Introduction to my blog

Hello blog world! This is my first blog... 😊

I’ll start with a brief introduction. My name is Sarah, I’m 40ish, I’m a mom and a grammie to a sweet little granddaughter. I live in a small tourist town in West Michigan and I manage C2C (Art) Gallery. 

Today, Cyndi (ceramic artist and owner of C2C Gallery, aka my boss,) asked me if I was still considering writing a blog. I said “yes, I think about it every day.” She told me to start it today, she said, “just start it.” Cyndi regularly encourages me to get out of my comfort zone. Side note: I really appreciate how she has helped me grow as a human. 

I have been entertaining the idea of writing a blog for well over a year. I got as far as making a list of things I’d like to write about. Ideally my blog will be about different aspects of the local art world from the perspective of a gallery manager who has absolutely NO artistic ability or knowledge of art history. Sounds awful right?! 😂 Why would you want to read a blog like that?! 🤔 Well, maybe you don’t know much about art, maybe you don’t understand art, maybe you don’t know how to buy art. I can offer you the knowledge that I’ve gained over the last 7 years working at C2C Gallery. I can share how I grew to love handmade, supporting local artists, a small local business, and art in general. 

A little history about C2C Gallery and how I ended up working for Cyndi. C2C started as a brick and mortar store in Grand Haven, Michigan, back in 2011. In 2014 Cyndi decided to hire a few employees to help with expanding summer hours and give her more time to work in her studio. My mom told me about the prospective job after talking to her artist friend, Mary Kingsbury. Mary’s ceramic jewelry was represented at C2C Gallery and she knew Cyndi very well. I felt fortunate to be hired considering I had no art background. I did, however, have a retail background and the personality needed to be a valuable sales associate. 

I still remember going to orientation and how I felt when I left. Clueless. Clueless about how art is created, how art is presented, how art is sold. I didn't know if a kill was the same as a kiln or if pottery and ceramics had the same meaning. I didn't know what bisque firing meant or what Raku was. Cyndi gave each of us (I think she hired 4 of us) a notebook to jot down all of the info she was sharing. I literally tried to write EVERY.SINGLE.WORD in my book. I continuously added notes after starting my job, using that notebook for months until the info was embedded in my brain. I still have that same notebook. 

My part time, seasonal, summer gig at the gallery has gone on for 7 years now. At one point I was working a full time job (M-F) at another business and working on Saturdays for Cyndi. This worked well for both of us, I loved being there (even just one day a week) and she loved having an extra person to cover hours. We work well together. Cyndi isn't just a boss, she is a friend, mentor and a very impactful role model in my life. I’m so grateful I was given the opportunity to work for her at C2C Gallery.

I hope my future blogs will make you feel more confident when it comes to looking at, understanding and buying art from local artists. I, again, am in no way an expert on art. The knowledge I've gained from working in an art gallery selling art made by local artists, has grown my appreciation for art in general. 

And just like that, I wrote a blog!😳

Have a great week everyone! 

Artfully Yours, 

Sarah 

 Lochlin Smith Earrings