Diana Mara is Painting Under the Tuscan Sun; Join Her.
Diana Mara is resident artist at OG Gallery in Reading and is currently showing at Art Design Consultants. She also teaches at Plaza Art in Kenwood. In the Fall of 2019, Diana and Yuki Hall will be teaching watercolor and Asian brush in three Italian cities amidst the rolling hills and vineyards of the Tuscany area. Workshop sign-up is open now and Diana wanted to give fellow Club members first opportunity for this experience. Contact Diana at designbydiana@aol.com.
Eileen McConkey shares how The Makers’ Marks do Marketing
“The Makers’ Marks” are four artist whose studios connect with each other at the Pendleton. Jan and Mark Wiesner (The Sculptors) and Gina Stevenson and myself (The Painters). We had 44 pieces in the show and the exposure was great. The paintings went right to another show because someone saw them at our show. We have talked about the possibility of having other shows under that same name, possibly including others in a future show.
Multi-purpose Promotional piece used by The Makers’ Marks
We worked hard at marketing the event, and that effort also taught us a lot about how to do a show the right way:
1) We planned ahead, starting over a year in advance with meetings every other week for months so we could explore the possibilities and stay energized about it all.
2) We made connections to Stepping Stones and in exchange for a portion of our sales we were given access to their mailing list of 10,000 contacts as well as promotion on their website and newsletter.
3) Woman’s Art Club helped us with access to news websites and promotion during their classes and events, a banner on their website listings on their events calendar which totaled an additional reach of 15,000 contacts.
4) We worked got postcards, signage and radio spots. We distributed to coffee shops, sponsors, libraries, PAC, CAC, etc.
5) Opening night was crowded. We had the show for 3 weeks with a staff person (4 days a week for 4 hours) people could come in during the week. We also came in and sat the show on the weekends and several of the weekday times. Over the 3 weeks we probably had an extra 50 – 100 people see the show.
Bruce and Nancy Nordloh Neville are not only serious artists, but also serious about marketing their work through outdoor exhibits that peak during summer months. They both do outdoor shows into October in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, northern Ohio, and Kentucky.
Summerfair at Coney Island is a cornerstone of their exhibition program. This three-day event attracts artists from all over the country 300 juried artists accepted. The couple take part in the show every year. Bruce shows his watercolors and watercolors on canvases while Nancy shows her watercolors and oils. Clients gravitate to these pieces. Both artists have won awards in past years at Summerfair and Nancy continued this streak by capturing second place in the painting category this year. The win guarantees her space in the show next year.
Nancy reports “Sales are usually good at Summerfair, especially for our plein air works. We experience many repeat art patrons. For us, showing our work results in sales.”
Bruce started off the show season winning the Duveneck Award at the Duveneck Show in Covington.
For the past three years they have given a two-day watercolor workshop at Bay Harbor Michigan yacht club. This July events attracts a large number of students to this scenic spot.
This makes for a busy summer for this artist couple. Nancy says, “It is hard work, but we love what we do.”
Story Telling Artist 