Teresa Roche's Art and Light gallery is often at the center of attention for Greenville's artist community events. Besides the numerous tasks that come with running a chic art boutique that boasts some of the best finds in town, Teresa manages to produce her own work. She's best known for her whimsical mixed media pieces. Next chance you get, visit her gallery in the Pendleton Arts District. You won't be disappointed.
Indie Craft Parade: You love using found objects as a basis for some of your art. What is one of your favorite finds yet?
Teresa: I love using vintage fabrics and wallpapers in my mix media pieces. My favorite is a café curtain made from a fabulous 1950's bark cloth. The vivid chartreuse color is my all time favorite color, and it was a total fluke that I found it in a thrift store in New York.
Indie Craft Parade: Your gallery is in the heart of the Greenville art district. What kind of growth and development would you like to see in Greenville's art future?
Teresa: I would love to see the Pendleton Street Art's District grow with the addition of a great artsy café and other service businesses that would be open for daily retail hours. That way when customers come to the district they can grab lunch and run other errands within the area. The art, artists, talent and quality is already there. I think that it's so important for small business owners to come together with a concentrated marketing plan and a commitment to spend the marketing dollars and commit to the sweaty equity involved in trail blazing in order to have long term consistent growth.
Indie Craft Parade: As an artist and savvy businesswoman, do you have any suggestions for start-up artists or crafters?
Teresa: Yes, the importance of a business plan. It doesn't matter how small or how big you start - without a business plan you can find yourself floundering. Artists and crafters also need to be very thick skinned, willing to put the work out there and to get professional assistance in the areas they have weaknesses (i.e., marketing, accounting, merchandising, sales). It takes all of these things to run a business. And you have to remember that being a successful artist or crafter is a business.
