Greetings all On Sat, Oct 15, 2011 at 12:39 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Good Lord. Why are we demonstrating at State Fairs when we should be > demonstrating at Steampunk events? >
Brilliant! I can't believe this never occurred to me! There's really no such thing as a 'bad' demonstration event. However, I've often thought that demonstrating in 'colonial' clothing at historic sites and events or state fairs isn't the most effective venue. People think that you're demonstrating something that you *only* do for historic reenactment purposes, not for everyday fun. There's a palpable distance between the demonstrators and viewers, even when you actively promote the try-me pillow. I joke with my group often that we need to represent 21st century lacemakers so that people understand that this is a living hobby, not just something people do for reenactments. Demonstrating at events for other, related arts is a great idea (e.g. demonstrating at a quilting event as someone posted). Demonstrating at steampunk events is a *super cool* idea. Steampunks are people who are already appreciate a retro-esthetic, and they are often very committed to creative expression and craftsmanship. Playing with gobs of pretty spangled Midlands bobbins to create an exquisite end product is spot on! Besides, it would be fun as all get out to go to a steampunk event. On a related note, a lot of the next generation artisans, craftspeople, and creative types participate in Makers Faires. Granted these DIY events seem somewhat more geared toward electronic innovations, but there seems to be a craft-ish component too. For more information and locations of Makers Faires near you, visit http://makerfaire.com/ or google Maker Faire + [your city name]. I'm inspired! Cheers, Gina - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
