Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Kickstart, Kickoff, Kick in the pants... GO!

I note this morning that two counties in the Yadkin Valley Craft Guild are included in the Charlotte Regional Partnership.  The CRP  was recognized in Fast Company as one of 51 bright ideas in the United States of Innovation.    So congratulations to the CRP and if you artisans in Iredell and Alexander require support from the YVCG to promote your craft, please inform us and we will help.  I claim defacto membership in the CRP through you all.

As a side note,   I see Kickstarter featured in Fast Company this morning under the design tab.  Kickstarter is "a funding platform for artists, designers, filmmakers, musicians, journalists, inventors, explorers." and is devoted to bringing new ideas to the forefront. Check them out. YVCG was introduced to Kickstarter by the Resourceful Communities group last week.

 The story goes like this. A designer couldn't find a manufacturer of his wristbands to convert the Nano into a watch until he employed Kickstart to prove the point. This is the ultimate success story, 

I know you know, but everyone needs to realize that Art is all about originality and new ideas.  Fine and Heritage Crafts are about quality and elegance.  We need Art and Fine Craft in the world to progress.

Thank goodness for Regional Partnerships and Non-profits lifting the next crazy but good thing to life.  GE better watch out. Just a plain 'ol kickstart to a creative entrepreneur will be running circles around them.  To that end, I invite you to invest locally in the Yadkin Valley Craft Guild.  Supporting memberships are just $25 at the Galley Shop or though any kind of  donation.

We specifically want support for getting our three selling venues to a self-sustaining level by testing our e-commerce site, contributing to a building fund campaign, volunteering at the store in Elkin and supporting our partnership activities with regional festivals and organizations.  Our goals are to create five more studios like Clayworks and ultimately to build a Craft Education Center on Interstate 77.  Go on, give us a kickstart.

1 comment:

  1. EEk! Four YVCG counties are in the Charlotte Regional Partnership - Iredell, Alexander, Cabarrus and Rowan. I am so new at this. We need to get out more often.

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