Galleries and Charities

[David Wyke]

I have always tried to sell a few bowls for a charity and the most recent was to pay off kids lunch bill at schools and donate to church groups that sent food home with kids on the weekends. Now all kids get free lunches in the county I live in.
I am looking to go a different direction by mostly selling in galleries and doing two art type shows a year to fund the hobby and donate the balance of my bowls to different charities.
I currently sell in one gallery and do well with sales. I was a little intimidated in the beginning since my bowls were beside two professional turners with 40 years experience and who sell in several large galleries. My bowls are priced the same as their bowls and, not bragging by any means, but I sell 10 to one in this gallery. I have now been contacted by 3 different galleries interested in displaying my bowls and they are in much larger tourist type towns with a great art community. I have visited two of them and plan to visit the third one in the next couple months.
My plan has always been to help others through my woodturning, my wife knows this and is very supportive. I would like to sell enough to support the hobby and maybe save for a Robust AB. I have picked out two charities to start with and plan to meet with them in the next few weeks to go over details.
So for you that sell in galleries, how successful has it been for you? Any advice or offer some direction for this plan?

 

[Bryan Field]

I developed a fund raiser for our local transitional shelters. Fairly easy to do. Here's a link to the website. I have no experience with galleries, but am interested to hear what others say.

 

[David Wyke]

I developed a fund raiser for our local transitional shelters. Fairly easy to do. Here's a link to the website. I have no experience with galleries, but am interested to hear what others say.

I like that! I may give something like that a try but would like people to purchase directly from the charity. My hope is more people would donate if they received something in return

 

[Jerry Bennett]

David, unless that 40 year experienced turner puts something on the table that is current and interesting, they must compete with you! Not the other way around. When you turn on the radio, you will hear very few singers that have been doing it for 40 years. The customer is the final juror. Congratulations on your success and bless you for willingness to give.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

My bowls are priced the same as their bowls and, not bragging by any means, but I sell 10 to one in this gallery. I have now been contacted by 3 different galleries interested in displaying my bowls

Congratulations! Being in even one gallery is impressive.

would like people to purchase directly from the charity

Speaking for myself I'd be more inclined to acquire a bowl directly from the artist/gallery than from a charity. The direct pathway keeps the piece connected to the maker, directly or at least through knowledgeable people. Would any of the galleries allow you to make a statement on the price card? e.g. X% of the retail price is donated to Y charity as the artist's "give back".
Otherwise, you might investigate Empty Bowls.

 

[David Wyke]

Congratulations! Being in even one gallery is impressive.

Speaking for myself I'd be more inclined to acquire a bowl directly from the artist/gallery than from a charity. The direct pathway keeps the piece connected to the maker, directly or at least through knowledgeable people. Would any of the galleries allow you to make a statement on the price card? e.g. X% of the retail price is donated to Y charity as the artist's "give back".
Otherwise, you might investigate Empty Bowls.

I sold direct when donating to the school system for kids lunch program. I would take the money to a different school, get a receipt, and then post the receipt to show the money had been donated. Sometimes it was an issue getting the receipt.
Currently galleries take 40-50% of the sales. I currently had 4 bowls at the gallery where 100% of the sales goes to Woodturners and other artist that were devastated from the hurricane and the gallery is donating their commission also.
Not sure if they would agree to additional sales like this but will ask.
There are several programs to assist in getting the word out concerning the bowls for sale and I need to talk with the charity before deciding how to approach this.

 

[Roger Wiegand]

Our town has a charity gift shop run by a local women's volunteer group. They distribute all of their income to local worth causes. It's a nice model. It's easy for me, the money stays in town, and I don't have piles of bowls in every corner of my shop. I make enough from it to just about keep myself in sandpaper. They do a 60-40 split, I've been thinking about telling them to keep 100% of the take.

 

[David Wyke]

Our town has a charity gift shop run by a local women's volunteer group. They distribute all of their income to local worth causes. It's a nice model. It's easy for me, the money stays in town, and I don't have piles of bowls in every corner of my shop. I make enough from it to just about keep myself in sandpaper. They do a 60-40 split, I've been thinking about telling them to keep 100% of the take.

That would be nice to have a place like that in town.

 

[Neil S]

I would like to sell enough to support the hobby and maybe save for a Robust AB. I have picked out two charities to start with and plan to meet with them in the next few weeks to go over details.
So for you that sell in galleries, how successful has it been for you? Any advice or offer some direction for this plan?

David

I admire your philanthropy. For myself, I go about that aspect in a different way, not tying my turning income directly to my gifting, but because my turning has more than paid for itself over many decades it has added to rather than drawing down on our financial resources, freeing those up to make long term gifting commitments that are not depending on any ups and downs in gallery sales, like what happening during Covid.

I'm comfortably retired and, as mentioned, my turning more than pays for itself, which allows me to buy whatever takes my fancy by way of turning tools and equipment. That is a pleasant stage to get to. This also has benefits for other tuners as I also often gift forward whatever I no longer need myself...

I have only ever sold through galleries. I wouldn't do it any other way myself. I'm more than happy for the galleries to get their cut, they earn it in my opinion. A long term relationship with a successful gallery is invaluable.

I encourage you to disregard what others are selling their work for and set your gallery prices so that your rate of sales matches what is a comfortable output for you and what you think your work is worth.

I hope that Robust AB is not be too far off for you!

 

[David Wyke]

David

I admire your philanthropy. For myself, I go about that aspect in a different way, not tying my turning income directly to my gifting, but because my turning has more than paid for itself over many decades it has added to rather than drawing down on our financial resources, freeing those up to make long term gifting commitments that are not depending on any ups and downs in gallery sales, like what happening during Covid.

I'm comfortably retired and, as mentioned, my turning more than pays for itself, which allows me to buy whatever takes my fancy by way of turning tools and equipment. That is a pleasant stage to get to. This also has benefits for other tuners as I also often gift forward whatever I no longer need myself...

I have only ever sold through galleries. I wouldn't do it any other way myself. I'm more than happy for the galleries to get their cut, they earn it in my opinion. A long term relationship with a successful gallery is invaluable.

I encourage you to disregard what others are selling their work for and set your gallery prices so that your rate of sales matches what is a comfortable output for you and what you think your work is worth.

I hope that Robust AB is not be too far off for you!

I am kind of in the same situation as you, not rich by any means but live comfortable and never above my means. I just see many people not as fortunate and figured I could sell a few bowls a month to help out.
I do like the gallery sales as they advertise, and have a different clientele coming through their doors.