(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- Craft organization CraftNOW and membership-based makerspace NextFab have partnered to present the inaugural Tools of the Trades, a three-day hybrid conference focused on connecting artisans to business resources in Philadelphia and beyond. From March 23 to 25, attendees will have access to experts, resources, and peers working in the craft community. Funded in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Tools of the Trades is designed to provide creative entrepreneurs of all skill levels the tools they need to build their own unique roadmap to success. The conference will have programming and resources relevant to creative entrepreneurs working across the country.
The conference will feature a virtual series of lectures, panel discussions, and a hybrid of virtual and in-person networking opportunities organized around fundamental topics in business, creative processes, and peer support. The inspiration for Tools of the Trades began in 2020 when CraftNOW surveyed 200 Philadelphia artisans and service providers for its Craft Business Survey. The results found a lack of emphasis on business education for creatives at the university level. The survey also illustrated a critical need for facilitating peer interaction among craft professionals, who often operate in an isolated network of sole proprietors.
Around the same time, NextFab, a network of membership-based makerspaces, presented a successful online webinar series, “From Making to Selling,” that reached over 1,200 makers in the region. The two organizations saw an opportunity to combine their efforts and developed Tools of the Trades, a first-of-its-kind conference designed to support craft entrepreneurs and businesses. During the planning stages, CraftNOW and NextFab assembled an advisory group of industry experts and makers to review the conference’s programming, ensuring the featured topics were relevant to the modern craft economy.
“Tools of the Trades will unite leading professionals in craft - creatives, makers, curators, designers, artists - so they can collaborate and support one another,” said Leila Cartier, Executive Director of CraftNOW. “Additionally, the technical support and business experts featured at the inaugural conference are available to help year-round, with many offering their services free of charge. We want to support a growing craft economy and ensure that artists and makers have the tools they need to achieve success.”
CraftNOW is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit arts organization launched in 2015 by a consortium of individuals, galleries, museums, universities, retailers, and civic organizations. Though diverse in background, CraftNOW has been united in its desire to capitalize upon Philadelphia’s outstanding craft resources and highlight the city’s continuing role in defining the future of craft.
To further its commitment to makers and craftspeople, CraftNOW implemented several initiatives in 2021 aimed at strengthening Philadelphia’s craft community and economic impact. Under the newly launched CraftECON, these programs include mapping resources for retailers and gallerists; assembling a regional artisan database; creating artisan workshops focused on business skills; resource mapping of service providers; sponsoring digital programs highlighting artisans; and connecting makers with developers and architects. In the fall of 2021, CraftNOW was granted 501c3 status, which will allow the organization to explore additional and more significant funding streams that can support its expanded mission.
Similarly, NextFab has used its platform to provide access to tools, technology, education, and onsite technical staff to makers, innovators, and artists. For 13 years, they have been known as Philadelphia’s premier makerspace supporting thousands of craft entrepreneurs and businesses. In the spring of 2020, NextFab opened a third location in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood that features dedicated jewelry and textile studios, woodshop, metal shop, and CNC equipment. The new space was designed to become a hub for multiple creative businesses, offering over 30,000 square feet of space complete with flexible studios and enhanced storage. NextFab also successfully launched the Artisan Accelerator and new webinar programming, furthering its ongoing mission to assist and support emerging craft businesses.
“NextFab has historically served as a provider of physical tools and resources for local makers,” said Anna Solomon, Sales Manager of NextFab. “Over the last three years, however, we’ve hosted more than 30 programs examining the financial, strategic, and emotional challenges small businesses encounter while striving for a sustainable financial future. Through our partnership with CraftNOW, we hope Tools of the Trades will continue these conversations and help artisans and creatives develop practical steps to achieve their own unique, creative success.”
The inaugural Tools of the Trades will offer a variety of programs led by professionals from Craft Emergency Resource Fund (CERF+), Creative Business Accelerator, The Enterprise Center, Made in Baltimore, Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Sunlight Tax School, Temple University’s Small Business Development Center, The Clay Studio, WCNP Global Craft Market, and NextFab.
The conference will feature presenters representing a diverse cross-section of organizers from regional craft communities, including University of the Arts Program Director of Craft and Material Studies Mi-Kyoung Lee, The Clay Studio’s Curator and Director of Artistic Programs Jennifer Zwilling, and creative business owner and social justice advocate Alecia Dawn.
In the coming weeks, CraftNOW and NextFab will announce additional speakers and presenters as well as scholarships opportunities for university students interested in attending Tools of the Trades.
The current Tools of the Trades list of topics and speakers is available HERE. An overview of the conference’s core program can be found below:
Tools in Business: These programs are targeted toward all artisans who are either ready to launch their business or update their skills. The Tools of the Trades organizers have put together a series of fundamental and targeted business topics for creative entrepreneurs. Get connected with the professional support you need so you can focus on your craft.
Tools for Creatives: This series track focuses on creative solutions for advancing your business through design, visual storytelling, marketing strategies, and more. Learn about new processes, digital tools, and access to what can help you stand out, become more productive, and strengthen your practice.
Tools with Contemporaries: These presentations and networking sessions will address issues contemporary craft artists and makers often face, adapt to, and overcome. The goal is to learn from others and find collaborative colleagues in a field made up of sole proprietors who learn as they go.
Tickets: $50 to access all digital programming. $75 for digital programming plus the in-person networking event at NextFab on Saturday, March 26. Tickets available for purchase HERE.
CraftNOW was founded by a consortium of individuals, galleries, museums, universities, retailers, and civic organizations. Though diverse in background, CraftNOW has been united in its desire to capitalize upon Philadelphia’s outstanding resources and highlight the city’s continuing role in defining the future of craft. With its inaugural events in 2015, CraftNOW began its mission to showcase the city’s community and create opportunities for the public to engage directly with the handmade. CraftNOW is made possible through a collaborative partnership with University of the Arts serving as fiscal agent and funding from the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, CraftNOW’s Board of Directors, Raggo Auctions, and many other generous donors.
Founded by Dr. Evan Malone in 2009, NextFab is a network of membership-based makerspaces that helps provide professional services and support local, small-scale manufacturing. It offers members education and access to manufacturing and prototyping equipment and is associated with the maker and DIY culture. NextFab owns and operates three locations in the Mid-Atlantic region (North Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, and Wilmington, DE) that provide access to tools technology, education, training, consulting, and capital required for makers to turn ideas into products and products into businesses.
PHOTOS BY ALBERT YEE
