Design Art and Photography

Pelham, N.Y.–The Jewelers Resource Bureau (JRB) is taking its educational offerings on the road, bringing seven business-education classes for jewelers to Tucson, Ariz., during Gem Fair Week.

The classes, to be held from Feb. 4-6, are a part of the newly formed “JRB Marketing Academy,” a progression from the one-off classes and annual Designer Day Business Conferences previously offered by the JRB.

“We wanted to make our classes convenient and accessible,” JRB President Cindy Edelstein said in a media release. “And we revamped the curriculum to address these particular challenging times for jewelry designers. … We’re training designers to be ready for the new marketplace.”

Classes, the majority of which are geared for all experience levels, will be taught be Edelstein and Marlene Richey, author of the newly published Profiting by Design: A Jewelry Makers Guide to Business Success.

Among the offerings are: How to Make a Living at Your Art; Defining Your Brand Identity; Building Your Marketing Toolkit; Craft Fairs, Trade Shows and Personal Appearances: How to “Show Up” for Success; How to do Your Own PR; The Art of Selling; and Profiting From an Online Presence.

Classes are $95 each, but are discounted to $80 each for two classes and $70 each for three classes or more.

Edelstein and Richey will also offer speed-coaching sessions priced at a reduced rate of $2 per minute, to be held during the afternoons of Feb. 4, 5 and 6. Sessions last for as long as the designer chooses, and the intent is for designers to have one-on-one time with the experts to discuss goals and business plans.

The classes will take place in downtown Tucson’s historic Manning House, home of the Manning House Bead Show, and designers can register on the show’s Web site, MHBeadShow.com. Upon reaching the site, click on “Classes” and then scroll down to find the JRB’s offerings.