[6/22 Updates] The show must go on, I’m still moving in on July 1st as planned, Artspace is currently closed to public, but I’ll be able to provide appointment only service for my clients.
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[6/6 Updates] This blog was written last week before the hectic weekend, unfortunately, Artspace was vandalized among many downtown Raleigh small businesses and establishments this past weekend, I’m not so sure how severe the damages are, at this moment I honestly don’t know what to expect, I just wish there is more love and less hate in this world, violence does not solve anything but only cause more confusions and misunderstandings, I only wish all the best to everyone, especially to the ones are hurting……
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Ever since I returned from my 10 weeks long Provence artist residency last late Summer, I’ve been considering taking the next step for my career as a studio jeweler. I really enjoyed the atelier residency setup I had in SCAD Lacoste, it was half retail and half studio space that I can work and interact with clients directly at the same time. I enjoyed every conversation I had with the customers and guests, I felt energized and inspired working in an interactive environment, I’ve been missing that experience ever since.
I’ve been working from home since 2014, my hubby and I spent the entire June building a fully functioning “she-shed” jewelry studio in our backyard when I moved my studio from downtown Raleigh to home. At the time it was exactly what I needed, my business was still very young, and I was traveling a lot for craft shows while working two part-time jobs, so I didn’t really use that downtown studio space as much as I supposed to, and it was a shared space, I couldn’t manage it as a retail space. A home studio will save me a lot of money on rent and time on commute, it was a no brainer for me.
There are pros and cons working from home, it was a right decision for me 6 years ago, but as my business evolved over the years, I realized I’ve outgrown the space if I want my career to continue to thrive, it’s time to do something different. The perfect studio space search started back in September, I went through a lot of spaces in the metro Raleigh area, eventually ArtSpace in downtown Raleigh caught my attention, Artspace is a non-profit visual art center that houses 30 partially subsidized studios appropriate for visual artists. It’s a prestigious organization that’s been around for decades and it provides the art community that I was missing from working home, it’s a perfect trial location for me to start my new studio/ retail store front.
I submitted my application back in Feb when most of the world was still a safe place, and then in mid March the pandemic happened, I was so stressed out when I found out all my spring and summer shows were either cancelled or postponed, and there is no guarantee that there will even be shows anytime soon this year, not unless there is a cure to treat the symptoms or vaccines available to the public. Not having any shows meant I would lose at least half of my income based on my previous experiences. I felt like everything I worked so hard for it’s crumbling. I let myself fall into this unmotivated mode for weeks, till my parents reminded me “Crisis is a turning point” to encourage me to never give up. And that same week, I received the notification that I got accepted to a 320 sq ft studio space which is twice bigger than my current studio, I was so thrilled but scared the same time because of this uncertain time (it's a jury only since it’s highly competitive due to its reputation and affordable rent to the limited available space, I had to submit my resume and portfolio to go through the jury selection process).
The lease starts on July 1st, I honestly can’t tell you if this is the best time or worst time to open a retail store, but I know without having my show income, I need to do something creative and bold to make up the loss in order to survive in this covid world. I was inspired by so many of my friends that still have their business thriving during the lockdown, and I was still receiving online sales and taking custom orders, there is still demand for jewelry and people are still shopping and supporting small businesses. I decided to take my leap of faith and signed the lease just three days ago after I toured the space, it has its original hardwood floor and giant loft metal frame window, the natural lighting is simply gorgeous in that room. I can already visualize how I will decorate the space while I was there (and that’s always a good sign, right?). It will be divided into three sections: jewelry studio, jewelry display, and custom jewelry consulting area, which my current place can’t fulfill all 3 purposes due to the limitation of the space and my home safety.
So…..stay tuned to check out my new space in July!!!
Signing off,
Hsiang-Ting