I have been traveling around Europe for sometime and am seeing some new trends and innovative designs. I will post more about this adventure but in the meantime it's my pleasure to publish this exclusive interview with the wonderful Margo Tantau, Vice President of Design & Creative at Midwest-CBK! I met Margo at the Atlanta Mart last January and walked through her beautiful showroom. She is one of the most fun, loving and professional people I've met in the design world, a pleasure to talk to! I share with her a few passions: art & design, traveling and helping artists find their ways. Here are some very inspiring insights she shares with us today:
Margo Tantau
Tell us about you, your background and your own experience as an artist and art director. I come from a creative family. My Mom has spent over 40 years as an Interior Designer, so from early on there was always lots of talk about color, pattern, shapes, rooms, details...and my Dad was a pilot, so we were able to take advantage of very low fares and see things in far away places. Plus someone was always singing. That combo just puts color in one's step. I was the "creative one" growing up, always asked to hand letter the signs and draw the pictures. I was encouraged all along the way, which I truly appreciate. Career-wise, I have done several different things...retail, wholesale, selling, entrepreneurial and corporate forays, creating, and more creating. These have all added up to more years of experience than I sometimes care to admit. My passion, though, is helping other artists and makers further their own careers. Watching someone grow and flourish and find personal success is just my favorite and most rewarding thing.
What is exciting about your work, what inspires you as artist and art director? The best part for me is twofold. Finding great talent and then working together to turn ideas into fresh, interesting products. I completely enjoy the learning curve. I like to have my nose to the ground, so to speak, and discover what feels new and interesting. I push myself to be aware of what is happening in the market and to trust my gut and push for great style. I love to travel (cue Pilot's daughter!) and therefore having my hands involved in the creative process, wherever that takes me in the world, is truly inspiring. What are your views in regards to trends and art styles? Style and trend are subjective to the market. I look at it kind of like the food triangle with "high trend" or the latest newest coolest things at the tippity top. That's a very exciting place to play and is highly creative. It's where one can try things and see what sticks. It's hot and happening, and often expensive. Then as you move down to the wider bits of the triangle, the trends grab a broader market share. They become more the norm, more affordable. You start to see the subject matter showing up in many more places, more markets.
Think of the last few years; owls, foxes, indigo, shibori, Moroccan rugs, quotes on everything. The bottom of the triangle, in my mind, is Mass Market. Big box stores that sell to the masses. Lower prices, cheaper product, the trend is becoming old. New things are always brewing up at the top of the triangle, and making their way down. There is room for good product every step of the way! People are buying, and companies need design. It's an endless cycle. Tell us about your new e-course in collaboration with Lilla Rogers. What are you hoping to achieve through it? I'm super excited and honored to be collaborating with Lilla and Beth Kempton on the new Make Art That Sells course. It's called Creating Collections for Home Decor. What I hope to pass along is the idea of designing for three dimensional product, as well as techniques and information about different materials and how to use them. I want to demystify the process.
We're playing with the concept of taking flat art, learning to visualize how to dissect and shape it, and beginning to think about product. The industry needs more diverse and better goods. We rely too much on the familiar. This class will produce people who will have the power to shake it up. That's pretty thrilling to me. The talent is definitely there. What's your philosophy about commercial art and licensing? I think many artists consider licensing to be the end-all, the pinnacle. For me, the most meaningful creative practice is that of doing something you are proud of and of putting products you believe in back into the market. There are several ways of doing that and licensing is only one. Licensing is a fantastic way to go if you have the right connections and/or agent. If you are going to make a go of it yourself, you do need business sense, a stick-to-it attitude, and a way to pay the rent as you get your work out there and grow your business. It's a balance. What is some key advice you can give to an artist who wants to make a living through their artwork? Network network network. Understand your competition. Pay attention to the market. Stay fresh. But above all, more important than anything else to me, is BE UNIQUE. It may feel daunting, but if you continually put your own creative energy into the world, there will be a payoff. If you keep it to yourself and just timidly play in your studio, who will know your intentions? Who will see your talent?
I can think of many artists now who post on social media a lot. They get noticed. They are trying, they are growing. That kind of energy and dedication goes a very long way. When people can see that you are trying, you gain respect, and you grow your own talent. You might be thinking, "How do I make the time? I have kids, I have another job..." If you want to make money eventually with your own art, MAKE THE TIME. Take classes. Meet other people who can support you and who you may be able to collaborate with. Push through the scary bits. That's the golden ticket...you are already holding it in your hands. Anything else you'd like to share about art and licensing? The creative community is amazing. My best and dearest friends are part of this global community and most of them don't live anywhere near me. But we share the same passions, goals, challenges and defeats, and we can therefore knowingly support each other. I have great respect for anyone who is putting their creativity out in the world. After all, one of the hardest things is to share of yourself. But it is also one of the most generous and rewarding. The world will always need product. There is a new groundswell of appreciation for art, for artists, for good, fresh design that will set a company apart. Artists are the keepers of that talent. What do YOU want to see out there is the world? Your ideas hold great value. Find your boldness. Share it.
My special correspondent Jenny Morgan was able to attend The International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago a few weeks ago and has written a brief article to share with us. But before I talk about that, I'd like to introduce Jenny and her group of collaborative artists, A Fresh Bunch, as my guest this week.
"A Fresh Bunch came out of a personal desire to focus on my strengths and passions," says Jenny. In 2001 she had started a small wholesale stationery line because she loved design and working with paper, but by 2008 found that she was spending her days on things supporting the business that absolutely sucked the creativity out of her - shipping, accounting, customer service, and production.
It turned out that other designers were finding themselves in the same boat, so A Fresh Bunch started with a group of like-minded artists who wanted to focus on art. That naturally led to A Fresh Bunch creating a platform that allows artists and clients to both focus on what they each do best. This means making it easy for artists to create their most marketable work and to get that work in front of clients while also making it easy for clients to review and select great work.
Jenny adds, "Behind the scenes we offer tutorials on a variety of topics, professional briefs for every client assignment, and one on one feedback on all work submitted to us, the goal being that artists learn and grow while being a member of the Bunch - really we're like a webinar, e-course, online critique forum, and licensing agency rolled into one."
Artists: Courtney Capone, Stacy Montgomery, Tracy Taft-Myers, Tracey Sonneborn, Megan Hain, Marianne Mandrell, Michelle Gemmel, Melissa Nicholson, Siobhan Lynott, Inga Wilmink, Andrea Rincon, Eryn J. Carlisle, Zoe Wodarz, Bella Edgley, Michelle Doran,Onneke Van Wardenburg, Gaby Braun, Miranda Mol, Kim Siebold, Cat & Xenos Mesa
A Fresh Bunch occasionally issues a call for applications via industry blogs, but in general applications come to them via word of mouth. "Because so much of our business happens online we are very comfortable 'meeting' artists via our online application process. Our membership is capped at 75 artists because of the behind the scenes work we do with each member artist," Jenny explains. Sometimes it depends on what they're working on at the time they receive an application, but in general they want to see an artist who has a unique style, strong illustration/character creation skills, and great typography skills.
Artists: Allison Holdridge, Bethania Lima, Maria Jose Bautista, Gill Eggleston, Marcia Copeland, Liz May, Yenty Jap, Susanna Nousiainen, Petra Wolff, Liz Ablashi, Cecilia Garcia Lanus, Angie Bowman, Kamie Rudisill, Petra Kern, Vanessa Raidy, Tracey Atkinson, Molly Broadley, JoDitt Williams, Laura Mitzelfelt, Jenny Morgan.
Jenny also says that the best way to know whether your work is right for licensing is to shop and to think like a product - what type of art do you typically see on products you love? How could your artistic style translate to those products? "Typically when we pass on an application it's because the art looks like it's been created without product development in mind or it's overly simple," she further explains.
Then she goes on, saying, "the internet is great for many things but it can be a dangerous place for artists - it's easy to get sidetracked by all the visuals and to confuse what someone shows in their portfolio or online shop with what actually sells to the end customer. On the internet, you are whatever you say you are so try to block the noise online and focus your attention to the art on products that are flying off the shelves in stores - you only make money in licensing if the products with your art SELL!"
The International Home & Housewares Show
What are the general trends & colors?
Eco-friendly, reusable products, from shopping bags to containers to lunch boxes were everywhere.
Design driven everyday objects for the home: pots & pans, spatulas, trivets, measuring spoons, brooms, sponges - all are sporting color and pattern.
Products thematically aimed at food, beer and wine enthusiasts.
Feminine Aprons - a very defined waist and pretty patterns.
Indigo, shown in a range from navy to greenish-blue was the stand out color.
Nautical and Ocean themes were hot for adult and kids items.
What's selling?
Design driven everyday objects and preferably reusable, eco-friendly products.
I am sitting on the floor at home pawing through a stack of impeccably designed trade magazines, directories and promotional pieces while pondering about all that happened at the fabulous Atlanta Gift and Home Furnishings show this past weekend. It's been a wild but amazing 3-day ride!
Amongst many firm shakes of hands, courteous presentations and vivacious chats, I kept hearing the word "trend." It's becoming trendy to talk about trends.
Courtesy of Design Design Inc. - From Their Catalog: Trends
By whatever mechanisms, trends are present. Artists set trends by capturing images and patterns artistically. Manufacturers do, too, through product choices, materials and quality of execution. Retailers try to capture trends through the products they offer to consumers and how they display and market them. And, finally, it is the consumers cumulative actions that actually set them.
I think it's best to look at this whole notion of trends in a relative way - your way. I try to discern trends for inspiration and for getting a pulse about other views and cultures; I don't necessarily have to follow them. I follow what I like and believe in. For example, there is an outdoor living trend that showed up everywhere at the Atlanta show, even on the huge electronic billboard in the lobby. I love this trend and started embracing it last year in my collections, because the outdoors has always been a big part of my life.
While outdoor living is an example of a trend that is developing more momentum, an example of a trend that is more of a classic style is coastal and seaside. Recently, I met a pelican at a local wharf. He ended up in one of my seaside collections and has now become a half celeb through a JellyBean rug! (By the way, the pelican's name is Gabriel...) Is he part of a trend? I don't think so. But he's a nice dude and it so happens that he does fit into the coastal trend.
Courtesy of Design Design Inc. - From Their Catalog: Handmade
Set or follow trends that are suitable to your creative process, similar to how Design Design Inc. created these cool inspirational boards for their catalogs. We had the great pleasure of meeting their Art Directors and Chief Marketing Officer at the show and had one of the best conversations of the whole weekend. Such nice people and what quality work! They get it. By the way, they also provide a very detailed artist submission guideline. How much better could it get?!
There are many other companies that offer such collaborative offers. So yes, trends are all of us as a whole, our families and pets, friends, sharing circles, close co-workers, and our houses and what's in them. Classic, vintage, retro, modern, transitional or traditional. As I see it, the challenge of a licensing artist and the real value of a show like Atlanta is to help you better see where all those collective interests and ideas are headed, and thus how to adapt and interpret them in your art to improve your manufacturing partner's chances of success.
All together the world of art, design and products is really one big cohesive whole that is made up of multiple people and views. I think this is the key concept I was reminded of at the Atlanta show. It was fun. It was thrilling. It was friendly and positive. It was so productive for us as it was for the majority of the people we spoke to. It included collaborative insights and a source of unexpected friendships. We'll definitely be going again next year!
Here are some more cool photos we were able to take with the blessing of the exhibiting manufacturers. We didn't have time to see every single showroom or meet each of the exhibitors and artists at the show, but we picked these to talk about because we thought they would be of broad interest to this audience, not because they are the most important or the best of the show.
The Atlanta Gift Show is one of high-quality merchandise. The displays were bright, cheerful and tastefully displayed throughout the market floors. We spotted several that were retro/vintage inspired, with the red and blue popular color combos as a fun alternative to more traditional holiday colors. You can see them in the photos from the Demdaco and Enesco showrooms.
As mentioned above, trends and themes such as gardens, eco-green, indoor-outdoor living were very prominent throughout the show.
There is continued growing interest in this natural, nomadic, primitive, explorative direction as represented through visuals, words, scents, colors and other senses, talked about at the 2012 Surtex show. It's a mix of concepts. The themes are pretty much the same, but reinterpreted by artists in partnership with their manufacturers, retailers and their respective niche of consumers. Walking through the floors was exhausting but most of the displays were very inviting and always colorful, some peaceful, with classic outdoor elements dressed up with whimsical images, shapes and/or inspirational phrases meant to uplift the spirits. We saw many little birds, owls, cardinals, butterflies, frogs, bugs, florals of all sorts and hues. Mixed media designs with enchanting themes, graphics, geometrics, natural materials, and vintage backgrounds were also abundant. What a mix!
Two terms seem to be growing in interest: "boho" and "gypsy." We also noticed many industrial elements, like heavy metal objects mixed in with vintage/farm elements and inspirational concepts and words. Word art and fancy calligraphy are still big, either hand painted, hand drawn or typed, with chalk, pen, brush or simply pencil. Jute, burlap, cord, felt, and other craft materials are also coming to the market in a strong way. The home design and home products showrooms were full of them, from lampshades to chairs, accessories and wall art - even Christmas ornaments!
Dimensional art was also popular with colorful cards, gifts and accessories. Many Christmas fantasy themes were presented with sleek polar bears and regal foxes, or the more everyday themes such as farm life with roosters and pigs, or ponds with hoppy frogs and dragonflies; cute raccoons and hedgehogs are joining the already crowded parade in their debut to the consumer world. And of course family dogs and cats are still pretty much everywhere along with horses and deer. If there isn't a trend in there you can relate to, then you should take up knitting! Which, by the way, is also a trend!
As the Atlanta Mart logo says, this show is for international wholesalers. Many of them do not license art. They have in-house design teams or occasionally hire freelancers. Some of them are distributors only so they don't license directly but work with manufacturers and their exclusive artists. Some of them are a company umbrella representing artisans from other countries. People attending the show come from all over the world, including Europe, Asia, and South America, although most are from the U.S. As a result, while you do see a global market it is still mostly domestically-oriented. We got to chat a bit with the National Sales manager for Vietri - their showroom was breathtaking. The collection shown here is by Italian artist Giovanni De Simone but they include over 40 different Italian manufacturers in their product offerings. It was so inspirational to look at!
What else? We met with many manufacturers and introduced The Moon from My Attic to them, although were pleasantly surprised to find out that many were already regular readers. There is an increasing excitement about this collaboration between artists and companies, about what we are doing to help bridge the two ends of the product development process and create more collaborative partnerships. We have discovered that manufacturers are noticing artists through this blog and vice versa. We are happy about this new evolution. In upcoming months we will surprise you with more special referrals, editorials and promotions!
We got to meet some great artists who we'd previously only met via email or Facebook. What a treat! We wished we had more time to see everyone who expressed interest in connecting up at the market; more trade shows are on the horizon, with Surtex 2013 being our next stop. We'll be exhibiting there at Booth 446! So we are sure we'll connect with many of you who also have a booth or just want to walk the show.
In summary, the whole show was an amusing and very productive one for us, in addition to getting to know the market a bit better and meeting very nice and friendly people. Etiquette is an important part of how to navigate such a show, with respect to many who are working really hard at this business. All people we talked to had a positive and encouraging result from the show. We also had a chance to see some of my art on products, which was really fun. We hope more will come!
As a final note on the Atlanta show, I think it's a fantastic experience for licensing artists for doing market research; it gives you greater insight into art, products and how the product development-wholesale-retail-consumer business operates.
I am sure other show participants can add to my observations so feel free to comment on this article. I invite you to also read other licensing and trade blogs about the show so as to get multiple views. For me, seeing the whole chain of production at work re-enforced my main purpose: partnering to make the world a better place through art!
We are thrilled to continue our collaborative editorial with Anne McFarland Brown, Director of Product Development at Magnet Works, Ltd. In this chapter, we discuss passion, vision, and collaboration - in fact, the motto of our own art is been exactly that: "Partnering to make the World a Better Place through Art." In this interview, Anne has inspired us even more about what that really means.
The Artist - Manufacturer Partnership
TMFMA: Anne, one thing that would be interesting to uncover is how you like to work with artists; how do you find and scout for talent, what does your most productive relationship with artists look like, how does it work best?
AB - That's a big question. So, to begin, I look everywhere for artists - from social media to blogs to the general internet to art fairs to other avenues - in short, any kind of opportunity that I can put out there to communicate that we are open to ideas, concepts, and art. It's not just artwork or a portfolio, but truly partnering with an artist on a concept. For example, with our traditional core products it can be one of two situations - an artist with a great portfolio that we can choose artwork from, or perhaps we have a subject matter that we're looking for in a particular hand or rendering and we'll work with an artist to sketch something out.
TMFMA: So what is it that you've found are key characteristics or elements that make for a great partnership with an artist?
Anne McFarland Brown
AB - It's really like any relationship. You have to have great communication, a little bit of humor, honesty, truthfulness, and lots of trust. It's an honor for me to take an artist's portfolio or vision into a product and so I hope that artists and designers trust companies like myself and Magnet Works to make certain that we treat their visions with respect.
TMFMA: In your experience, what are some of the things that detract from building a good working partnership?
AB - I try not to get to that point; I think time commitment is really key. I really try to be clear about the calendar and the schedule to make sure an artist hasn't overcommitted with other people. Especially when you go to places like Surtex, for example, so many artists will come home with a lot of contacts and a lot of projects coming their way, and I'll say, "OK, what do your next few months look like," and they'll of course answer, "no problem, I'll be able to fit you in." The bottom line, though, is that you really need to make sure they have a commitment to this category and if they don't, then that's the first warning sign that it's not a good fit right now. It doesn't mean that it couldn't be a good fit long term, it just may be that at this moment it's not a good time.
When it does come to a point where an artist or designer isn't comfortable with the approach that we took on a product or we're running out of time, we certainly want to make sure that that's addressed. If we can't get to a place where we're comfortable, then you have to drop the product and you look at the ramifications of that - which unfortunately is sales driven; it's one less product that you get to sell.
So we sit down with the artist and talk about the pros and cons of that, but it's our job as developers to ensure that the creative mind behind the design is pleased as well as making sure that the product is salable and commercially viable, and it's my responsibility to make sure that it's manufactured well with the right materials. Sometimes I'll have to simplify the idea of an artist to save cost and make sure that a product hits a reasonable wholesale price point. It all boils down to communication, though. In the beginning, if the artist and the developer have a mutual understanding, it's pretty smooth sailing.
Importance of Integrity and Trust
TMFMA: Following on to what you said earlier about the online world, do you look at websites, do you look at places like Etsy shops, blogs, where exactly do you look and what do you generally look for?
AB - I think there's two things that go on with that. I feel like I'm always on Etsy or Pinterest or a blog - there are a number of blogs that I follow, for two reasons. One, I'm constantly looking for trends in the marketplace, whether it's a theme or color palette, a story, or something that we can bring in to collaborate with an artist on. Second, I'll go onto an artist's page or their blog and find out if they have a certain hand that we might be interested in. It used to be that I subscribed to pretty much every home magazine known to man, but now it's just so easy to get online and find information.
I would definitely encourage artists to be knowledgable about social media and how it can jumpstart their career. I worked a lot with artists from Etsy at my previous position and found a number of artists there. It was great, as they were people who had a passion for one-of-a-kind products but who also had a desire to reach a larger audience. It's exciting to work with someone who has that desire and find out what their long-term vision is, and partner with them to achieve it. Luckily, I also get to do that here at Magnet Works, too.
TMFMA: So on a site like Etsy, would you look for different product ideas, since it has grown into such a large community?
AB - It's hard, because you do have to walk a fine line around potential infringement of ideas. Is that something they've created that is unique and special to them? If so, you really have to be hands-off around the product idea and instead approach them about licensing it. If it's something that is an everyday object then it's more about licensing their art and design rather than the product idea itself. We are very, very conscious of that, extremely so, perhaps sometimes even to a fault, but we'd rather be on the safe side of that line.
I've had some artist friends who have been compromised in that way. When you have someone close to you that that's happened to, you're just so much more aware of the impact and consequences of how you're being influenced. So it's just really important to all of us here that we not cross that line. If I'm ever on Etsy or any shop like that, it's usually to find trends. Oftentimes, it may be something like owls or crows or ruffles - an icon or detail or movement that might influence a decision we make on a product but now be taking a specific idea and recreating it our way.
Importance of Purpose in the Relationship
TMFMA: Your integrity in this is very reassuring; there seems to be a certain caveat within the industry, that manufacturers are will try to take advantage of artists. One of the things we've been hoping to establish in this blog is that licensing is a potentially very fun and beautiful community and positive way to pursue commercial art and we personally believe in that very much.
AB - It's so interesting that you just said that, as I just came from a marketing meeting and when we were creating Studio M - before we even knew what it was - we kept circling around our "why" - our main purpose and goal. I don't know if you've seen the TED talks, but there's a talk by Simon Sinek who gives a talk about why we do what we do, rather than the what or how. I was introduced to it by someone in my former company and it has stayed with me.
I have a personal "why" as well as that each company has a "why" and when I first came to interview with the Todds (the owners of Magnet Works) we had this conversation - I said that I was in a pretty amazing position and the last thing I wanted to do was to jump ship for an opportunity where the people don't share my "why," my purpose. And after having a fairly lengthy, almost day-long conversation, we found that we had so much in common in that way and that lifting the creative spirit is a huge part of why we come to work every day, whether it's our own creative spirit or someone else's. When it's there and it's true and it's real, it's hard to put into words but it's exactly what you just put into words about your blog - you share that same vision.
Also, one thing that I would advise artists is that sometimes, if it works, of course it's fabulous and that partnership can be very strong. On the other hand, if it doesn't work, always go back and find out why. You know, we've had some cases where we thought something was going to be a hit and instead it was kind of a miss, so we go back to see what it was that derailed it. We'll take that back to the artist and go, "next time around, we've got to deliver it this or that way." Always, always go back and review and see what goes wrong. Often, we don't do that enough as there is such pressure to keep moving forward to the next season. I've seen success stories where artists will have a few misses before they have a great success - and then it can happen big; so always go back and have that conversation with the manufacturer.
Working Rules of Thumb
TMFMA: Let's say you were engaging with an artist and it is one of their first licensing deals, what would be a good rule of thumb for the amount of back and forth and process steps, or a good estimation to set their expectations for how much work they're going to be involved in?
AB - First of all, I love it when I get to work with a first time artist! I can only speak for our process here at Magnet Works, though, and we value the artist's involvement; we're possibly the extreme. Where one company may say, "we'd like the high res images and we'll see you in 6 months when we're finished with the product," I prefer that we start with a get-to-know-you meeting, talk about what the vision is, the calendar and schedule, things like that and make sure they understand the commitment. Depending on what their capabilities are, whether it's just speaking to the story board or the vision board, or if they want to help create that by sending images or create it themselves.
Also, we have a blended strategy when it comes to the actual manufacturing, as we are fortunate enough to have capabilities both in China as well as here in the U.S. - so our artists are very involved. When I've been on location at the photo shoots, I've sent images of the behind-the-scenes photos to the artists just to keep them in the loop.
TMFMA: Out of curiosity, if you work with an agent rather than the artist, is the process any different?
AB - It's not much different; typically the agent will just be the initial contact and we'll coordinate the contract with them, but usually the agent will encourage us to work directly with the artist while keeping in the loop in case there is an expansion of the products we want to develop. Most agents are very supportive of this type of strategy; in fact, I haven't worked with an agent yet who wasn't OK with this approach.
TMFMA: That's fantastic - and also it's probably better if you can work directly with the artist in terms of building that relationship.
AB - Actually, my preference is to visit the artist in the early concept and idea stage. To visit their studio, to see how they live, to experience that space that we're trying to create for, just to get to know their lifestyle is helpful for me to see it and get a better idea of the big picture.
TMFMA: Do you mean you actually get on a plane and go around seeing the artist's studios?
AB - Absolutely - that's one of the best parts of my job!
TMFMA: Wow, that's the dream of a designer, to have a manufacturer that approaches the relationship in that way.
AB - It's just so helpful to sit down and collaborate, whether it's on the Magnet Works side of talking about new themes or styles or approaches for our core products or whether it's working with an artist on a Studio M collection. It's just all very relevant and an important time with the artist to establish that trust, that dialogue, that comfort level of working together. It's essentially a good-faith commitment that we're here to deliver.
TMFMA: Well, this is simply amazing - and inspiring!
AB - I would encourage anyone who has a desire to license their art to get out there and try it. I certainly think that many of my friends within the licensing community both on my side and the artist's side would say that having a small group of licensees that you form these partnerships with is often the best. Then you are really cultivating that partnership, you're building your brand; unless you're just trying to pay the bills, you have to determine what your goal is. I often tell people that it's really important to get to know the company with whom you're working, their standings in the industry, their ethics and business practices, their artists and relationships.
How They Find New Talent
TMFMA: What is your take on Surtex and shows like that?
AB - I love them, for two main reasons. A lot of times I'll see artwork beforehand, get kind of a sneak preview and I'll be surprised - especially if it's an artist I've never met before. Also, it's just the general community of people at the show. When I started going in 1997, my first experience with a show like Surtex was that the artists were pretty reluctant to share information. It didn't feel as much like a community as it does today. Now you go to Surtex and there are people running up and down the aisles helping each other with booths and sharing leads, like "if this doesn't work for you, you should check out my friend's booth over there," kind of atmosphere. It's such a different world and it's so fabulous to live in it.
TMFMA: It is true; it's a very good hearted community!
AB - Yes, absolutely. So I do like Surtex a lot; there's certainly a lot of buzz around that particular show. I'm thinking about going to some other shows I haven't been to; there are many who enjoy CHA and Quilt Com and some of those. I don't know, but I'm excited to explore some new ways of meeting people within the art and design community.
TMFMA: Thank you so much again Anne, this has been an amazing interview and it has inspired us in many ways and directions!
Where did November go?! It's already December, the last month of the year, and 2013 is getting ready to burst upon the scene. I love the beginning of the year, as it is like a fresh breath of promise and adventure!
And in the spirit of celebrating new opportunities, today we're so, so excited to feature another interview with a manufacturer we really really like - Anne McFarland Brown, Director of Product Development with the wonderful Magnet Works, Ltd. - who is launching a whole new enterprise today! Studio M is their new endeavor to bring the indoors outside with a whole new line of outdoor products and an incredibly interesting and unique approach to partnering with artists to do so.
The first part of this editorial with be about the launch of Studio M and we are so honored to feature this exclusive interview:
Anne McFarland Brown
The Moon from My Attic: Hello, Anne - could you share a little background on yourself and how you got into product development?
Anne McFarland Brown: I fell into product development by chance, actually. I received a B.F.A. in textile design at the University of Kansas in Lawrence and ended up getting a job right out of college with Seabrook Wall Coverings, a family-owned and operated business in Memphis, Tennessee. I started out with them as a colorist and gained a lot of experience in the surface pattern world. After 7 years, I ended up moving to Kansas City and started working with DEMDACO, where I started in their table top division and expanded into home decor, wall art, and other home products.
Sue Todd, Owner and Anne Brown at Surtex Art Pole by Stephanie Burgess
About a year ago, after 7 years with them, I took on a position as Director of Product Development with Magnet Works, focusing initially on their line of core garden products. Over the course of my career so far, I've been fortunate to get a lot of experience with a range of different products, from wall paper to tabletop to home decor to wall art to gifts to garden. Equally important, I've been really lucky in my employers, as all three companies have been family-owned and operated and have provided great working environments.
TMFMA: You mentioned that you're a big part of this new endeavor at Magnet Works - what can you tell us about it?
AB: Well, now that the official press releases are out, I can tell you everything! Our new division, called Studio M, is a category we call "Artful Home and Garden" which will contain products for the outdoor living space. All of those products are built into collections that are truly a partnership with an artist.
Bloom by Jennifer Brinley | Studio M
TMFMA: So are you looking at this as part of the movement to bring the indoors outside?
AB: That's correct, you've nailed it! Outdoor living is a growing trend, complete with outdoor hearths and bringing the colors and inspirations from indoor spaces into the outdoors. It's such an important part of our living today. I personally think that part of what is driving this is our desire for community, so oftentimes in our neighborhoods we want to get to know the neighbors, entertain the neighbors and be outside as much as possible with our kids. That calls for products that are expressive of your personality or your vision and which work well in an outdoors setting.
TFMFA: How will your artists be involved in this new endeavor?
AB: This is another exciting aspect of Studio M. Essentially, we'll choose an artist and sit down with them to create their own lifestyle collection. We have two situations where this has happened so far - we sat down with Susan Winget, who has already done a number of designs for our core products, and explored what is important to her regarding nature and being outside. The collection that has resulted is built around her own personal garden space. We did something similar with Jennifer Brinley, who also is a part of our core products, and her Studio M collection is very different and fun.
Gypsy Garden Collection by artist Genevieve Gail | Studio M
We also have two concept-driven collections, meaning that they are more of an idea for a product that an artist wanted to create as a critical mass statement of an individual product. Stephanie Burgess has done an entire collection of art poles, like sculptures for the garden. Another artist, Genevieve Gail, did a collection of miniature gardens. So whether it's lifestyle or concept, it's really truly working with the artist and cultivating what it is that they see as their vision for this space.
TMFMA: Wow - it looks like you're not only looking at an artist's work and how it can play into your products, but you also are bringing artists in via your new Studio M to start brainstorming and determining what products could actually go into that outdoor space. Is that how it's working?
AB: Absolutely. It just depends, as we'll sit down with an artist and figure out how they live in the outdoors, determine how does their garden grow, and what is their outdoor space like. Certainly many of our artists are in different regions of the country so that is reflected in their work or in the types of products they want to create. If one artist says they have a true love of birding and watching birds, we'll want to create an entire line of bird houses, bird feeders and anything related to birding. If another artist has the worst green thumb ever and uses their outdoor space differently, or likes growing vegetables instead of flowers, it is really just a clean slate that we can jointly build upon.
DrinkBlots Art Coasters | Studio M
TMFMA: That's fantastic! I think building a whole line is the dream of many if not most artists and designers.
AB: It's the dream of a developer, too. I worked that way for so many years. It has been instilled in me in my experiences with my former companies the importance of maintaining the integrity of the art as being at the root of it all.
TMFMA: We've also been seeing a move towards having a personalized aspect of products and you were describing having more of the background of the artists and what it means for them to be outdoors. Are you also seeing this as an evolution in the marketplace from the consumer side?
AB: Definitely. Certainly the owners of Magnet Works saw this and brought me on as a result. They saw this as an important trend and wanted to speak into it. That's exactly how we started Studio M.
TMFMA: That's great to have that as part of the driving purpose for Studio M. Does the "M" stand for something?
Magnet Works | Studio M - Artist Community
AB: We wanted to keep a relationship with Magnet Works and we went back and forth for several months around various names but kept coming back to the idea of a studio. We felt the studio part of it reflected the thumbprint of the artists. So many of the products will truly be created by hand in conjunction with the artists themselves and then mass produced from there. Thus, the name came into being to represent a comfortable, casual vision that is also homey, authentic, and livable.
TMFMA: What a great opportunity for a deep collaboration with your artists and designers.
Anne Brown and artist Kelly Rae Roberts
AB: I know so many artists and designers who I've worked with in this way, and oftentimes it makes for great success for both the artist and the company developing the product. I've just found in my experience that it's the best way to approach product lines.
TMFMA: Well, this has been a fabulous interview, Anne - it is so encouraging to have a manufacturer's view to share with licensing artists and so encouraging that you seek out partnerships that are that tight with your artists - it's really inspirational.
AB: Well, I hope that artists realize that certainly we're not the only company that has that philosophy. Unfortunately, there are those few companies who don't who lead people to believe that licensing can be this cold, unsafe world, and it's really not. You know, if you're engaged in it it can be such an amazing experience and such a great thing for everybody. The greatest success I've had in my career thus far has been when I partner with artists in this way.
Anne Brown, artist Stephanie Ryan and Sue Todd, Owner
TMFMA: It's great to hear you say this. I believe very much when I do my art that I could license to a lot of different people, but what I'm really looking for is that long-term partnership because that's what drives me. It's just fun and rewarding to collaborate. As a designer, I've done so many projects from beginning to end and it's just such a pleasure to do that with other positive people around you who are engaged in the same effort with a shared goal for everyone to succeed - and I think that's the same dynamic at the core of successful licensing.
AB: Absolutely!
TMFMA: Thanks again for sharing your story with us - I'm so happy to have met you and been able to chat, and wish you all the best success with Studio M!
NOTE: Part II of this interview will be published on Monday, December 10th, 2012. Anne will share with us how she goes about finding new artists to collaborate with Magnet Works as well as other helpful insights about her company and the world of licensing. Don't miss it!
