Mentoring Checklist

INITIAL MEETING

Set up your first meeting prior to February 1. Ideally, this will take place where your mentee is showing during AATS. If they’re a guest artist, meeting with both the host and your mentee is ideal. In the event you’re working with multiple mentees, it may be helpful to set up an initial meeting with all of you at once to go over general guidelines.

Both of you should identify dates and fill out a calendar to be in contact with each other. While your job isn’t to babysit, it’s especially helpful for first-year artists to receive reminders a few days prior to important dates like catalog proofing, submitting art to the preview show, etc. Remind them to post the Important Dates page somewhere accessible.

PREPARATION

  • Prepare Excel or Word doc mail list due by Monday Feb 28

  • Catalog proofing online March 1-3. Final proofing Thurs. March 10 (only if needing correction)

  • Preview Exhibit at SCA

    • Deliver to art center and pickup other materials on Monday May 16 from 11-6:00

    • Check size requirements, make it an excellent representation of your best work 

    • Virtual show preview exhibit opening reception Sat. May 21 from 1-4:00pm

  • Consider other optional satellite shows, reply early, track drop off/pick up dates, but don’t overextend yourself

  • Marketing and self promotion (see section)

STUDIO SAFETY

Review and make suggestions to remedy any unsafe or hazardous situations that need to be addressed. Identify the art display area. Tape or rope off any areas not accessible to customers

  • Restroom

    • Make a determination as to whether the restroom is made available to customers.

  • Wheelchair Accessible

    • To qualify for wheelchair accessibility, the studio must accommodate wheelchairs. The restroom and access to it—if you offer one—must also accommodate a wheelchair.

  • Visitors

    • Discuss the potential of customers who arrive with children or dogs and how to supervise.

  • Parking

    • Review parking area and make sure mentee makes neighbors aware of the impact near show time.

  • Weather

    • Discuss a strategy for rain, heat, winds.

  • Liability

    • Once you have covered safety, talk about liability. Does the mentee have business liability insurance for the event? They can check with their insurance provider to make sure they’re covered for the event. If not, business liability insurance is relatively inexpensive. Homeowner’s insurance will not cover an injury on your property if you are conducting business. The final decision on whether or not to get insurance is up to the mentee.

  • COVID

    • Signs which clearly state that a mask is required to enter your studio, hand sanitizer and extra masks are essential. All items should be the first thing visitors see as they approach your studio. Consider what you will say if someone walks in unmasked and does not comply.

STUDIO READINESS

  • Display, Packaging, and Comfort

    • Help identify display areas, sales and packaging area, and a welcoming spot for guests which includes catalogs, guest book, business cards, etc. Suggest a few chairs to provide a waiting area. 

  • Refreshments 

    • Are problematic. This is not an Art opening, it’s a open studio event. In the era of Covid it is advisable to not have food or drink for visitors.

    • Optional: beverages in small cups, snack appreciated in afternoon, but don’t spend too much $, alcohol, usually not recommended for liability

  • Lunch

    • It’s a good idea to have food planned for yourself and your helper before the day begins. You never know when people will show up and you want to be able to eat when there is a loll.

  • Signs

    • Signs not only direct your customers to your studio; they attract visitors unfamiliar with the program. An artist can’t have too many.

    • Number of Signs

      • Help your mentee identify how many signs they need and help with mapping out the locations of their signs. Help them decide if they should purchase extras. The link to the form is emailed and must be filled out by February 14.

    • Preparing Signs

      • Discuss preparing their yellow Art at the Source signs. Point out that numbers and arrows should be large and clear for the best visibility. They can create their own or copy the sheets provided when they pick up their artist’s packet and signs.

      • It’s advisable to cover numbers and arrows with plastic or clear tape in case they get damp.

    • Cluster Signs

      • Help identify potential neighboring studios which can be grouped onto one sign.

    • Sign Location

      • Signs can’t be placed on City or County traffic signs, such as stop signs.

    • Signs Up & Down

      • Remind them that signs must be taken between weekends and removed promptly after the last weekend. Signs should not be put up before 3pm on Friday and taken down no later than Monday morning.

  • Studio Helpers

    • It’s strongly advised that a studio helper is present during the entire show. Ideally this is someone familiar enough with the artist’s work who can help with both sales and customers. Have the mentee define the helper’s role.

    • Have the helper keep count of visitors to the studio, whether that’s marking a list, using a clicker, putting beans in a jar, or another method.

    • Studio helpers can be valuable in managing customers so the artist is able to direct their attention where it’s most needed.

  • Counting Visitors

    • Not everyone wants to leave their contact info, so you should have a system to count how many people come regardless if they sign in or not. 5 hatch marks on a piece of paper, or beans, hand counter, anything that works. Again, you’ll be asked for that information on the final evaluation form, post event.

  • Sign-In Sheet

    • Have visitors sign in, capturing their email and if possible mailing address & ZIP CODE once they view the work. After the event you will be asked to provide a tally of the number of people who came & ZIP Codes. This helps with the marketing demographics and is required when you submit your evaluation forms.

BUSINESS

Encourage your mentee to attend the marketing workshop on Saturday, February 15 from 9-noon. There’s a wealth of info regarding websites, mailing lists, and other ‘nuts and bolts’ tips for the show.

  • Resale Number & Sales Tax

    • If they don’t already have a resale number, make sure that’s obtained before the show. Have them review the sales tax rate for their area.

  • Business License

    • Legally a person conducting business within the city limits must have a city business license. Your mentee can check with their city to see if one is needed.

  • PAYMENT

    • Credit Cards

      • Setting up an account through Square or another vendor like PayPal to accept credit cards is considered vital.

    • Checks

      • Have a policy in place to collect phone number or other relevant info if accepting checks.

    • Change

      • Make sure cash is kept secure and plenty of change is available.

  • SALES

    • Pricing

      • Have they got a pricing strategy?

      • Method of labeling the price on their artwork?

    • Sales Books & Receipts

      • Do they have a sales book for receipts, instructions/care information, handouts?

      • Remind them to collect info for their mailing list, and at the very least contact info for credit card sales; Square doesn’t provide that data to the vendor, and should there be a problem with a credit card later, you will need a way to contact the customer. Likewise, if they accept checks, obtaining a phone number is a good idea.

      • Collect and show tax on receipt, Sebastopol and  Unincorporated 8.25% (2021)

    • Commissions

      • Will you do commissions? Do you have a contract or require deposit?

      • These should be policies put in place so they don’t have to come up with something spur of the moment.

    • Return policy?

      • For credit? All sales final? Posting it may save misunderstandings.

    • Discounts

      • It’s a good idea to be ready for the customer who asks for a discount. By rehearsing scenarios, it’s easier to be prepared and confident.

    • Layaway

      • Do they want to take layaway? Again, help come up with terms before the show.

  • Packaging

    • Do they have appropriate packing materials?

    • Stress the importance of professionalism; this isn’t the time to use grocery bags or newspaper to pack their sales.

MARKETING/SELF PROMOTION

This is a good time to remember the old adage “You only have one chance to make a first impression.” A cohesive, professional design theme helps to elevate the artwork and shows they care about their work.

Feedback has shown that the artists who do the best during AATS make a genuine effort when it comes to getting the word out. They start early, and engage in as many opportunities as possible. They’re active on social media, they email potential customers, and they ask friends and family to spread the word. In short, they treat open studios like the business opportunity it is.

Marketing Materials

Review your mentee’s marketing materials. At the bare minimum, they need a good business card and an online portfolio or website. Additional pieces like a small handout with care instructions, artist’s info, and generic postcards can be useful. A large label is great for many uses; on bags, boxes, back of framed artwork, and more.

Preview Exhibit

Urge your mentee to choose one of their best pieces for the preview show, and ideally have it be a different piece than the photo in the catalog. This way the customer sees a bit more of their range.

Online Presence

Their website should be up to date and list the dates/location of the show. If they don’t have one, now is the time to get busy. In the absence of a dedicated website, encourage them to create a Facebook business page to showcase current work. The benefits of social media can’t be ignored. There are several inexpensive website services with simple templates. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are free and easy to use. Regular social media posts create excitement and anticipation, and often lead to pre-show sales.

Networking close to home

Encourage your mentee to advertise to their friends and family. People want to support artists, and we’ve all got a built-in network of acquaintances to approach. A small ‘friends and family’ discount can be added incentive for sales.

Mailing Lists (Email or US Mail)

As discussed earlier, have your mentee keep records of customers by noting their email or mailing address. This serves to build a customer base and also helps should they need to contact a customer after the show.

Mailing postcards to friends and prior customers can be helpful. A postcard is a relatively inexpensive, useful way to have a marketing piece that’s not quickly outdated; they can write the show dates to customize a generic card which highlights a few examples of their work.

Encourage your mentee to exchanged cards with nearby studios.

Suggest they send an email to anyone on their list a couple weeks before the show, and a reminder immediately following the first weekend. It should include a personal invitation as well as links to the AATS website and catalog.

Other Advertising

Provide other means of advertising opportunities, like an ad in the catalog, the Essential Guide, or arranging a group ad with nearby artists.

Facebook ads are targeted via keywords and you’re able to designate exactly how much to spend per day.

The Artist’s Statement & Bio

A current Artist’s Statement or Bio is good information to have available for customers to read.

Any press or other publicity printouts add credibility too, so be sure to display them.

A name tag to identify the artist in a group of customers can be helpful.

THE SALES PITCH AND ARTIST CONDUCT

Artists need to be open, engaging, and available during the show. For customers, the life of an artist is magical; they imagine we’re living the dream! It’s so important to smile, greet each visitor, and show a genuine sense of gratitude that they’ve come to see you. A customer isn’t just buying artwork, they’re investing in the artist and their story. Artists who are sitting in a corner, or browsing on their phone project a ‘don’t bug me’ attitude that quickly repels customers. It’s a skill to manage many visitors at once. Your mentee’s helper can jump in to greet and answer questions, but the mentee needs to be able to politely retreat from visitors who just want to chat so they’re not ignoring potential customers. If friends come to visit, stress the importance of not being distracted, and making sure customers get the majority of the attention.

Your mentee should spend some time getting comfortable talking about their work. It’s advisable to practice verbalizing where inspiration comes from, the process of making the work, etc. If you can’t talk about your work, you can’t sell it!

For those who find it difficult to talk to strangers, it helps to have a few rehearsed lines. Asking if a customer has seen their work before, or if they’ve been to many studios so far, or even where they’re from, are all good openers and help to break the ice. If you have a shy mentee, be sure to talk about this. Remind them not to worry, they will eventually get the hang of what works for them.

Demonstration

It is often a remarkable experience for people to see how your art is made. Plan to demonstrate at a certain time during the day. If there are many there all at once, invite them to watch and if possible participate. I use a press, and have encouraged teens and adults to crank the print through or pull the print. 

HOST/GUEST ARTIST ROLES

Ideally, experienced host artists will supplement the mentor’s job by working with their guest as a team during open studios. By sharing space in an established artist’s studio, your mentee will gain valuable insights from the knowledge and experience provided during set up, as well as observe customer relations and sales techniques during the show.

If your mentee is a guest artist, it would be advantageous for both of you to have a meeting with their host to help define roles, divide tasks, and clarify any details that are mutually beneficial.

As a guest, your mentee should be advised to assist their host with readying the studio and take on other tasks that are defined. This symbiotic relationship helps to establish the new artist with the confidence necessary to proceed on their own or with another host the following year if they choose. A good host/guest relationship can last for years and become a regular stop for customers.

AFTER THE EVENT

  • All artists must fill out their mandatory online evaluation by Wednesday, June 15.

  • Tally pieces over $50 tax not included. (May influence price point.)

  • Visitor count.

  • Send thank you notes to best customers—sending handwritten thank you notes to customers is a nice touch. Make sure to include an extra business card or two.

RESOURCES

Both mentors and mentees are encouraged to join our private Facebook group called Art at the Source Artist Forum. Click on “join” to be approved. Everyone is encouraged to share and/or request info regarding the program. 

The Artist’s Resource page on the Sebastopol Center for the Arts website contains a wealth of information about the show. http://artatthesource.org/artist-resources/

A great resource for the first-time open studio participant is Melinda Cootsona’s book Open Your Studio; Nine Steps to a Successful Art Event. It’s available here from Amazon.

Also Luann Udell’s blog series How To Open Studio 

Printing for business cards, postcards, labels

Gotprint.com, Vistaprint.com, psprint.com, moo.com

Bags, packaging materials

Papermart.com, uline.com, bagsandbowsonline.com, amazon.com 

Credit card processing  

paypal.com squareup.com












Resale License

Board of Equalization, 50 D St. # 230, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, (707) 576-2100 

https://srcity.org/2579/Business-Tax-Certificate-Sellers-Permit