fruits of the loom
LEFT
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QC ____ DC____ AD____ DP____
sm al l b usIn ess
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fruits of the loom
For two friends, the search for a cr eative space resulted in a business plan. fine-arts degrees, not MBAs, but Owyn Ruck and Visnja Popovic recognized a great business opportunity when they saw one. After searching New York City for a studio where they could work on their textile projects, the two friends decided to open one themselves. “We thought there must be more people like us,” says Ruck, who was working in interior design but longed to produce and teach textiles in a community of artists. Popovic, who studied textiles at Rhode Island School of Design and received a masters in art education, also wanted to create a place for people to learn about their craft. In spring 2010, Popovic put up the initial funds, and the two opened the Textile Arts Center, an educational hub in an airy Brooklyn, New York, space where people of all ages can take classes, attend events, or drop in for studio time. The course roster includes machine-knitting, embroidery, sewing, block-printing, and shoemaking, which the founders teach along with a small staff. Almost from the start, they held after-school classes and a day camp for kids. It took some trial and error before they hit the sweet spot for adults: four-weeklong evening courses focusing on a single technique, such as weaving or dyeing. “Our classes are about learning skills, not walking away with a product,” says Ruck. Since then, the center has become part of the creative renaissance happening in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn. And last summer, the duo added a location in Manhattan. According to Popovic, their knowledge and equipment has aided their progress: “You can go to any yarn shop and learn to knit, which is great, but we aim to be a resource center for textile artists.”
artists’ tools
they may hold
152 | m a r t h a s t e w a r t. c o m
SmallBusiness_L1012FINAF [Print].indd 1
Founders of the Textile Arts Center, Owyn Ruck and Visnja Popovic, above (from left), share the tips of their small-business success. to get our name out there . . .
we post on Facebook, Twitter, and our blog (textile artscenterblog.com). We synced the accounts so that one post will appear on multiple platforms. t o h e l p u s s tay OrganIzed . . .
we write everything down in a Moleskine 18 Month Weekly Notebook (from $15, moleskine.com). we wIshed we had known about . . .
NEACT (neact.com) for our class-registration software. It allows customers to log in, search, and see their course history. we couldn’t lIve wIthout . . .
Popovic’s ultrasharp scissors, which were handforged by the Parveen family of India.
A B e au t I f u l wor k s pac e
The Brooklyn location, above, is outfitted with a sound-absorbing felt wall, colorful yarn trees, top, and a modern ceiling-light grid, but the exhibits from the rotating group of talented artists in residence are the most dramatic feature.
writt e n by
s mal l - b usI ness bI ble
Contributing editor JJ Ramberg, host of MSNBC’s Your Business, shares advice for growing a successful start-up in her new book, It’s Your Business (Business Plus, on sale October 16).
Liz Borod Wright | p h otograp h s
by
Jennifer Causey
8/2/12 5:30 PM
|
QC ____ DC____ AD____ DP____
sm al l b usIn ess
Edit: MH____ KK____
|
fruits of the loom
For two friends, the search for a cr eative space resulted in a business plan. fine-arts degrees, not MBAs, but Owyn Ruck and Visnja Popovic recognized a great business opportunity when they saw one. After searching New York City for a studio where they could work on their textile projects, the two friends decided to open one themselves. “We thought there must be more people like us,” says Ruck, who was working in interior design but longed to produce and teach textiles in a community of artists. Popovic, who studied textiles at Rhode Island School of Design and received a masters in art education, also wanted to create a place for people to learn about their craft. In spring 2010, Popovic put up the initial funds, and the two opened the Textile Arts Center, an educational hub in an airy Brooklyn, New York, space where people of all ages can take classes, attend events, or drop in for studio time. The course roster includes machine-knitting, embroidery, sewing, block-printing, and shoemaking, which the founders teach along with a small staff. Almost from the start, they held after-school classes and a day camp for kids. It took some trial and error before they hit the sweet spot for adults: four-weeklong evening courses focusing on a single technique, such as weaving or dyeing. “Our classes are about learning skills, not walking away with a product,” says Ruck. Since then, the center has become part of the creative renaissance happening in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn. And last summer, the duo added a location in Manhattan. According to Popovic, their knowledge and equipment has aided their progress: “You can go to any yarn shop and learn to knit, which is great, but we aim to be a resource center for textile artists.”
artists’ tools
they may hold
152 | m a r t h a s t e w a r t. c o m
SmallBusiness_L1012FINAF [Print].indd 1
Founders of the Textile Arts Center, Owyn Ruck and Visnja Popovic, above (from left), share the tips of their small-business success. to get our name out there . . .
we post on Facebook, Twitter, and our blog (textile artscenterblog.com). We synced the accounts so that one post will appear on multiple platforms. t o h e l p u s s tay OrganIzed . . .
we write everything down in a Moleskine 18 Month Weekly Notebook (from $15, moleskine.com). we wIshed we had known about . . .
NEACT (neact.com) for our class-registration software. It allows customers to log in, search, and see their course history. we couldn’t lIve wIthout . . .
Popovic’s ultrasharp scissors, which were handforged by the Parveen family of India.
A B e au t I f u l wor k s pac e
The Brooklyn location, above, is outfitted with a sound-absorbing felt wall, colorful yarn trees, top, and a modern ceiling-light grid, but the exhibits from the rotating group of talented artists in residence are the most dramatic feature.
writt e n by
s mal l - b usI ness bI ble
Contributing editor JJ Ramberg, host of MSNBC’s Your Business, shares advice for growing a successful start-up in her new book, It’s Your Business (Business Plus, on sale October 16).
Liz Borod Wright | p h otograp h s
by
Jennifer Causey
8/2/12 5:30 PM
