Skip to main content

Sylva sculptor wins $3,000 in Small Business Center competition

2015-06-08
Photo of Aaron Beck
Aaron Beck of Backwoods Sculpture Studio in Sylva shows off some of the artwork he displayed during the “Craft Sell-A-Bration,” which was organized by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center on June 2 in Sylva. Beck won the grand prize of $3,000.
 
Photo of Doreyl Ammons-Cain
Doreyl Ammons-Cain of Jackson County was among the finalists in the “Craft Sell-A-Bration,” which was organized by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center on June 2 in Sylva.
 
Photo of Susan Coe
Susan Coe shows off her functional pottery and other works of art during the “Craft Sell-A-Bration,” which was organized by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center on June 2 in Sylva.
 
Photo of Teresa Bouchonnet
Teresa Bouchonnet of Cowee Textiles in Franklin holds one of her creations during “Craft Sell-A-Bration,” which was organized by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center on June 2 in Sylva.
 
Photo of Aaron Beck's sculpture
One of Aaron Beck’s attention-grabbing creations reaches out from the display during “Craft Sell-A-Bration,” which was organized by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center on June 2 in Sylva. Beck won the grand prize of $3,000.

One table featured a batman mask, howling wolves and terrifying zombies – all created by Sylva sculptor Aaron Beck.

A few feet away, Jackson County-artist Doreyl Ammons-Cain displayed serene wildlife scenes she’d painted on slices of locust and other natural wood.

Varying as their styles may have been, all the crafters who participated in the “Craft Sell-a-Bration” on Tuesday, June 2, at Southwestern Community College actually had a lot in common. All run their own craft businesses, all had gained vital skills from the SCC Small Business Center’s Creative Business Plan Competition and Training Series – and all were hoping to win the $3,000 grand prize for the best business plan developed through participating in the series.

The program focused specifically on professional craft artists and featured a curriculum recently developed by REAL (Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning).

Judges ultimately awarded the oversized check to Beck, but all participants walked away with valuable skills they hope to use in growing their respective businesses.

“I’m grateful that SCC put on this series, and I liked every one of the classes; I didn’t have a favorite,” Ammons-Cain said. “Each session was informative and rewarding. As artists, we tend to stay on the right side of the brain. This really helped me focus right down the middle on the business-side and getting my products out there.”

Pat Mikula, who runs Kings Mountain Pottery in Sylva added: “It was an opportunity to get a little more serious about marketing. I don’t have to do this, but I love it. I needed to understand what I need to do to be successful. Marketing is hard because potters are everywhere around here, so I needed to find my niche.”
Nearby, Teresa Bouchonnet of Cowee Textiles in Franklin stood behind a table draped with colorful, intricately woven scarves and other artwork.

Despite years of experience in her field and an impressive educational resume, Bouchonnet said the classes offered through SCC’s Small Business Center have been vital in helping her business succeed. She also had high praise for Tonya Snider, who served as instructor for the series.

“Tonya is an absolutely fabulous teacher,” Bouchonnet said. “I can’t count how many classes I’ve taken through SCC. Even though I have a bachelor’s degree and associate degree in business, when it comes to running my own business, I need these classes.”

Other artisans displaying their work included Franklin’s Jason Rizzo, whose table featured striking photography and mixed-media; Susan Coe, who presented a collection of colorful, artistic and highly functional pottery and other works; and Parker Adams, owner of Mountaineer Wooden Crafts, who brought a selection of wooden utensils.

The competition and series were sponsored by Jackson County Economic Development, Macon Bank, REAL, BB&T and Duke Energy. Judges were Hope Huskey, director of program development at the Sequoyah Fund; Sharon Oxendine, business development specialist at The Support Center; and Glenn Cox, executive director at HandMade in America.

Before announcing the winner, judges made clear that their decision was not an easy one.

“I honestly don’t envy the judges one bit,” said Tiffany Henry, director of SCC’s Small Business Center. “All of these professional artists and craftspeople are incredibly talented, and they took this program very seriously. They all clearly came into this series with amazing skills in their various crafts, and we’ve just tried to show them ways they can maximize their profit by focusing on the business side of their operations.”

Beck, who runs Backwoods Sculpture Studio, said that’s exactly what the series did for him.

“Every week, I walked away with valuable knowledge for running my own business,” Beck said. “I came in with a skill, but I didn’t have much direction on how to make a profit. I now have a much firmer foundation to stand on moving forward. I understand the ins and outs of running a business so I can do it on my own.”

For more information about SCC’s Small Business Center and the variety of services it offers, including free upcoming seminars and confidential counseling, contact Henry at t_henry@southwesterncc.edu or 828.339.4211.
 

For help with the accessibility of this website, please use this form.