Interview with Nick Mohler from the PA Guild of Craftsmen

I have been so lucky to have a sort of informal partnership with the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen from the very beginning of this site. The Guild is a unique organization, supporting traditional Pennsylvania crafts – scherenschnitte, fraktur, redware, quilting, tole painting – and emerging fine craftspeople whose work is fresh & modern.

Nick Mohler, the program director for the Guild, has a vision of maintaining the strong roots of the organization while ushering in a new generation of crafters – that means you! He took some time to answer some questions so that you could have a better idea of what joining the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen can do for you.

What is included with Guild membership?

A lot! The immediate benefits are 10% discount to all of our workshops, a bi-monthly newsletter, free admission into our craft shows and other events. Then there’s eligibility to apply to our shows, mentoring, local/regional chapters, leadership opportunities, office referrals (as in we handle calls from people looking for someone creating clay sculpture) and eligibility for juried status. That’s to name the immediate benefits, then there’s all the social networking that comes with being associated in a group of peer artists.

What is juried status and why is it something to strive for?

Juried status is essentially a master craftsmen program. It does two things that isn’t offered anywhere else. 1) a formal critique by experts in your field and 2) if you pass, it’s a lifetime award of excellence. Our standards committee looks for three things: excellence in craftsmanship, resolved design and unique style. Those three benchmarks working harmoniously will gain you juried status.

Different artists strive for juried status for different reasons. it’s a high standard to reach within your craftFirst off, it’s a high standard to reach within your craft. Some view it as a resume builder or want the recognition that comes with it or look at it as overcoming a challenge (since only 50% pass at a given session). Within the Guild, a member who has achieved juried status gets an extra set of benefits: special exhibitions, preferential referrals (since we know the quality first hand) and on and on. For an artist going at it as an educational tool, you can come away with tips on how to improve your work (the committee gives tips on improvement). Go with an open mind. Up or down, pass or fail, there’s tons of valuable discussion to take from it. Outside of academia, there’s really no formal critique of the progress of one’s handmade work.

What types of events does the Guild organize?

Currently, this month we’re opening an exhibition called ‘from Raw to Refined‘ at the Reading Public Museum. 87 pieces from 79 craftspeople in a museum setting from July 18 to October 31 (opening reception July 17). Then on July 25 & 26 our first craft show of the year, Summer Fine Craft Fair runs at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, DE. Yes, it’s in Delaware and we’re the Pennsylvania Guild, but when you see the place it’s held, you’ll understand. Over 180 craft-makers, 12 demonstrations, seminars and great food in a lovely building. Beyond craft shows and exhibitions, we also run store fronts like ‘In the Kitchen‘ and ‘Handmade Holiday‘, workshops, craft-business seminars.

Are most of your members creating/crafting full-time?

It’s a true mix of full-time makers, second-job hobbyists, collectors, enthusiasts and workshop junkies. Membership is open to anyone and everyone. So as long as you love making, buying or learning handmade crafts, we’re perfect for you. As far as members making craft, it’s a range. We have high school and college students to retired craftspeople into their 90s. We have roughly 1300 members, so about half are full-time or part-time. Probably a quarter total are full-time. We’d all be kidding ourselves if we didn’t say it’s a real commitment to be a full-time craft professional. It’s not a 40 hour a week job. To be succssful, you’ve gotta immerse yourself in your craftTo be successful, you’ve gotta immerse yourself in your craft. Eat, sleep and drink it. That can mean working in the studio 12 to 18 hours per day. Or waking in the middle of the night to check your pottery kiln. The most successful dive into it (hopefully with a plan, creativity gets you a long way but merging that with business skills gets you further).

What kind of networking does Guild membership facilitate?

Mainly, the organization puts you shoulder to shoulder with fellow artists (outside of your immediate circles), either at a show, gallery, seminar or meeting of one of our 16 chapters. Everyone shares tips and tricks and techniques with each other. As program director, I field emails and calls everyday asking where to find a fiber artist who uses natural dyes on organic fibers or a jeweler in Reading to make wedding bands or a metalsmith that makes copper fountains. If you’re a current member who does one of those things you’re going to be noted to them. Or I might get a call from a art center looking to hire someone to teach on a specific subject. Networking in the Guild is like you teach about online social networking, you get out of it what you put into it. The more you get involved, the more you learn about the possibilities around you. And since we’re a small dedicated staff and mostly volunteer driven non-profit, there’s a lot of room to make things happen from a grassroots level… you can gain a ton.

Last month, the Guild launched a brand new blog – designed by yours truly! – where you can find daily updates on events, workshops, and members. Want to help support the Guild? Put their link on your site!

You can also win 2 FREE tickets and $65 to spend at the Summer fine craft fair.

Is joining the Guild the next step for your craft business?

You can reach Nick by email or on Twitter!