Wednesday, April 25, 2007

OREGON CRAFTED APRIL 2007 NEWSLETTER

Greetings to all Oregon Crafted artists, crafters, partners, and supporters!

OPEN STUDIO WEEKEND May 5 & 6, 2007

Make sure to have your Oregon Crafted signs out (be sure that the sign is on your property and not in the public right of way). If you are not able to have your studio open, please post a sign with your regrets and when you will be open again.

NEWS FROM THE O.C. OFFICE

The 2nd Edition of the Guidebook
We are happy to announce that the second edition of the Guidebook will have an anticipated release date of mid-June 2007! We are planning several events to help promote and launch this edition in each county, occurring around the first weekend of July. Look for more news on this and how you can help, in upcoming newsletters!

Tours for Travel Writers
For June of 2007, we are currently working on developing invitations and itineraries for travel writers to come to Oregon and explore some of the studios and galleries featured in the Oregon Crafted Guidebook. We will be emphasizing travel experiences such as: family-oriented travel, driving vacations, Oregon experiences, and art classes. If you are able to teach a short workshop about your artwork for visitors to your studio, in a format that can be shared with future visitors, contact Kathy Wilson: Kathy@oregoncrafed.org.

Oregon Crafted Shines at Governor’s Conference on Tourism
The weekend of April 15-17 was an exciting one for all of us! In recognition of your good work sharing time and talent with visitors during the Open Studio Tours, Oregon Crafted was awarded the prestigious 2006 Oregon Tourism Industry Achievement Award for Creative Tourism Development. This award recognizes innovative programs, promotions or products created by a business, person, group or region in Oregon that demonstrates a new way of thinking about the visitor industry. It was presented in front of more than 400 attendees from all over Oregon on Sunday, April 15 during the Awards Ceremony at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Sunriver. Joan Shea accepted the award (to enthusiastic applause!) on behalf of all of us from Jeff Kohnstamm, Oregon Tourism Commission Chair and Todd Davidson, CEO of the Commission. “We’re pleased and proud to receive this award,” she said. “It recognizes our vision to build cultural tourism and support our rural communities. It also is a way for Oregon Crafted, and the state of Oregon, to honor and publicly thank all of our artists for believing in our dream and enriching Oregon with their immense skill and creativity.”

The real significance of this award lies in the fact that there is growing recognition of the impact that Oregon Crafted is making – on a statewide level – in promoting the development of cultural tourism throughout Oregon. In fact, one of the main themes throughout the conference was the increasing emphasis on creating partnerships to attract visitors to the different regions – and primarily to rural areas. Pairing art tours with wine tasting, culinary and agricultural adventures, and historical/heritage exploration are natural extensions of what we do. It was great to know that the industry is actually catching up to what so many of you are already doing in your own communities!

At the Conference, some of the most important information for Oregon Crafted’s growth and development came from keynote sessions presented by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), the foremost travel market research firm in the country (www.tia.org). According to their research, art-related activities and “experiential” vacations ranked high on the list of ideal vacations for several of the most important visitor demographics. We will provide you with the link to their reports when it becomes available on the Oregon Tourism Commission website. We’re continuing to develop the Oregon Crafted Tour program in 2007. It will expand the marketing opportunities for all of our communities, as we identify those of you who can provide mini-workshops and hands-on art “experiences” to tour participants.

Important contacts were made throughout the Conference. Joan had substantive discussions with folks from other areas that expressed interest in bringing the Oregon Crafted concept to their communities. Several free-lance travel writers, having heard about us, requested copies of the Guidebook and have asked to be included on our first Press Tour, scheduled for June 19-22. And, of course, professional relationships and friendships were renewed with industry members from all over Oregon. The OC staff was honored and pleased to represent all of you at the Conference – and a good time was had by all!

PACKING PAPER AVAILABLE

Once used clean newsprint paper is available. Contact the Oregon Crafted office if you are interested.

ART SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT

Oregon Guilds Showcased at the Oregon Convention Center, May 4 – 6, 2007, 10 – 9, Fri & Sat, 10 – 5, Sun. Free Admission. 777 NE MLK Blvd, Portland
This huge show includes: The Oregon Glass Guild – Glass Gallery, the OPA Ceramic Showcase, the Portland Handweavers Guild, the Portland Bead Society – Art & Elegance in Beads, and the Northwest Fine Woodworkers show. Many Oregon Crafted artists will be participating in this wonderful event, with each guild set-up in various halls.

CALLS TO ARTISTS

Sacred Heart Medical Center
PeaceHealth Oregon Region will open its new hospital, Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend, in August 2008 and is looking for artists from Eugene-Springfield and beyond to be part of this exciting project. If you are interested in submitting your work, please e-mail: melissa.davis@americanartresources.com by April 30, 2007, to request an application. To read more about this project, visit www.peacehealth.org/shmc and click on the arts link.

Oregon Crafted Group Show & Oregon Bach Festival Show at the Eugene Library, July – August, 2007
For those of you who still may be interested in producing a Bach-inspired piece for our group show, we still have some music CD’s available in the office of pieces that will be played at this year’s Festival. Please call the office for more information 541-687-8353 or e-mail Patti Lomont: patti@oregoncrafted.org. More general information will be sent-out to Oregon Crafted artists about the group show in May.

Seeking Juror for Florence Art Show
The Florence Events Center Galleries is looking for a juror for their Annual Juried Show, Celebrate Arts 2007. Cash Honorarium. For details email: Rosie Hill, Chair: reallyrosie@oregonfast.net, or phone 541-997-5388. Or contact the Gallery Committee: Nancy@eventcenter.org. Submit juror application by June 15, 2007.

Multicultural Festival
The 5th Annual Multicultural Festival will be taking place on Friday, August 3rd, 2007, from 4:30 – 8:30 pm at the Sheldon Park and Community Center (2445 Willakenzie, Eugene). Art booths are available, and apparently there is no booth fee or commission taken. For more information and to reserve a space, contact Rayna Luvert, Vendor Coordinator, at the Eugene Recreation Administration, 541-682-6860, or e-mail at: rayna.p.luvert@ci.eugene.or.us.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Claudio Reginato Hands On Wheel Throwing Workshop
May 5-6, 2007. May 5th, 9 – 4; Slide Presentation @ 7pm. May 6th, 10 – 2.
Sweet Home High School Ceramics Lab-Room. Cost: $55.
Claudio Reginato is a 9-time World Wheel Throwing Champion from Bassano Del Grappa, Italy. The workshop will include a catered lunch on Sat, 25# of clay, and all work created during the workshop will be bisque fired. For reservations and info call Gelindo L. Ferrin, SHHS Art Dept, 541-367-7142, ext. 156. Space is limited

Emerald Empire Art Association Workshop Offerings
Go to the Emerald Empire Art Association’s website at: www.emeraldartcenter.org, to find out about a variety of classes and workshops being offered at the Emerald Art Center, 500 Main St., Springfield, OR.

Simple Steps To Sustaining Your Art Businesses in Oregon
Presented by Mara Woloshin at the VILLAGE GALLERY OF ARTS (12505 NW Cornell Rd., Portland, OR, 503-644-8001), on June 9, 2007, from 1-4 PM. The cost is $25.
Ensure that your business is resilient and sustainable. Many artist owners and managers are not aware of the basic tools for branding as well as the many financial resources – from outright grants to low interest loans – that are available statewide. And many artists are not aware of inexpensive or free training to ensure continued professional development. Contact the Village Gallery of Arts to register 503-644-8001.