Art Studio/gallery

Cea Breize · Joined: 07 Jul 2009 Posts: 157 Location: Bundaberg

Hi everyone! I have the oportunity to open my own studio/gallery. Its a small store, and I am getting it for $70 per week. Its in a group of stores, with a bakery,hair dresser,chemist,book store. I have never done this before, and the shop was listed at much higher then this but i asked to have it cheeper, yay for me! A friend of mine has his own gallery and art supplies store in the gold coast hinterland, and said he would point me in the right direction with paint supplies etc. There is only one art supply store in the biggest near by town 15 mins from me. I also have another friend who has made a living out of his art and works in printing etc, he can get my work put onto mugs and print shirts and other tourist-y type things, at cost as we are close friends.

Worst case - is i dont make any money from my art and it doesn't sell. And i end up paying $70 to have a space to paint in, and be viewed by the public.

I know i need pub liability insurance etc, not sure how much that is yet and have phoned for a quote, they will call me back. What else do I need to know, if anyone can offer advice that would be great.

I also am struggling with a name for the space. most of you know me here as Cea Breize a name i invented for myself. My real name is Tara Lea. I am thinking about something like "Cea Breize Art Studio"
Or "Studio Beach by Tara Lea" or Cea Breize...???

Any ideas?

ocker1 · Joined: 27 Sep 2008 Posts: 775 Location: NZ

good luck, hey $70 ! you cant go wrong

Boris01 · Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 228 Location: Western Australia

I'd just call it Tara Lea Art Studio , or Tara Lea studio , less confusion with multiple names and people will get to know your name

$70 bucks is GREAT for a studio rent, especially if its got enough room to use as a small storefront kind of setup aswell

bakery, chemist, haridresser, bookstore ..
thats PERFECT !
line up your opening times with them , make sure youre there in their busiest times ( especially if the bakery is open early sunday mornings - get your butt in there when they open and look like youve been working, people will go buy their mornign bread and think "well its sunday, Ive got time to kill I'll go take a look"

another suggestion - check out the nearest art supply stores, have a look at their stock and then ONLY stock stuff of higher quality than theyve got, it may give you only a small range but:
people who know what theyre doing WILL come that extra distance to get the good stuff, from you

you'll look better as an artists as you'll be showing that you use top quality material ( even if 2m away youve got the most basic of junk materials near your easle, its already in their heads )

better materials selling to people coming to you, who know why the materials are better, will more than likely get better advice given to you, from said people
Hang your work in as many of those adjoining businesses as possible - get it into half and you effectively "own" that area, people who are lookign for, or know about art will associate that whole shooping area with YOUR art

ocker's right - $70 you cant possibly go wrong , that is such a good deal I'd take it and still be happy paying that 2 years later with no profit even made
you can run a LOOONG way with a small space like that

good luck !

Chrissy D · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 1053 Location: Queensland

Hi Cea Breize aka Tara Lea.

I like "Cea Breize Art Studio/ Cea Breize Studio/Sea Breize Gallery" better then your name. Yes too confusing the more words in the title. I like how you have changed the spelling of 'sea breeze' not to sure of the spelling for breize. If you have already registered it then oh well, but something to think about is if your verbally marketing yourself and someone tries to find you i.e. google it. It might be hard because of the spelling. "Cea Breeze" would still be alright" just something to think about anyway.

If the issue of the rent makes it to hard for you to stay, depending on your location and what kind of hotels are around, you could become an artist-in-residence in the foyer of a 4 or 5 ***** hotel. I know the Sebel here in Cairns has advertised for someone before and has had a constant artist there. The artist does sell his paintings/prints that way. Plus your are targeting the right people with money and not sunday morning breakfast paper runner's with loose change. But no the less still a great idea! Any form of getting yourself out there is good!

Tango · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1360 Location: Melbourne

Tara Lea Studio & Art Supplies or Tara Lea Gallery & Art Supplies, be direct and to the point so people know what you are about..

AvG · Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 1912

Cea Breize · Joined: 07 Jul 2009 Posts: 157 Location: Bundaberg

Thankyou everyone for your ideas and advice! I still have no idea what to do about my name....I have never like it. Cea Breize I like cause it's a play on words and is about the ocean its about being close enough you can feel the "sea breeze". That's what it means to me anyways. If I call it "Cea Breize Art Studio" and then in smaller letters have my real name "by Tara Lea" I would think that might be ok?....I guess I am hoping to be more original and stand out from the rest and I think a "Brand name" can do that...There is another reason for this too, I am hoping that resorts and the like will want to use my tourist like things in their gift shops and that it might apeal more to them because of the name...Just look at the names of their hotels..? That's my thinking anyways... I am not always right, I am often wrong hehehe Anyway thats my plan... Besides I can always change it if i find its not working for me and go with my real name anyways, thats already mine hehehe. Thanks again so much for your time guys its great getting your ideas and advice...I really have no idea what i am doing. I would love to know more about the paper work side of things id anyone has a clue on how much public liability insurance will cost me? Or anything else i need to consider with the paper work side of things??? Thanking you in advance, Cea

Devilbiss · Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 3214

Good luck with it all Tara.
Public liability will cost around $900 a year.

Boris01 · Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 228 Location: Western Australia

yep , mine was just under 900 when I had it

dont letthat put you off though , this sounds like a great opportunity to get some exposure

sunfire · Joined: 01 Mar 2008 Posts: 1430 Location: Toodyay

Cea Breize · Joined: 07 Jul 2009 Posts: 157 Location: Bundaberg

Aww thanks Sunfire.... I was quoted $497.75 this afternoon, that is a bit cheeper then the $900 so i am pleased with that. I dont expect to be making loads of money out of this, im not going into it thinking that way at all. If i make anything i will be happy. I will give it a red hot go, i will try my best and try to make money but thats not the only reason i am going into this.

I am excited and nervous and the rest! Has anyone seen any beautiful studio/gallerys lately that they would love to share, might give me some ideas on what to look for to help set this up right, I want it to look beautiful and inviting.... thats going to be fun.

Boris thank you for your earlier coments that was really some great advice, thank you thank you so much!

Cea

Tango · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1360 Location: Melbourne

Jade · Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 1:04 pm Post subject: Re - Art Studio/gallery

This is very exciting for you! I hope it all goes well and you get what you want out of it Very Happy

ocker1 · Joined: 27 Sep 2008 Posts: 775 Location: NZ

have a look here , this bloke is onto a good thing , him and his wife are artists , so he,s combined a coffee shop in a gallery , then he rents other artists wall space (No commission)

http://www.lookgallery.co.nz/

Cea Breize · Joined: 07 Jul 2009 Posts: 157 Location: Bundaberg

Thanks Jade...It is very exciting!!! I cleaned the shop today, and the owner is coming up this coming weekend to put a fresh coat of paint on it for me so it will look fantastic, (he is a painter/plaster by trade).
I have a lot of work to do, but the shop will not officially open for a while, it will be a studio to paint in untill i can get enough stock to fill my walls. This is not something that can happen over night, this will take time. I have plans on what i want to do and achieve.

Ocker, thanks for that, very clever. Though my shop would not have the space for this...there is a gallery that has a coffee shop in hervey bay and they are similar to this but also sell art supplies. But very clever renting the wall space like that!

I will keep you all up to date on bits and peices as they come up, for now i have to get working...happy painting to you all,

Cea