Business Profile — No comments
01
Dec 11

Somerville Design Profile: Emma Weisman & Emily Garfield

For the Design Annex by Diana Limbach Lempel

This Saturday, December 3, 2011, Union Square Main Streets hosts a Winter Craft Market on Union Square plaza and inside Precinct. It’s a great opportunity to check off some holiday gifts, shop local, and see what some amazing Somerville artists and crafters are up to! For a sneak peek, here is a special installment of our creative business profile series, featuring a couple of awesome Somervillians whose work will be on display this Saturday. We’re excited today to share the first craft visual artists in the series. Meet Emma Weisman and Emily Garfield! We especially love Weisman’s Little Monster character (as much as she does!), and Garfield’s detailed imaginary maps.

Emma Weisman

DA: Why is Somerville the right place for your business?

EW: Somerville is a great place for my business because there is so much support for local artists. I’ve participated in Somerville Open Studios for four years in a row, and love the strong sense of community. There are so many creative people in Somerville, and it is very inspiring! It makes me work harder to put myself out there, to show and sell my work, and to meet other artists.

DA:What is the hottest thing about your business right now?

EW: The hottest thing about my business right now is my Little Monster character. I’ve been focusing on children’s illustration for the last two years, and slowly Little Monster has emerged as a funny, scruffy, darling little creature. I feature him in “Little Monster Guides” – - framable instructional comics that are sweet gifts for a child. Little Monster’s Guide to the Perfect S’More is my favorite.

DA: What do you hope your business will be known for in the future?

EW: I would love to continue with Little Monster, eventually writing some full length children’s books about him. Eventually, I would like my business to be a pleasant mix of illustrating children’s books and doing illustration commissions for children and adults alike.

DA: Are there any other projects you’d like to share with us?

EW: My favorite project I’ve been working on recently is Little Monster Customized Alphabets. The customer gives me favorite, personalized words for each letter of the alphabet (S is for Somerville, A is for Art, etc) and I make an 11×14 illustration in which Little Monster is depicting each word. These make great unique baby shower gifts!

 

Emily Garfield

DA: What makes Somerville the right place for your business?

EG: I’m originally from New York City, and while it would seem to make sense to move back there to be an artist, I’ve found a lot more opportunities here. The things I do are generally considered craft, and there’s a lot of interest in that here. I’ve also found it easy to get involved and meet artists, and that leads to a lot of opportunities that I probably wouldn’t find in a more competitive art environment.

DA: What is the hottest or newest thing at your business right now, the piece or project you’re most excited about?

EG: I’m always coming up with new things, so the very newest things haven’t yet had enough time to get a response! So far people have been excited about my new map-design holiday cards — besides craft fairs, I’m also selling them at Blue Cloud Gallery in Ball Square and 13Forest Gallery in Arlington. I also continue to experiment with my singed flower designs, and recently completed a few large necklaces that have attracted some attention.

DA: What do you hope that your business will be known for in the future?

EG: Although I also do jewelry and other crafts, I think the map drawings are the most unique and interesting project I’m currently working on, and there are still a lot of ways I could go with the idea.

DA: Are there any other favorite projects that you would like to tell readers about?

EG: In terms of maps, I think that the woodblock prints are my most recent project, but I’m particularly interested in the large maps I’ve been working on lately. They’re the same level of detail as my usual ones but about four times the size.

 

Events — No comments
21
Nov 11

Holiday Office Party for those Without an Office (or a Party)

What do all the freelancers, home office folks, and super small businesses do for the holidays? Chances are, with no co-workers to party with, there’s little holiday cheer for you. Don’t just dress up your dog, come party with us!

If you’re in an office of 1 or 2, or if you have no formal office at all, come to this lunch-time gathering to celebrate the end of the year with other area small business owners. This event is open to tiny office and office- less workers from all neighborhoods. Pass the word!

Event is Friday, December 16, 2011 starting at 1 pm in Union Square, Somerville.

Complete cost for lunch is $15.  Register before 12/15 to attend.

Bring along a Secret Santa gift to exchange (valued at $5 or less) that represents your business to network and spread holiday cheer at the same time. Could be a mug or a keychain with your logo. Or if you’re a graphic designer, maybe bring greeting cards with an image you created. If you’re a carpenter, maybe bring a hammer. Be creative!

The event location is in Union Square, Somerville. Restaurant details will be sent to all those registered before the event.

 

Events — No comments
15
Nov 11

Webinars for Creative Professionals

The Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston is sponsoring a whole array of webinars for creative professionals.   The workshops cover everything from personal finance to making the most of google apps, from building an audience to understanding sales tax for your artwork.

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston

Business Profile — No comments
03
Nov 11

Somerville Design Profile: Albertine Press

By Diana Limbach Lempel

 

Today, we meet Shelley Barandes, who runs the inspiring Albertine Press. Barandes produces graphic design and letterpress printing for private and business customers, creating projects from wedding invitations to corporate materials and handmade printed books. What makes Albertine Press so “Somerville” is the hand-made feel and use of traditional methods, but using very contemporary design. Today, I’ve chosen to print my whole interview with Shelley Barandes, so that you can learn about her business — and about letterpress — in her own words. Some of it’s a little technical, but I think you’ll be glad to learn about this really special printing technique.

 

DA: Let’s start by talking about letterpress. What makes it different from other kinds of printing or design products?

SB: Letterpress is a relief printing technique whereby raised forms are inked on their surface and then pressed against paper to transfer the image and text. Traditional printing uses hand or machine-set metal type and metal image cuts but many printers now use photo-polymer plates which allow for a nearly unlimited range of type and design. The depth of impression so prevalent in contemporary work is a more modern aesthetic; any impression at all can damage the old type. Between the new polymer plates and increased use of thick cotton printmaking papers, an impression you can see and feel is readily achieved and the tactile nature of that very impression is one of the things that sets letterpress printing apart.

DA: So, why should someone think about working with a letterpress printer, rather than a graphic designer?

SB: Why should someone work with a letterpress designer? If you’re set on the letterpress aesthetic, no one is more equipped than a letterpress printer to understand the possibilities and limitations of the process. We regularly work with other designers to print their projects, and we are always happy to advise on ways to make the most of a design intended for letterpress printing. I’ve taught workshops over the years and find that graphic designers especially enjoy learning to set type and understand the physical process of arranging letters and words on a page – a reminder of the basics of their own trade.

I started letterpress printing at the Center for Book Arts in New York. Suddenly I was spending less and less time doing architecture and more and more time printing custom projects for family and friends. Soon enough I had my own presses and Albertine Press was born.

DA: Why is Somerville the right place for you to locate Albertine Press?

SB: Somerville has been an incredibly supportive community in which to grow a creative business. Somerville residents have an amazing awareness and appreciation of both the hand-made nature of our work as well as the fact we are also a local business, and they go out of their way to patronize us because of those facts.

DA: What’s new and hot for you right now?

SB: Our latest and greatest is that we have a brand new invitation suite featured in the fall issue of Martha Stewart Weddings (the lead image here is our suite). We took the opportunity to also give our website a facelift, including many new images of our latest custom wedding work.

DA: What do you want Albertine Press to be known for in the future?

SB: Right now at Albertine, our time is prety evenly divided between our wholesale catalog (all of the greeting cards, note sets, coasters and journals we sell to stores across the country and to our fans at local craft fairs) and custom design and printing (mostly wedding invitations, with a healthy side of business cards and other projects). I’m working on a longer-term plan to bring more fine art prints and limited edition book arts projects into the studio, both my own work as well as collaborative work with other artists.

 

Events — No comments
06
Oct 11

Biz.buzz events in October and November

Design Annex continues biz.buzz, a new kind of networking event for design professionals in Somerville. At biz.buzz, we’re building a shop local movement for Somerville’s creative enterprises. Participants won’t just exchange their contact information; they’ll trade advice, referrals, and services to make each other’s businesses stronger. This event is the first of a quarterly series to bring together the city’s vibrant design community to grow this dynamic industry.

Design Annex’s goal is connecting this community of people working at the intersection of commercial and creative and through the shared connections to thrive together. Somerville has been a quiet hub design and creative businesses and it’s time we made some noise, locally and nationally.

Wednesday, October 12, 6-8 pm at Precinct. Free. RSVP and don’t forget to bring your business cards!

 

For the November biz.buzz, Design Annex joins with Mass Challenge to bring together the community of tech start-ups with this area’s talented designers.

Mass Challenge is the world’s largest business start-up competition, with $1M at stake to catalyze the launch of high-growth, high impact new businesses. Frequently these tech start-ups have incredible technical products but lack the quality design that would allow them to stand out in the marketplace. At this biz.buzz we seek to introduce the design community of Somerville and the greater Boston area and high-tech enterpreneurs.

Wednesday, November 9, 6:30 to 8:30 at Joshua Tree in Davis Square. Free. Co-sponsored with MassChallenge. RSVP.

 

These events support Union Square Main Streets’ efforts, through the Design Annex, to grow the creative economy in Somerville. The Design Annex provides the resources to grow creative businesses including shared office space and equipment, networking, and advocacy for industry needs. Since its founding just 18 months ago, 25 small creative businesses have used the Annex’s resources and community to help grow their enterprises.

 

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