October 16th is the next Chicago Craft Racket.  Get ready for the holiday shows!  Meet Simone Collins, Craft Editorial Director and Social Media Director at Prime Publishing LLC.  Simone is a social media wizard.  She will give you the ins and outs to maximize the marketing potential behind social media with a particular slant toward craft-based businesses.

Don’t forget that our very own DIY Trunk Show is November 17th, just 6 short weeks away!

CRAFT RACKET – Fall 2012

Tuesday, October 16 from 6 to 9 pm
Beans & Bagels
2601 West Leland Avenue , Chicago  ——–  NOTE: Venue Change!

(a few steps from the Rockwell  stop on the Brown Line)  There is plenty of street parking.

http://www.beansandbagels.com

Cost: FREE!

Please RSVP by emailing chicagocraftmafia@gmail.com

See you at the Racket!

Hurry!  The deadline for the Waters Elementary School 4th Annual Artisan Fair is September 30th.

Waters Elementary School’s 4th Annual Artisan Fair is an ideal way to showcase your talent and work, to support a neighborhood Chicago public school and students, and to gather neighbors, families and friends for a fun-filled day of community together.

What you need to know:

Applications will be accepted from 9/6 – 9/30; notifications will go out via email by 10/14. It is a juried selection process for non-Waters participants. Table fee is just $40 once accepted and all proceeds of your sales will be your own; fee covers costs associated with event – current college students may split a table at $20/each if they partner with a friend).

Email your application, a detailed description of your work and 3 digital photos, a digital portfolio or website address to watersartisanfair@gmail.com. In the subject line write “Application” and include in the email your:

Name

Business name (if applicable)

Email address

Website (if applicable)

Street Address

Phone number

Description of your work

Price point (please give a range and average price)

Special needs (wall space, electricity, etc) – we will do our best to accommodate

Attach 3 digital images of your work (jpegs)

Water’s Elementary’s Artisan Fair will be promoted extensively on websites and Facebook pages, in local newspapers, newsletters, and via flyers and street banners. For additional information, please check website or email us. We look forward to hearing from you!

Water’s 4th Annual Artisan Fair

Saturday, December 1, 2012

10 am – 3 pm

Waters Elementary School

4540 N. Campbell Ave., Chicago, IL 60625

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This CPS school incorporates the arts across the core curriculum and is surrounded by a prairie and numerous gardens. The gardens are open to the public and well worth a stroll.

The Crossroads Fund seeks Artists / Crafters / Designers for their  Arts / Crafts sale Art for Change at the Logan Square Arts Center on November 4th.  Check out their website for more details.

30 Local Chicago Artists will be exhibiting at the Helium Gallery for one weekend only- don’t miss it!

Helium Gallery is located at 4710 N. Ravenswood, Chicago IL 60640

Saturday 9/29 and Sunday 9/30 from 11a-6p

Click here for more details: https://www.facebook.com/events/136152766528305/

Also this event is going on during RAW – Ravenswood Artwalk : http://ravenswoodartwalk.org/

Art & Craft all along Ravenswood Ave!!! Check it out.

How many of you learned to weave, make jewelry or throw a pot through the Chicago Park District?  Have you considered being the one to offer the class?!  We know you are a talented group.  Share your knowledge with others.

Here is a great article by Carla J. Mayer, Arts and Culture Manager at the Chicago Park District.  She is hosting an Artists At Work Forum at the Chicago Cultural Center on September 20th on the subject of Cultivating Arts Partnerships with the CPD.  Don’t miss it!

Let folks know that you plan to shop ’til you drop at the DIY TRUNK SHOW!  Grab this groovy graphic to blog about your favorite vendors.  We are bigger than ever with more vendors, great grub from Wishbone, and fun make-n-take booths.  CHIRP will be back keeping us all tapping our toes.  Yep! It’s going to be a shopping party!

Art Fair Insiders is an art fair network providing useful advice from its membership.  Get an insider’s perspective on the best and worst shows.  Keep current on entry deadlines.  Membership is free!

http://www.artfairinsiders.com/

Who has time to read every business-related website for relevant content?!  SmartBrief, Inc. culls the best and sends it to you as a daily newsletter.  This is actually one newsletter I read every morning.  You can tailor the newsletters for content you want to read.

http://www.smartbrief.com/index.jsp

The Individual Artist Support (IAS) Initiative from the Illinois Arts Council was created to help Illinois artists realize a career goal, take advantage of a professional opportunity, or for the production and presentation of an artistic project.

General Program Information

The IAS Initiative encompasses two different tracks.  Artists may apply to one track only.:

• Track 1: Individual Artist Professional Development (IA-PD) seeks to support professional development opportunities related to an individual artist’s career. Grant amounts for IA-PD are $500 or $750 with no cash match required.
• Track 2: Individual Artist Project (IA-Project) seeks to support individual creative artists in the production and presentation of an artistic project. Grant amounts for IA-Project are $1,500 or $2,500, and a 25% cash match is required.

Each track has specific limitations and requirements. Please read the entire guidelines thoroughly to determine which track best suits your goals . Artists may submit one application only. Awards will be equal to the amount requested by the applicant.

Artistic Disciplines

Artists who work in the following artistic disciplines are eligible to apply for funding.

• Dance
• Music
• Theatre
• Visual Arts
• Design Arts
• Crafts
• Photography
• Media Arts (includes film, video, audio, and computer art)
• Literature (includes creative non-fiction*, fiction, and poetry)
• Interdisciplinary
• New Performance Forms
• Ethnic & Folk Arts

*Creative non-fiction is distinguished from analytical, journalistic, technical, and scholarly/academic writing by its strong narrative literary quality as found in personal essays and memoirs.  The Illinois Arts Council’s Individual Artists Support Program does not accept applications to support scholarly/academic, analytical, journalistic, and technical writing

Note: Applications for Track 2: IA – Project  will be accepted from creative/originating artists only (i.e. choreographers, composers, playwrights, visual artists, etc.).

Fiscal Year 2013 Project Dates:

Professional Development Support:  All activities must occur and be completed within January 1, 2013 and August 31, 2013

Project Support:  All activities must occur and be completed within January 1, 2013 and August 31, 2013.

*For projects with public presentations, exhibition openings, CD and publication releases after August 31 and up to November 15, you must contact the appropriate Program Director before submitting an application.

For more information about informational workshops and webinars, click here.

Hot off the press!  Don’t you just love the new design and colors!  It was difficult to narrow down the images for selection on the front. Everyone is selling such gorgeous work at the DIY Trunk Show!

Here’s who is featured:
16 Sparrows, Additions, Circa Ceramics, Citizen Shay, Cristina Cook Designs, Do Re Mi, Googlie Pop, Kiku, Kitty Grrls, Lucius Art, Man Vs. George, Mary Wells and Sadly Harmless.

Grab a cup of tea (or your beverage of choice) and stop by our DIY website to get a sneak peek of all that will be on offer. And don’t forget to save the date for November 17th.