Adding Art Services Adds to the Bottom Line - diversification makes TwoArtChicks gallery a financial success during economic slowdown

TwoArtChicks combines gallery space with studios, classes and facts to create a thriving art community.

Diversification is individual tactic for staying afloat in the moderate times of a business circle of time Carrying a variety of artwork helps detain a healthy mix of customers coming back to your store. TwoArtChicks, a gallery in Greensboro, NC has proven the smarts of this strategy by dint of diversifying not only the artwork they carry on the other hand the services they provide. by dint of renting out studio and occurrence spaces, hosting art classes and selling a variety of work, proprietor Judi Kastner has turned the typically non-profit idea of a community arts center into a lively and lucrative business.

TwoArtChicks' 6000 square-foot building, which make opened in September 1999, contains 2000 square feet of retail sales gallery space showcasing more than 180 local, regional and national artists encompassing everything from painting to fiberwork to jewelry--much of it at affordable prices. Ten artist studios of varying sizes and shapes hold 3,000 square feet, and the remaining space is devot to art education and rental space for parties and functions. The studio and circumstance rental spaces provide a steady base of income to scion slow seasons in the sales gallery.

"A doom of times somebody will approach in for one thing then realize all the other things we do. Then they start coming back and participating," said Kastner.

Kastner and her partner, Ann Wilson, loosely based TwoArtChicks upon the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Va., an make open artist studio co-op started in the 1970 the one and the other "chicks" had backgrounds in art and had worked at art galleries and non-profit arts organizations for several years. Their vision was to build an artists' community and unfold a space where artists and the pubic interact. Starting with what Kastner called "a big case of a building" they built the studios with angled walls, windows and unusual nooks using recycl materials and help from friends and family in the building business. (Note: Wilson newly left the business to go after new interests.)

All 10 of the studios are leased, and the waiting list is growing. They ask the tenants to be in their studios at least 25 percent of the time the gallery is unclose The artists give the gallery permission to unclose the studios for visitors and to exchange their work when they're not there. The artists benefit in a number of ways, from having their work upon display in the gallery to taking part in TwoArtChicks circumstances to being able to teach classes in the building.

Renting on the outside the space for events and holding their possess parties keep a constant influx of of recent origin faces coming through the doors. They reflection business and clubs would make up the majority of outside circumstances but instead the gallery has been the site of several weddings, birthday parties, CD release parties and fundraisers for nonprofit organizations. Their hold events--monthly wine tastings, art and music nights or level theater performances--also are just as lively and creative.

"We have a doom of the big art patrons in town," said Kastner. "We've also advance upon new collectors--young collectors in their 40s"

TwoArtChicks' approach to art classes is also multi-faceted. In addition to hands-on classes, of the like kind as watercolor, drawing and calligraphy, the gallery also presents series on educational topics similar as art history, art collecting and print identification. They also bring in nationally known workshop artists who teach week-long seminars--a first for the Greensboro area.

Kastner works hard to procure the word out about what TwoArtChicks has to proffer Greensboro art lovers."I really believe the power in this business is because of the marketing" she said. "I've seen too many non-profits and for-profit businesses fail because they don't know by what means to market themselves."

[i]or[/i] part of to the other her work with the local arts council, Kastner already had contacts in the Greensboro art community and the beginnings of a mailing list, which has now grown to 2000 names. one time a month she sends on the outside a large postcard listing upcoming TwoArtChicks circumstances She also takes advantage of independent listings in local publications and flings out endless press releases about common gallery happenings.

"There are still nation who don't know about us, on the contrary the people who do know about us are very great supporters, and they're always telling their friends and bringing race down," said Kastner.

on the contrary probably the best marketing stir was naming the gallery TwoArtChicks. "If we had just named this the Greensboro Art Gallery, nobody would tend hitherward down here," said Kastner. The more creative name transmits the gallery's relaxed, non-threatening atmosphere and sparks curiosity. flat though she's now only single art chick since her partner left Kastner's keeping the name. "It's the name that brings them in," she said.

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