Vision for the Studio Gallery
from out of the blue studio gallery has come from a lifelong dream of the owner/gallerist to have textile friendly artist workspaces. The vision is to create a community of practitioners, appreciators, learners and supporters who are interested in and stimulated by the wide and endless variety of textile and fibre art forms. The masthead of the studio gallery complex is the gallery itself which houses a rotating schedule of exhibitions – the rotation being generally on a six weekly basis. Through this channel the gallery hopes to be able to promote an eclectic range of textile art forms and artists by facilitating exhibition opportunities for creators that often struggle to find receptive and affordable exhibiting spaces. We endeavor to be inclusive and diverse in the works offered to the public for viewing in the space.
Artist Contracts
Artists exhibiting in ‘from out of the blue studio gallery’ need to sign a contract with the gallery that contains the terms of their exhibiting in the gallery. If a group is coming together to create an exhibition then a designated representative of that group must sign the agreement on behalf of the group.
This contract clearly defines delivery times, installation times, de-installing times, cost sharing, supporting information to be supplied with the works being exhibited, promotional activities, and insurance obligations. As an attachment to the contract there will be a timeline for supply of pre-exhibition material needed for digital and hardcopy promotion.
If the Artist is also doing a residency and/or workshops these will also be confirmed by written contractural agreement.
Financial Information
‘from out of the blue studio gallery’ does not charge a hanging fee or space rental. Gallery commission on sales is 25% of sale price. Artists are responsible for the costs associated with getting the works to and from the exhibition. The gallery carries media expenses.
Artists are responsible for pricing their own works and should supply the gallery with the selling price that reflects the above factors. Works that are sold from the exhibition will remain in the gallery until the end of the exhibition unless there is a special reason for them to be uplifted earlier. Works included in a Cash and Carry Collection are available to uplift at point of sale. Artists will be paid by direct debit into the bank account of their choice on the day after the show is taken down, unless arrangements are made otherwise. Please ensure you have provided correct bank details on your contract.
Works to the Gallery
Delivery address: ‘from out of the blue studio gallery’
18 Halse Place
Opunake
New Zealand 4616
Phone: +6421407424
Gallerist: Viv Davy.
Presentation Considerations
Each work must be ready to hang or plinth/table display. It is the responsibility of the artist to provide appropriate hanging devices for wall-hung works. The gallery uses the Artrack hanging system rather than direct nailing into the walls. The hanging system on the work needs to be 6 cm down from the top of the work and in from the edges an even amount on both sides. This link has clear instructions. https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/hanging-a-painting-wire-d-rings-2578378. Please DO NOT attach the wire between the D rings. ensure the rings are level, tight so they won’t rotate and sloping into the centre of the works.
This is the hook system that can be used from the hanging rail but other options can be created specifically for works. Please talk to Viv if you are at all unsure about installing your work. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0128/8231/3275/products/lrg-689076077927_1024x1024.jpg?v=1540803513
Customised rods and hanging shelves and tiered racks and other bespoke solutions can be created with enough lead time.
Please ask if you need more clarification of this.
Promotion
As part of our promoting of the artworks and the artist’s practice the gallery policy requires that each work is accompanied by a story about the making of the work. This story can include: the thinking process, the techniques, the intention etc. Consider that this information is the portal through which the viewers and possible purchasers enter into the work and also get to know the artist who has created the work. This information will be displayed either on the wall information or in a catalogue.
Each artist must supply a personal image (high resolution .jpeg) for the artist file held by the gallery that accompanies the exhibition. This needs to be accompanied by a brief bio and artist statement.
To support and grow the reach of the gallery community through digital platforms and digital marketing the artist must supply their digital handles – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, web sites, as well as their emails, phone, and physical address. This enables tagging, collaborations and sharing and extends the power of the gallery’s promotional postings. Please supply as many of these as you are able to with your bio. If you have specific requirements about which material about yourself and your practice is shared on the gallery’s digital platforms please make this clear. It is the gallery’s usual process to profile not only the work but also the artist – this builds stronger relationships with the viewers and potential clients.
I would like to stress the importance of reciprocating digital engagement with participating artists. The gallery runs on a micro budget, it is essentially a social enterprise that is focused around growing a vibrant, inclusive and diverse textile community. The central vision for the studio gallery is to engage more people in the world of textile and fibre arts as this enables the understanding of our artists’ works to grow, creating a stronger total ecosystem. Because we run on such a tiny budget there is very little money for paid advertising and this is where we are dependant on artists and supporters augmenting our digital reach with their own digital engagement.
The gallery generates digital announcement pages that are sent to the artists involved so they can be shared in their own personal networks, not just by Social Media.
The digital promotion of the exhibitions, artists and gallery is always supported by the production of a run of DL Cards or rack cards. On request these can be formatted as postcards. These are paid for by the gallery but it is expected of the artists to distribute as many of them as possible in their own personal spaces and networks. These cards are created with biodegradable inks on card made from certified up-cycled and sustainable sources, printed in New Plymouth. They have longer legs than the digital marketing and are very valuable in promoting the gallery community as a whole. Many people who engage with the gallery are not engaged with digital Social Media at all.
The other way the gallery reaches these people is through newsletters by email. Every exhibition is promoted in at least one email campaign, if it is supported by workshops, a gallery gathering or artist talks then it will be promoted in more than one campaign. If you are an exhibiting artist then it is smart for you to share these email promotions within your own network.
The gallery website promotes on four different levels – firstly the exhibition itself is pre-release posted, then raised to The News when it is current. Secondly the artist(s) involved are promoted with individual artist pages drawing on the information they have provided to the gallery. Thirdly any workshops are listed on the website and fourthly items over $50.00 are listed on the website(*). If the artist is in Residence then that is also featured on the website.
The website contains the archive of the gallery from it’s start. Some very early material was lost when the site was redesigned but all material since 2023 and most of the early content is on the site. This becomes a place for other people to find out about the artists who are part of our gallery community in an enduring way.
The gallerist reserves the right to not hang any works that are not properly prepared or up to an acceptable standard of making in line with the overall standard of the gallery. Works will not be censored.
Webshop
Items for sale over $50.00 will be posted on the gallery’s website shop page.(*)
(*)Please Note: If works are framed and glazed the artist must provide images of the works that are framed but not glazed for the gallery to use. It is impossible to do justice to textile works that are glazed when photographing through the glass. The gallery is not able to provide the time and expertise required to remove the glazing for photography. This is the artist’s responsibility. If suitable images are not made available for framed and glazed works they will not be listed on the webshop.
PRICING AND PAYMENT
All prices on the website are listed in New Zealand dollars and are exclusive of shipping. All prices are inclusive of GST.
We accept payment by credit card, internet banking and PayPal.
AVAILABILITY OF PRODUCTS
In the unlikely event where a product that has been ordered is no longer available, we will contact you as soon as possible to discuss your options. This may result in the cancellation of your order or replacement with an alternative product.
ORDERING AND SHIPPING PROCESS
Once payment has been received we will confirm your order via the email address you provided during the transaction. We will only ship your products when payment has been received in full.
DELIVERY TERMS & CONDITIONS
Due to the nature of the art work additional freight charges apply for all items. You will be contacted directly to arrange shipping after purchase is made.