Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 21, 1995 TAG: 9504210072
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STACY JONES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Not the Betsy Ross kind. Her kind. The kind that people call from miles around to buy.
For the last eight years the basement of her Roanoke home is where Clark has made decorative flags out of nylon pack cloth and embossed them with her personal creations. Her angels, teddy bears, birthday cakes and vegetable baskets adorn houses throughout Virginia - not to mention a sprinkling in the other 49 states.
Clark will have a booth at the Virginia Mountain Crafts Guild 7th Annual Spring in the Valley Arts and Crafts Show.
The show, which begins today in the Salem Civic Center, boasts 80 artisans and work in almost any medium imaginable.
Clark, who enters about four shows a year, will have 75 flags to exhibit. Her complete collection includes 96 standard designs. And while her customers have favorites, Clark denies any leanings.
"I used to have a favorite, but now, after making 2,000 flags, my favorite one is the one I just finished," she said.
Although Clark is an old pro now - her flag business is called Custom Designs by Mary Lu Clark - her artistic beginnings were quite simple.
``I've been sewing since I was 8,'' said Clark, who remembers being fascinated with sewing machines. ``To take a piece of fabric and make it into something useful was a great thing.''
A loving gesture to her daughter brought Clark's artistic leanings to the forefront. Applying a butterfly to her daughter's T-shirt was all it took.
``I thought, this is more than useful, this is also pretty,'' she said. For a long time, ``that was my outlet for creativity.''
Clark's artistic form is called applique. Translated, she said, it means ``to embellish a fabric, literally, adding a design to a piece of fabric.''
It may sound uncomplicated, but don't be fooled, said Clark. She spends four to seven hours on each flag.
``Every step is intricate,'' she explained. Most people mistakenly think ``I make it out of scraps on a whim.''
According to Kathy Hudson, the guild's show director, that condescending attitude toward crafts - that they are the unsophisticated products of weekend handymen -is widespread despite evidence to the contrary.
``It's a myth,'' she said. ``This is definitely not your kitchen-craft type stuff. Everything has to be top quality.''
To gain entry into the guild's shows, exhibitors must meet the standards of a jury of current exhibiting members.
"People think this [the show] is nothing but mountain traditions, when, in fact, we have very contemporary crafts,'' Hudson said. There are no limitations artistically.''
Although this weekend's crafts show will have fewer conventional artists, such as photographers and graphic designers, Hudson does not deny the historical connection of crafts to the area.
``Throughout most of the South, the craftsman is very much appreciated,'' she said. ``Way back, people depended on the good seamstress, the good blacksmith, the good cobbler to make the community work.''
Another thing Hudson and Clark count on to work is the Virginia Mountain Crafts Guild.
Established 20 years ago as a project for the Virginia Commission of the Arts, the guild's purpose is to aid artists and promote art, said Hudson, a stained-glass artist who was one of the original guild members.
``It's based on the hope that we can make a living doing what we're doing,'' she said.
However, the non-profit organization is not just a reservoir for artists to dip from. The guild also tries to benefit the community through educational programs, demonstrations in schools and scholarships for college art students.
Clark said she particularly values the social opportunities provided by the guild membership. ``The chance to network and promote is one of the most valuable features,'' she said.
``Working by yourself so much, it's good to have an association where you can be with other folks,'' Clark said. ``It's really interesting to follow people's progress.''
Hudson, who has supported herself as a craftsperson for the last 20 years, said, ``We all have a common ground. It's like a support group.
``You see other people making it and you think, I can make it too,'' she explained.
Surprisingly, when talking about success, neither Clark nor Hudson focus on the actual product. Instead, both emphasized the importance of business skills.
Hudson, along with her husband, owns a gallery in Salem called Custom Originals in Stained Glass. Over the years, she has gotten the hang of the business side of the art world.
``I sure have, believe it or not,'' she said. ``It hasn't been easy.''
Clark was more of a natural.
Before turning to flag-making full time, she had worked in sales at Sears-Roebuck in Pennsylvania. During that time, she learned the ins and outs of retail, from inventory to customer service to management.
But, after 10 years in retail she decided she was ``not really having fun at this anymore.'' She decided to put her training to use for herself.
``If I could get excited about selling washing machines and appliances, I could do it for myself over pretty things,'' Clark said.
After making the switch, she aggressively prospected for gift shops and galleries to carry her flags. She looked for the business qualities that had worked at Sears, and for places where her merchandise would fit, price-wise.
``You can't bring in a $100 product when everything else in the shop is $25,'' said Clark, whose flags sell for $75-$115.
In addition, Clark created a brochure displaying all of her standard designs. This common sense idea has led to a profitable mail order trade.
A lot of artists ``don't understand the importance of marketing,'' said Clark. ``But it is absolutely vitally important. ``If you're depending on art for a living, you have to cover all bases.''
Seventh Annual Spring in the Valley Arts and Crafts Show: Salem Civic Center.
Today, noon-9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, noon-8 p.m. Admission $2. 389-6163.
by CNB