Museum Store Sunday Blog Series: Partnering With Purpose
This innovative series in celebration of Museum Store Sunday spotlights thoughtful partnerships between museum store buyers and artisan vendors. Read on to learn more about how to shop with purpose, from both wholesale and nonprofit retail perspectives.
Episode Two: de Young Museum x Clouds + Ladders Jewelry
How did you find Clouds + Ladders Jewelry and what spoke to you about their work?
Kate Joseph of Clouds + Ladders Jewelry
Rose Burke: We first met Kate Joseph of Clouds + Ladders Jewelry at a local trade show a few years back. Her unique use of color and materials immediately caught my eye, especially in a market dominated by silver, gold, and stones. We began carrying her jewelry at the de Young Museum Store and last year, asked her to create an exclusive line of jewelry inspired by the sculptures of Ruth Asawa, a beloved San Francisco artist whose works are in our collection and have a permanent gallery at the de Young Museum. Kate’s exclusive collection inspired by Ruth Asawa’s sculptures have been a best seller at our store from the day it was released.
Why is their work a good fit for the de Young Museum Store?
Rose Burke: Kate’s jewelry is colorful, sculptural, wearable, and accessible, making it an artful, unique, and appealing choice for those seeking distinctive yet practical handcrafted pieces. Besides carrying her work in our main museum store, Kate has also participated in our Artisan Fairs that happen throughout the year in the spring, summer and fall. Her work has developed a following in our store and we are delighted that we can feature and support the work of local talents in our store.
Why is it important to feature the work of artisans/makers in your store?
Rose Burke: Featuring the work of artisans, especially local makers at the de Young Museum Store supports local talent and economies but also enhances the overall museum experience. By showcasing unique, handcrafted items, our museum stores are able to offer visitors a more authentic and personalized connection to art and culture and provide a tangible way for visitors to take home a piece of their museum experience.
How has working with museum stores changed your practice?
Sample designs from Clouds + Ladders Jewelry
Kate Joseph: I personally love museums, historical sites, and botanical gardens. Of course, the most cherished part of any visit for me is picking up a memento to remember the occasion! When we wear the jewelry we discover at a cultural institution, we fondly remember the details of the visit and it sparks conversations with the people around us. Now that I’m collaborating with museum stores to create the kinds of mementos I love, I immerse myself in the ambiance of these wonderful places with a new level of appreciation and passion. Working with museum stores to bring our ideas together is a thrill for me. I love seeing the joy when I reveal the final product to my buyers. From coordinating my colors with a Matisse exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, to creating entirely new designs inspired by the Ruth Asawa hanging sculptures in the de Young Museum’s permanent collection. The de Young project challenged me to create shapes within shapes that echoed Asawa’s art. I got a thrill out of creating colors inspired by Asawa’s and my shared love of gardening and giving them a metallic sheen to reflect the knitted metal wire she used.
What advice would you give to other artists looking to begin production for wholesale?
Kate Joseph: As entrepreneurs, we have to do it all just to get things started. But as soon as you can, try to delegate production/non-creative work to others so that you can reconnect with the passion that brought you to your craft in the first place. Some of the best advice I received was, “Kate, you’re too creative to be spending half your life on the polishing!” I used to think I couldn’t afford to delegate these tasks, but then I realized it has become very easy to hire freelancers online if you can’t afford to hire an employee. For example, I work with a freelance CAD designer who converts my sketches into 3-D files that a foundry then casts. It’s like a painter hiring someone to stretch the canvas so their time is freed up to do what only they can do. In my case, anything that helps protect my time working with the clay inlays is worth it because that’s the part of my process where my creativity truly blooms.
Is there a current project or product idea you’d like to share?
Kate Joseph: My mission for Clouds + Ladders Jewelry is to create joyful modern adornments. Currently I’m creating custom collections that are site-specific to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Clyfford Still Museum. These are two very different, yet very wonderful institutions that inspire me in addition to the de Young Museum. I truly am living my dream come true!