Saranac Lake ArtWorks Meetings

Notes from Meetings - May 19, 2009

Attending: Susan, Mark, Peter, Bob, Tim, David, Sandy, Todd

Topics

Sandy: made contact for an article in summer Cape Air publication about the arts in Saranac Lake.

Mark: meet with Chamber about marketing village - also suggested the Chamber contact Travel writers in Boston and urge them to do some features about our area.
David: we need to take the initiative about contacting travel writers in Boston

Advertising

Advertising costs – divide up among selves – Susan $80 /each for Explorer ad and sign expenses.; (Sandy to be reimbursed $100). Also need to include $35 for ACNA and $10 for ADE Artisan Guide.
Suggestion: each business chip in $50 and independent artists $25 to create a fund for future expenses – by July 1.
Todd: retail locations contribute certain amount, indpendent artists at a lower amount – all put “member of ArtWorks” in their PR
Get ArtWorks on NCPR? Mark: suggested “brought to you by Saranac Lake ArtWorks, found on the web at SaranacLakeArtWorks.com”. Continue discussion.

Enterprise/BLOG

Todd: Peter Crowley has offered this – if we start a SaranacLakeArtWorks blog – write about whatever, Peter will do an RSS feed from blog that will automatically go onto their web site. (current blogs get 3000 hits/week). Let’s do it! We could each take 2-3 turns at writing on it. Todd will get this set up?

Web Site

Sandy – let’s put Plein Air info up & calendar of events up
Todd: we have 5 pages – maybe add a page of artist members
Todd will put info online – prefer to be able to copy and paste
Sandy: requested to be on web site – we need to set up policy – where do independent artists get listed.
Todd suggested once site is more developed that we sign up for Google Analytics (around $200) to investigate effectiveness of site.
Sandy will collect events list and provide to Todd or post. ArtWorks specific events should be on our web site; individual gallery/artist events – link to their own sites? Sandy will send list around to members – update/correct and return to Sandy.
End of year – reconsider professional web page design and maintainance.

Other topics
- Do we ever want to become a not-for-profit? Let’s look at that again next year.

- Sandy: Chamber report – move delayed; limited space to display art

- Tim: ArtWorks functions as a support group (I missed some of this discussion due to a phone call)

- Todd: creating 4 2x4” street signs for ArtWalks – Sandy asked if they could be borrowed for the Plein Air Festival

- Susan: Press release about development and activities of ArtWorks. Mark promised to come up with one in 24 hours. Susan offered to assist.

- Mark: When others want to join – what do we do?

- Peter: Other organizations have statements of standards – will provide some to share with group (Click here for Standards sent via email June 8, 2009)

- Sandy: free postcards (100 free/$6.30 for shipping) to be able to give out about ArtWorks – yes – sample designs for June 9

- Bob – involve Pendragon in ArtWalks – suggest to Guild member’s (since our exhibit will be up then) about being available there. Maybe someone at new Chamber office too?

- Regular meeting date & time: 2nd Tuesday of the month 8:30 am

- Next Meeting: June 9 – continue discussion on membership & defining mission.

INFO