FIRST SATURDAY IS AN ARTIST-RUN EVENT. WE ARE A TEAM!
WE ARE RUN BY VOLUNTEERS, PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH US AS IT MAY TAKE A FEW DAYS TO GET ALL YOUR INFO ON THE SITE , and there is a cutoff date of the 20th of the month FOR PROFILE pages.
To join us here are the guidelines:
1)Be a working studio where people see the the process as well as the creations.
2) Be an artisan/artist creating their own original/individual pieces, not a shop ‘mass producing’.
3) Be committed to participating and helping promote fellow artists and the event.
4) You can join anytime of the year but the renewal date is always April 1. If you join First Saturday for the first time, January to March 31 your renewal date is the following April 1st. You get 15 months membership in your first year.
5) Follow these steps:
1. Pay your annual membership fee.
2. Send in your info for your profile.
3. Let your building rep (if you are located in a building), or email the contact person listed below for the Open This Month page when you want to be open or closed
SEE CONTACT LIST BELOW TO GET YOUR INFO TO THE RIGHT PERSON!
CONTACTS:
Subject Line : FS your name and Studio building.
EXAMPLE: FS John Smith XXX Studios
QUESTIONS: firstsaturdayopenstudio@gmail.com
WEBSITE submission: firstsaturdayopenstudio@gmail.com
Open This Month page: danacromie@gmail.com Vancouver UPDATED A WEEK BEFORE FIRST SAT!
micbro@telus.net North Vancouver
Social Media: firstsaturdaysubmissions@gmail.com
Logos and Graphic images: kevinjmelanson@gmail.com
CHECKLIST:
PAYMENTS
FEE: Each artist in a building or studio pays a membership fee of $25 when joining.
An annual fee of $25 will be charged every year after that.
Fees due April 1 (grace period Jan 1-March 31)
HOW TO PAY: Etransfers should be directed to firstsaturdayopenstudio@gmail.com
(No security question needed) OR cash or cheque made out to:
First Saturday Open Studios and send to 800 Keefer Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1Y7
ARTISTS PROFILE
Contact info: Name and address include studio number
Your Social Media: send to us as links please.. website, IG, FB, email, etc.
Images: 4 large JPEG (jpeg only supported) images, include1 image of you in your studio
Artist Statement/BIO: short description max 150 words.
Medium: (please choose from this list) painting, furniture, photography, drawing, textiles, fashion-clothing, fashion-accessories, fashion-leather, assemblage, collage, paper art, clay, ceramics, film, glass, drawing, jewelry, mixed media, printmaking, sculpture, public art. Only two will be listed, choose your main medium.
Profile Edits: You may change images and update information at anytime during the year. However your first edit is included and if you wish to update images after that, it is $10 fee each time changes are made. A change of studio address is Free.
If changes are extensive or a rebuild of your profile a $50 fee is charged.
Send all to firstsaturdayopenstudio@gmail.com
MONTHLY REGISTRATION: “Next Open Studios” is managed by:
Dana danacromie@gmail.com for Greater Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, and the Okanagan Michael micbro@telus.net for North Vancouver.
Building Rep if you have a building rep please let them know your status and they communicate with Dana or Michael.
OPEN OR CLOSED: email them by the deadline below.
SUBJECT LINE must read…. as example: First Saturday or (FS) John Smith XXX Studios
The deadline is 8am the Saturday before First Saturday. Your listing remains the same until you tell them to change your status.
Please do not have your studio say open when it is not. Nothing is worse than clients coming to a closed door!
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTINGS:
*Please note that only events open to all First Saturday artists will be advertised on our social media sites.
Please send the following information to firstsaturdaysubmissions@gmail.com
ONLY IMAGES IN SQUARE ASPECT WILL BE ACCEPTED
JPG IMAGE MUST BE NAMED: YourName@yourinstagram.jpg ie: TomSmith@smithstudio.jpg (your name only, if you are not on Instagram). If sending more than one image, number each jpg ie: TomSmith@smithstudio.1.jpg
Subject Line. FS social media
Please include in your email:
Your Name
Studio location (name of building and address)
Instagram
Artists can send us info anytime but we also periodically request by email, for artists to submit images for theme posts to use on social media.
Limit to three JPG images.
Pictures of you in your studio, your new art, work in progress, or the current requested theme images.
Studio group photos of First Saturday artists in shared locations are encouraged.
Artists who are without other First Saturday artists in one building, can be featured individually.
You will only be featured in months you are open.
HOW TO ADVERTISE YOUR STUDIO IS OPEN:
There is no central "mailing list" but here are some suggestions to make it work:
-contact firstsaturdayopenstudio@gmail.com to pick up flag, posters, postcards, business cards
-Invite your own client list (advertise it as new work or similar work they have purchased in the past).
-Offer demonstrations or workshops.
- Work with the artists near you to encourage people to visit other area studios.
- Make a small hand-out map of the other buildings and artists in your immediate area.
- Work with artists in your area to create a special event like a sale or seasonal show, etc.
- It is your responsibility to contact us to correct info on the site
PROBLEMS? QUESTIONS? Email firstsaturdayopenstudio@gmail.com for help.
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ARTISTS
SAFETY: Please make sure your studio is a safe environment for visitors by having tools, tripping hazards, etc. correctly stored.
SECURITY is a big issue whether you are in your own building or part of a larger building. A couple of suggestions:
- If you are in a building with a locked entrance door please make sure entry information is noted on the website or on your front door.
- Do not give or publicly post the code to your building or the location of a hidden key as that becomes a security risk for other artists in your building.
- Use the buddy system when at all possible. Having more than one person in the studio is just safer. You could offer a friend art lessons and when visitors come it could be a jumping-off point to start a conversation. If you are in a bigger building check on each another once in a while.
ARTIST CARE: Please be considerate of other artists in your building who do not take part in First Saturday. Make sure your visitors know the whole building is not open. Meet them at the door and escort them out at the end of the visit.
Notify your neighbours that visitors might be in the building. Make sure your signage does not interfere with other artists notices.