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The Craft Centre & Design Gallery is renowned for the superior quality and diversity of contemporary jewellery on display.
The gallery promotes a large (approximately seventy jewellers at any one time) and varied selection of work that is constantly changing in glass fronted cabinets and individual glass topped plinths.
The showcases are seen not just as promotional activities but also have a strong educational bias to introduce customers to new materials and to explain new techniques.
The Craft Centre & Design Gallery aims ' to advance and encourage the creation of works of fine craftsmanship and to foster, promote and increase the interest of the public in the works of craftspeople and the accessibility of these works to the public.'
L-R: Ben Woodcock, Joanne Thompson, Michael Peckitt
How
is the work sourced?
About
50% of the time we are approached in writing. The letter should be addressed
to Hayley Walker and should include good visuals (slides,
photographs or digital images) and (if possible) a catalogue of your
range of pieces. A recent CV, short statement and an SAE for return
of the slides.
Your letter will be replied to as soon as possible by the management,
if you have not received a reply within a couple of weeks then you could
make a follow up call.
Other possibilities include seeing work at another exhibition, at a trade show, a degree show or in a magazine.
Top L: Livvy Wotton, R: Susan Kerr Bottom L: John Moore, R: Kaz Robertson
There are lots of different aspects that the gallery needs to take into account before making a decision.
What kind of work do we specialise in or sell?
Can we accommodate the work?
Is it suitable for our market?
Is it suitable for the time of year?
Is the work of a good quality or does it fulfil it's function?
Is it priced correctly?
Can we sell the work?
Does it support an educational aspect that we are pursuing?
Pricing
Pricing will always be a challenge for artists.
You need to consider different points: material costs, labour time and
most importantly the perceived value. (Set a realistic price in line
with what you believe people will pay.)
At first it is wise to get advice from others, lecturers, friends, other
makers and gallery staff and also try to keep your prices in line with
similar items that are on sale.
One off items are priced higher than limited run or batch produced pieces
as the design time and the fact that the piece will not be repeated
has to be reflective in the price.
Can your work be repeated or ordered in the correct size?
If
you make rings then we generally ask to display one ring in a random
size as a sample to be ordered from, we quote 4 - 6 weeks for delivery.
Also customers regularly ask for different size necklaces, bracelets
or variations in the design or stone.
Top L-R: Ben Woodcock, Joanne Thompson, Michael Peckitt Middle L-R: Maike Barteldres, Jessica Briggs, Clare Hillerby Bottom L-R: Fiona May, Alison Baxter, Dot Rowe
Postage and Packaging
Be
aware of deadlines and keep to them.
Consider how to package the work very carefully, you have made the items
so you know how delicate they are and would like them to arrive intact.
When packing jewellery it is best to use small resealable plastic bags,
expensive or fragile items should be wrapped in tissue first. Line the
bottom of a strong cardboard box with bubblewrap and then put your jewellery
in making sure you count the number of pieces, cover with another layer
of bubblewrap to make sure that things cannot move around. Put in your
delivery note and tape up the box, cover with brown paper and address
clearly.
It is advisable to post your parcel by Royal Mail Special Delivery, this way it will be insured against loss or damage and will be guaranteed to arrive the following day.
Open Tuesday - Friday 10.00 - 17.00 and Saturday 10.00 - 16.00. Please call the gallery to check opening times over Bank Holidays.