CHEROKEE, September 10,
2007 -- A free workshop that will provide
Cherokee artists with information about
how they can increase sales to both
the domestic and international markets
will take place on Thursday, September
20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Holiday
Inn in Cherokee. “Marketing Workshop
for Artists” is sponsored by
Cherokee Preservation Foundation and
Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural
Arts.
The workshop will begin
with a panel of artists and gallery
owners
providing
tips on how to market artwork professionally
and effectively. Following the panel,
artists will the have the opportunity
to learn from other artists during
break-out sessions covering a range
of topics, from preparing artwork and
crafts for export to the availability
of financing options.
The workshop
will conclude with a session in which
each artist will utilize the
best practices they have learned during
the morning to develop a work plan
so they can take advantage of new marketing
opportunities, especially during the
off season.
“
We expect the workshop to result in
two important benefits to local artists,” said
Ethan Clapsaddle, a program associate
at Cherokee Preservation Foundation. “Artists
will have the opportunity to build
important relationships, and they will
also get plenty of great information
they will be able to use to create
and implement a plan that will move
their business to the next level.”
Speakers
and panelists include Staci Eagle Elk
(Osage), First People’s
Fund; Marietta King (Blackfeet), Blackfeet
Community College; Vickie Ledford (EBCI),
Qualla Arts & Crafts; Joel Queen
(EBCI), master potter and gallery owner;
Janene Lancaster, owner and operator
of several Cherokee galleries and shops;
Sandra Necessary, New Mexico Export
Assistance Center; Dan Holt, Small
Business Administration; Susan Hunt,
Federal Express; and Juanita Wilson
(EBCI), Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural
Arts.
Artists who have not
yet contacted Cherokee Preservation
Foundation to
indicate they will be coming to the
workshop are encouraged to RSVP by
contacting Hwineko Walkingstick at
hwalkingstick@cpfdn.org or 828/497-5550.
Morning refreshments
and lunch will be provided at the workshop.
About
Cherokee Preservation Foundation
Cherokee
Preservation Foundation (www.cpfdn.org)
was established on November 14, 2000,
as part of the Second Amendment to
the Tribal-State Compact between the
EBCI and the State of North Carolina.
It is an independent nonprofit foundation
funded by the EBCI from gaming revenues
generated by the Tribe. CPFdn is not
part of or associated with any for-profit
gaming entity. Since CPFdn’s
inception in 2000, it has made 375
grants totaling nearly $31 million
to EBCI and regional projects and programs
that address cultural preservation,
economic development and job creation,
and environmental renewal and protection.
Every dollar of CPFdn support has been
matched by $1.38 in secured grants
or other funding or in-kind resources,
making CPFdn’s total contribution
to the region more than $73 million.
About
Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural
Arts
Oconaluftee Institute
for Cultural Arts offers an Associate
in Fine Arts
program through an agreement with Southwestern
Community College. The curriculum’s
emphasis is Native American art and
culture, particularly that of the Cherokees.
It includes contemporary and traditional
Cherokee arts such as basketry and
weaving, pottery, beadwork, mask making,
sculpture, wood and stone carving.
A performance component featuring dance,
drama, storytelling and music, as well
as photography, printmaking, graphic
design, audio-visual and web design
courses, is another key part of the
program. Courses are taught at the
Oconaluftee Institute on the Qualla
Boundary. Students who complete Oconaluftee
Institute’s AFA may transfer
into Western Carolina University as
juniors pursuing a Bachelor of Fine
Arts degree. Students also may transfer
to any other public university in North
Carolina, with up to 65 hours of credit.
