Brand Interview: France Garrido, Visionary Fine Artist

By Susan August 22, 2012 art, Blog, Brand-Interviews, Branding, Musicians and Artists 1 Comment

Brand Interview: France Garrido, Visionary Fine Artist

France Garrido by Olga Spiegel

How long has your company been in business? Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
I have been an artist since childhood, tho I may not have declared it till a teenager. The business end of being an artist that is the most challenging to myself and other artists.

As a goal I would love to be able to totally live off of my artwork.

Do you donate to charities? Tell us about that also and why.
I have donated artwork to local charities for example The Hudson School in Hoboken for their fundraiser this year. I have donated artwork for fundraising for hob’art co-operative gallery based in Hoboken. I have also donated my time for quite a few arts organizations in NY and NJ. I have given, with great satisfaction, mini workshops, most recently at Lusscroft Farms in Sussex, NJ as part of their yearly Medicine Wheel festival. Why? I see art as a vital link between community at large and artists. Since I particularly enjoy working with children, whose works are always stunning, I gain great satisfaction to engage in their joy! It reminds me of playfulness and wonderment.

Tell us about your brand.

How did you know what typeface (font) would be right for your company wordmark or logo? If your logo has an illustration, describe why that art was the right thing, animal, place, object, etc…
I do not have a specific logo but I have used Zapfino quite a bit for my name. I do sometimes use others. I like the…

How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel?
For any documents that I produce whether it’s a resume or artists statement or cover letters I use black. I thought it was the most appropriate because of its universality.

How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
My website was designed by a fellow artist and mentor.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
I have always exhibited my work but a website was a way to reach out to more people.

France Garrido artwork titled: Finding Myself

How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
When my website was developed, social media was not in the limelight like it is now. I used email to announce its presence. Now I have a page for my work on Facebook.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
No.

Do you advertise locally in newspapers and/or nationally in magazines? Are they effective?
I do not advertise at all other than what might come from business cards, postcards (and I find postcards w/images very effective) or exhibitions and publications.

Do you advertise online using Google, Facebook or on other company sites? Are they effective?
I have a facebook page that is a personal page but I also have a page for my art. I do advertise events, exhibitions as promotion on Facebook. I have yet to study its effectiveness other than the presence of friends and colleagues at opening nights.

Which social media site to spend the most time on and how does it help marketing your business?
Facebook is the one I am connected to on a more regular basis. So far, I don’t think that it has been a help other than to publicize upcoming Artists Opening nights. I have not found it effective in the sale of my work.

When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
I have used both throughout the years but recently I have used online printers for postcards and print business cards myself as needed.

Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
I have learned as I pursued these avenues. I recently had a catalogue produced for an exhibition that I co-curated and I was introduced to a world of new terminology regarding statistics and procedure. I learned a lot but there is a lot to still learn about processes and papers.

Mosaic Night Table by France Garrido

Have you ever used “green” technology in printing, using FSC certified papers or recycled paper and if not, how likely are you at trying this on a next project?
I have not used ‘green’ technology yet but it is something that I feel is important to at the least investigate.

If you sell products, are they produced in the USA or abroad?
With my mosaic work I do have a ‘product’ so to speak but I produce it as well as my fine art that is all done by my hand.

Do you speak at events? If so tell us about that.
I have, tho we all know it’s the most feared thing that humans can do, speaking in front of large groups of people. Mostly in the curatorial presentation of artists. I used to be very shy speaking in front of a group of people, it would send me into such a nervous frenzy that I avoided it at all costs. I forced myself to get up in front of groups to overcome that fear. Now, tho I still get nervous, I am happy to stand up in front of a group to share what I know or present artists.

What is coming up in the year or two we should watch for?
I have devoted much of my time in the assistance of other artists in their efforts to present their work on several levels. I feel that it now has to be my time and I am working on setting that up so that I can devote more and more time to developing my personal artwork and spend much more time in my studio. I would like to search for personal arts grants and search to find a way to get my work out into the world. Exhibitions, Auctions etc.

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
I would love to find the monies to go on a world wide tour interviewing artists and making a film of those interviews. I also want to write a book about my experiences during the late 60’s.

To learn more about France Garrido and her work, click on the links below:

www.francegarrido.com

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/france-garrido/b/a99/719

https://www.facebook.com/france.garrido.1

https://www.facebook.com/pages/France-Garrido/203796099689600

https://twitter.com/France215

http://rockstars.mosaicrocks.com/artist.aspx?gallery=1&id=312b544e-66f7-45e1-8836-43134005a61b

http://mosaicatlas.com/atlassite.aspx?RegionID=33&LocationID=432