Community Ed Class?

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tamip

CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
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We just signed up to teach a community education class on picture framing for the local school district....in hopes of answering the question we hear so often from new customers...."Why is custom framing so darned expensive"

Here is what we plan: A two night course. Participants will bring a small (8 x 10 or smaller) piece of 2-dimensional artwork and will leave with a simply-framed completed project. Night one will cover design basics and participants will select their designs. Night two be actual framing night.

Has anyone out there done a similar class? Do you have any suggestions? A course outline? What worked. What did not?

What did you charge? How did it all go.....

Thanks

Tami
 
Tami,

I have been a guest lecturer at a couple of colleges and art associations. No charge for the supplies, as it was more of a demo than a DIY. Doing it off site requires a lof of lugging around. You would be amazed at how much stuff you need even for a demo, let alone a hands on class. For this I would charge. If it were me I would double the cost of my materials and give my time in hopes of future business. My classes were free.

After I did the few classes I was asked to do, the response was small and brief. A lot of participants. A few orders later on.
 
We’ve done a few classes to art students at the NH Technical college, but they were more mounting procedure demonstrations.

I’m assuming that between the first and second class, you will be cutting mats, glass, moulding, etc., then lugging them back to class? Logistically this may become cumbersome. If the items to be framed are 8 x 10 photos, the cost to you may be small enough to absorb, but what if someone brings in a 32 x 40 poster needing a mat. That will severely impact you financially unless they are paying for it. If you hit them with a cost estimate, the “Wow, this is too expensive!” shock may keep people from coming back to your second class. If you discount the framing, they will not appreciate your basic syllabus of “Why is it so expensive?”

However, I would guess that your students would wish to see how mats, glass, and moulding are cut, joined and fit. If so, will you be able to get your machinery into the classroom? If you are allowing them to do the actual work, are you okay with the liability or will the school cover that? If there are too many of them with only a limited amount of equipment, there will be a lot of hanging around, waiting-to-do-something time.

What you might wish to do if you are able, is to hold the first design class in the community center, then have small groups come into your shop to watch you (or allow them) to cut and join their materials. They would probably get more out of it and find it more interesting.
 
I guess I was not clear. We are planning to hold the class in our store (yes, I am checking out the liablity issues with the insurance co. ahead of time...no answer yet.)
 
I would like to know how many people will you be taking and do you plan to divide them in two groups, one cuttiing mats and backing, the other group joining frames and cutting glass?
 
Five night course at Every Woman's Village in LA. Three years running I filled classes.
Found frames, sent them to glass shop for glass (no TV then), we cut mats, wrapped mats, hinged and mounted. (The village taught photography classes up the wazoo so they had a big heat press.
By night 5, it was attaching the wire and pouring the wine and munching on the snacks that the students brought. :D

Many thought they might "do some more simple framing; now that they knew how".... and they understood it was rudimentary... but many said that they now understood why framing cost what it does and would let the pros do it from there on out.
 
Tami, that's the same curriculum I have when I do the adult ed classes. First night is about an hour, hour and a half. Second is as long as it takes to get hte mats cut. Size is kept small, no more than 6 typically.

The first night we talk about the measuring, reveals, how to size a custom frame, how to take a readymade's size and fit their photo to it. we'll cut a mat to a custom size then one to a readymade size. When they see the difference in the look that helps with getting them to think seriously about getting custom framing done.

Then I have them cut a few mats for practice. Helps to show how difficut it can be to cut a mat. Then we go through the mat cradle and pick out 2 mats each for a double mat. Show them the mat sizes and then

Second night I bring in the mats cut to the outside dimensions and we cut away. first on scrap mats then the real thing. I tend t have back ups in case of flubs! If they have a mat cutter of their own they bring it the secnd week and we have inservice time on how to cut with it tp get a better cut. I am no expert on all the different mat cutters, but pretty good at spotting problems when people cut mats, and the cutters are fairly straight forward. Beside when they cut on mine then cut on theirs they see quickly why the equipment costs as much as it does!
 
Community Ed Class

Bob--

We are planning 2.5 hour classes and 2 sessions....was hoping to make 1st night a design overview and quick overview on preservation basics and get mats cut and moulding selected. Does that sound doable? We would are limited to 12--I do have staff to help (1 or 2 if needed). Will limit size of art to 8.5 x 11 and selection of frames to scrap bins (we have perhaps 6 linear feet of moulding between 4-8 feet left from custom jobs).

Second session would be review of fitting time. We'd plan to cut most of the frames and glass between classes to limit injury liability on the saw and glass cutter. Would leave a few to do for demonstration purposes.

Our goal is to bring a few new folks into the shop and demonstrate what all goes into our work. The students get a great deal and we get 4-5 hours with people interested in our profession.

Do you have any outlines, class agendas, ancillary material you would be willing to share? What do you charge for the class? Our community ed is suggesting $55 with them keeping $15 and us getting $40. That, of course, seems low to me but I'm willing to do it once at that price to see what we learn. Digital photography is going for $79 and so is a 6 hour "Great American Novel" course...Was thinking we were in line with that.

Thanks for the input and ideas!

Tami
 
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