10/28/2025
Come along with us as we visit Nohea Gallery at Kahala Mall. We spoke with owner, Laurie Baron who shared her thoughts! 🌺
“While in-person contact remains important, itʻs a good idea to ask for an appointment. That way the folks who decide what work fits their goals can see your work with enough time to understand it. Also, itʻs wise to consider that different markets face different customers. When we were in Waikīkī at the Moana and the Outrigger, even among visitor-oriented spots, different work moved in one location and not in the other. Even when we were at both Ward Warehouse and Ward Center, one line was our best selling ever in one spot but we couldnʻt sell it to save our lives at the other...people are sometimes a mystery. Best not to take it personally if the retailer doesnʻt think your work will move in their market...they are saving you a lot of time.
Finally, for our folks anyway, we try to share their work at a retail price that is the same or very close to their retails at shows and fairs. This supports your retail values and earns you more in the long term than undermining your own workʻs value and your earnings at fairs and shows. I formed this perspective following selling good work at the Artist Guild at Ward Warehouse before my Mom Gail and I opened Nohea in 1990. Folks would buy beautiful locally made work from me at The Artist Guild and leave happy, walk over to the craft fair at the beach, and come back mad because the price was much lower from the artist directly. Wasted opportunity! And now they donʻt even have to leave the store to find you. That experience should be supportive of your worksʻ worth, and will lead to more sales.
Good luck out there...now more than ever, the world needs the unique beauty you share. 🤙🏼”
