Is it viable? Is it local? Is it sustainable? I recently spoke with a local artist, Catherine Smith who was able to answer yes to these questions. Catherine was a 2018 participant in The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council Artist Incubator series Community Supported Arts. She grew her business Southern Bird Studio from art markets and local retailers to a network of nearly 200 shops carrying her wares and a wholesale capable business.
Cat
herine was kind enough to talk to me about her process:
“I began selling my original art, prints, and boxed note card sets at events such as Double Decker, the monthly Makers Market, and various other retail markets in Mississippi. Having spent most of my career in the gift and home décor industry, I knew that tea towels were popular gift items. In the beginning, I sold them at retail only. My sales were continuing to grow. My success through the CSA program gave me the confidence to order the towels in large enough quantities to be able to offer them at wholesale prices. In my years in sales and marketing, my passion was working with small “Mom and Pop” retailers versus the larger department stores. I still had relationships with many of those owners and reached out to them in person to see if they would consider selling my line in their stores. Chaney’s Pharmacy here in Oxford was my first account. They bought 5-6 different images near Christmas and sold out within about two weeks. That also gave me the confidence to move forward with a more aggressive strategy. While there are many different companies offering tea towels, I felt that what set mine apart was the original art.”
Catherine’s watercolors are playful and vibrant. Her artwork features bold birds, colorful states, and locale-specific works such as the Oxford Square and The Grove, with designs professionally printed on cotton tea towels, note cards, art prints, and more. Check out her work and support a local artist at southernbirdstudio.com.
Are you an artist who needs a business boost? Are you in a creative industry? Do you have a business goal you want to achieve? Whether you’re a visual artist, a writer, a musician, a designer, or a budding catering company YAC’s CSA program might be the boost your business needs to succeed. https://www.oxfordarts.com/
Resources for Creatives:
Mississippi Arts Commission
https://arts.ms.gov
601-359-6030
Yoknapatawpha Arts Council
https://www.oxfordarts.com
662-236-6429
More resources coming soon! Upcoming topics include registration, business banking, expense tracking, and team building. If you have any questions or suggestions please reach out to me at