I am very excited about this news! I was notified last week that I am among 31 Indiana artisans that have juried into the Indiana Artisan Program. I am very honored to have been selected, and that my glass work may now carry the Indiana Artisan brand logo.
As I understand it, a second adjudication will be held this month, and a third in October. Two more adjudications will be held in 2009. I will be attending a meeting later this month, and will post more details then. To learn more about this program and how to apply, I have posted links below.
Thank you Eric Freeman, committee members and Indiana for affording Indiana Artisans new and exciting opportunities!
From their website: "In early 2008, Lt. Governor Becky Skillman announced the launch of Indiana Artisan - a program that will support and promote Hoosier artisans and handmade products......Indiana Artisan is a joint venture of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, the Indiana Arts Commission and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. "
Participants in this program can expect:
- Access to tailored and relevant entrepreneurial support and technical assistance that will be based on responses to an inventory of artisan needs
- Access to grant funding for business development education and networking opportunities
- The endorsement of a statewide brand, and use of the logo in support of their own individual brand
- The opportunity to increase their revenue and market growth through:
- Internet sales opportunities via the program website and online directory
- Trade show(s) targeted to retailers interested in purchasing artisan products wholesale
- Retail displays that will promote the Indiana brand and feature artisan products in existing retail outlets around the state
- Participation in artisan trails that will bring the market to the artisan’s studio/place of business for one-on-one direct sales
- The opportunity to develop their studio/place of business into a stand-alone attraction through participation in the trails development promoted to in- and out-of-state travelers interested in place-based arts experiences
- Collaborative efforts that promote the brand, the trails and the stories of the artisans themselves.