ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: ARTIST INTERVIEW
Basket Makers Carla and Greg Filippelli Celebrate 20 Years in Business
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ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: ARTIST INTERVIEWBasket Makers Carla and Greg Filippelli Celebrate 20 Years in Business |
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| by Noelle Backer | |||
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TCR: How did you get involved in basket making?
CARLA: At a young age, I became interested in sewing and making clothes. During college, my fascination with woven cloth led me to independent studies in fabric design, surface design and the history of textiles. My first craft show was the culmination of one independent study in fabric design in 1972. That year, I exhibited batiks, pillows, hand-dyed wall pieces and some clothing.
A few years after college we settled down in the western North Carolina mountains to pursue a variety of creative interests. In 1978, I began a partnership to create handmade original designed clothing, including appliquéed vests and hand-dyed fabrics. It was during this period, while attending crafts shows, that I began weaving baskets. Weaving was a nice break from the sewing machine, and right away I felt an affinity with the materials and techniques.
GREG: Carla had made one or two baskets and took them to a craft show mostly as props for her clothing, but they sold within the first hour. So, she brought about a half dozen to the next show, and it just grew from there.
CARLA: Almost immediately it became apparent that my ideas and weaving style were being singled out by collectors and galleries as unique in the baskets arts. When Greg and I both were at point where we both needed a change in our careers -- Greg from carpentry and me from the clothing partnership -- so, we decided to form our own partnership in 1979, which strengthened our marital and working relationship.
The process of gathering natural dye materials and wild vines to create our early baskets was very labor-intensive. Instinctively we became a working team, dividing various processes between us. This process still is ongoing to this day.
Cranberry Creek, which bordered our farm in northwestern North Carolina, became our business name. Our first weaving studio and dye house were under the skies.
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GREG: We didn't have a shop at the time, and natural dye materials require fire, or a heat source of some kind, so we dug large pits outside, and boiled water in 55-gallon drums in the pits. When the weather was bad, we moved into the kitchen. At that point, we didn't really think that what we were doing was something that would support us for 20 years; we thought it was sort of something to do for a little while for fun. But about a year and a half later, once we realized this had serious potential as a profession for us, I built a small shop.
CARLA: We dyed hundreds of pounds of reed and dye plants such as rhododendrons, sumac, marigolds, walnuts, cochineal and indigo. Our weaving materials were also gathered from our surroundings -- honeysuckle, grapevine, bark and other wild vines. Our style of weaving was our own adaptation of Appalachian ribbed basketry. We became immersed and adept at the natural dye and weaving processes. We sold our work primarily in retail craft shows, galleries and to collectors around the country.
TCR: What challenges did you face in the beginning? How did you deal with them?
The challenges we faced in the beginning were primarily a lack of knowledge or frame of reference about the craft industry. Working capital also has been a problem to this day.
Learning the ins and out of marketing, advertising, bookkeeping and the logistics of inventory and delivery were gathered primarily through experience and trial and error. We overcame these difficulties and growing pains by keeping good records, thoughtful deliberation, and sharing information with fellow craftspeople. We find it beneficial to stay broad in our thought processes and ideas.
TCR: What have been the major turning points throughout your career?
One of the major turning points in our career has been our decision to focus primarily on wholesale. Due to family priorities (our son was born in 1983), we decided to forego most of our retail shows and concentrate on developing a wholesale account base. This facilitates our staying home. Another major turning point was after nine years of natural dyeing and ribbed basketry, we developed a new weaving style called "random weave." This was a time of intense creative output. New shapes, designs and colors were the result. Unique and distinctive designs both functional and decorative became our personal signature in our baskets.
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TCR: Who is the market for your work? How do you reach them?
GREG: Fine craft galleries and commissions through designers have been our primary sources. The High Point International Furniture Market and decorative accessory stores have become viable sources for orders and commissions. The Rosen Group's Buyers Markets have been instrumental in providing the majority of our contacts and great exposure to the wholesale business. Other shows such as Handmade at the New York International Gift Fair has broadened our customer base to include set designers, prop companies, special-event planners and international design firms.
Developing good relationships with galleries around the country is invaluable. At the Grovewood Gallery here in Asheville, we sell many of our larger wall pieces. Carla has the opportunity to work there part-time and experience firsthand the retail end of marketing our work. This has been really beneficial over the years in keeping the buying public in mind as well gaining the sales and display experience. When you're in the studio, there is little feedback on what colors, sizes and styles sell best. Carla gets to see this, and it's very helpful to us. Plus it's nice for her to be able to get out, wear a different hat and enjoy a change of pace.
TCR: What challenges have you faced in working as a couple? How have you overcome them?
The challenges for the working couple are many. Separating business and matters of the home is essential. Being able to discuss ideas or problems of the business in a non-threatening and low-key manner is also very important. Treating your partner with a business-like and professional attitude takes some practice. Leaving your work behind at the proper time is also essential. But wearing many hats at once is loads of fun! This year we celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary and our 20th anniversary in business as Cranberry Creek, and look forward to many more.
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TCR: What business insight have you gained over the years?
We try never to make decisions from an emotional standpoint. Careful research is vital to making good decisions. Listening to other artists and craftpeople's experiences and resources has been a great help over the years. We always try to keep a broad perspective and open mind during the process of decision making. We try to avoid hard, cold decisions until all the facts are in.
TCR: Do you promote your work on the Internet?
We are currently on the Web at http://www.guild.com, http://www.grovewood.com, http://www.ediegoodthings.com. We also have specific ideas about our own Web site and are currently in the process of implementing them.
RESOURCES |
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International Furniture Market New York International Gift Fair Buyers Markets of American Craft |
TCR: Do you see any challenges specific to basket artists? How do you deal with them?
GREG: The physical challenges of working with wild vines and the strenuous weaving processes are a constant strain. Carla has undergone two carpal tunnel operations to repair her hands from overuse.
TCR: What has been the most difficult thing you have encountered in your line of work?
The uncertainty of the future and having no retirement plans!
TCR: What do you enoy most about your career?
The flexibility and freedom of being self-employed is our biggest asset. The ability of being in charge of the outcome for important decisions concerning home and business is invaluable.
We both see our business and life as artists as a unique opportunity and learning experience to share with our son Miles, who is now a teenager. He is currently beginning an apprenticeship with a jewelry artist and is learning firsthand some of the trials and practices of small-business ownership. We feel these are invaluable lessons to impart to a young person.
TCR: What would you change about your life and career?
GREG: I would have liked to have the luxury of being financially secure from the beginning of our creative endeavor.
FOR MORE INFORMATION |
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Carla and Greg Filippelli |
TCR: Where do you expect to go from here?
We expect our work to continue and grow. We would like our focus, in the future, to be more sculptural in both three-dimensional and wall pieces. Our retrospective show at Grovewood Gallery this summer gave us time and reason to experiment with the random weave technique and our ideas for larger formats and sculpture. We were delighted to have sales and appreciation come from these newest works!
TCR: Where do you get your materials?
Our rattan generally comes from Indonesia via a trading company in the Northeast. We buy bulk reed in 100 lb. bales. A couple of those suppliers are P.L. Butte, Inc. (800-289-1049; http://www.plbutte.com) and Intermares Trading Co. (800-229-2263).
Our dyes are mostly Procion fiber-reactive dyes that are purchased locally at Earth Guild (828-255-7818 or 800-327-8448; http://www.earthguild.com/).
Noelle Backer is senior editor of The Crafts Report.
SEPTEMBER 1999:
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