The Société d’État relevant du ministre de la Culture et des Communications (SODEC), a division of the Québec Government Delegation, wanted to introduce the best of Québec jewelry to the United States market.  With this goal in mind, SODEC collaborated with Aaron Faber Gallery in Manhattan, New York to design the Jewelry Artists of  Québec  Exhibition.  We were recommended by Aaron Faber Gallery to assist in conceptualizing and executing key components of the exhibition.

In understanding SODEC’s overall purpose is the promotion of Québec  culture (and in this instance, Québec  jewelry artists) to international markets, we also considered the importance of the Québec  jewelry artists’ understanding the nuances of doing business within the United States.  As such, we recommended the exhibition’s objectives should be twofold: introducing the U.S. market to Québecois jewelry artists, and educating Québecois jewelry artists on the U.S. market.

OBJECTIVE ONE:  INTRODUCE THE U.S. MARKET TO QUÉBECOIS JEWELRY ARTISTS

We constructed the website Jewelry Artists of Québec, where detailed information on the exhibition could be found.  In addition, we created digital portfolios for each participating artist, where their work for the exhibition could be previewed. While the website was under development, we created four master databases of contacts that would serve to further aid the promotion of the Québecois artists within this market.  These databases included press and blogger contacts covering the jewelry industry; fashion, celebrity and wardrobe stylists who could find new jewelry styling ideas for their personal clients within the work of the participating artists; jewelry buyers at Manhattan-based luxury retailers and tri-state area galleries featuring the work of jewelry artists; and showrooms and sales representatives that could serve to represent the jewelry artists within the U.S. market.

Once the databases and website were developed, we wrote and distributed via wire service a master press release announcing the exhibition and participating artists.  This was followed by a shorter introduction release that was sent directly to members of our four databases.  A media advisory was also developed and distributed one week prior to the exhibition launch to members of broadcast media.  Further, a master press kit was designed, assembled and mailed to our top 25 press contacts.

In addition to the press releases and media kits, we created a series of weekly Product e- Newsletters, each featuring the work of one of the participating artists, with an invitation to attend the planned press breakfast.  This was distributed to all members of our four databases in the weeks leading up to the exhibition opening.

We then collaborated with Aaron Faber and SODEC to design a Press Breakfast, where members of the press, bloggers, stylists, sales and showroom representatives were invited to meet with each artist and review their contributions to the exhibition.  We created and managed the guest list for the breakfast, following up with everyone invited to secure an RSVP, whether a confirmation or a request to meet with Patricia Faber at a later date to discuss the collections.

We successfully negotiated the participation of a videographer to video-record both the Speakers’ Panel, and interviews with each artist as they spoke about their origins in jewelry, inspirations and gave an overview of the work that would be part of the exhibition. We also arranged for a photographer to capture all components of the exhibition, including the morning video-taped interviews with the artists, the Speaker’s Panel, the Press Breakfast and the Cocktail Party.

We designed the official logo for the Jewelry Artists of Québec Exhibition, which was used on all subsequent collateral materials.  We also designed and managed printing of the official Jewelry Artists of Québec exhibition catalog, which included a foreword written by Noel Guyomarc’h, owner of La Galerie Noel Guyomarc’h Bijoux D’Art, one of Québec’s most important supporter of the sale and distribution of Québec jewelry art.