In a daily experience filled with political pretense and lies, the suggestion that a renown museum sells "museum-quality reproductions" "starting at $30" is mind blowing fake. Imagine the museum advertisement testifies that this is "custom Art on Demand reproduction from the exhibition" when in fact it is another piece of trash not even worth what you pay for it.

Anyone ever wonder about this and all the other junk in the Gift shop?

I can't seem to recover from the misrepresentation. It seems more egregious in this political turmoil of Circular Logic, Alternative Facts and Web of Lies.

Here is another one. Even more sensitive.

Many of the nationally known museums in my area have featured sales that offer membership discounts for the artist made work being sold, yet the "membership discount" is taken from the artist's half of the retail price.

It seems like a misrepresentation to the member. Do they realize that the museum is not offering a discount to the retail price?  Instead the discount is given the by artist/maker. 

Thoughts?

Photo Credit: Steven Michaels Photography



For years I have attempted to take photos and display jewelry from the Recycle Collection. For the first time I have discovered a remarkable solution (shown above) from the exhibition "Head to Toe" held at 108 Contemporary in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 



Background about the photography issues: 

Previous attempts to photograph this series of jewelry off the model have been mediocre to terrible. I won't even bother showing the fiasco unacceptable attempts in photography without using a model. These attempts run parallel to my efforts at finding a display solution. 



(Left) is a photo taken during an exhibition at Adam Claghorn Gallery. This was an improved display "solution" I constructed using a fine steel wire for a custom stand to lift the bracelet off the pedestal. 





Attempts at photography with the model were in the acceptable range, some better than others (as shown below.)

Below is an example of a photo taken with the model wearing another bracelet in the series.



Both of the previous photos are O.K. and there are many photos in the…

Oh Vey! 404 Error page from The Jewish Museum  

Test your website!

Type in the URL for your website.   ADD some gibberish on the end.

http://www. yourwebsite.com/dslgibberishhere

and see what happens.....

           that is your 404 error page.

That is what your customers, clients or collectors see right before they leave your website in frustration. …

With the rise of scanning, 3-D printing, maker-bot and a host of classes, the growth of craft has a new maker audience that wants to make without design skills or confidence in their creativity. So where do they find their ideas? You know....they copy.

Have you considered adding a clause to your sales receipt, commission contract, or consignment contract specific to this issue?

 "Purchase of this work does not include the copyright or right to copy this design."

Early in the transaction is where information and advocacy can make all the difference.
Think about the issues. Read this post: 

Purchase of an Object versus Purchase of Copyright or Right to Copy

http://askharriete.typepad.com/ask_harriete/2014/08/purchase-of-an-object-versus-purchase-of-copyright-or-right-to-copy.html

Have you ever wondered "How is Jewelry Selected for a Museum Collection?"



This question has always intrigued me. I am always looking for answers. When I noticed that my bracelet was posted as the Crafthaus Mastead Image, the question surfaced again. That is because the bracelet is in the Permanent Collection of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA.



The question was also on my mind because Brigitte Martin and I organized the 2014 Professional Development Seminar at the recent SNAG Conference titled, "Collectors, Collections and You".

During this program, Ulysses Grant Dietz, Curator at the Newark Museum confirmed many of my speculations.



To be brief here are a couple of criteria a curator may apply when selecting jewelry for a museum's permanent collection.

Curators and museums are looking for jewelry that looks good on display in a museum.



Size does matter.  Ulysses Dietz specifically mentioned that ring and cuff links (as an example) are small thus, difficult to show effectively.

In comparison, this bracelet is large enough to fill an entire pedestal case. Below is a shot of the bracelet at the Crocker Art Museum.…

The post "I love your work and want to make one for myself"  is raising a lot of discussion and tons of comments. For this reason, I am bringing  a blog post to the Crafthaus community.

To avoid duplicate content, read the original post on ASK Harriete.



For Crafthaus, I thought that this post could include an another story brought to my attention. The names have been removed to protect both the innocent and the guilty.

The unfortunate problem right now is that digital technologies have developed faster that the social mores surrounding them. People copy images without attribution, or copy content they didn't write. Whole pages exist on Pinterest about "I want to make this."  Makers stand at their wholesale/retail booth display which cost them $1,000's  while enthusiasts make deep inquiries "I love your work and what to make something just like this for myself."



Here is a sample story:

It has happened again! "Minutes before reading your post, I  had actually responded to a "tell me how to make one" request. Here is one of several…

Harriete Estel Berman & Betty Talbott spoke  about the "grassroots" collection on Jay Whaley Metalsmith Bench Talk.

Betty Talbott is the Director of the Ohio Craft Museum and Artistic Director of the Ohio Designer Craftsmen. This crafts organization has an extensive collection of member works and are a stellar example of "grassroots" collections.

Do you wonder about how you should maker mark your work?

How about your inventory records?

Do you see fame and fortune of the future, but not sure how to develop the provenance for your work?



What is the value of being in a "collection?" 

DON'T MISS THIS interview on Jay Whaley Metalsmith…

The copycat problem has become a chronic issue in the crafts community.

The thieves are every where, yet we whisper about the problems embarrassed  or afraid of the negative publicity.



It is time WE RAISED OUR VOICES IN A CHORUS of awareness about the copycat thieves.



To this end I wrote a post on the American Craft Council blog titled:



Alibaba and the Copycat Thieves

Click on title. Read the post. Become informed.

Please consider sharing this post with a link to the original source.

Until awareness saturates the craft community into every "craft corner", manufacturer, retailer, consumer, and becomes a public discussion, the copycat thieves will continue as pirates of our work, our ideas, our content.



"The solution can’t come from me alone, or a committee, or even one…

The lecture "The GOOD, The BAD, and The UGLY in the AGE of the Internet" continues to create dialog and discussion on the Internet. Recently Jay Whaley, and I discussed the issues and four recommendations in a lively conversation on Metalsmith Bench Talk.

You can listen online or download the archived version to energize your day with a thought provoking discussion about ethical and legal issues within the craft community.

The four RECOMMENDATIONS from the lecture

were discussed during the conversation.



Use tutorials and instructional materials for what they were intended….. your personal use.  



Do not copy or distribute tutorials or instructional materials unless you wrote the content.

Do not sell or exhibit work  derived from…

"The GOOD, The BAD, and The UGLY in the AGE of the Internet"

is a Keynote Address I originally gave for the International Polymer Clay Association annual conference.



It addresses some of the chronic problems plaguing the arts and crafts community in the age of the internet.

To SUMMARIZE BRIEFLY there are several issues surfacing in the art and craft community:

1.  unbridled sharing of content . 

2.  over dependence   on tutorials and instructions.

3. Lack of critique- we have entered into what I am calling the world of “like”

Ugly is distributing or selling copied work.



The copying and distribution of either the artwork or instructional materials  is both unethical and illegal.

Discussions have been multi-faceted.

The concerns addressed in the lecture actually opened wider discussions about issues that I never considered including the"workshop imposter" and  "The Guild of UnAuthorized Sharing."…