I have a website www.gurgel-segrillo.com since 2004 and use Facebook for several years now but didn’t want to plug my work as a contemporary jewellery designer-maker much as I felt uncomfortable since mine was a personal profile. But as I work with jewellery full-time (and love it!) it was unavoidable not to talk about it every once in a while – consequently got several much-appreciated commissions… (BTW Nooo Farmville or the like for me, thanks, only app I use is Spare-a-Click.)

But then last year I decided to created an ‘artist’ page: Gurgel-Segrillo and being it a page, not a profile, it’s quite different (no pokes :0) and since then I’ve been consistently getting wonderful feedback, which I appreciate immensely. I do not sell much from my workshop, mostly through my representing galleries -  it is so encouraging to read people’s feedback, comments and ideas.

Of course, as anything else it involves work- one must keep the page ‘alive’ in order to attract and keep interest.

I can also ‘Like’ other pages to connect with other makers, with galleries, museums etc and get their news via the newsfeed- that’s how I’ve found, to name one great source of info about contemporary jewellery:  kit and caboodle. Last but not least, I’ve been getting a steady flow of  commissions via Facebook, too.

FB orders are different in that I have interaction with the person commissioning work, even more than through my website. Needless to say, the love and care I pour into making the pieces is the same no matter how the order comes in… I am hugely grateful to be able to make my living through something I adore!

Because I mainly sell through galleries, I have no contact with the customer. To the question why not opening an outlet of some kind: ‘oh, no, selling is another art’ has been my unwavering answer. I highly admire, respect and value the work that the galleries do. It is lovely, though, to get more direct feedback and it is something that could be certainly improved in the artist-gallery relationship, I believe. Just the simple comments on my Facebook page do feed me with much encouragement.

If you are considering Facebook as a tool to reach a potential audience for your art, whatever art it is just be certain you are creating a Page, and not a Profile. Pages have stats and several other features pertinent to a more ‘business’ or ‘institution’ use. And do remember to reciprocate the ‘Likes’ you get from other pages:

~  Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns.  ~

Note: Spare a Click ‘is a community of volunteers that click together to help sponsor children around the world. It’s powered by Care2 and Children International.’ It is a Facebook app with a great cause. http://apps.facebook.com/spareaclick/

2011 was very good and much due to the huge support I received:

Cork Art & Design

(with special hugs to Mairead McCorley and Claire Graham)

Designworks Studio, Cork City

(to the always friendly Tuula Harrington, Nicole Schuster and Gabi Kmitaite)

For the long-lasting and consistent support from my representing galleries:

Cecilia Colman Gallery
67 St John’s Wood High Street, London NW 8 7NL, UK

Designworks Studio
Cornmarket Street, Cork City, Ireland

Buckenham Galleries
81 High Street, Southwold, Suffolk IP18 6DS, UK

Sarah Wiseman Gallery
40/41 South Parade, Summertown, Oxford OX2 7JL, UK

Gallery Meno Niša
J.Basanaviciaus str. 1/13, LT-01118 Vilnius, Lithuania

The Smokehouse Gallery
St Ellas Place, Eyemouth TD14 5HP, UK

The Biscuit Factory
Stoddart Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1AN, UK. tel: 01912 611 103

Mažoji Galerija
Latviu 19A, Vilnius, Lithuania

The Leitrim Design House
The Dock Arts Centre, St. George’s Terrace Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, Ireland

To the brilliant Lewis Glucksman Gallery Craft Fair and Catherine McEntee and to Jade: the most lovely helper ever :-)

HUGE thank you for all at the Metal Branch of The Artists Association, Lithuania, who welcomed me in Vilnius for the METALOfonas First International Biennale of the Art in Metal and were so kind and open to exchanging ideas. Special thanks to Elena Sakalauskaite, Laima Kėrienė, Kornelija Gerikaitė, Eimantas Ludavičius, Šarūnė Vaitkutė, Dainius Narkus and Jurgita Erminaitė-Šimkuvienė.

For the incredibly helpful resources of Visual Artists Ireland, Crafts Council of Ireland, the London Assay Office, New Irish Art Project and Cork City Arts.

I am HUGELY appreciative of the support from all my Facebook followers!

I am honored and thankful for the assistance and mentor-ship provided by

Cork City Enterprise Board Ltd.

To my fantastic mentor Méabh Ring

THANK YOU!

P Gurgel-Segrillo

Here’s an Arts Business Institute article with my and other fellow artists’ inspiring New Year’s resolutions:

New Year’s Resolutions for Artists

HAPY NEW YEAR!

Gurgel-Segrillo’s fine prints at:
‘I Have the Right’ Exhibit at PICTURE Art Foundation, Redondo Beach, California, USA

Artworks were selected from over 800 entries by the PICTURE Art Foundation Board of Directors that illustrate a cultural interpretation of the exhibit theme, Human Rights, including art that addresses: The Right to be Free; from oppression, to choose my leaders, to worship openly, to live in peace and to get an education – The Right to Express Myself; speak freely, be myself and to create – The Right to Dream; anything is possible, war can end, hunger can be eliminated – The Right to Love; myself and the person I choose. Gurgel-Segrillo’s two tradigital artworks were selected:

The Right to Express Myself and The Right to be Free.

Copyright 2011 © P Gurgel Segrillo. All rights reserved.

The Exhibit will open on Wednesday, November 16th at 5:00 pm and it will run through late Summer 2012.
PICTURE Art Foundation, 437 Via el Chico, Redondo Beach, CA