Artist To Host Workshops On Transforming Art Into Product Line

LARGO, FL — Creative Pinellas will host a series of artist workshops on “Getting Your Art into Retail Environments” starting Saturday, July 16, from 10 a.m. to noon at The Gallery at Creative Pinellas, 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo.

The three workshops will be presented by Pamela Joy Trow, a lifelong artist with an award-winning career in design and illustration. The workshop series will include three individual workshops on the third Saturday of July, August and September.

“I am excited that we are able to partner with Pamela Joy Trow and offer these insightful workshops for artists in our community” said Creative Pinellas CEO Barbara St. Clair. “These workshops will provide artists valuable tools to grow their art business and expand their brand.”

Artists have a variety of revenue streams to sell their art including shows, commissions and consignments. These workshops are an opportunity for artists interested in growing their creative business to explore wholesaling.

Transforming their works into products and selling them to brick-and-mortar retail shops can expand an artist's audience reach, build name recognition and provide a consistent income.

This series of workshops with Trow will demystify the wholesale process, and help artists decide if it’s a viable selling opportunity for their art business.

These workshops are open to visual artists, crafters and makers who are new to wholesale.

"As artists, we all want our work to be loved, appreciated and purchased. Creating products of my art and wholesaling them has given me this opportunity in a way no other revenue stream has provided. I want to help other artists on their road to success by demystifying the world of wholesale," said Trow.

The workshop fee is $10.

The first workshop will be on "Demystifying Wholesale for Artists & Makers" July 16.

Trow will discuss transforming art into a product line, defining an audience, marketing materials, pricing, and how to find, approach and keep retailers. Artists are encouraged to bring samples or photos of their work.

The second workshop on Saturday, Aug. 20, from 10 a.m. to noon will be on "Transforming Your Art into A Product Line."

It is geared toward helping artists think of their art as unique, desirable and profitable wholesale items. Topics covered include product ideas, how to source supplies and services, and pricing for profit. Artists should bring samples of their work and those who attended the first workshop will have an opportunity to receive feedback on their product direction.

The third workshop will be on "Selling Your Art to Retail Buyers," hosted by a panel of local retail buyers on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Artists will learn what retail buyers are looking for in artist-made products, how they want to be approached and product presentation.

Trow was first introduced to wholesale while working as a surface designer for a woman’s footwear company. She eventually applied her experience to creating a line of wearable art jewelry, sold to retailers around the country, through sales reps at AmericasMart Atlanta wholesale trade center.

As she developed her art business through traditional venues, Trow turned her paintings and illustrations into a line of greeting cards, art prints and ephemera, sold through retail stores and museum shops around the country and internationally.

This month, Trow was one of 147 winners selected out of 3,689 submissions to the Communication Arts Magazine 63rd Annual Illustration Competition.

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