August News and Updates
Hello Friend
In this newsletter:
- Significant personnel changes: New Retail General Manager!
- Opportunities for members: Christmas Market Updates and Online Store
- Miscellaneous
- Committee updates
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In July the board hired Anna Brancati as Retail General Manager. Anna comes to us with a wealth of experience managing, sometimes from the ground up, apparel and consumables in companies with, at times multiple, geographically disparate outlets. Her past roles have included Sales Manager, District Manager as well as Director of Retail Operations for companies like Danier, Sephora, Bath and Body Works, Ever New Melbourne and more. She is fluent in inventory control and point-of-sales systems. She is a well-liked leader with an entrepreneurial spirit and is as comfortable with details as she is with grand visioning.
As we shift our focus from the Circle Craft Market to the Circle Craft Store, Anna’s expertise and work
ethics will set us on an exciting path of growth and allow us to focus on what makes our store special.
Anna’s first day was July 27, 2021.
Please welcome Anna to the Circle Craft family.
The hiring of Anna Brancati is the conclusion work done by a respected head-hunting firm and our stellar hiring committee: Wendy Van Riesen, Diane Zwickel, Suzanne Nairn, Cameron Dougherty and Tanya Droege. We are very grateful to this team of Members who devoted their time to finding the perfect hire in Anna Brancati. Thank you!
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Opportunities for members
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- At present, the Christmas Market is looking likely to be going ahead but Signatures needs more applications to secure the event. Please apply if you have been hesitant. The continuation of this show is vital to our ability to support the long term success of our store.
- Applications continue to come in and our jury committee vetts these applications. A big thank you goes to Diane Tjordman, Jan MacLeod, Elen Danielle, Claudia Haywood and Laura Vanderlinde for their diligent work in jurying all the applications.
- As this year will be the first year that Signatures is running the Circle Craft Christmas Market, there will be a process learning curve for both circle Craft and Signatures. Please be patient and generous with the bumps involved in this new relationship. I recommend you keep a record of your personal trials so we can communicate to Signatures any issues in which to ensure improvements to the 2022 Market. Where to send those comments will be posted in this newsletter in the new year.
- As in previous years, Circle Craft has been offered the opportunity to have a 20’x30’ booth at the Christmas Market (at no cost to us). The Board would like to invite members to create new work especially for this display. Please contact chair@circlecraft.net if you are interested in showcasing your work in this location.
- In other news, the on-line store has launched! Here is the link Please take a look at the on-line store and let us know what you think onlinestore@circlecraft.net. This is a Pilot Project so your input is welcome!
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Since the start of the pandemic, Circle Craft Co-op faced significant challenges, not the least of which was staffing at the store. Everyone working at the store stepped up to keep it open and the Board would like to thank Jackie, Karilee, Shanna, Alexandra, Georgina, Bridgette, Melinda & Karina for taking on extra shifts and responsibilities under these extraordinary circumstances.
Also, when the board turned to the membership for help, the following members stepped up in this capacity: Maria Roth, Debra Sloan, Diane Tordjman, Lina Cutnam, Fredi Rahn, Lorna Moffat, Vanja Brankovic, Joanne Andrighetti, Pen-Hsuan Hsing, Jeremy dane Morris, Greg Kawczynski and Joanna Lovett. Thank you!
We would love to hear about your experience working in the store. Please write Wendy chair@circlecraft.net
to share what you learned and what impressions you were left with. I would like to compile them for the next Newsletter.
With the hiring of Anna Brancati, the Board will happily lay down its managerial duties at the store and
return to a visioning body. Our next step is to create a Strategic Plan for Circle Craft that will launch us into another 50 years of great craft in B.C.
Please consider joining the board. We need Board Members who like to work with others, can identify the skill base they have to offer, are interested in inclusion and diversity, support artist education and are interested in a co-operative model for Board governance. We will be receiving guidance for this way of governing from UCCC, the Upper Columbia Cooperative Council. Our first workshop was on July 28! There will be a report next month about this session.
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Reminders of members’ responsibilities
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a) Thank you to all the Members who have stepped in to work at the store! It is exciting to have the Members fulfilling the Board’s vision of inclusivity and member engagement.
Thank you Lorna Moffat, Diane Yutal, Lina Cutnan, Pen-Hsuan Hsing, and Fredi Rahn!
A new call went out June 28th. Please go to this link for details on taking a shift in the store. Please remember that your role here is to greet our customers and assist our staff in creating a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere.
b) Please remember our service in the store is to assist both staff and customer. Since the staff have set routines, defer to them on how you can best help. During this time of transition, we are needed as a support to our staff.
If you have any questions or ideas about displays/merchandizing, please contact Diane. Those issues will be dealt with in a different forum.
c) Please bring in new work and take your old! The store needs a fresh look and that can only happen with your input.
d) Note that all members must wear a mask in the store as all staff have not been fully vaccinated yet.
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OUR NEW WEBSITE IS LAUNCHED!!!!!!!!!! Please let us know what you think. If you have any updates for your personal profile, please send them to wendyvanriesen@gmail.com
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Retail Committee
The past 16 months has given us time to step back and assess the operation of the CC store and its relationship to members, customers, and community. With the hiring of a Retail General Manager complete, the focus will now turn to hiring full and part time staff. Forging a strong team with a renewed focus on sales, consumer engagement, member engagement and strengthening relationships with other arts organizations.
We also had the chance to invite members to work volunteer shifts in the store and the result has been a first hand experience of what staff do on a daily basis, how the store runs and what opportunities for improvement exist. We hope to make your participation a regular part of our store’s operation, as we believe that it’s always positive when artists meet the consumers who buy their work. As well, members have the opportunity to form a bond with store staff who are eager to meet the face behind the work, learn about details of process and what inspires the artist.
Selections Committee
The Selections Committee has completed their second round of jurying and have selected three new members to participate in our store for a 1 year trial: Nicole Green /Nicole Green Lamps, Christine Rio/Slate Jewelry, Suzu An Jewelry. Acceptance letters will be sent out along with a New Memberʼs Kit. Welcome New Coop participants!
A huge thanks goes out to our Selections Committee: Lorna Moffat, Elaine Brewer-White, Russel Hackney, Mary Downe, Nancy Walker (Chair), Penny Birnam (past member) and Joanne Ma (our very own Admin Asst.) for making this process work. Thank you!
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Sincerely,
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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