NOTE from Marci: I think we can all agree that the more people we can attract to our porcelain art shows, the better it is for everyone: the teachers and dealers who sometimes travel great distances to attend the shows, the committee members and the other volunteers from the clubs who work their tails off to make it successful, the painters who attend the show and come away with bags of supplies, heads full of new ideas and spirits bursting with excitement..... and the general public who might find just the right piece for their mantle place or who might even be enticed to join our ranks....

At any rate, PUBLICITY plays one of the most important roles in any show: "If they know about it, they will come!.... (grin)

In this follow up article to her excellent "How to have a Successful Convention", Alice Wofford covers the tried and true methods of publicising shows...and adds a bunch that you may not have thought of...So , Alice, TAKE IT AWAY:

• I think it is a good idea to get your chamber of commerce involved.
• Go to the local newspaper about 4 months ahead of time and ask them what they can do for you. If they can give you an idea of who to contact and when and what is needed it will be big load off your shoulders.
• Find out when and where to send information to the local and state newspaper (s)
• Find out if the television and radio stations have a public announcement service that is free. If so, have the convention mentioned as often as possible.
• Arrange for an interview with one of the major artists for the noon television show (if no major artist will agree, have one of the better artists from your clubs do this...one who isn't camera shy... and for an article in the paper (s), This doesn't have to be the same artist.
• Be sure to notify the China Decorator with correct information as soon as possible.( NOTE FROM MARCI: WOCP also runs information about WOCP shows in their magazine)

• Contact the Porcelain Painters International Online to have them put the information on the Internet. Contact person is Marci Blattenberger at Rxguitar@comcast.net...or Betty Gerster at bettyg@hawii.rr.com...(NOTE FROM MARCI: If your show is a regional or state show, ask me about our PPIO deal for a full page ad on the PPIO website)

• When you work up posters for the show to be put out, advertise it as an ART SHOW and in smaller letters underneath, "Painting on Porcelain sponsored by ______". This might help with those who think China Painting is Chinese art (I was guilty of this when I started. Thought Louise was going to teach me Oriental art (or just a craft like gluing sticks together. Maybe get the marquee to say this also. After all ,the members know what we are doing. And if we start marketing our shows as ART SHOWS .....paintings on porcelain, I think we might get a different response from the public.....It is worth a try anyway !
• Does your tourist dept. send out a newspaper or anything like that? An advertisement in it would reach people from other than just your area.
• See if you can get the local schools, especially the ones with art clubs/classes to bring a field trip of older kids. If you can, then have members of your clubs man (or should I say woman?) a table with donated china, brushes and paint and let the kids paint a piece. Usually this would just be a tile. Your group would have to have the pieces fired and someone deliver them to the schools but it might help to get younger people interested in china painting. (I taught a class at one of the local high schools until I had to have surgery and then we never got a schedule worked out again. One of the reasons was the principal. He thought it was trash. IDIOT!)
• If your members will agree to it, and have the time a week or so before the show, have an all day demonstration at the area's largest mall ( this is if the mall will agree to it) or somewhere there is a lot of traffic. Have different members paint for an hour or two all day, especially during the peak periods when the largest amount of people will pass by. Have flyers or other information available for distribution on the show.
• Have flyers printed and volunteers to pass them out. Consider hiring a couple high school boys that you can trust to put the flyers on car windows at the largest shopping area the first part of the week of the convention. Usually they will do this for about $10.00 per person for one afternoon.
• Ask the different merchants and banks in the area if is its okay to display the flyer in their windows. Also, check with the framers, art supplies and craft suppliers to see if they will display it for you.
• Ask members to display posters on their cars or vans or in the windows.
• How about sending personal invitations to all of the local clubs ( and I'm not talking about china painting clubs) in the area( including a flyer with some colored pictures of hand painted china so they know what this is all about) .......Think about how many clubs there are in your area: garden clubs, singles groups, etc. (The local paper should have a page of listings of various clubs that meet in the area.
• Check with Mr and Mrs, Rynne's, Freddi's, House of China and Maryland China about putting your flyers in their shipments.
• Check with the retirement centers and other groups that have travel groups to see if they would be interested in bringing their people for a morning or afternoon. If they agree, keep a list of the groups and have some one paint a door prize for each group....not each person. I have found that some older people are just like kids when it comes to prizes.
• Check with the retirement centers and other groups that have travel groups to see if they would be interested in bringing their people for a morning or afternoon. If they agree, keep a list of the groups and have some one paint a door prize for each group....not each person. I have found that some older people are just like kids when it comes to prizes.
• Write to the area magazines such as Southern Living and ask about putting a notice in their magazine. They will usually do this for free. (at least it was free in 94)
• Contact any other china painting clubs in your area even if they aren't affiliated with the W.O.C.P. Do this to help promote the art of china painting and good will between clubs. And very often it will mean new members.