My initial attempt at painting reflected the past 30 years of my professional career; stiff, structured pieces capturing local buildings, a friend’s mountain barn, basic still life.  Ironically, it wasn’t until I enrolled in a streetscapes painting class taught by local abstract artist Lisa Creed when I exploded out of the box.

Also enrolled in the streetscapes class were a number of artists that had taken another DAC class taught by Lisa, Painting Gone Wild.  While I was ‘playing by the rules’ and painting streetscapes, they were all having a great time fully expressing themselves with their art.  However, after a few weeks, peer pressure won out and I began to loosen up.  This is when my style began to emerge and what you see today, layers of paint and color consuming the canvas and emoting tremendous energy.

Jeff’s Website and Email : artSmithjeff.com & artSmithjeff@gmail.com

To check out past events, simply check out our Blog. We have fun and you should too! Join us every third Friday at LabourLove and Golden Belt! Support the arts!

Everyone is Welcome!  Artists, Designers, Builders, and Makers of Fine Handmade Goods

Interested?  We are currently accepting new members to join the collective.  Read the Post.  If this sounds like your thing, apply now!

The Need

LabourLove was founded with the mission to grow the art scene in downtown Durham by providing a space for emerging artists to explore their passion.  After a year and half as a traditional gallery, we noticed a few things.

1. The old ways of the art world just don’t apply anymore.  Artists are functioning more and more as independent businesses through personal websites, Etsy stores, open studios, and direct selling.
2. The demand for high priced fine art has slowed thanks in large part to the recession causing art galleries across the country to close or find a new way to function.
3. Creativity abounds in our region from fashion designers and bespoke shoe makers to woodworkers, potters, sculptors, painters, photographers, metalsmiths, and jewelry designers all looking for a way to showcase their products and talent.

The Idea

1. Give artists, designers, and crafters space for a reasonable monthly price, and let them keep 90% of the retail sale.
2. Everyone in the collective takes an active role in promoting the gallery and its events through their existing Email lists, Facebook friends, Twitter followers, Etsy fans, etc.
3. The efforts of a large group of artists spending just a few minutes per month reaching their personal networks can equal thousands of potential customers for everyone to share.
4. We all have fun playing a role in the growing art scene in downtown Durham.

The Deal

Artists keep 90% of the retail sale from all items.  LabourLove will use the other 10% to cover credit card processing and basic business expenses related to gallery operations including accounting and marketing costs.

LabourLove supplies clothing racks, shelving units, and wall space for the display of the artwork and goods.  The artists supply the inventory and rent the space required to display their works.  This is YOUR space to display your work as you wish.  After functioning as a collective for the past we know that the most active participants in the collective tend to sell the most product.  Art is just like any other business, if you come to the events and promote the gallery to your network, you are more likely to sell your work.

Monthly Rental Commitment & Space Allotment Dimensions:

Wall Space – 3 ft w x8 ft h – $89/month

Shelf Space – 3 shelves 30” long totaling 7.5’ linear feet of display space – $89/month

Clothing Rack Space – 3 linear ft – $49/month

Artists have the option to apply for a six month or twelve month lease.  A twelve month commitment receives a 5% discount off of the monthly rent per month.  Additionally, artists can apply for more than one unit of space, and if selected, the artist will receive a 5% discount on the total space rented.  If an artist wants more space and a twelve month term, a 10% total discount will be applied per month.  Monthly rent will be charged to your credit card on the 1st of every month.

Location within the Gallery

The gallery is divided into evenly spaced sections for each artist.  Location within the gallery will be determined by the space available for each type of artwork.  LabourLove will not guarantee a specific spot in the gallery to any artist, but we will do our best to make sure each artist’s work is displayed with care.  It is our primary desire to see all of the artists succeed.

Applications are currently being accepted.  APPLY NOW!

Promotion

GoldenBelt is the place to be on Third Fridays in Durham.  With neighbors like Dogstar Tattoo, The Scrap Exchange, Liberty Arts, Bikram Yoga Durham, Blend, Moshi Moshi, the 40+ artists in Building 3, and LabourLove Gallery join forces to bring in anywhere from 300 to 700 people every month for a night of art, drinks, and socializing.  Food trucks park in the visitors lot to serve up things like burgers, sausage, cupcakes, coffee, and other great food.

LabourLove has a total Twitter/Facebook/Email list of over 2,500 people.  Every month we send a gallery newsletter to our email list, and actively update the Facebook and Twitter accounts to promote all gallery activities.  With 35 artists who have their own network, the combined effort of everyone in the collective reaches thousands of people every month.

Each artist receives a dedicated page on the LabourLove website with a bio/artist statement and a photo gallery to show off current work.  We’ll link to all of your internet connections including Etsy, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, personal website, etc.  Think of LabourLove.com as the holding place for your internet identity.  Check out our current artist roster!

Every artist gets a bio card with a picture of you and a brief bio/artist statement hung along with your work so that visitors can personally connect with you.

Third Fridays are great, but we want to party more often.  Occasionally, we’ll invite people to loosen up with a dress up theme party, like the photo below from our masquerade party.  The parties bring the public out for what we hope becomes a monthly night of entertaining festivities with music, food, drink, art related activities, and anything we can dream up.

Photo courtesy of Dennis Sagwitz Studio.

Keys to Success

Participate - We cannot stress this enough!  Your success is directly affected by your participation in the promotion and attendance of gallery events.  When you attend an event, it gives the public an opportunity to meet you.  People are 1000x more likely to purchase art if they have a positive personal interaction with an artist.

Promote – If all of the artists promote the gallery and the special events we hold to their circle of friends, clients, and family, the events will bring out new people who will be exposed to your art.  The power of a collective group is much greater than one or two people on their own, and since the artists receive 90% of the sale, it is in your best interest to spread the word.  A person might come in on the recommendation of one artist and buy something from another artist.  Call it karma or paying it forward, but we believe that what goes around, comes around.

Pricing – Reasonably price the items being sold to improve the odds of impulse purchases.  Smaller works or reproduction prints are preferable to large pieces.  Artwork sells best when people don’t have to “go home and think about it.”  Guess what?  Those people rarely come back after thinking about it.  Why?  Once a person leaves the gallery, it’s twice as much work to come back as it is to buy it on the spot.

Be Bold - People love work that comes from an inspired place.  Don’t be afraid to push your limits and explore your craft.  After all, you can always change out your inventory whenever you want.

Use the Benefits of Selling Your Work at a Retail Store – Having trouble meeting up with someone at your studio?  Send them to the gallery to see your work.  John and Kelly love to educate people on all kinds of art related subjects.

Host a Trunk Show – Don’t have enough space in your home or studio?  Have a trunk show at the gallery.  Artists can rent space for only $35 per hour to host an exclusive party for their friends and clients.  The gallery normally rents for $100 per hour for special events, so consider this a HUGE benefit for our artists.  We’ll work with you to schedule private events that will be successful for you and fun for your patrons.

About LabourLove Gallery:

LabourLove is the dream of founders Kelly Dew and John Pelphrey to grow the arts in downtown Durham, North Carolina.  Over the gallery’s twenty month history, LLG has established a reputation for delivering high quality exhibitions from emerging regional artists.  LabourLove has been featured on WUNC’s “The State of the Things with Frank Stasio;” the Wall Street Journal Online as part of a tour of small businesses by Sec. Timothy Geithner; the Herald-Sun, The NC Art Blog, Mint Design Blog, Durham Magazine, and The Independent Weekly.

LabourLove is located in the Golden Belt complex on East Main Street in Durham.  Golden Belt is a recently remodeled textile mill originally built in 1906.  GB received LEED Gold Certification in 2010, so the space is not only beautiful but environmentally friendly with 75% of the original building left intact.

Hammer No More The Fingers (Rock) – Friday, May 17

Michael Rank & Stag (Honky Tonk/Americana) – Friday, June 7

Kim Arrington (Neo Soul) – Friday, June 21

The Brand New Life (Afropop) – Friday, July 5

Justin Johnson and Skinny Bag Of Sugar (Blues/Rock) – Friday, July 19

The concerts are going to start at 6PM and should wrap up around 8PM and will be in the lower half of the visitors parking lot.  We have calendar listings and facebook events set up for more information and links to the artists websites if you want to RSVP or grab and share links with friends. The link to Golden Belt Arts FB page: golden belt arts

The annual Spring Art Market is coming in April and LabourLove is one of the sites. Click here for more information about this event.

Mark your calendars! April 13th & 14th.

James’s Website: www.jamesmnelson.com