Dear concerned Lacemakers, The archives contain some of my past memos on this subject. I have a Public Relations background and have tried to share that experience with _Lace@Arachne_ (mailto:Lace@Arachne) ever since our correspondence started about 16 years ago. I am resurrecting this 2005 correspondence that was on Arachne between Devon and myself, because it may be helpful to some who are new to Arachne or who were not interested back then. You may be able to apply my basic ideas to your cities and towns. ------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 10/25/05 9:08:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: (from Devon)
One problem that I observe with drawing the young into our deviant lifestyle, is that none of the lace lessons around here are in cities. New York City is very large and there are young people taking all sorts of lessons... it just goes to show you that youngish people still have an excess of time and optimism to acquire arcane skills. However, there is nowhere in New York City that one can take a lace course. The teachers are located outside the city in places where older people live, feel safe, can raise children, and so on. They tend to teach in their homes or suburban adult schools. Impediments to teaching in New York include finding an affordable place to teach, since you rarely clear much money in lace teaching, and hauling all the materials into the city, parking in some place close enough to haul the materials, etc. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Devon, (from 2005) I know you share my belief about needing to present lacemaking as an activity enjoyed by young people - in order to even tempt media coverage that will reach those young people. We need media attention to get the lace message to the public. The media is not interested in cultural news that features anything resembling a "dowager-type" image. It does not sell - by which I mean it does not prompt people to buy a newspaper or magazine, or spend time looking at a program about it. Advertisers expect large circulation or number of viewers, and the media must keep this uppermost in their priorities. It is absolutely essential to parade our few young lacemakers before the public and media. I found this to be true when doing publicity for lace and embroidery exhibitions, and you found this to be true during the International Old Lacers convention in New Jersey in 2003. Both of us have had great difficulty explaining "Old" Lacers to anyone representing the media. For several years, I worked in Public Relations positions on Madison Avenue and at a major New York newspaper. Youth is what sells - in spite of the fact that it is an older group that can afford both time and money - in this case, for lace-related activities. It must be our focus, regardless of what we "see" or "experience" as being our largest actual segment and age group signing up for classes and membership in guilds. Think about this: The models we see in fashion shows and on web sites wearing laces are young. Young! When I wear laces (and some are truly magnificent), they are hardly noticed - even in a museum setting. I wore laces each of the three times I went to the lace exhibit in Baltimore, so have recent actual experience to fall back on. When I was young, and wore embroidered and lace embellished clothes, it used to prompt conversation from the most interesting people. No longer, even though I am young at heart.. *Future of Lacemaking* I am not convinced there are no lace teachers in New York. I suspect we just have not found them. I wonder if FIT could be approached with the idea of your teaching some of their students, and perhaps allowing others to attend? Not for credit, but as an extracurricular activity - to get a lace foot-in-the-door? What about space at the 90-something(?) Street Y in New York, which used to offer all sorts of evening classes and lectures? I think they still do. I'm not sure about facility appropriateness (cleanliness and good lighting), but it might be a possibility. Cooper Hewitt Museum (branch of the Smithsonian) has on rare occasions offered one-day classes - but they did not receive adequate publicity or participation. You will remember that we attended Radmila's Saturday class there - over a dozen years ago. Career women might like to make lace, if it is convenient to take a class. Large numbers have taken to knitting. I remember how eager I was to join The Embroiderers' Guild of America 35 years ago. Manhattan had one of the first evening chapters. We met (and they still do) on the same day as their daytime meeting so the same program can be presented, right after work hours, in a convenient and safe neighborhood. Unfortunately, they meet in a church that now charges *very* high rent, and they must pay very high dues to pay for it. I wonder if an art gallery with a textile orientation would be willing to encourage a lace class - if they could take some sort of tax credit for the use of their space/facility? How about teaching children in a museum setting? The Metropolitan has an education department for children. Has the subject ever been discussed? The museum offers lectures for adults. Does it offer classes, also? How about re-instituting something similar to the Lace Guild of New York that met on Saturdays? I happily drove from suburban New Jersey to the city for meetings and always found a place to park. I recall that every European lace expert that passed through New York stopped long enough to attend our meetings. It was very stimulating. However, the meeting places were grungy. The group needed new blood and more volunteers, and folded. A nice meeting place, and they might be more successful. Ask your friend at the Ratti about this. She taught at the Lace Guild of New York. Or, you might just start with a few people who get along well, like we do in Maine. We pay no dues, keep no minutes, meet in homes, and focus on lace - not on business meetings, financing, minutes, etc. We set up our arrangements by e-mail and drive long distances for the pleasure of compatible company. Had it been suggested when I lived in NYC, I would have been able to hold small meetings in my apartment. However, I suppose in the city you have to be worried about theft, or someone suing the hostess? What a terrible loss, to be worried about legal action from a group smaller than would be invited to a dinner party. We have a lot of fun in Maine when less than 6 lacers get together to share. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center (Past resident of New York City for 13 years) (Past resident of suburban New Jersey - near Devon - for 20 years) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. 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