Artisan/entrepreneur helps shoppers connect with Northern Ontario artisans online
By Kelly Anne Smith
ASTORVILLE—A Northern Ontario art maker/entrepreneur is helping artisans and art lovers to connect online in a hub of stores called the NorthernArtMarket.com .
Caroline Parnell-Barry has been selling her own jewelry, art hangings, porch decor and walking sticks through The Grumpy Toad in Northern Ontario, Muskoka and Prince Edward Island. Now Parnell-Barry extends her art and the wares of many artisans to a new digital level.
Northernartmarket.com came into existence with funding from the Métis Nation of Ontario ISETS program. Parnell-Barry is a member of Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation.
“When I had the idea for northernartmarket.com, I went to them first to see what kind of help I could get. The set-up for the website itself and purchasing a multi-vendor app, and the help to do it— I wasn’t sure if that would be considered business structural like infrastructure or would it be considered marketing. They slotted me all under the marketing umbrella and said they could help there. It took a few months to receive approval to access the funds to withdraw them as needed to the maximum of $5,000.”
Jackie Lachnit, an employment counsellor with the North Bay Métis Council, says that Parnell-Barry has been a pleasure to work with.
“I’m really happy to see her have success with her venture. I know she has been working really hard and busy out there promoting. I’m proud of her.”
Parnell-Barry explains that a portion of the funding was used to develop the website, purchase the use of the app and to have the website designed.
“I used close to three thousand on my launch which included television advertising, digital ads, social media campaigns, and paper resources like business cards, postcards and mini flyers. I’ve connected with news media as well and been lucky to receive a few regional interviews.”
Parnell-Barry says the site development began in July of last year.
“It launched February 11 of 2019. I had six artisans on the site. I deliberately kept it small. I did not recruit prior to because I knew we were going to be doing a lot of tweaking. The way I planned out the use of the marketing funds was that I would use most of it to create awareness then I figured I would use some of it to recruit more artisans.”
Northernartmarket.com resonated with northern artisans immediately.
“It shocked me after the first few news outlets picked up the story. The artisans came flooding in. We are up to 38 live with shops on the site. And there are at least another 50 in the background who have applied but haven’t taken next steps to upload to the site yet.”
Parnell-Barry estimates that soon there could be a hundred shops to shop from on northernartmarket.com.
Northern Ontario artisans see a growth opportunity in the e-commerce site.
“Artisans in this area in Northern Ontario do not seem to have the same access to things that they do in Southern Ontario. The artisans here tend to do a few different things to make money to sell their creations. One of which is they rent booths at different events which is periodic and seasonal. Some sell on consignment at different stores but that takes anywhere from 20-50% of your profit. The other option is that some of them have tried to set up a shop through online global market places but there is so much vendor competition,” explains Parnell-Barry. “A lot of the artisans I talk to have zero interest in managing a website. That’s not their skillset. They want to make things. That someone else could look after most things, they’re happy with.”
“The idea came if I could do the same online marketplace but for Northern Ontario and market Northern Ontario artists to Northern Ontario residents,” continues Parnell-Barry. “That changes for artisans from being a small fish in a big pond to a big fish in a small pond. It allows artisans to make money in between their other ventures at booths or in stores.”
Parnell-Barry is pleased with the variety of shops on the site.
“What makes me happy right now is I’m getting a really broad range of artisans from all over the northeast who are on the website. There are some Indigenous artists. There are some beautiful hangings by the one lady. She also creates some nice jewellery. Another Métis artist creates leather purses. They are quite beautiful.”
The northernartmarket.com has mediums that you don’t commonly see explains Parnell-Barry.
“I have one artisan from Timmins who makes earrings from Jewel Beetle wings. They’re shiny, blue, beautiful and interesting. Another artisan from Magnetawan makes really cool cement outdoor decor.”
Parnell-Barry is intrigued with two woodworkers on Northernartmarket.com. The one intarsia craftsman who lives in Elliot Lake, is special to her as her father was an intarsia artisan.
“There are no stains or paints used. They totally work with different types of wood and how the grain goes in order to create the picture. And the other wood craftsman creates artistic wood turnings like bowls and platters,” explains Parnell-Barry. “And there are also painters, photo artists and digital artists. There are knitters and crocheters, who create unique hats, purses, shawls and more. And lots of really beautiful and unusual jewelry, too. I have also been one of the website’s customers, having purchased a few items myself from these different artisans, so I can tell you what’s on the site is beautiful, unique and easy to purchase through the website checkout system.”
The artisan behind northernartmarket.com truly appreciates the talented craftspeople in Northern Ontario.