always been a core value at Curtis Licensing, not only when it came to the terms of an agreement or program, but also with regards to the use of the art. During meetings and discussions, we would often tell licensees to crop or modify the artwork to better fit their needs.

However, whether due to a lack of time or resources, or whether it was an inherent fear to

“change” original artwork, a lot of companies would shy away from this. So, bit by bit, we took on this design work ourselves which was the second crucial change in how we conducted business.

Looking back at some of our earlier designs, many changes were subtle, adding text here and changing a color there. But as we got more comfortable with our new role, we began taking the art to a whole new level. Nowadays, we will take a simple image and painstakingly “paint” over it with lush chunky strokes to give it a “paint by numbers” look, add verbiage and turn a simple mountain into a “Mount Rainier National Park” poster.

Using a variety of techniques and tools, our designers have become experts in modifying, tailoring and even creating their own original artwork to accommodate the specific needs of our licensees. Working collectively as a team, our executive team and designers also research the upcoming color and thematic trends and create entire collections ahead of schedule so when the requests come in, we can hit the ground running.

Building a licensing program out of America’s oldest magazine has been a long fun ride…and we still have a lot of work to do! But we look at each challenge as an opportunity to grow and learn new skills. However, getting started can be a daunting process. So, my advice to anyone trying to deal with a large archive of content, regardless of the nature of the archive, would be the following: 1. Assess what you have. You can’t effectively offer or license content if you don’t really know your archive or what it contains. Spend the time to go through, organize and research your materials and make sure you own the rights to it.

2. Whenever possible, invest in a searchable database that can digitally manage your content.

Scanning materials takes time and effort, but it will make things much easier and more productive later on.

3. Be open to change. It is easy to view a 200 year old collection almost as a “museum piece” that must remain intact or untouched. However, with today’s ever changing market trends and the need to always offer something fresh, it is difficult to survive long term if you are not somewhat willing to adapt.

4. Live and love your content. Nobody will advocate for your collection as well as you. Know the history, learn the artists, study the content. We love our Saturday Evening Post magazine and its amazing materials and that love is what motivates us to constantly work harder and better at making our licensing program a success.

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