Staving off the off-season slump: special events, word of mouth and community involvement get resort-town galleries through the slow times - Strategy

Art Business News, Feb, 2002 by Susan Seiling

The scene repeats every year in Yosemite National Park. The snow falls, the roads ice up, and traffic at the Ansel Adams Gallery, a store that sees up to 2,000 people a day during the summer season, trickles to a few handfuls of sleepy tourists.

The Ansel Adams Gallery is experienced at surviving the off season--it's celebrating its 100th birthday this year. The secret of its longevity lies in common sense business: reaching out to the community; becoming a part of area events; and hosting events that draw the public through its doors.

One thing that works in the Ansel Adams Gallery's favor is that people who travel during the off-season tend to be more affluent, said Claudia Welsh, vice president of the gallery. They are generally people without kids who like to experience Yosemite during a less-crowded time of year.

"There are fewer people, but they are spending more on higher-end things," Welsh said.

Joyce Lincoln, owner of the Northwest By Northwest Gallery in Cannon Beach, Ore., said this is true in her resort town, as well.

"People will always go on vacation, and they will always have vacation money," Lincoln said. "And everybody knows vacation money is not real money. Most couples buy artwork on their holidays together."

Partner with Local Resorts

The trick is to bring people into the gallery to shop. To do this, the Ansel Adams Gallery partners with other merchants in the park like the Ahwahnee Hotel. A four-star hotel, the Ahwahnee hosts events such as the Vintner's Holidays, Chef's Holidays and other events that bring potential art buyers to the park during the slow season.

"There is almost always some special event going on throughout the year," Welsh said. "We offer the participants educational events that plant seeds for future sales."

One educational program the Ansel Adams Gallery offers is a two-hour camera walk, where a staff photographer leads visitors to various parts of Yosemite Valley. Besides teaching photographic techniques, the walks begin and end at the gallery where participants can linger and purchase recommended books, gifts and photographs.

The Ansel Adams Gallery's Fine Print Tours offer visitors the chance to view original artwork by photographers like Adams, Edward Weston, Christopher Burkett and Charles Cramer. This brings people into the gallery to view work that is for sale and to learn about the art as a whole.

At its Monterey, Calif., location, the Ansel Adams Gallery attracts visitors by hosting a free photographer's series. Every month, a photographer it represents comes to the gallery to talk about their photography and their prints. This program gives hotel concierges something to recommend to their clients and gives the gallery free exposure in the calendar section of local papers.

The Todd Gallery in Weston, Vt., doubles as the artist studio for painter Robert Todd. Though the slow season may not bring as many clients in, the gallery stays open while Todd paints.

"Even when it's quiet time, we have the gallery open because we're here working." said Karen Todd, co-owner of the Todd Gallery. "You get people wandering in during mud season here."

Spread the Word

Todd said word of mouth is what keeps her gallery going throughout the year. To keep it in the forefront of her client's minds, she sends out a newsletter once a year and also advertises in local newspapers.

"We rely on word of mouth and on our mailing list. Some will come by the gallery to browse, and some will become collectors," she said.

Lincoln agreed that mailings help clients remember her gallery and bring back memories of their vacation in Cannon Beach.

"People really respond to mailings. Mailing lists are hard to maintain, but people say they love to hear from me," she said.

The Ansel Adams Gallery publicizes its Monterey events through a newsletter called "The Acorn." They distribute the newsletter at their galleries, and they also mail it to an extensive mailing list, which includes clients from all three of their galleries.

Though it's important to mail the newsletter, Welsh said they have gained considerable traffic in their Monterey store by having an employee hand deliver the newsletters to local hotels.

"[Our staff member] takes a couple of hours to hand out the newsletter. He'll go to seven hotels or so and the [Monterey Bay] Aquarium. He says `hi' and chats with them awhile. He's not on a mission. He's taking the time to be friendly."

Welsh said this sort of grassroots marketing is more effective than advertising in the polished publications that are distributed in area hotels.

"Trendy fashionable hotel magazines don't help our sales. You get lost with a whole bunch of other galleries. We rely more on word of mouth," Welsh said.

Nurture Relationships

The Ansel Adams Gallery also uses the winter months to nurture their relationship with the Yosemite National Park community. Located an hour from the closest town, Yosemite residents rely on stores like The Ansel Adams Gallery for gifts and shopping sprees.

"We take part in a community block party to brighten up the winter nights and to have a reason to get together," Welsh said. "It brings people in and keeps them part of the gallery community."