"Being in a rural setting First Saturday is a time for me to be in my studio for five hours with the chance of 1 visitor or more. If there are no visitors I have committed that time fully to my practice. Another bonus is my neighbours have started to drop in when they see my flag and I have met a lot of new ones." Lesley Turner
THIS IS AN ARTIST-RUN EVENT. WE ARE A TEAM!
WE ARE RUN BY VOLUNTEERS, PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH US AS IT MAY TAKE A FEW DAYS TO GET ALL YOUR INFO ON THE SITE. SEE CONTACT LIST BELOW TO GET YOUR INFO TO THE RIGHT PERSON!
To join us here are the guidelines:
1)Be a working studio where people see the the process as well as the creations.
2) Be an artisan/artist creating their own original/individual pieces, not a shop ‘mass producing’.
3) Be committed to participating and helping promote fellow artists and the event.
4) You can join anytime of the year but renewal date is always April 1.
5) Follow these steps:
1. Pay your annual membership fee.
2. Send in your info for your profile.
3. Let your rep or Dana or Michael know when you want to be open or closed
4. ALL INSTRUCTIONS BELOW.
CONTACTS:
Subject Line for correspondence to us should look like this…. FS your name and Studio building.
EXAMPLE: FS Valerie Arntzen Paneficio Studios
QUESTIONS: firstsaturdayopenstudio@gmail.com
Payments: valeriearntzen@gmail.com
Website submission: firstsaturdayopenstudio@gmail.com
Open This Month page: danacromie@gmail.com Vancouver UPDATED A WEEK BEFORE FIRST SAT!
micbro@telus.net North Vancouver
Social Media: victoria.j.mitchell@gmail.com
Google Drive: kevinjmelanson@gmail.com
CHECKLIST
PAYMENTS
FEE: Each artist in a building or studio pays a membership fee of $25 when joining.
An annual fee of $25 will be charged every year after that.
Fees due April 1 (grace period March 15-31)
HOW TO PAY: Etransfers should be directed to valeriearntzen@gmail.com
(No security question needed) OR cash or cheque made out to:
Valerie Arntzen 800 Keefer Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1Y7
ARTISTS PROFILE
Contact info: Name and address (include studio number)
Social Media: send to us as links.. website, IG, FB, email, etc.
Images: 4 large JPEG (jpeg only supported) images, include1 image of you in your studio
Artist Statement/BIO: short description max 150 words.
Medium: (please choose from this list) painting, furniture, photography, drawing, textiles, fashion-clothing, fashion-accessories, fashion-leather, assemblage, collage, paper art, clay, ceramics, film, glass, drawing, jewelry, mixed media, printmaking, sculpture, public art. Only two will be listed, choose your main medium.
Profile Edits: You may change images and update information at anytime during the year. However your first edit is included and if you wish updates after that, it is $10 fee each time changes are made.
Send all to firstsaturdayopenstudio@gmail.com
MONTHLY REGISTRATION: “Next Open Studios” is managed by:
Dana danacromie@gmail.com for Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, New Westminster, the Okanagan Michael micbro@telus.net for North Vancouver.
Building Rep if you have a building rep please let them know your status and they communicate with Dana or Michael.
OPEN OR CLOSED: email them by the deadline below. SUBJECT LINE must read….
example: First Saturday or (FS) Valerie Arntzen Paneficio Studios
The deadline is 8am Saturday before First Saturday. Your listing remains the same until you tell them to change your status.
Please do not have your studio say open when it is not. Nothing worse than clients coming to a closed door!
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTINGS To be posted on our social media please send us the following information and send to victoria.j.mitchell@gmail.com PLEASE NOTE ONLY POSTS IN SQUARE ASPECT WILL BE ACCEPTED!
Subject Line. FS social media
Picture of you in your studio, your new art, work in progress, your next event: (limit to three and a jpeg emailed to us)
Short blurb about the photo(s) you are sending in:
Name of artist:
Email address:
Studio location (name of building and address):
Website:
Instagram:
Facebook:
Artists can send us info anytime and we will also be asking for submissions on themes from time to time.
You will only be featured in months you are open.
ADVERTISE:
There is no central "mailing list" but here are some suggestions to make it work:
-contact Valerie to pick up flag, posters, postcards, business cards
-Invite your own client list (advertise it as new work or similar work they have purchased in the past).
-Offer demonstrations or workshops.
- Work with the artists near you to encourage people to visit other area studios.
- Make a small hand-out map of the other buildings and artists in your immediate area.
- Work with artists in your area to create a special event like a sale or seasonal show, etc.
- It is your responsibility to contact us to correct info on the site
- Use our social media facts page to connect with First Saturday social media.
- Contact us to get your banner (one for each building) and postcards, posters and business cards.
PROBLEMS? QUESTIONS? Email firstsaturdayopenstudio@gmail.com for help.
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ARTISTS
SAFETY: Please make sure your studio is a safe environment for visitors by having tools, tripping hazards, etc. correctly stored.
SECURITY is a big issue whether you are in your own building or part of a larger building. A couple of suggestions:
- If you are in a building with a locked entrance door please make sure entry information is noted on the website or on your front door.
- Do not give or publicly post the code to your building or the location of a hidden key as that becomes a security risk for other artists in your building.
- Use the buddy system when at all possible. Having more than one person in the studio is just safer. You could offer a friend art lessons and when visitors come it could be a jumping-off point to start a conversation. If you are in a bigger building check on each another once in a while.
ARTIST CARE: Please be considerate of other artists in your building who do not take part in First Saturday. Make sure your visitors know the whole building is not open. Meet them at the door and escort them out at the end of the visit.
Notify your neighbours that visitors might be in the building. Make sure your signage does not interfere with other artists"‘ notices.