Sue Port Simon's Blog

Sunny Saturday afternoon

2010-07-31T10:04:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day in Hollidaysburg. Lots of people in and out of the gallery--probably my favorite part of the business is chatting with the people who come into our store. I'm always curious about what brings people into the area. I find that a lot of people who make their way into art4... grew up in the Altoona area, moved away, and come back to visit their families. One of the more consistent comments we hear is that people are surprised to have a place like art4... in our area. We are thrilled when people tell us that this reminds them of a place in Boulder, or that they wished they had a place like this near them. We are always delighted to tell them that our fine art is by local and regional artists, which often surprises people to know how many talented artists are in our own backyard.

Often times, people will ask us why we are located in Hollidaysburg, which always strikes us as a funny question. We're here because this is where we live. More than one (many more, actually) person has told us that we should move the gallery to Pittsburgh (or some other more metropolitan area). The truth of the matter is that both Jody and I believe that our area deserves a store like this, where people can buy handmade, quality, creative works of art. They can support private business and buy things that will actually last! That are made in the US! By real live artists!

So, we continue to find ways to bring people to our fine gallery. One of our new ventures is that we now carry Gemelli Bread. Gemelli Bread is baked in State College at Gemelli Bakers, which is owned by Tony Sapia. The bread is phenomenal, so we decided to offer it at art4... (We take orders throughout the week and then bring in fresh bread on Friday afternoons for the weekend). It seems to be working out well and those who have bought his bread are just thrilled to have something this good available here.

more to come soon...

Handmade for the Holidays!

2009-12-07T22:37:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe that the holiday season is already here, but the recent snow certainly helped to put us in the mood. We have been gearing up for this season for quite some time and are glad that it's finally arrived. The gallery has never been more well stocked, and it's never looked better. I like to think that both Jody and I bring different skills to our business, and one of her greatest skills is in the design and layout of our merchandise. She just is amazing at displaying our items. If you've been to the gallery, you know what I mean. Another one of her skills (and passions) is her expertise in gift wrapping. Not only is she good at it, she is obsessed with it. Not sure what skills I bring to the table, but we'll leave that for another blog.
In any case we are very excited for the next couple of weeks. It's so much fun to be at the gallery and help people find gifts that they really feel good about giving. One of the things that we try to do is help our customers figure out what they think their friend, spouse, aunt, brother-in-law, co-worker, etc, will like. We have so many different options that it can be helpful for us to narrow the choices for our customers. We even have customers who call us with a list of people for whom they need presents and we make recommendations,giftwrap and deliver them. Talk about avoiding the hassle and stress of holiday shopping!
We hope you'll come in, or if you don't live in the area, we hope you'll check out our website (www.art4gallery.com)and we can work with you via email/phone. When you buy a gift from us at art4..., you are not only supporting a local and independently owned business, you are supporting the artist him/herself. Now, that's something to feel good about this holiday season!
Look forward to seeing you at art4...
Sue Q Port

2009-08-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

We've had a busy summer at art4..., between our regular customers, friends and family visiting from out of town, and especially due to our art classes. Jess, our supremely talented and extremely likable employee, taught each of our seven different classes, ranging from oil painting to sculpey to art & the environment. The feedback we got from the kids (and parents) has been tremendous. We are looking at different opportunities for classes throughout the year and will keep you posted.

I am really excited about all of the cool stuff going on at art4... First of all, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our Sticks hand painted, handmade furniture. I remember seeing Sticks years ago (can't remember where) and fell in love with all of their products. Little did I know then that one day I would open a gallery and that we would be privileged enough to carry their line. If you have never seen this fabulous, customized furniture, you should check out their website at www.sticks.com, although you'll definitely want to stop by the gallery when it arrives to see it in person.

I'm also really excited about our upcoming online store. It's a ton of work to get it up and going, but we're determined to do it right. Luckily, our fabulous web designer (Lisa Cohen from Artemis group) is a genius and has been very helpful in getting us moving on this. Not sure when we'll be up and running but will keep you posted.

Other exciting news is that we are hosting an exhibit, "Remembering Fred: The Art of Fred Counsel". We have been working closely with Fred's niece, Judy Counsel Vipond, (a well-respected artist in our community as well) to put together a fitting tribute to one of the greatest artists from our region. This will be the last public showing of Counsel's work. Judy has told us that there are pieces (all originals) with prices starting at $80, as well as oil paintings that have never been shown before. The exhibit will be up from August 20th thru Sept 30th, with an opening reception on Thursday, September 10, from 5:00 - 7:00 pm.

Lots more coming up, but need to put my girls to bed.

Peace & Love-
Sue

gratitude

2009-07-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

I am grateful that I have Jody Christen as my business partner.
I am grateful that we have Jess as our employee.
I am grateful that my mom helps out at the gallery once a week.
I am particularly grateful that she does this for free. :)
I am grateful to our many wonderful, loyal customers.
I am grateful that so many new people find us every day.
I am grateful to Vince Duffy, our graphic designer, for his creativity and boundless talent
I am grateful to Lisa Cohen (www.artemisgroup.com) for designing our fabulous website (www.art4gallery.com. I am also grateful for Lisa's tremendous generosity.
I am grateful to all of our talented artists.
I am grateful that I love what I do, every day.

and the livin' is easy...

2009-06-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

Ah, Summertime... I love it! I am not really good with routine and schedules, a challenge for a woman juggling a business and raising two young daughters. I just love the freedom that summer offers--no school, no dance class, no hebrew school, no skating lessons...

This is our second summer at art4... and so far, things have been great. This past Thursday was our first Downtown LIVE summer concert and it was a terrific night. How cool to have a band playing live music outside, people milling around on the street...the atmosphere was alive and exciting. I think this is going to grow into something pretty special for the area and I'm really excited about it. Diahann Mosier, a tremendous artist from Huntington, PA (and a new friend of mine) was outside working on a very cool, very interesting self-portrait, which generated a lot of interest and attention. We had a lot of first-timers to the gallery, which makes any event worth its effort. All in all, it was a great night and I'm really looking forward to the next one, which will be on July 16th!

This Friday will be our first Open Mic Night. I'm curious to see who that brings out:) I'm hoping that it's something that we can do on a regular basis, whatever that ends up meaning. Should be a good time, so if you're around, stop by.
Then, on Saturday, we're having a trunk show by Jewelry Designer Rachael Adamiak. Her work is incredible. Jody and I first saw her jewelry on a buying trip, purchased several pieces, and sold them as soon as we put them out! She lives in Austin, but is a Pennsyylvania native. We're really excited to host this. If you like contemporary sterling silver jewelry, you'll want to see hers.

Peace, Art, and Love,
Sue

2009-06-10T05:56:00.000-07:00

Things have been great at the gallery lately. It seems like everyday, we get more and more people stopping by. For many, it's the first time they've been in, which is especially fun, because they are typically pretty effusive about art4... And then we have our regulars, many of whom we didn't know before we opened, who are now our friends.

In addition to new people coming in, we also have received lots of new products. Two weeks ago we brought in these fabulous bags from Renee's Hardware and sold all of them already! Oh--and the salad bowls we just got are incredible. They will be perfect for a wedding gift, or I'm sure we'll have customers who won't be able to resist buying one for themself.

We continue to plan events. One of the reasons that we do so many events is that it's a way to bring new people to the gallery and introduce them to art4... The other reason is that I'm an event planner by nature, and can't help myself! So, if you're anywhere nearby, we hope you'll plan to come to at least one of our events.
I'm especially excited for Downtown LIVE! It's a series of outdoor concerts that will be held on the diamond on the third Thursday of the month throughout the summer. We'll kick off our first one next Thursday, June 18th with the band The Killer Boots. Along with the music, we will have Huntington artist Diahann Mosier creating live art right outside the gallery. Also, stop by art4... for a chance to win a free gift! Event is from 6:00-9:00.

We are also excited to be hosting an Open Mic Night on Friday, June 26th. Here's your chance to perform for a live audience! Singers, musicians, poets, comediennes--the stage is yours (for about 5 minutes). Event will begin at 8:00 pm. BYOB

Hope to see you soon!

admission

2009-05-20T08:21:00.001-07:00

To call myself a workaholic doesn't feel exactly right (it's that "work" word that gets me). But, I must admit that I think about the gallery ALL THE TIME. I can't stop myself (not that I try to). I'm not complaining-- I love thinking about it, planning things, coming up with new ideas...
The key to our success is to get people in the door. Once they have been to the gallery, we feel pretty sure that they'll be back. They don't always buy something on their first visit, but it plants the seed. So, three months later when they need that perfect gift for their niece's bridal shower, they'll remember to come visit us.
So my job is to get people to come here. And the way I do this is to plan events that will draw them in.
One of the events that we're working on is Downtown LIVE! Taking our Third Thursday to the next level, we will have live bands on the Diamond throughout the summer. Plans are in the works, but mark your calendars for June 18th, July 16th, &
August 20th. I'll be sure to keep you posted.
Also just decided that I want to host a Women's Poker Game once a month. (I haven't even told Jody about this one.) I'd like to put together an event for singles, but haven't come up with the right idea yet. Any suggestions? We seem to be getting more requests for Adult Art Classes, so keep your eyes open for that as well.
In the meantime, if you read this in time, we are having a Ladies' Night tomorrow
(3/21). Stop by for a Mojito and to see all of our cool new stuff. We will be donating a portion of sales that night to Penn Mont Academy.
That's it for now. Peace.

2009-05-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

We are in the full swing of things here at the gallery. Rick, our favorite UPS driver, stops by regularly with packages filled with fabulous purchases that we made. It's so exciting to receive the inventory; even though we chose the items, we don't always remember exactly what we ordered, so there's always an element of surprise.
Now that our birthday is behind us, we are booking our calendar with more parties and events. First and foremost, we are hosting an opening exhibit for Woodbury artist, Brice Miller. Brice's medium of choice is graphite and his work is incredible. We almost always have to let people know that these are actual drawings, not photographs. The show will be up throughout the month of May, with an opening reception this Saturday evening, May 9th from 7:00 to 9:00.
We are also participating in "Paint the Town Purple", a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Different Relay for Life teams will be setting up booths on Allegheny Street and will be selling items to raise money for their teams. This event will take place on Saturday, May 16th. We will be making a donation to Team Ozmosis in honor of Todd Sparks, so any purchases made that day will benefit the ACS.
Lastly, on Thursday, May 21, we are hosting a Ladies Night at the gallery. We have decided to donate a portion of sales that evening to Penn Mont Academy (a fine institution of which I am an alumni!). So again, stop by for a fun evening with your friends and partake in some great shopping (we have terrific teacher gifts, great things for graduations, weddings, etc).
So whether you stop by for one of our many events, or just stop by during our regular hours, we'd love to see you here!
Have a great weekend-
Sue

Come Celebrate With Us

2009-04-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder that we will be celebrating art4...'s first birthday this Wednesday, April 24th. If you're anywhere nearby, please stop by. We'll be having cake and champagne, and will have live music from 5:00 - 7:00 by Jackson Monsour. A portion of our proceeds from sales that day will be donated to American Cancer Society in honor and in memory of Todd Sparks.
Happy Day-
Sue

art4...turns one years old

2009-04-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

I hesitate to say that spring has finally arrived in Central PA, especially after it was SNOWING two days ago, but the sun is shining, the sky is blue, it's a reasonable temperature...
In any case, spring has definitely arrived at art4... Jody and I have been ready for a loooong time and are really excited about everything that's going on here. First of all, we can hardly believe it, but we are almost officially one years old. How exciting is that! Our official anniversary is on Wed, April 29th. We will be celebrating all day, so please stop by (if you're local) for some yummy birthday cake, a glass of champagne, some live music by a great musician, acoustic guitar player Jackson Monsour. We've got all kinds of fun in store!! We are going to donate a portion of all sales that day to Jody's Relay for Life Team in honor and in memory of Todd Sparks. Todd was one of Jody's best friends, as well as an artist himself. He was very supportive of Jody's dream to open her own art gallery and I think he would be very proud of her.
So, please stop by on April 29th, or on any other day that we're open! We keep getting more cool stuff all the time, so you really need to come a lot. Be sure to check out our website's upcoming events so that you can keep up with all of our happenings (poetry reading on 4/26, 3rd Thursdays, etc). Lots more planned for later this spring and summer so stay tuned.
Peace-
Sue

Art Matters

2009-03-26T08:38:00.001-07:00

When Jody and I first started discussing our vision for art4..., we both felt/feel strongly about was finding a way to connect with students. It's no secret to those who know me that I am often disappointed (apalled may be the more appropriate word) by the lack of focus on the arts in our schools. Art every other week in elementary school does not cut it for me. Nor does building a new school with an auditorium that does not provide adequate seating for theatrical, band, and orchestra performances, yet is able to host two gymnasiums.

In keeping with our vision, I pulled together an amazing group of people (Lynn Baney, Barb Wertz-Leiden, Dana Sky, Deb Theys and Samantha Strang) to coordinate a student art show. After much discussion, we decided that the show would focus on junior high students. This was the launch of Art Matters 2 Me, an exhibit of Student Art from Junior High Schools throughout Blair County.

I am proud to say that we have put together what we think will be an outstanding show and ultimately a wonderful annual event. We have over 50 students participating in the show this year and are thrilled with the response and excitement we have heard about through the teachers. We have also been pleased and are extremely appreciative of our very generous sponsors: Vincent J. Duffy Designs (my graphic artist, whom I highly recommend for any of your marketing needs), Sheetz, ORX, Keystone Dermatology & Center for Skin Surgery, Rebar, and Pro Care Health & Fitness.

Please stop by to see the show any time between April 4th and April 30th at Pro Care (former Blair Racquet Club on Fairway Lane). There will be an open reception (free!) on Sunday, April 19th from 2:00 - 4:00 pm where you can not only see the work, but also congratulate the talented kids who made it.

2009-03-19T05:18:00.000-07:00

Dreaming of spring

2009-03-11T07:42:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you, but I am not crazy about the month of March. Somehow, I always let myself believe that once March arrives, we are through with winter, and I'm always surprised (and disappointed) that spring has not fully arrived. (You'd think after 40 plus years...) But it's sooo close. I LOVE spring--the colors, the smells...I can't wait!

We are busy getting the gallery ready for spring as well. We anticipated a slow few months between January and March. I was pretty sure that the only traffic we would be seeing would be our mail carrier. Luckily (for him and for us), he has not been our only visitor! We are grateful to our very loyal customers who remember us each time they need a special gift for someone, or just stop in to chat. We also have had many, many first time visitors to the gallery, who we feel sure we'll see again soon.

Many of our new items will be arriving in the next few weeks. It's so much fun to get all of these packages-- I love it! Boxes and boxes of fabulous jewelry, pottery, glass... We continue to find new artists all of the time and I am always awed by how many incredibly talented people there are. In addition to our new artists, we continue to represent many of our customer's favorites, including Sugarboo Designs, Kathy Bransfield, Ferroglyphs, Andrew Jacobs, Beth Taylor and many more.

So, as the weather gets nicer, and you're out and about, please stop by to see all of the new stuff we have. Also, be sure to check out our website (www.art4gallery.com) to find out about our upcoming events and to sign up for our e-newsletter if you don't already receive it.

Peace, love, and art-
Sue

2009-03-02T17:20:00.000-08:00

If I had written this on Saturday morning as I intended, I would have still been flying high from the opening we had the night before. Being that it's now Monday, I've come down a little since then, but not entirely.

Jody and I were both a little anxious about what to expect. Did we have enough food? Wine? How will the artist feel about how we have set up his work? What if no one comes????

Luckily, as it turned out, we had nothing to worry about. Ron Donoughe was a perfect choice for our first show. First and foremost, we are both huge fans of his work. As it turns out, we aren't the only ones--he has many fans in our area. Beyond that, he's just a really likable guy. He made sure to greet and chat with all of the people who came out to see his work. And regarding that, Jody and I needn't have worried--the gallery was packed! Rather than be embarrassed about not having people show up, it turned out to be the opposite. Ron was thrilled with the turnout and the event in general.

If you're not familiar with Ron's work, or if you are interested in seeing more of it, you can check out his website at www.donoughe.com. Let us know if you have any questions about specific pieces or if you want more information. If you missed the opening on Friday, Ron's work is still on display and will be throughout the month of March. In addition to his fabulous oil paintings, we also have copies of his book, "Essence of Pittsburgh" and his note cards.

We felt so good about this show that we have already booked our next one, with none other than Brice Miller. You have to see Brice's work in person to fully appreciate it, but in a word, they are brilliant. Brice's medium is graphite and his work is in collections all over the country. We have not solidifed our date for the opening reception, but it will be in early May. I'll be sure to keep you posted. You can check out Brice's work at www.bricemiller.org. Feel free to call the gallery (814.693.2784) if you have any questions or want more information on his pieces.

Will write again soon:)

Our First Artist Reception

2009-02-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

This Friday evening, Feb 27th, we will be hosting our first artist reception, featuring Ron Donoughe. Ron is a fabulous artist who lives in Pittsburgh, but grew up in Loretto (PA). He is well known for his plein air work, as well as for his city and landscapes. (www.donoughe.com) He will also be signing copies of his book, "Essence of Pittsburgh".

The first time I really spent any time with Ron was several years ago at a SAMA (Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art) (www.sama-art.org) dinner. It was their December show/dinner and normally drew a huge crowd. I think they had about 200 reservations, but it was a blizzard outside, so it ended up being a much more intimate event of about 40 of us. Needless to say, those of us who braved the weather had a great time.

We are really excited for Friday and hope to draw a nice crowd. I can't help but reminisce of all the good times that we (my husband Doug and I) used to have when Scott Steberger owned Mt Top Art Gallery in Cresson. Often times, we'd actually run into Jody (and her husband, Michael) at these events. Each time there was an opening, we knew that we would have an opportunity to see great art but also connect with some terrific and unusual people:) I hope that our openings build a loyal following and gain a reputation for being a fun, unique evening out with an eclectic mix of individuals.

So, if you're in the area, stop by Friday night to view Ron's work, to have a glass of wine, to see all of the other wonderful art that we have at the gallery, and to enjoy great company. The reception will be from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. And if you can't make it to the reception, you can stop by anytime to see his work (if there's anything left:)

More soon-
Sue

Jody and Sue's Excellent Adventure

2009-02-14T16:42:00.000-08:00

Jody and I are spending a romantic valentine's day weekend together in Philadelphia at the Marriott (Oh, quit you're fantasizing, we're at the Buyer's Market of American Craft, a fabulous juried show). Basically, we spend three days walking around the convention center and shop for really cool stuff for the gallery. There are over 1500 artisans here, from all over the country and Canada, in every medium. Last night, we had dinner at a fabulous restaurant (Buddakan) with my cousin Lauren and her fiance Greg and she asked me if the show was as cool as it sounded. Jody and I looked at each other, and we both said, "Absolutely. It really is."

That being said, we are exhausted. Jody is nursing a bottle of red wine and inhaling Ghiradelli chocolate (Intense Dark Toffee Interlude, to be precise), stressed out over how much money we've spent, while I'm busy thinking of more things we should be buying. Hmmm. Guess that's what make us such great partners.

Seriously, we are both really, really excited about some of the new lines we will be carrying, with lots of great graduation gifts, fabulous clocks, wedding gifts, stuff for mother's day, fun bags , sculpture, glass, ceramics... One of our favorite artists, Matt Runfola, has come out with some amazing new pieces in his line of patinated contemporary furniture that we would love to add to our collection of his work. (www.runfolastudios.com) He's adorable, to boot.

The most exciting news is that we have decided to carry Sticks. If you're familiar with Sticks, then you know that it's absolutely phenomenal and fun handcrafted furniture and accessories. If you're not familiar with them, check them out at http://www.sticks.com/. (BUT DON'T BUY ANYTHING UNTIL WE BECOME A LICENSED DEALER, AND THEN YOU CAN BUY AS MUCH AS YOU WANT). This is huge, folks!!!!!! In all seriousness, we would be the only Sticks dealer between Lancaster and Pittsburgh, as well as that of the central corridor of the state. (In other words, there's no one in PA north or south of us either who is selling Sticks)

We were too exhausted by the end of the day to tackle jewelry, but we managed to stop by to say hi to our favorite jeweler and good friend, Beth Taylor (A Quirk of Art), who, of course, had incredible pieces that we can't wait to get our hands on (and we will, soon!). Tomorrow, we will peruse the other 359 jewelers to see what other gems we can find to buy with the $2 we have left (unless we spend that at the bar tonight).

happy valentine's day!

Cool Upcoming Events

2009-01-28T06:29:00.000-08:00

Our art salon/discussion group/forum was a great success. There were about 20 of us, ranging in age from 16 to 60 plus. The topic was "what is art". Jody got the evening started with a definition of art from one of her art history books. Neither of us knew what to expect or how long it might take before people felt comfortable enough to speak. It took less than 10 seconds for people to get started and once it got going, it never lulled. I think everyone who was there felt inspired and engaged. Pretty cool for a Wednesday evening in downtown Hollidaysburg, PA... Next salon will be in March, date to be determined. Stay tuned!

Right now, Jody and I are gearing up for Valentine's Day. Although neither of us know from personal experience, we've been told that it's a big gift giving holiday. And we have some really great gifts. Stuff that you can't find anywhere else around here--handmade and unique. And we always make sure to have a good price range. Oh, and our gift wrapping looks great and makes it sooo easy. Stop by and check out our great jewelry, belts, key chains, art, and all around funky and fabulous stuff.

For those parents out there, we are offering "Date Night" on Friday, Feb 13th. Drop your kids off at the gallery from 6:00 to 9:00 (that same night) and we'll keep them entertained with a creative Valentine's Day related craft project. You'll have plenty of time to check out the gallery and see all of our cool stuff and still have time to enjoy a nice, leisurely, romantic dinner.
Watch for details in our newsletter or call the gallery.

But even before that, we are hosting a Brew and 'Q Night with the Beer Geeks on Wed, Feb 11th. We had such a great time the last time they were at the gallery in September and are totally jazzed that they're coming back. They will be providing samplings of some great beer and will have delicious barbeque food. It will definitely be a fun evening!

I think that's all for now. We are always open for suggestions on different types of events so please feel free to contact me.

Peace-
Sue

2009-01-17T11:34:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited by the response we're getting for our upcoming discussion group/salon. Our first get-together is this coming Wed and we have had quite a few people rsvp to say that they'll be attending. Our first topic is Art: What is it? Our goal is that the group will come up with topics for future "meetings" (not the right word, but you get the point). In any case, we'll be meeting every other month, so you can watch for the next one in our e-newsletter.

I am also excited because I think we're going to put together a film group. Similar to a book club, there will be an "assigned" movie to watch by a certain date, perhaps some guided questions, and then we will come together to talk about the film. I will be meeting with Ken Womack next month to figure out details, but keep your eye out for it. I'm also beginning to compile a list of movies that we could include. If you have any ideas for a movie with some kind of art-related theme, send me an email.

We have made some headway in booking a few artist shows. One that is firmly in place is a show of Sarah Pollack's work which will take place in Mid-November to Mid-December. I'm really excited about it because I happen to be a big fan of her work. I also think that she is relatively unknown in Altoona/Blair County and I can't wait for people to see her fabulous pastels. They're really amazing. We also have Scott Steberger on the hook for a show in '10, as well as Yong-Sook Kim Lambert. We have a couple of tentatives for this spring and summer, which I will be sure to talk about as soon as I have confirmation.

2009-01-08T13:38:00.000-08:00

The good news about not being terribly busy at the gallery this week is that it is giving us an opportunity to do some really exciting planning for 2009. One thing we are not short on is ideas! Jody tends to be a bit more grounded than me :) and ensures that we prioritize all of the things that we want to do.

Neither of us can believe that we have been open for over 8 months. Sometimes, we'll be talking to each other and comment that we haven't sold a particular piece of work, since we've had it forever. Eventually, one of us reminds the other that "forever" has been less than a year and then we switch to marveling over how much we've sold in our short time.

In any case, now that we have had some time under our belt, we are eager to begin hosting artist shows. We are starting to contact a few of our artists to see what we can set up and will keep everyone posted when we have concrete dates.

Another thing that we're excited about is that we are going to host an artist salon at gallery: art4...um salon. (A salon is a social gathering of artists and intellectuals who meet regularly and engage in stimulating conversataion about art and life.) Our ultimate goal is that we end up with a base group of some regulars and in time, we build a rapport that will allow us to engage in more progressive and challenging topics.

More later!

Sue

2008-12-26T08:17:00.000-08:00

Just sitting here at art4..., looking around at what's left in the gallery after our holiday sales. All in all, I feel pretty good about our first holiday season. Yesterday (Christmas), I was thinking about all of the people who were opening gifts from art4... I started to play with some of numbers in my head, and by my estimation, I'm gonna say that there were probably about 1,000 art4... packages opened in the past week (between Hannukah and Christmas). We are extremely grateful and appreciative to all of our customers, some of whom purchased all of their holiday gifts here. We also heard from a few employers (who purchased corporate gifts for their staff )that their employees not only liked what they received, but they appreciated that it came from a local, privately owned business and that the items were handmade in the US.

So now our challenge is to keep people coming in. Jody and I have been brainstorming ideas for events to keep the gallery buzzing. We have been working on coordinating a discussion group that would meet here every other month to discuss current topics. We have plans for another beer tasting, and artist receptions. We continue to work with the schools and are sponsoring and coordinating a Youth Art Exhibit (more info will be released about this in the near future).

That's all for now! Happy Holidays-

Sue

PS The website for London Wolfe Photography in my last post was wrong. It is www.londonwolfe.com. Check them out--they're terrific!

2008-12-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

Having wanted to start a blog for some time now, now that I finally have one, I'm sort of at a loss as to where to begin. Thanks go out to Tammy Wolfe (www.londonwolfephotography.com )and Lisa Cohen (www.artemisgroup.com) for their respective help in getting me started.

I am writing this in between visits from customers to art4... Everyone asks us how sales are and how we're holding up this season. Jody and I both have been very pleased with the way things are going. We are blessed with having no sales history to look back on, so as Jody says, "This is the best holiday season we've ever had." We feel extremely gratified by the response that we get from our customers, many who have become very loyal to us already. Almost every day, we hear a customer comment about how they "can't believe that we actually have a store like this in Hollidaysburg, PA" or something to that effect.

I'm really excited to see what this week brings. Tomorrow night, we are hosting our final Men's Night Out (aka Shopping With Beer) and I'm hoping to get a good turnout. My Baker School buddy, Steve Romanowicz, was able to get Furrer Beverage to donate some beer, which is very cool. (tried to put a link here, but they don't have a website; a huge thanks to them for their generosity)

I'm off to scour the gallery for gifts that I still need to get. (luckily, there's so much to choose from, but I need to hurry while supplies last:)

Peace out (I've always wanted to say that)-
Sue