Hello
Our Annual General Meeting will be held April 15 on Zoom; details will follow in our April Newsletter.
In the meantime, please mark your calendars and remember to maintain your membership by paying your dues by April 1.
Thank you to those who expressed interest in becoming a Board Member -- we look forward to you joining us when we return to our governing model.
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The Board is in the process of applying for a government grant to hire Dig360, a consultant firm who will help us examine our retail model, clarify our strategic plan for the future of the cooperative, and hire a General Manager, a combination which will expand our growth. At our AGM, we'll have the opportunity to collectively examine our new voice as we move beyond the Holiday Market model and focus on YOU, our members, at the Granville Island location.
The grant will also help us improve sales and online presence by creating a website on the Shopify platform, which offers multiple options for online sales, a member’s forum, and social outreach.
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Over the next seven weeks, a different artist and their work will be featured with a short Q&A, which will be featured on our Instagram, FaceBook and Twitter. VIVE will also be approaching various news and other media outlets. While the campaign is running, the store will have a small feature area for the artist of the week, piquing the interest of locals.
Please remember: there will be other features, and VIVE will give us the template for what they do so we can continue spotlighting each of you as we go forward. Marketing increases traffic in the gallery, which benefits all of us.
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MEMBERS Congratulations and welcome to our new members!
- ArtPen Studio
- Bronwyn Arundel
- Sandra Dolph
- Cameron Dougherty/Dougherty Glassworks
- Tanya Droege/SeaLuxe
- Matthew Freed
- Russell Hackney
- Estelle Liebenberg/Nomad Soul
- Pyrrha
- Maria Roth
- Diane Zwickel/Zed Handmade
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STAFF Please welcome Joanne Ma, who joined us February 17 as our part-time Admin Assistant. Joanne previously worked with Make It!, where she was involved with the jurying process, the applicant database, artisan contact, social media and website content. Having Joanne with us will go a long way to filling the current gaps in our staffing. Joanne will be working remotely from her current home in Edmonton.
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Thank you for acknowledging our February 4 letter and accepting your documented inventory.
IF YOU HAVE NOT YET RESPONDED: please note that your inventory numbers will be finalized March 10 and we would appreciate your acknowledgement of our tally.
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Opportunities for Members
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CORPORATE GIFTING In the absence of cruise ship traffic, we are looking to increase our reach by offering a corporate gifting programme, whereby interested local businesses can send Circle Craft gift baskets to employees and clients. We'll be putting together a catalogue within the next few months -- are you interested in providing low- to mid-priced multiples that would be suitable for gift baskets? Please email Joanne admin@circlecraft.net if you'd like to join this initiative.
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SCHOLARSHIP FUND Every year, we allocate $2500. for member scholarships. All members in good standing are eligible.
- Scholarships will be awarded for educational purposes such as course tuition at recognized institutions, fees for workshops, and funds for research or special study projects.
- Beginning in 2021, online courses will be accepted.
- You'll receive 50% of your funding upfront, with the remaining half being paid when
- your course/research has been successfully completed,
- we receive a report from you, including images of your work completed as part of your study, and
- you have made an in-store display as a featured artist.
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Please log in to our members' portal for more information and to apply.
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BILLETING DURING THE HOLIDAY MARKET To make it easier for out-of-town Circle Craft members to stay in Vancouver while participating in the Holiday Market, we would like to help facilitate billeting in local members’ homes. Let us know if you live in Vancouver and have a room to spare. Although the Market is still many months away, exhibitors will be submitting their applications now and making the decision as to whether or not they can afford to do the show, so please send us your offers soon. Our first offer of a spare room (with private bath) comes from Kaarina Talvila, who lives in Kits, a short 15-minute drive from the Convention Centre. Frequent bus service also available nearby. Contact Kaarina at kaarina@kotidesigns.ca.
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CRAFT INDUSTRY ALLIANCE is a community for craft professionals. Build connections, stay on top of industry news, and strengthen your business. Find them at https://craftindustryalliance.org
Wishing you all a safe, prosperous and productive month.
Warmest regards,
Circle Craft Board and Staff
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Circle Craft Co-Operative, 1-1666 Johnston Street, Granville Island
604 669 8021 circlecraft.net
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