The $14 Billion Crafts Industry CODA Survey Results: Sidebar 2

Settling an Old Score

Statistics, percentages and year-by-year comparisons are a major part of every news report you see or hear. Every like-minded community or industry can quote statistics about itself. Glance at any newspaper and you'll discover exactly what percentage of travelers use e-tickets; how many e-mails are sent daily; what percentage of the population uses computers this year as compared to last; how many women own their own businesses ... and on, and on.

Have you ever noticed there have been almost no statistics for the craft community? We have never known how many people in the United States make handmade objects, how many craft fairs take place annually, or how many galleries feature crafts. We knew the field was growing, as evidenced by dramatic increases in the number of craft makers who earn their living through their work, and by the increasing number of selling venues and buyers. Still, the making and selling of craft remained our country's biggest "invisible industry."

"The CODA Survey: The Impact of Crafts on the National Economy" was designed to change that. By gathering individual data from craft makers across the United States, the CODA Survey finally provides statistical proof that crafts make a significant contribution to the national economy.

But we know this survey is a first effort. The most difficult problem we faced, from a research point of view, is that no one knows how large the universe of crafts producers really is. So we did the best we could under the circumstances and hope that this first effort will lead to further research in the future.

I first became aware of the need for numbers following the first Rhinebeck Craft Fair I ran in 1973. The press always questioned me about fair attendance, what percentage of growth had taken place year to year, the number of exhibitors, what crafts sold best (dollar-wise) and which ones sold better than the previous year? In other words, what was the score? Those questions initiated the collection of sales data at the end of each fair. The compilation of data gave me something to report to the press. The more impressive the growth statistics, the better press coverage we received the next year. I am convinced that the reason Rhinebeck got so much press coverage was because we were able to quote numbers.

Statistics give industries credibility. Because the craft industry has never had facts, figures and quotable numbers in dollar-denominated form, it has never received the attention it deserves as an important contributor to the national economy.

Right or wrong, we are a society that keeps score. I don't know why, but we seem to need to know who is winning or losing -- keeping score is the only way to know that.

The craft community has never really kept score, and I have always wondered why. Several thoughts occurred to me. First, most of what we define as contemporary craft comes out of the art and education world, not the business world. The craft movement initially developed as an alternative lifestyle movement. Large numbers of well-educated hippies moved to the woods, smoked dope and made pretty things. Why would information gatherers consider this a worthy group to monitor and research?

What started out as a "drop-out" movement has been impacted by a series of sociological trends. Perhaps the most important trend involving crafts is the current state and local government interest in small businesses, sustainable development and job creation. Following in the footsteps of international funding agencies, state, local and regional economic development agencies recognize that it costs much less to support 50 small, sustainable businesses than to establish a factory that employs 50 people.

The making and selling of crafts is a small, sustainable business. Yet craft artists have not been recognized as important economic contributors to state economies. Government agencies haven't known how to find us, and we haven't known how to approach them, because we have never been able to speak their language -- we never had any scores to report.

In 1998, I urged CODA to consider sponsoring the first major study to determine the impact of crafts on the national economy. Approximately 60 local, state, regional and national craft organization directors attended the CODA conference that year. Since providing a communication network for organizations is one of CODA's prime purposes, it was the perfect group to sponsor a national survey.

Prior to the conference, I looked for any existing statistics. I read numerous surveys -- some documented the economic impact of museums on state economies and others reported the economic impact of the arts in general. But, I couldn't find information about the individual craft artist and their economic contribution to our society. Finally, I found a study that had been conducted in North Carolina by HandMade in America (HIA), a study that indicated that the annual economic contribution of crafts in 22 western counties of North Carolina was $122 million. An amount that -- to everyone's surprise -- surpassed the annual dollar contribution of their burley tobacco crop.

Becky Anderson, executive director of HIA, spoke to us at the CODA conference about what the survey had done for them as they developed their craft-based program. They were able to use those numbers to help funding efforts and impress their state economic development agencies and state legislatures. After Becky's inspiring speech, CODA members began planning the launch of this landmark study.

It took most of 1998 and 1999 to raise the needed funds. Philip Morris Companies Inc., a longtime champion of the crafts industry, was the first to commit their assistance. The Thomas S. Kenan Institute of the Arts, a North Carolina organization that also recognized the contribution crafts have made to our society, pledged their help. The American Craft Museum, George Little Management and many other members of CODA helped raise the rest of the funds. Money raised would cover the cost of survey distribution, project management (directed by Becky Anderson and HIA Director of Services Laurie Huttunen) and the enlistment of researchers Dr. Michael Evans and Dr. Dinesh Dave from the Center for Business Research at Appalachian State University to help develop the survey, and tabulate and interpret the final data.

Finally, the survey distribution began in March 2000 and was completed in the fall. As you can see from the survey results, the craft industry finally has some scores to report. Some very big, very impressive statistics to use in business plans or as support when talking to state political leaders. Every craft business owner can take these statistics to their banker when they need a bridge loan. We finally have something to brag about and hopefully, we'll all brag whenever we can.

Copyright© 2001

MAY 2001: TABLE OF CONTENTS