Artizan Made: A Handmade Creative City Model
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Launched in 2013, Artizan Made is a collective of international handmade shops focused on marketing its members online. In 2019 we opened a brick and mortar shop in Paducah, Kentucky, and now want to relocate to a 6,000 foot space in the downtown tourist strip in order to host events, provide training to low income women and create upcycled products. $25,000 will cover the relocation and the first six months of operating costs.
Our website, currently in redevelopment, hosts a large market with our member’s products: www.artizanmade.com Most have their own shops online with market listings linking back to their sites. Members can also use Artizan Made’s cart to sell from the site. We have around 50 members from the USA, Europe and Australia. Each pays $125 to join and $12.50/month to help cover costs. Our sister site, TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List, was launched in 2010 as an association of professionals and has over 600 members from around the world. Both sites showcase seasoned businesses with many focused on sustainable practices. They may teach workshops, have published works, and exhibit internationally.
I have led both efforts and have over 30 years of experience in working with artists, fair trade groups, online and brick and mortar sales and am a maker myself. The Creative Cities movement shows that the arts spur economic development by giving residents a high quality of life, attracting tourism and encouraging small businesses to thrive. Paducah is home to many creative efforts and has been designated as a UNESCO creative city . Our physical presence in the town contributes an international and multi-racial component that is lacking. The new space at 315 Broadway boasts 6,000 square feet which we will use for retail, vendor spaces, performances, production, online sales and training.
315 Broadway in Paducah, Kentucky
I lived in Chicago for 20 years and operated four retail spaces there: 4th World Artisans (a project by Uptown Center Hull House with MacArthur funding), Pachamama’s Hovel (600 sq ft) in Wicker Park, FolkArte (1500 sq ft in Lincoln Village) and Dara Tribal Village (5,000 sq feet on Chicago Ave in partnership with Abdul Wardak of Afghan Tribal Arts ). All four places became hubs for their neighborhoods with regulars stopping in to shop or visit.
Dara Tribal Village, in Chicago, is about the same size as the floor space at 315 Broadway. Abdul Wardak of Afghan Tribal Arts will be a vendor (and is a member) at Artizan Made with his rugs and furniture. He has an amazing bead shop at 626 Broadway and has run out of space.
"Rachel's store in Chicago was an amazing place. The minute you walked in the front door, you were transported to another world. It was an experience to behold. I miss that store. One of a kind shop....." Donna Will, former customer in Chicago.
Why Support Artizan Made?
Handmade as a movement for the planet. Historically, societies developed their artistic sensibilities in small towns and agricultural areas where expression was connected deeply to the soil, crops, fertility, function and basic survival. Urban expression continues to give meaning to our daily toil, celebrations, and identity. Art documents society, challenges the status quo, creates community, and solves problems of blight and waste by recreating the landscape. By celebrating our talents, our differences, and our unique voices, we find harmonious ways to live with each other. We educate, heal, and personalize.
Diversity is our strength. Our international focus lifts up our common voice. At about 25,000 residents, approximately 24% of Paducah’s population is African American. There are also many recent immigrants who live in the area. Neither have received much recognition or attention through the local art institutions, except during Black History month. During the last two years, I have been active with the Race Unity Group of Paducah and have been deeply dismayed by how Black talent has been left behind here. Betty Dobson of the Hotel Metropolitan , an advocate and story keeper for the local Black community, has become a strong ally with many ideas of how this could change. We aim to bring a creative and celebratory Black presence front and center to Paducah’s downtown landscape.
Our Model Can Be Replicated by Others. Most of our Artizan Made members struggle to find footing in a now cluttered web market. Many sell through Etsy while others have their own sites, but the challenge in both is the same: we get lost in the mix. Having a collective like ours helps create a hub that can then direct customers, collectors, galleries, students and other interested parties to wherever we are. We commit to sharing our knowledge and experience so that others can also create their own communities. Our model seeks to keep shared costs at affordable rates and help relieve the marketing onus that so many of us face.
Production and Sustainability: 30 years of working with products has given me insights into what sells and what doesn’t, or even, what is worth making. “Not everything that is handmade should be made.” We need to be intentional about what is made and to create products that will be treasured or that inform the public arena. Artizan Made will train low income women in these skills, creating jobs and micro businesses. Our trash is our material and it is valuable. Our products will use the Artizan Made network to test ideas and spin off new businesses.
TAFA’s Gallery and Workshops: TAFA will have a designated space for shows, something the members have wanted for a long time. Along with the National Quilt Museum, the Yeiser Art Center, and other local art spaces, our exhibits will add to the vibrant mix that exists in Paducah. We will also host workshops by TAFA members, a resource that will greatly appeal to both locals and travelers who come to Paducah to learn.
How will we sustain the expansion?
· Artizan Made will grow to 200 members in the next year, bringing in over $2,000/month in subscription payments.
· Both Artizan and TAFA have a membership fee of $125. 10 new members a month is over $1,000.
· Products sold through Artizan Made's brick and mortar and on its online shop generate income (25% from member shops and 15% from paid vendor booths). Members with linked online shops pay a small yearly fee to help pay for image hosting with no commission on their sales. This service is a member benefit.
· Workshop fees.
· Vendor booths. We will have several vendors who will pay for the cost of their square footage + utilities + two employees.
In time, parts of this might spin off into non-profits, but for now, we need to experiment and test the ideas out. The $25,000 covers six months of operation, giving us enough time to grow the income generating areas.
What About the Corona Virus?
Exactly. This is that big question, isn’t it? In the age of pandemics and climate change, we need to build strong local communities that are self-reliant and resilient. We are connected to the world and must break down the walls that divide us, collaborate on solutions and forge international alliances. This project is the perfect example of how we can move forward in crisis, keep our eyes on a healthy future and build for it now. We are in limbo and we will use this time to get set up, train, and focus on our online connections.
See photos of the raw space here.
Facebook pages:
TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List
(also on Instagram, curated by Feltwerker)
Artizan Made
Please share this campaign with your friends and family. Donations of over $25 will be thanked on our Facebook pages. If you have a business or want to use your thank you to support a cause, leave your link and text in the comment area when you donate.
“Draw the art you want to see, start the business you want to run, play the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read, build the products you want to use – do the work you want to see done.”
― Austin Kleon, Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
Our website, currently in redevelopment, hosts a large market with our member’s products: www.artizanmade.com Most have their own shops online with market listings linking back to their sites. Members can also use Artizan Made’s cart to sell from the site. We have around 50 members from the USA, Europe and Australia. Each pays $125 to join and $12.50/month to help cover costs. Our sister site, TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List, was launched in 2010 as an association of professionals and has over 600 members from around the world. Both sites showcase seasoned businesses with many focused on sustainable practices. They may teach workshops, have published works, and exhibit internationally.
I have led both efforts and have over 30 years of experience in working with artists, fair trade groups, online and brick and mortar sales and am a maker myself. The Creative Cities movement shows that the arts spur economic development by giving residents a high quality of life, attracting tourism and encouraging small businesses to thrive. Paducah is home to many creative efforts and has been designated as a UNESCO creative city . Our physical presence in the town contributes an international and multi-racial component that is lacking. The new space at 315 Broadway boasts 6,000 square feet which we will use for retail, vendor spaces, performances, production, online sales and training.
315 Broadway in Paducah, KentuckyI lived in Chicago for 20 years and operated four retail spaces there: 4th World Artisans (a project by Uptown Center Hull House with MacArthur funding), Pachamama’s Hovel (600 sq ft) in Wicker Park, FolkArte (1500 sq ft in Lincoln Village) and Dara Tribal Village (5,000 sq feet on Chicago Ave in partnership with Abdul Wardak of Afghan Tribal Arts ). All four places became hubs for their neighborhoods with regulars stopping in to shop or visit.
Dara Tribal Village, in Chicago, is about the same size as the floor space at 315 Broadway. Abdul Wardak of Afghan Tribal Arts will be a vendor (and is a member) at Artizan Made with his rugs and furniture. He has an amazing bead shop at 626 Broadway and has run out of space."Rachel's store in Chicago was an amazing place. The minute you walked in the front door, you were transported to another world. It was an experience to behold. I miss that store. One of a kind shop....." Donna Will, former customer in Chicago.
Why Support Artizan Made?
Handmade as a movement for the planet. Historically, societies developed their artistic sensibilities in small towns and agricultural areas where expression was connected deeply to the soil, crops, fertility, function and basic survival. Urban expression continues to give meaning to our daily toil, celebrations, and identity. Art documents society, challenges the status quo, creates community, and solves problems of blight and waste by recreating the landscape. By celebrating our talents, our differences, and our unique voices, we find harmonious ways to live with each other. We educate, heal, and personalize.
Diversity is our strength. Our international focus lifts up our common voice. At about 25,000 residents, approximately 24% of Paducah’s population is African American. There are also many recent immigrants who live in the area. Neither have received much recognition or attention through the local art institutions, except during Black History month. During the last two years, I have been active with the Race Unity Group of Paducah and have been deeply dismayed by how Black talent has been left behind here. Betty Dobson of the Hotel Metropolitan , an advocate and story keeper for the local Black community, has become a strong ally with many ideas of how this could change. We aim to bring a creative and celebratory Black presence front and center to Paducah’s downtown landscape.
Our Model Can Be Replicated by Others. Most of our Artizan Made members struggle to find footing in a now cluttered web market. Many sell through Etsy while others have their own sites, but the challenge in both is the same: we get lost in the mix. Having a collective like ours helps create a hub that can then direct customers, collectors, galleries, students and other interested parties to wherever we are. We commit to sharing our knowledge and experience so that others can also create their own communities. Our model seeks to keep shared costs at affordable rates and help relieve the marketing onus that so many of us face.
Production and Sustainability: 30 years of working with products has given me insights into what sells and what doesn’t, or even, what is worth making. “Not everything that is handmade should be made.” We need to be intentional about what is made and to create products that will be treasured or that inform the public arena. Artizan Made will train low income women in these skills, creating jobs and micro businesses. Our trash is our material and it is valuable. Our products will use the Artizan Made network to test ideas and spin off new businesses.
TAFA’s Gallery and Workshops: TAFA will have a designated space for shows, something the members have wanted for a long time. Along with the National Quilt Museum, the Yeiser Art Center, and other local art spaces, our exhibits will add to the vibrant mix that exists in Paducah. We will also host workshops by TAFA members, a resource that will greatly appeal to both locals and travelers who come to Paducah to learn.
How will we sustain the expansion?
· Artizan Made will grow to 200 members in the next year, bringing in over $2,000/month in subscription payments.
· Both Artizan and TAFA have a membership fee of $125. 10 new members a month is over $1,000.
· Products sold through Artizan Made's brick and mortar and on its online shop generate income (25% from member shops and 15% from paid vendor booths). Members with linked online shops pay a small yearly fee to help pay for image hosting with no commission on their sales. This service is a member benefit.
· Workshop fees.
· Vendor booths. We will have several vendors who will pay for the cost of their square footage + utilities + two employees.
In time, parts of this might spin off into non-profits, but for now, we need to experiment and test the ideas out. The $25,000 covers six months of operation, giving us enough time to grow the income generating areas.
What About the Corona Virus?
Exactly. This is that big question, isn’t it? In the age of pandemics and climate change, we need to build strong local communities that are self-reliant and resilient. We are connected to the world and must break down the walls that divide us, collaborate on solutions and forge international alliances. This project is the perfect example of how we can move forward in crisis, keep our eyes on a healthy future and build for it now. We are in limbo and we will use this time to get set up, train, and focus on our online connections.
See photos of the raw space here.
Facebook pages:
TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List
(also on Instagram, curated by Feltwerker)
Artizan Made
Please share this campaign with your friends and family. Donations of over $25 will be thanked on our Facebook pages. If you have a business or want to use your thank you to support a cause, leave your link and text in the comment area when you donate.
“Draw the art you want to see, start the business you want to run, play the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read, build the products you want to use – do the work you want to see done.”
― Austin Kleon, Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
Organizer
Rachel Biel
Organizer
Paducah, KY
