This summer we’re celebrating 40 years since the greatest “Boomers” party: Woodstock. I was too young and out of the country to attend this great event; now I can’t help myself but feel nostalgic about the music, heroes, and generally the arts, crafts and the relevancy of culture.
Boomers (generation me) role models: John F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa to name a few. Greatest public gathering: Woodstock.
Generation X (me generation) role models: George Bush, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears to name a few. Greatest public gathering: the release of IPod, people lined up at 2-3 am to buy one.
Why do I bring this up and what is the use of comparing the two generations?
Mostly because the Generation X is the future and it directly affects the future of the crafts, specifically pottery. In my experience over the last ten years running a craft gallery, is this: the overwhelming majority of our clients have been female Boomers, with the odd exception. The “Cool” factor of pottery has vanished in the eyes of Generation X, and more so then any other craft including jewelry, glass or textile.
How can we make studio pottery “cool” or “sexy” again? Is this even a possibility? Is pottery a victim of its own success of popularizing the craft to the point of no return, where the novelty is gone for good?

I am interested to hear any opinions on this issue, as I think you have set out a very real issue for us all, Paul.
This year, I took my dinnerware to a Wedding show, with a focus on Wedding registries. I did it solely for the purpose of trying to cross generations and spark interest in the twenty somethings. It was a bit of an experiment I took on for exactly the reasons you state -- in my Showroom, I clearly see a majority of boomers, and although they often buy for their daughters, when the daughters come back, it is typically to buy a gift for Mom!
Well, the results were that I got a lot of the Moms picking up my cards, and later visiting the shop to buy wedding gifts, or something for themselves... but not one wedding registry from the 90 brides that were present - and hardly any of the twenty somethings on a return visit to my shop!
I try to keep my production work quite contemporary, and once in a while, I'll get a gen x-er come in and say "Oh I wish I had've come here, instead of doing Denby for my wedding..." and I do have some of them for return clients - but you are so right - the vast majority of pottery enthusiasts are not under 35. So where does this take us for the future? Any insights of how to create more interest there? I have done some reading about working with gen x and gen y fellow employees, but hadn't given much thought until this past year on marketing to them.
I am still on some wedding websites & such, but I haven't the time or energy to give the wedding show thing another try - it was an fascinating experiment that I did get some useful info from... but mostly it just reinforced what I previously thought - and what you have raised here, Paul.
I am interested to hear what others think about this issue? Any good tips or ideas?
Holly
www.greendalepottery.com

I ran a Craft Gallery for 20 years in Bragg Creek. For 10 years I had a wedding registry. It was a lot of detail work but when the ecomomy was slow, it was a profitable income. I (generally) advertized it as a service that I provided.The future bride and groom came and pick out their gifts from the stock and a special order list. This encouraged the one of a kind items to be considered as a gift option.When the customer came, they viewed all the choosen work and then would pick according to price point and interest level. This also allowed for long distance phone orders. Days before the wedding, someone came and picked up all the labelled boxes. I also provided gift cards, if the customer was late and I would make something for the bride and groom after the event . It meant a lot of cross references, tags and paper work, but I am crazy that way...so it wasn't unusual for me. Working this way, feeds the part of me that cherishes making things for specific people and events . The people are very real to me ,,,I love that direct interaction and it keeps me working. It is honest to the nature of the craft.
But now.... I am just lazy and wish people would just send money ,,,, or maybe I could find a sugar daddy .. Thirty -five years is a lot of clay.
( i have to get back to the studio .. thanks for the diversion)

The way you describe your wedding registry is very much what I do here with mine, and it works quite well. Still the number of younger brides who choose Pottery is very very small as compared to older ones (second time around) and there is where the issue lies for me. How to connect with gen Y inasmuch as encouraging an interest in handcrafted goods to the twenty somethings who will be, in future, our market.
Thankfully, our experience here is that the slow everything movement is helping enormously in driving people's interest back to shopping small -- and looking beyond the big box. Business is great -- but still the bottom line is, my audience remains firmly planted in the 35 - 60 age range.