Suzanne Dunn from seed gallery
It's been awhile since we've posted a new interview. Here's a good interview we did via email late last year with Suzanne Dunn of seed, based in tropical Hilo, Hawaii!
Why or how did you decide to start your shop?
I started curating shows in the mid-1980's and always dreamt of someday opening my own space. It took a while though for things to come together. In early 2004, I started seeing work in Los Angeles that was truly inspiring! There was an emerging generation of artists who were not only creating interesting work, but interesting products as well.
One artist in particular influenced me, and that was Brendan Monroe. I first saw his work when he was still in art school and loved it!
How did you come up with the name?
The idea behind the name "seed" came from the desire to show emerging artist's work. It also refers to the agrarian culture of the Big Island of Hawaii which is where we are based.
How long have you been in business?
We opened in April of 2005.
What does your shop specialize in?
Our emphasis is on limited edition artist made goods. We carry sewn items, zines, prints, t-shirts, etc. We also carry some books, hand made by various artists as well as larger publications such as "Beautiful Losers."
Describe your ideal (or even your 'typical') customer.
Actually, I don't have an ideal customer. I find it very cool that people from different ages & backgrounds like to shop at seed. Hilo is a college town, so we do have a lot of students from U of H come into the store.
What is the retail environment like in your neck of the woods?
Pretty mellow, but it's growing and changing everyday as buildings get fixed-up and new businesses move in to the area. We are in Old Town Hilo which has a great diversity of goods and services. It also has a very funky vibe, reminds me of the SF Bay Area in the 70's.
What are some of your favorite things at the shop right now?
We have a lot of stuff in stock, but what comes to mind are the Souther Salazar "City" t-shirts & the new Queen Bee Creations bags.
What seems to be the customer favorites?
Anything by kozyndan, especially their "Uprisings" poster, and merchandise by Susie Gharemani.
How do you find your inventory? Do you attend trade shows, work with reps, scour the web?
Several ways. I try and attend trade shows like APE in San Francisco. I go to openings and meet artists, then do studio visits. I search the internet. I also get referrals from other artists that I know. Sometimes artists come into the store and then contact me.
What are some of the biggest challenges shops like yours face?
Basic stuff like keeping staffed and covering expenses. I've learned that in my location big ticket
items don't move so I have to make it on volume of sales. Also Hawaii tends to have a very transatory population, workers come and go. We've been lucky so far, everyone has been very cool.
What are the BEST things about your job?
It's fun and creative! Hey, who doesn't want to shop for a living? Also, it's always a wonderful thing when you can be your own boss.
How do you promote your shop? Do you employ any interesting or unusual means to get noticed?
So far, just word of mouth and placing our web site on search engines like Google. I plan to do more publicity in the future including ads in national magazines. Also, we are starting to participate in local sponsorships like the new Hilo marathon. It's been great, seed has developed a following in the year we've been in business. The store is unique not only in Hilo, but the state of Hawaii. We've already had a story done on us by an Oahu-based magazine.
If you happen to have a website, has it helped your business?
Yes, we have a web site. www.seed-gallery.com
Do you sell from it or plan to in the future?
We have an online store where we sell all seed produced t-shirts. Artists who designed for us are Souther Salazar, Saelee Oh, Brendan Monroe, Evah Fan & Deth P. Sun
Do you have any noteworthy (famous!) clients or customers?
Not sure?
What advice would give to someone who was considering going down a similar path - wanting to open their own shop?
Make good contacts with artists & vendors, do research about your location & potential customers, budget carefully, and have the money to float the business for a while. Whatever you sell, you should be passionate about so the job remains fun!
What advice would you give to someone who would like to get their products into shops like yours?
I am pretty informal about submissions. I think most shop owners prefer emailed pictures or an email with a link to a site. Basically, I buy what I like, what fits in with the look of the store, and what I think would sell in my location. Also, being at a lower price point per item is a big deal in Hilo.
Visit seed at:
130 Kilauea Avenue
Hilo, HI 96720
Why or how did you decide to start your shop?
I started curating shows in the mid-1980's and always dreamt of someday opening my own space. It took a while though for things to come together. In early 2004, I started seeing work in Los Angeles that was truly inspiring! There was an emerging generation of artists who were not only creating interesting work, but interesting products as well.
One artist in particular influenced me, and that was Brendan Monroe. I first saw his work when he was still in art school and loved it!
How did you come up with the name?
The idea behind the name "seed" came from the desire to show emerging artist's work. It also refers to the agrarian culture of the Big Island of Hawaii which is where we are based.
How long have you been in business?
We opened in April of 2005.
What does your shop specialize in?
Our emphasis is on limited edition artist made goods. We carry sewn items, zines, prints, t-shirts, etc. We also carry some books, hand made by various artists as well as larger publications such as "Beautiful Losers."
Describe your ideal (or even your 'typical') customer.
Actually, I don't have an ideal customer. I find it very cool that people from different ages & backgrounds like to shop at seed. Hilo is a college town, so we do have a lot of students from U of H come into the store.
What is the retail environment like in your neck of the woods?
Pretty mellow, but it's growing and changing everyday as buildings get fixed-up and new businesses move in to the area. We are in Old Town Hilo which has a great diversity of goods and services. It also has a very funky vibe, reminds me of the SF Bay Area in the 70's.
What are some of your favorite things at the shop right now?
We have a lot of stuff in stock, but what comes to mind are the Souther Salazar "City" t-shirts & the new Queen Bee Creations bags.
What seems to be the customer favorites?
Anything by kozyndan, especially their "Uprisings" poster, and merchandise by Susie Gharemani.
How do you find your inventory? Do you attend trade shows, work with reps, scour the web?
Several ways. I try and attend trade shows like APE in San Francisco. I go to openings and meet artists, then do studio visits. I search the internet. I also get referrals from other artists that I know. Sometimes artists come into the store and then contact me.
What are some of the biggest challenges shops like yours face?
Basic stuff like keeping staffed and covering expenses. I've learned that in my location big ticket
items don't move so I have to make it on volume of sales. Also Hawaii tends to have a very transatory population, workers come and go. We've been lucky so far, everyone has been very cool.
What are the BEST things about your job?
It's fun and creative! Hey, who doesn't want to shop for a living? Also, it's always a wonderful thing when you can be your own boss.
How do you promote your shop? Do you employ any interesting or unusual means to get noticed?
So far, just word of mouth and placing our web site on search engines like Google. I plan to do more publicity in the future including ads in national magazines. Also, we are starting to participate in local sponsorships like the new Hilo marathon. It's been great, seed has developed a following in the year we've been in business. The store is unique not only in Hilo, but the state of Hawaii. We've already had a story done on us by an Oahu-based magazine.
If you happen to have a website, has it helped your business?
Yes, we have a web site. www.seed-gallery.com
Do you sell from it or plan to in the future?
We have an online store where we sell all seed produced t-shirts. Artists who designed for us are Souther Salazar, Saelee Oh, Brendan Monroe, Evah Fan & Deth P. Sun
Do you have any noteworthy (famous!) clients or customers?
Not sure?
What advice would give to someone who was considering going down a similar path - wanting to open their own shop?
Make good contacts with artists & vendors, do research about your location & potential customers, budget carefully, and have the money to float the business for a while. Whatever you sell, you should be passionate about so the job remains fun!
What advice would you give to someone who would like to get their products into shops like yours?
I am pretty informal about submissions. I think most shop owners prefer emailed pictures or an email with a link to a site. Basically, I buy what I like, what fits in with the look of the store, and what I think would sell in my location. Also, being at a lower price point per item is a big deal in Hilo.
Visit seed at:
130 Kilauea Avenue
Hilo, HI 96720
posted by My Favorite Mirror WORKshop at 8:58 PM
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