Ask LaBricoleuse: Finding Work as a Crafts Artisan

[labricoleuse]

This query comes from costumer and novelist Sara M. Harvey, who has been so wonderful as to grant me permission to share it and my response with all-y'all here on labricoleuse:

As a costume crafter myself, I have some questions...first off I have a very difficult time explaining to people what it is that I do. Looking over your resume, I see that it is not all that differently worded than my own, so I must be inquiring with the wrong sorts of folks. Which leads into my second question...I can see by your resume that you have worked some very interesting and amazing places. How do you go about finding a good match in an employer? So far, my most rewarding costuming endeavor has been working at the Renaissance Faires since I am a costume historian as well and love working on reproductions and recreations. Unfortunately, in addition to being a strictly seasonal position, the Renaissance Faire does not offer much in the way of a living wage or benefits.

Currently, I am teaching fashion design in Nashville, TN, but I am dying to get back into a costume shop! Backstagejobs.com, HigherEdJobs.com, and IATSE have all been sorely lacking in costume craft/costume historian opportunities and I am wondering if you'd have any insight on a better resource for craft work.

First off, in terms of a good employer, it's like dating—you have to put yourself out there, then you have to freelance in a few places, and it'll be clear which places might be a good fit for you and which you don't want to accept a contract at. Every shop has different facilities and managerial structures and the like. For myself, I've found that I prefer being the lead crafter running the shop—I'm a good assistant in that I have a wide skill set and can do or learn to do most anything asked of me, but I have a hard time not "going my own way" when I see what I think is a more efficient way to get something done, and that can be a problem when you aren't the one supposed to decide those things! In contrast, I had an assistant once who never wanted to be a lead crafts artisan—she preferred to have some direction and less responsibility, and she was a brilliantly skilled artisan. I think unfortunately as well, you have to have a nomadic bent—you will do best, starting out at least, if you are willing to pick up and move where the jobs are. There are tons of opportunities all over the place, but you have to be able to go to the work; the work rarely comes to you.

Obviously the "entertainment center" cities of NYC and LA are great for craftspeople, in terms of there being tons of work. Unfortunately, they also come with metropolitan issues like high rents, pollution, high costs of living, etc. If you love big-city life, excellent. I can give you a list of LA & NYC shops depending on your interest (Hats? Masks? Dyeing? A little of everything? West cost vs. east coast?) Luckily though, for those who don't fancy either place, great craftsperson jobs can be found in smaller cities around the country if you know where to look. Besides the obvious options of LORT theatre and university shops, one major employer of craftspeople that provides a range of fun projects is professional children's theatre: Children's Theatre of Minneapolis and Childsplay Theatre of Tempe AZ are two of the better-known ones. IMO the pinnacle of independent craft shops—you might even call it "America's WETA"—is that of Michael Curry Design in Scappoose, OR. They built really amazing macropuppets for shows like The Lion King and Cirque de Soleil and the like. A third option is bighead/walkaround shops—essentially, the folks who do character costumes for sports team mascots, amusement parks, ad campaigns, etc. They can be found all over the country.

If you don't want to go to NYC or LA but you want to build up a good stable of freelance work, I'd advise going to a metropolitan area with a good amount of universities in residence and a local film industry (Chicago and Boston are good options) and sending your resume around to theatre departments, any independent shops or theatres, the resident ballet and opera companies, and any related industries such as leathersmith shops, retail/rental costume establishments that build on-site, local milliners, the local IATSE or film e-list folk, etc., because often crafters will take overhire outside the costuming industry in those areas and you can make some good contacts. Really, unfortunately, it's a matter of some shop manager giving you a break or needing crafters so badly that they take a chance on you—once you get into the work pool of a costuming "community," managers will recommend you to one another and you'll start getting calls. Or at least, that's been my experience.

And where do these jobs get posted? On ARTSEARCH primarily:

http://www.tcg.org/artsearch/index.cfm

That is the main place that "serious" employers post their jobs. Local libraries should have the print version available, and most university drama departments and professional theatres have memberships to the online version as well.

Let me know if this has jogged any further questions, I'd be glad to go into more detail. And good luck!

Comments

[sarcasm-hime.livejournal.com]

Does Artsearch include Canada? Can't seem to see anything without subscribing.

[labricoleuse.livejournal.com]

Yes, it does include Canada listings. It's subscription-only, yes. Most public theatres, university drama departments, and libraries have subscriptions, so ask around. There's a print version that subscribers receive as well, so even if your local university won't tell you their online password, they should have the most recent hard copy available for perusal. I have never paid for a subscription myself--i've always accessed it through my employers or schools.