circle craft newsletter SUMMER 2018
Inside the 2018 AGM Welcome new Circle Craft Members! Report from the 2018 Board Retreat
HANDMADE IN BC Circle Craft is a unique BC Artist Cooperative dedicated to providing opportunities for craftspeople to connect with the community. Formed in 1972, Circle Craft has grown to become a major force in the marketing and promotion of quality craft. Built on a reputation for integrity and quality, both our annual Christmas Market and the shop and gallery on Granville Island are Vancouver traditions for locals and visitors alike, and encompass a wide variety of media and design styles. Circle Craft of self-sustaining and is supported by commission on sales and participation fees. Our 1994 mission statement reflects the aims of our founding members: “To promote the development recognition, and success of members and their work.” We are proud of our achievement in fulfilling and continuing to work towards our mission; Circle Craft is one of the most successful organizations of it’s kind in North America.
Cover: Credit— Debra Sloan
circle craft SHOW PRODUCER Paul Yard SHOW COORDINATOR Rossanne Clamp STORE MANAGERS David Camisa Emily Cowan
Credit—Lincoln Heller (FiveLeft)
contents SUMMER 2018
4—
Announcements
7—
Opinion Rainer Schmid……………………...……..7 Penny Birnam/Gordon Hutchens...8
11—
Meet Our New Members
12—Circle Craft AGM Co-Chair’s Report…………………….….12 Show Producer’s Report……….…….14 Store Manager’s Report………..……16 Committee Reports Scholarship Report…….……….18 Selections Report……………....18 Gallery Report………………..…..19
21— 26—
Board Retreat Report In the Gallery
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Andrea Sanders
BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR
Vanja Gavric VICE-CHAIR
Andrea Roberts Gordon Hutchens Jo Ludwig Kaarina Talvila Lorna Moffat Svea Vatch Vesna Yankovich
Circle Craft Shop & Gallery 1-1666 Johnston Street Net Loft, Granville Island Vancouver, BC V6H 3S2 t: (604) 669.8021 f: (604) 669.8585 Circle Craft Office 203-1537 West 8th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6J 1T5 t: (604) 801.5220
announcements New Website & Online Store Very shortly we will be launching an entirely re-designed website, which will include an online store! As you can imagine, with over 130 members with multiple items of unique work, this is quite a labour-intensive project to take on. That being said, here are few things we would like you to know about the launch and the online store moving forward: - The launch of the online store will not include all items available in the store, but a representative of work from our membership. - The online store is a work in progress and will grow as time goes on. - There are many restrictions to what we are able to put online (shipping restrictions, fragility, etc.), so please know that it will never house the full inventtory of the physical store. - We understand that some of you may prefer not to have your work for sale online. Rather than ask each of you to opt-in to having your work in the online store, we would only like those who don’t want to be represented to opt-out. Please e-mail andrea@circlecraft.net if you DO NOT want your work to be listed in the online store. We hope you are as enthusiastic as we are about this project being made a reality. We also hope that you will be patient with us, as any expansion will experience some growing pains along the way.
Call-Out to Members: Circle Craft Booth @ the 2018 Market!
Here’s how you can make this work for you:
It’s that time again –
When posting on social media, remember to include the co-op’s tag #circlecraft. Driving traffic to Circle Craft benefits all of us.
Planning is underway for the Circle Craft store booth at the Christmas Market! We are calling out to all of you to let us know if you are interested in submitting a piece for display in the booth.
Likewise, Circle Craft wants to promote you. We are actively posting members' photos and videos across all social media platforms, so please send us your material via the links below.
All pieces submitted must be over the $500 price point and they must be different pieces than you have displayed in the booth in past years.
Submit your photos to:
Please email andrea@circlecraft.net if you are interested and provide a description of what you would like to submit (it helps with planning the booth layout and what fixtures we need to bring!). All work for the Market booth must be brought to the Granville Island store by NOVEMBER 1st.
Create your own Instagram Post:
In addition, if any members are interested in volunteering in the booth, please let us know! Member volunteers keep the cost of running the booth down, and visitors love to meet our artists in person. Shifts can be accommodated in any length, and are needed for the run of the Market (November 7-9 from 10:00AM-9:00PM, November 10 from 9:00AM-7:00PM, and November 11 from 10:00AM5:00PM).
Circle Craft also has a communications team, Rebus Creative, working with us to promote Circle Craft on and beyond our own social media platforms. You should have recently received a letter from Karen & Kristie at Rebus, with some tips for using or getting started with Social Media, as well as a request for some information to help us promote YOU on our social media channels. If you have not received this correspondence, please find a PDF of the letter here.
Social Media & Marketing We all know how important it is to keep promoting ourselves and our work, but for many of us, this is not where our skills or our interest lies. As Circle Craft members, though, the job is a little easier for us because the co-op is there to support us and to magnify our individual voices.
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/ form/764964a894724a6cb05e4efc 7eea333d
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/ form/4ff43e8480b143cf9414c10a3 ba7d679 Send videos directly to Rossanne: Rossanne@circlecraft.net
In addition, we have created a Facebook group to help members connect with each other! This is a private group, so all discussion amongst members will be private, but members of the public can see who the members of the group are. If you have any questions, contact Kristie from Rebus Creative at: kristie@rebuscreative.com
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Credit— Kaarina Talvila
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Credit—Rainer Schmid
opinion
moving into retirement LONG-TIME MEMBER RAINER SCHMID SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF OUR ORGANIZATION
Hello‌ I'm sitting here with a glass of wine and am contemplating my last cheque from CC which arrived in the mail today. After 33 years, and almost, but not quite, 1 million in sales in the Granville Island store, I've decided to retire from Circle Craft. I very much want to thank the staff of CC for their support , and above all Paul Yard, who has been ( in my opinion) the anchor who has seen CC through good times and bad. I doubt CC would have made it to this point without Paul. It has been a true pleasure to have met many of you, and worked with many of you on the Board. If you will indulge me, I'd like to share a few of my thoughts regarding Circle Craft. A member run guild such as CC is very much an anachronism in this age. Having served on the Board on numerous occasions, I believe the Board and how it functions is both the strength and the weakness of the organisation. It is the strength in that it is the members who have ultimate control...craftspeople serving craftspeople. Its flaw is the same‌ a Board whose members are skilled craftspeople, but not necessarily good business people. It does not follow that being an exceptional craftsperson necessarily translates into business acumen. I served on the Board
that adopted the Carver model of governance, which dictates that a Board should only concern itself with the overall philosophy, purpose, direction and ethics of an organization. At that time, that particular Board understood that none of us were business professionals, and that the actual management of the store was best left to someone who had the correct qualifications. Once the goals and philosophy of the organization are defined, the implementation of those goals should be left in the hands of a hired, skilled manager. Board members should never micromanage, or meddle in the daily affairs. That is the domain of the hired, professional manager. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case. I was surprised when I received this years financials...Unless I read it incorrectly, the store did less than 2K/day. The problem is quite clear, we have a large store, in a fabulous location, and much of the store is filled with beautiful things that don't sell. There can be no place for sentimentality in a retail environment.. if something does not sell , then it should not be taking up space in the store, regardless of how well it is made or how beautiful. If it does not sell, it should not be in the store. A previous manager calculated all the display space in the store, and determined what each square foot of space would
need to generate per year for the store to break even...The figure was about 1K/ sq ft,/year which would yield about a gross of 1 million/year. If I remember correctly, at the time of the study, only about 20 artists out of the 140+- who displayed met this figure. In my opinion this is really unsustainable, especially in this age of Amazon etc..I continue to sell my work to a few select galleries. All of them have one thing in common; items on display have to "earn their keep", as it is financially not feasible to carry items that only gather dust. I appreciate that this is, in our member driven environment, a very sensitive topic, but one that I believe must be addressed if CC is to survive as retail entity. What is to be done? Shrink the store? A sales quota for all who display their work? I don't have the definitive answer, but I think this is a necessary discussion for the future. Certainly the solution is not to continually tighten the screws at the store...but rather a fundamental rethinking of how the retail store should function. Once again, Thank you to all I have had the pleasure of meeting over the years. Respectfully, Rainer Schmid
opinion
time to give thanks CO-RECIPIENTS OF LAST YEARS’ “LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP CONTRIBUTION AWARD”, PENNY BIRNAM AND GORDON HUTCHENS, THANK THE MEMBERSHIP FOR THEIR SUPPORT
Dear Circle Craft Membership and Board of Directors, Thank you very much for the Lifetime Membership Contribution Award, and the book of the 45th Anniversary Show, and the cheque. It was so surprising, flattering and touching, especially as I had no idea there was such an award at all, let alone that I might be considered. Paul gave me a little hint that something might be in the mail, and I kept impatiently and curiously checking the mail. I am sitting here in my kitchen, looking out at the bird feeder and the roses on the screen, and in on the many lovely handmade works bought or traded from our members over the years, and you cannot imagine how wonderful this symbol of your appreciation is
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to me. It is hard to tell whether you are helping, hindering, or just taking up space when you are in the middle of things, quite heated things sometimes, but it was always interesting, challenging and educational, and I was lucky enough to make some lifelong friends. May I give a shout out to the staff here too, who help all of us to make a living in this competitive environment. We are all so independently different, they must feel like they are herding cats! Well done, all of you.
visitors will see it and ask (I hope), the book with its great photos of the gorgeous work is by the bedside in the guest room where it will encourage them to visit Circle Craft (I hope),and I am off to spend the cheque on riotous living (I hope)! May all of you be happy, thank you. Penny Birnam
CO-RECIPIENT OF THE LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP CONTRIBUTION AWARD
Thank you again, the certificate is hung in the kitchen where all my
Credit—Penny Birnam (left) Gordon Hutchens (right)
Thank you, thank you, to my fellow Circle Crafters for the Lifetime Membership Contribution Award, and I couldn’t imagine anything more perfect than to be tied in voting with Penny Birnam, a craftsperson who’s work and commitment I’ve admired for years! This means a lot to me when I think of all the different and amazing people I’ve met and gotten to know since the first Circle craft Christmas show I did in 1975. Looking back, it is phenomenal, what this crafts person’s cooperative has accomplished. You should all be proud. We all pull together to make it work.
Thank you also to our dedicated and hardworking staff in the store and in the office who, in fact, keep the system working. Also, thank you to my fellow board members, past and present, who have taken precious time away from their work to help guide our co-op. The cover picture on the 45th Anniversary book reminds me of my first Christmas show years at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, very fond memories indeed. At least one year I slept in the back of my truck in the Culch parking lot. Don’t tell any one.
I’ve put the certificate on the wall in my studio gallery and with the cheque I’m buying a new digital pyrometer that will monitor temperature in two different zones of a kiln at the same time. Thank you so much!
Gordon Hutchens CO-RECIPIENT OF THE LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP CONTRIBUTION AWARD
membership
welcoming new members TWELVE NEW MEMBERS RECENTLY COMPLETED THEIR ONEYEAR TRIALS AND WERE OFFERED FULL MEMBERSHIP WITH US. WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS!
Clockwise from top left: Anne-Marie Veale – Anne Marie has enjoyed a long career as a studio potter. She creates functional pottery - platters, plates, bowls, teapots and jugs that are hand-painted with colourful and whimsical decoration. Sophia Kim (Sophia Clay Art) – Sophia grew up in South Korea and is a graduate of Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Her fascination with tree barks started while taking pictures of textures of oaks, birches, pine trees and aspens in the Pacific Northwest, and insipired her vessels which have the burnished texture of birchbark. Marshall Mar – Marshall has worked as a Jewellery designer and goldsmith since 1969 after studying gold and silversmithing in Germany. He creates one-of-akind jewelry pieces using the lost wax method. Each piece very time consuming and detailed, and include polished stones, carved bone, or wood. Ashley Ponter – Ashley spent a great deal of her life living abroad – schooled in the UK, Switzerland, and Paris, she was inspired by masters of bronze sculpture. Later in Africa, she trained with master goldsmith, Albert Maree, in the lost wax process of casting. Here, she developed a passion for sculpting African wildlife which continues today in her delicate silver sculptures and tableware.
Anne Verkerk (Kootenay Bear) – Anne creates hand-knit heirloom quality 100% wool bears. The style of a Kootenay Bear reflects the rugged mountainous Kootenay region in B.C., Canada. The bears are dressed for the outdoors in natural colours, and each is unique with its own personality. Thomas Bundic – Thomas uses non-endangered species of exotic woods as well as a variety of BC woods to create his line – he even cuts down most of the local trees himself, then mills and dries them until they are ready to work with. For every tree he cuts down, he plants a new tree to replace it. Yookyoung Yong – Yookyoung grew up in South Korea, in a time when the country was still reeling from war. She got her BA in Buddhism, and spent a great deal of time travelling and living abroad. Her experiences have inspired her to create simple, quiet forms in clay. She has been working with clay for nearly 10 years. Lorna Moffat – Lorna grew up in Scotland, surrounded by beautiful wools and silk in the drapery shop her family owned. She attended the Glasgow School of Art, where she has honors and postgraduate degrees in Embroidered and Woven Textile Design. Her work has been exhibited in many fabulous venues across the world including the V&A Museum, Liberty of London, and Bergdorf Goodman.
Grace Lee (Eikcam Ceramics) – After completing studies in ceramics and an Industrial Design degree from Emily Carr, Grace worked in many fields, including visual styling, art direction, and designing before returning to her love of working with her hands. Eikcam Ceramics serve as functional pieces for the table or home with a sense of naturalness and whimsy. Cindy Cantelon (Earthly Creature Designs)– Cindy is inspired by a love of nature. Using the lost wax method and cast in fine silver pewter, Earthly Creature Designs are sculpture and wearable sculpture based on the natural forms found in the flora and fauna of the pacific west coast rainforest ecosystems. Jan Phelan – Jan’s ornate and detailed pieces start as a blank canvas. She draws on her design, carefully carves out with an x-acto knife, and puts the piece through at least 4 firings to achieve the depth of colour and interest of design. Her saturated colour is achieved with stains and oxides that are applied with sponges, and include up to 5 colours to get her desired impressionist effect. Shima Itabashi (Him Creations)– Shima is originally from Japan, and uses her imagination to create fantastical characters, creatures, and animals. All of her work is needle felted wool, and she strives to make creatures that will bring smiles to people’s faces.
circle craft agm THE CIRCLE CRAFT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING TOOK PLACE AT THE CAROUSEL THEATRE ON GRANVILLE ISLAND ON APRIL 25, 2018
co-chair’s report Last year I mentioned in my report that we had a big challenge in 2018: Lease for the Store that was going to expire in December 31, 2018 and no option given. Today, I am pleased to inform you that we are getting 5 years Lease for sure Promised from leasing Officer Sabrina Lakos yesterday at the meeting that Andrea Roberts and me attended in CMHC office in Granville Island. So, uncertainty and fear about future of CC is gone and we can go back to creative work or business as usual. Details about lease, conditions, new probable increased cost of rent will follow in months after September. Impression that Andrea and me had was that CC is going to get fair deal and that we do not need a lawyer’s help. From April to December 2017 board had 5 directors what is a very small number of people to share load of responsibilities, decision making, taking care of co -op business and benefits for our members. Besides volunteering time on board each of us had some edition work on different committees. Behind every gallery show is a work of Andrea Roberts; behind marketing strategies and business planning is Vanja Gavric helping board to understand and articulate vision for 2018/19; Gordon, Svea with their commitments…all valuable things that are very often taken as per granted….. I believe I made a point… . I was mentioning only board
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members, but I am not going to neglect to mention that almost nothing would be possible without Andrea Sanders, Rossanne and Paul as well as Store employees. Thank you all.
periodically financial statements; cost brake down; show cost brake down and so on….. so when board director is asked any question about Show expenses she or he can not say much about it.
Fortunately, in December 2017 Kaarina Talvila, Lorna Moffat, and Jo Ludwig joint the board, waiting to be conformed and hopefully stay for one or two mandates.
For so many years Paul as Show Producer ran the show successfully bringing significant revenue to CC Co-op . Financial support from the show kept us alive. Paul has great recognition, and respect from CC for that huge contribution. Being in transitional time, it is very important to prepare successors and the board to understand importance of good financial planning and responsible spending, show is a vital part of CC Co-op.
Our financial year 2017 shaped as not the best one. Comparing with 2016 store sales were down about $70,000.00; members received about $40,000.00 less and operating income from Market Show was $10,000.00 shorter. Fortunately, expenses were “"under control” so, over all, we ended with modest profit, as usual. During the year board receives regularly financial reports for the Co-op what is store and administrative profit/ loss statements and board is quite well informed and capable to monitor and compare budget with actual revenue; the other words any board member could answer questions about store, gallery, what we pay to members….and so on…. Situation with CCC Market in that sense is little bit different. It is fair to say that board is getting reports about booth sales and ticket sales and overall description how good Market did …. final picture comes from Kinder Sidhu once a year. Board is not receiving Budget for the Show; Board is not receiving
Last year we celebrated 45 years of existence of Circle Craft Association. I congratulate all members, show participants and award recipients from the bottom of my heart. Andrea Roberts, co-chair and chair of Gallery Committee will give report on our 45th anniversary celebration little bit later. At the end I would like to invite members to take more active part in shaping a future of CC. I would also like to remind you that this is members co-op and communication between members and the board is essential. There are e-mail addresses and phone numbers that members can use to reach any board member. Thank you very much. Vesna Jankovic BOARD CO-CHAIR
Credit— Haejin Lee
show producer’s report
For the past twenty years, Circle Craft has been utilizing John Carver’s guide to Board Policy Governance. Two of the key principles on which the Carver model is built are: 1. The Board speaks with one voice 2. The Board directs the organization by means of approving policies and not by making managerial operational decisions. The system has served us well and we have adapted it to fit our particular needs. For instance, the Board remains responsible for Selections, Gallery, and Membership with Staff support. Board and staff have also worked together and with a facilitator to develop a comprehensive Board Manual which tracks all major policy decisions taken over the years. There have been times when some Board members have indicated a wish for more direct control over events but for the most part the Carver model has been a positive in the “Circle Craft Saga”. When the Co-op Manager left in May of 2015, a management committee of Monique Mousseau, Andrea Roberts and Vesna Yankovich stepped in to fill the gap. Our finances were precarious, staffing was in disarray and people were coming and going with great rapidity. The contribution of these board members at that time was vital. That time however has passed. At the retreat in 2016, the Board committed to the idea that Circle Craft would operate with a team approach to management with Paul, Rossanne Clamp and Andrea Sanders performing the General Manager role, running the show and overseeing the office and a single store manager. The idea was reiterated at the May 2017 retreat but by then, the store manager’s role was being carried out by a team of three…..David Camisa, Emily Cowan and Ann Uusoja. Ann left Circle Craft in July of 2017 and the decision was made by the GM team in conjunction with David and Emily, to hire another sales associate rather than another management person. Things have definitely been fluid for the past couple of years! In spite of the turmoil, we are in good shape. As per the report from our auditors, Kinder Sidhu and Associates, our financial heath continues to improve. While the store sales were down slightly, so too were expenses. The graph below shows how the Gross Margin of store operations (revenues over expenses) and the Net Income for the Co-op as a whole have fared since 2010.
Christmas Market: Income from the Christmas Market was $167,045.00 expenses were down almost $47,000.00.
in 2017 ($173,773.00 in 2016)
Store operating
Once again exhibitors found the show to have strong sales and they have resigned in record numbers…..the show is now full and has a waiting list for 2018. The Doctors Convention is on at the same time as our show is 2018 so we do expect an increase in sales like we had in the 2016 show.
Statistics: We inputted 2000 email addresses from our shopping spree ballots and sent out a consumer questionnaire. Some highlights: -
16.2% of our customers were new to the show……down from 23.9% in 2016 54.7 % bought tickets online…up from 40.9% in 2016 34.8% heard about the show by word of mouth….up from 30.1% in 2016 86.8 % said they will return in 2017….up from 75.4% in 2016
In many ways we are in the healthiest position we’ve been in years! Our staff is stable and we have finally got some new energetic people on the Board of Directors. A very heartfelt welcome to Jo Ludwig, Lorna Moffat and Kaarina Talvila. They have joined Vesna Yankovich, Andrea Roberts and Gordon Hutchens who have been grossly overworked for the past several years and Vanja Gavric and Svea Vatch who joined just prior to last year’s AGM. Now if we can just get three or four more members willing to participate and further dilute the Board’s workload and also get back to Carver’s Model of Board Governance that we have been following for the past twenty plus years, the future will be bright indeed. We really do have a unique, special organization that is the envy of many! As we approach the middle of our forty-sixth year, let us not have a “mid-life crisis” and self-destruct. We have a healthy bank account once again, a sold out Christmas Market that nets us in excess of $150,000.00 annually and a keen and vibrant staff that is committed to Circle Craft. We all should be proud of what we have accomplished!
In closing, I would like to thank each and every one of the people who have committed to serving on the Board. Also those who have come forward to serve on committees, like Nancy Walker on Selections, and Jan Macleod who serves as store liaison. The Market jury of Helene Bourget, Jamie Evrard, Barb Head and Jan Macleod……the store staff headed up by David Camisa and Emily Cowan and supported by Jackie, Melinda, Linda, Laura, Eri, Souzan and Jessica…..and last, but certainly not least the office team made up of Rossanne Clamp, Andrea Sanders and Maureen Walkinshaw.
Paul Yard SHOW PRODUCER
store management report
Hello Members! Time flies and we can’t believe we have both just celebrated our two year anniversary with Circle Craft, a year and a half of that time serving as your store managers. We pride ourselves on the positive environment we have been able to foster in the store for members, staff, and customers alike and it would not be possible without your beautiful work and support. Now that we’ve had time to settle into our roles, we’ve taken the past year, since our last AGM, to fine tune store operations, putting an emphasis on customer service, product knowledge, and salesmanship. We are very happy with the development of the store team – a solid, dedicated group that, with the exception of one sales associate, have all worked at the store for over a year. With the busy summer months ahead, we have already hired a new sales associate, who will be joining us next month, and we are sure she will be another great addition to the team. This winter we began a new product-knowledge initiative and invited members to stop by the store and give a small talk or demonstration on their products and techniques. Andrea Roberts and Rudi Diesvelt have both been kind enough to join us so far, giving staff a valuable insight into their creative process. Getting this information first hand from these artist visits has been a very helpful addition to the level of product knowledge our sales associates already utilize and can be incredibly helpful in closing
sales. We look forward to having more members stop by and talk with us in the coming months and we urge you to reach out to us if you are interested. We are very happy with the increase in store revenue since the beginning of 2018 – As of April 23, 2018, our total store sales are just over $ 161,000, an increase of almost $ 15,000 in sales from the same time last year. We are hopeful this is an upward trend that will continue through the remainder of the year. With another round of selections having just closed, we are looking forward to welcoming 8 new members to the Circle Craft family, three of whom are returning members, and two of whom have taken part in successful gallery shows with us this past year. It is always exciting to meet new members, learn about their craft, and integrate their work into the store. As always, should you ever need assistance, we are both happy to hear from you. We are only a phone call or email away and we’re always happy to set up a meeting with you in person if you’d like to visit us at the store. Here’s to a successful 2018! David Camisa Emily Cowan
STORE MANAGERS
Credit— Jill Allan
selections report Thank you to all the volunteer members of the selections committee. I am finding it to be a very interesting committee to be on. We have the privilege of seeing all the new work being submitted for selection. I think we all strive to see the bigger picture of each artist’s work. Will it thrive in the shop and have a simpatico with Circle Craft’s standards and sensibilities? This year we had 43 applicants in the first stage of Selections which is a very encouraging sign. We chose 6 artists to bring in their work for the second round. From the first stage are also lucky to have 3 fine artists returning to us:
• • •
Renowned potter Laurie Rolland Master goldsmith Steve Fong Jewellery designer Murat Senemoglu
We are constantly fine tuning our Selections process in order to keep and improve our standards and also move along with the times. Adaptation will keep us alive and lively. There are so many new and skilled artists out there. On April 18th the second stage Jury met (Jan MacLeod, Kinichi Shigeno and myself, Nancy Walker) and viewed the selected artists work. The jurying went very well - there was a lot of lively and interesting discussion of each applicants’ work. We all reached consensus to accept all 6 applicants. We will be inviting the following new members for a trial year: Kaitlan Murphy Elaine Brewer-White Susie Benes Liz de Beer Eric Renken Many thanks again to you all, Nancy Walker
SELECTIONS CHAIR
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scholarship report There is nothing to report for the Scholarship Committee. During our time of financial crunch, member scholarships were put on hold and the funds kept in our operating expenses. Our financial situation is much improved and member scholarships are available again (see below!). We did give out the Student Scholarship Awards as usual in 2017. The recipients were: - Serena Bartok (VCC, Jewellery) - Kate Metten (Emily Carr, Ceramics) - Darwin Greyeyes (Selkirk College, Metal) The scholarship show took place in the Circle Craft Gallery in February 2018. Gordon Hutchens SCHOLARSHIP CHAIR
did you know… CIRCLE CRAFT HELPS MEMBERS EXPAND THEIR SKILLS! Along with providing a venue for selling our member’s work in our store and putting on the annual Christmas Market, Circle Craft offers member scholarships to take workshops and courses to expand, and deepen their skills. Each year Circle Craft Cooperative sets aside $5,000.00 to be available to members who wish to apply for workshops that could enrich their practice. Applications can be submitted to the Scholarship Committee throughout the year and will be awarded by the board. Is there a course you have wanted to take but have had to put off for financial reasons? As a member of our co-op, we are here to help you. Please contact andrea@circlecraft.net for more information, or click here for a PDF of the information & application form.
Credit Above—FiveLeft & Hawthorne—in the Gallery from June 28—July 29, 2018
gallery report Dear Circle Craft Members, Last year marked a significant milestone for the Co-op celebrating 45 years of Excellence. The Board's initiative to honor it's members Excellence throughout this event was highlighted by giving out one Lifetime Achievement Award that Penny Birnam and Gordon Hutchens shared (voting was held online with both votes at par). A total of 81 members voted on a short list of Circle Craft members that contributed greatly to the Co-op with their commitment beyond their artwork. One Viewer’s Choice Award was given to Haejin Lee, ceramic artist and several juried (by Jo Darts & Hiro Urakami) “Best in Craft Awards” to eight members representing different mediums. A total of $ 6700- of Awards were given to members during this special event. For more details you can view the December 2017 Circle Craft Newsletter online / go to www.circlecraft.net and 'click' on 'members only'. The 45 years show of Excellence total sales are $22,062- and $12,751.85were paid to members. The Board would like to thank all contributing members for making this special event a great success as well as the office and store Teams for organizing and coordinating the show! A ‘big
thanks' to Rossanne Clamp for putting the 45 years Excellence booklet together keeping this special event alive in printing. The committee is working on a proposal to have special shows (not only as a 5 year milestone) every other year to showcase the 'Best of' members. We would like to hear your ideas and suggestions and encourage you to email your feedback to Andrea Sanders at:andrea@circlecraft.net Overall, last years' gallery sales were a total of $39,312(including Student Scholarship Award show and CCCM Preview show). I would like to point out, that we have a fantastic young jewelry artist currently showcasing in the gallery. Magali Thibault Gobeil has has sparked great interest with her new design approaches using different material mixes of Acryclic combined with Silver. She has had exhibitions in Canada, the US and Europe and we are thrilled that she agreed to a show at the gallery. I had the great pleasure to meet her at the show opening night while she was visiting Vancouver for her 'first ever' solo show. The show is on until April 29. Don't miss to see one or the other fantastic upcoming shows at the gallery this year continuing with Naoko Takenouchi / Glass from May 03-27 followed by Vesna
Yankovich & Jan MacLeod (Metal/ Paper) from May 31-June 26. Lincoln Heller featuring leather in July and Nancy Walker ceramic throughout August both solo shows. The Textile Society of America will round up this year’s gallery schedule with a group show that is co-directed with other shows simultaneously on Granville Island from September 6-30 throughout this event. The Gallery Committee would like to remind all members that busy summer months of July and August are exclusively reserved for them. To apply for a solo or group show, go to: http://www.circlecraft.net/applyfor-a-show Join the Committee or any other Committee and contribute with your creative ideas that keeps our Co-op thriving! To get in touch with the Gallery Committee or if you would like to curate a group show or have a suggestion of a great artist or group you think should showcase at the gallery you can email Andrea Sanders, the Administrative Assistant and Gallery Coordinator at: andrea@circlecraft.net . Andrea Roberts GALLERY CHAIR
Credit—Greg Kawczynski
circle craft board retreat THE BOARD RETREAT TOOK PLACE ON MAY 12, 2018 AT THE ALLIANCE FOR ARTS & CULTURE OFFICE
1. Introduction The purpose of this year's retreat was to: - clarify Circle Craft structure, roles and working relationships; - identify overall priorities for the coming year and how they will be addressed; - elect the Board executive. For the sake of clarity, some items in this report of meeting do not follow the order in which they discussed at the meeting. 2. The Formal Organization Organizations are social systems with both a formal and informal component. In organizations of any size, much of the formal system - structure, policies and procedures, etc. - is documented. The organization chart is a common representation of how the work of an organization is divided between various activities - production, sales, accounting - and then into specific jobs. On the vertical scale there are (to keep it simple) three levels: 1. Governance - mission or mandate of the organization, strategy, financial viability; 2. Management - implementation of strategy, organizing operations; 3. Operations - fulfilling the mission of the organization. The Board of Directors is responsible for governance. A challenge for the board is how to draw the line between governance and management. How does the Board ensure that it provides adequate guidance to the organization without meddling? How does the Board ensure that it receives the information that it needs in order to be confident that the organization is well managed? One answer to these questions is provided by the Policy Governance Model developed by John Carver. This model was adopted by Circle Craft many years ago and forms the foundation of the board manual. A brief overview was written by Mike for Circle Craft following a past retreat and is attached. Key elements of the Carver model are that: - the Board has only one employee - the General Manager - and directs the organization through the G.M.; - the Board speaks with one voice. If the Carver Model is strictly applied there are no Board committees. However any organization can makes its own variations to Carver. Variations can work well and add value to the organization provided that their purpose and function is clearly articulated and adhered to.
Continued...
The four long-standing committees at Circle Craft are:
•
Selections, Gallery, Scholarship, and Membership
Decisions - The Board will continue to follow the Carver Policy Governance Model. - A Carver" monitor" - Gordon - will be available to board and staff to talk in confidence about perceived infractions of the Carver model; - A Carver "watchdog" - Kaarina - will serve during the Board's meetings to bring to the attention of the Board occasions when the Board strays from its focus on governance. A number of other variations to the Carver Model have emerged at Circle Craft over the past couple of years. They are listed in the following table with a note on their future. Name
Store lease renewal
Store Committee Finance Committee
Status
Future
Active. (Kaye Miller has taken lead)
Becomes redundant with anticipated appointment of new store manager. Role to be redefined: well-informed Coop members able to answer other members' queries about finances and thus ensure transparency.
CMHC has made a verbal commitment for lease renewal (Vesna and Andrea R.) Inactive? (Jan MacLeod)
Terms to be agreed and lease signed.
Vesna to join committee as Board representative. Business Plan for 2018 New CC Initiative in new GI rental space.
A collaborative activity of Board and staff lead by Vanja First thoughts.
Implementation of goals - primarily by staff - in progress. Business plan required. No one currently assigned.
3. The Informal Organization Much of what happens in organizations is informal - it cannot be captured in writing. Trust, shared enthusiasm, good relationships, high morale, these are key to the long term success of organizations. As a complement to Carver's model of an effective Board, Peter Drucker, a leading twentieth century management consultant, emphasized the importance of an effective collaborative relationship between the Board Chair and General Manager. Differences of opinion will inevitably occur in organization. Such differences become difficulties when the differences are not openly acknowledged and addressed. Unresolved differences can evolve into conflict with some or all of the following characteristics: -
heightened emotions; breakdown in communication; protagonists become entrenched in their positions; formation of factions; further escalation; each side blaming the other.; lack of trust between the parties.
Over the past few months a serious conflict emerged at Circle Craft. The original focus was the store display. Some board members felt that it was below standard and jeopardized sales. For them, it was a matter of urgency that the display be changed using staff people of their choosing. For the staff, it was a staffing and operational issue for which they were responsible.
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Continued‌.
Credit—Cathi Jefferson
Conflicts of this nature quickly develop complex histories - "she said this", "he said that" - and there is not sufficient time available in a retreat of this length to review the story in detail. Instead, a four-step approach was adopted by Mike. Acknowledgement of the issue - what the conflict was originally about; Understanding - how the original difference mushroomed into a conflict; Learning - what the participants could have done differently to prevent the conflict growing as it did; Reset expectations of working together. During the retreat the principal protagonists in the conflict - three from each side - met with Mike in a small circle while the remaining participants formed an audience. The conversation broadly followed the steps provided above. There were three main learnings: - Either side could have taken steps when the dispute was small to attempt an early resolution (possibly by introducing a third-party); - During the course of the conflict, trust has been broken between key individuals and it will take a while for it to be reestablished; - Board policies need to be reviewed and updated when significant changes are made to the organization structure (in this case, the introduction of a store management team.) 3. Election of Executive The election of the Board Executive - Chair and a Vice-Chair - was deferred from the last Board Meeting. This retreat is not, officially, a Board meeting and the election results will have to be confirmed at the next Board meeting. The elections were conducted using the Integrative Election Process . This is a democratic process that allows for a wider exchange of information and views than is available with the usual simple vote. Decisions After two or three rounds of voting and considerable discussion, the following Board Members agreed to serve: Chair: Vanja Gavric Vice-Chair: Andrea Roberts Because of other commitments, both Vanja and Andrea have reservations about taking on their respective roles. The following was agreed: The functions of the Chair will include: -
Develop agenda for Board meetings and moderate meetings; Provide leadership, vision, understanding and support for new initiatives; Liaise with management; Ensure Board coherence; Represent Circle Craft to other organizations.
The Vice-Chair will: - Support the chair; - Deputise for the chair when the chair is unavailable; - Liaise with Coop members (together with the Chair of the Membership Committee) Continued‌.
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Decisions - Andrea's existing responsibilities for Gallery Shows and Selections will be passed on to others: - Gallery - next year's program is complete. New Chair required in January 2019. - Selections - Lorna Moffat agreed to serve as new committee member. - Signing officers for 2018/19 were agreed by acclamation: Vanja Gavric, Kaarina Talvila 4. Planning for 2018 The Coop Business Plan for 2018 has been approved by the Board and implementation is underway. At this meeting, Paul confirmed that the 2018 show would be his last. Meeting participants divided into three small groups and addressed the question, "What is the preferred organization structure for Circle Craft without Paul?" Two of the three groups made almost identical proposals (See Appendix 2 for the original flips charts): a) the current office team (Rossanne Clamp and Andrea Sanders) together with a new (part-time?) assistant will be responsible for the Christmas Market (PCCS) and Co-Op operations; b) a new (full time?) store manager will be appointed with overall responsibility for the store. The third group discussed the topic but did not put forward a proposal. As there was no objection to this proposal it was assumed that it was accepted by the Board. Decisions - Current store staff will be informed; - Draft job description, salary range, financial implications and hiring timeline for a new store manager will be reviewed at the next Board meeting (end June); - The hiring committee will consist of one representative of Board, office team and current store staff. 4. Following up to this meeting. Actions Mike will draft a report of meeting. Section 2 Carver "monitor" - Gordon Carver "watchdog" - Kaarina Finance Committee - redefine role Continue implementation of 2018 CC Plan. New CC initiative on Granville Island - develop business plan Section 3 Record election of Chair and Vice-Chair in minutes Lorna Moffat agreed to serve as member of Selections Committee. Appoint new chair for Gallery Committee in January 2019 Record appointment of signing officers and register with bank. Section 4 Communicate to store staff intention to hire store manager. Develop plan for hiring of new store manager by June Board meeting. Mike Talbot 2018 05 18 Revised 2018 05 23
in the gallery February 1—25, 2018: Student Scholarship Award Show March 1—April 1, 2018: Wilderness, Women, & Wine Elaine Brewer White Clay April 5—April 29, 2018: Candy Obsession Magali Thibault-Gobeil Jewellery May 3—27, 2018: Precious Moments Naoko Takenouchi Glass May 31—June 26, 2018: Paper & Metal Vesna Yankovich & Jan MacLeod Metal/Paper
June 28—July 29, 2018: Objects of Fancy FiveLeft & Hawthorne Leather August 2—September 2, 2018: Talking Clay: be like water Nancy Walker Clay September 6—September 30, 2018: The Art of Contemporary Fibre Lesley Richmond, Kaarina Talvila, Yvonne Wakabayashi, & Angelika Werth Curated by Kaija Rautiainen Textiles October 4—October 29, 2018: Market Preview Show Group Show—Artists TBA
Artists interested in having a show in the gallery, please submit your proposal online HERE
Notice to Members: Following the success of last years’ 45th Anniversary celebration in the Gallery, we are planning a special “Summer in the Gallery” show in 2019 featuring work from an open call to our membership.
This show is to feature special pieces from our membership—guidelines to be announced! If you are interested, please contact Andrea Sanders at andrea@circlecraft.net. A letter will go out to membership shortly once details and dates are confirmed for this exciting show!
membership report
Credit Top Left: Elaine Brewer-White Credit Bottom Left: Naoko Takenouchi Credit Right: Magali Thibault-Gobeil
Wednesday, November 7—Sunday, November 11, 2018