Member Event

Selling at Craft Shows: How best to present your work and yourself with Mary McCunn Class April 18, 2009

Allegany College of Maryland’s Institute for Professional Development and Extended Learning is pleased to partner with the Allegany Arts Council to offer “Become a Master at Marketing Your Artwork,” a timely and educational series of classes on Marketing Your Artwork.

On Saturday, April 18 from 10AM-12PM, the class “Selling at Craft Shows: How best to present your work and yourself with Mary McCunn (PRO366)” will be presented. Mary holds a degree from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. She lives and works from her studio in Cumberland where she utilizes her extensive experience in business management, merchandising and marketing. If you are considering making your art work available for sale at art & craft events, this is the class for you. Mary will introduce you to the basics of designing your physical booth and display space while highlighting some important do’s and don’ts of display. She will touch on how best to present you so you keep customers once you have grabbed them with your booth design and art work. She will provide a list of various suppliers and prepare you with an art & craft checklist to cover your needs before and during the show.

The class will be held at the Allegany Arts Council’s new special functions room located at 9 North Centre Street. Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be available. For more information call Kathy Condor at 301-784-5121. To register call Allegany College of Maryland at 301-784-5341.

Mary A. McCunn

Metal: Jewelry and Sculpture

We all exist within the same world. So let it be a world of art. Everywhere you look, you see it, feel it and become a part of it. You are influenced by it or it by you. The simple things where art imitates life and life imitates art. Sometimes intended, sometimes not.

I simply want to be interactive with something so terrific that has always been in place. It all exists together. It all comes from the same energy; we can just shift and recreate what is seen by the naked eye.

I enjoy using nature and this energy as an influence to my work. From the sharpness of the cutting wind to the breeze flowing across a field of dainty flowers, I incorporate the energy from nature. It can be by the organic use of shape or perhaps the texture you find throughout such a vast and lush country.

Also to the literal, where by using recycled trees I shape my works from jewelry to sculpture. I like the living energy that is found, as well as its natural counterpart of death and decay, to pull ideas from and to transfer into my work. The energy found as well in people and situations can lend itself to inspiration. It all seems natural, so I must listen. It all comes full circle, so I must contribute. Otherwise, remove art from the world and you and I have nothing.

My jewelry works are created by hand forging in copper, brass, sterling silver, and gold. Found objects and metals such as mild steel are also incorporated into sculptures. Wood, plaster, cast iron and other mixed media are sometimes utilized. Most works have some form of hand forging, to include artistic yet functional works that utilized blacksmithing techniques. The manipulation of original metals has become a strong part of my creations. An abstract feel is where I tend to express myself, allowing the person viewing to interpret the work as it touches their lives. I also enjoy learning about people and using literal and even subtle representation to come into my art.

www.meadowbrookarts.com

bowl

Forged Copper Bowl with Steel Legs

Copper Necklace by Mary McCunn

Forged Copper & Brass Necklace with Brass Neckwire

Copper ring by Mary McCunn


Forged Sterling Silver Ring with Copper Slab