Giving the public
feature
what they want
Lance Klass, president of Porterfield’s Fine Art Licensing, explains
the key to successful art licensing.
Originally
established in necessary for me to look toward other career a factor, and we license a lot of artwork into
1994 by direct- paths.” the puzzle, needlecraft, scrapbooking and
mail marketer Lance J. Klass as a collectibles These other paths lead to Lance becoming a crafts industries.” Porterfi eld’s has nurtured the
company in Santa Barbara, California. research associate at the prestigious Center for licensing careers of a number of well-known,
Porterfi eld’s Fine Art Licensing has come a very the Study of Democratic Institutions, in Santa talented artists, among them Janet Stever,
long way since its inception. Several years later, Barbara, to advanced study in international Joseph Holodook, Richard De Wolfe, Johnny
the company transformed itself into a full- economics at the University of California, Karwan, Geoff Tristram, Christine Graf, Thomas
service art licensing agency with a broad array Davis, and to many years in direct-mail Wood, Maureen McCarthy, and many others.
of American and international clients. marketing, advertising and related fi elds in Recently it has added what Klass considers to
The fl exibility that the company has shown, Oregon. At one point he directed a print shop be a trio of strong new artists, including Donna
fi rst in its move from Santa Barbara to Concord, and graphics studio, and after the birth of Knold, Kala Pohl, and Marilyn Barkhouse .
New Hampshire in early 1996, to dropping his fi rst son he and his wife Mimi moved the “We generally hear from over a thousand
collectibles entirely several years later as it young family back to Santa Barbara, where artists a year who are seeking representation,”
developed an extensive array of artistic talent, he joined and eventually rose to become states Klass. “That’s an average of three a day,
to its emergence as a major art licensing president of a mid-sized collectibles fi rm that 365 days a year. And we only take the select
agency and its move to Sarasota, Florida in specialized in direct-response mail and media few who are talented enough, and suffi ciently
mid-2008, serves it well as it continues to marketing. fast, versatile and market-oriented, to have a
increase its market presence. “I think it’s vitally Nowadays, those experiences and that good chance at success. We license artwork
important to be fl exible and creative,” stated background serve him well at Porterfi eld’s. into just about every industry you can imagine
that needs excellent artwork to improve their
sales. That includes all forms of home décor,
“Find out what the customer wants, then
home and quilting fabrics, every sort of paper
provide it to them
product from cards and stationery to gift bags,
. That’s the key and
calendars, journals and the like, to giftware,
always has been. Fast, eff ective service is essential in
collectibles, apparel, crafts, puzzles, prints and
posters, and juvenile products.”
a market that depends on quick availability of fi ne
The company markets to a limited array
of countries, including the United States and
new art.”
Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, the
United Kingdom, Netherlands, and France. The
Lance Klass. “We’ve always responded to “We have grown to 28 artists and almost 3,000 key, Klass says, comes from what’s tried and
market conditions and market demands, and pieces of art, all geared toward licensing. And true in the fi eld of marketing: “Find out what
consider every occasional challenge or set- we’ve had the good fortune to be listed fi rst in the customer wants, then provide it to them.
back as an opportunity to learn and to grow.” art licensing by Google and many other That’s the key and always has been. And as a
Art licensing might be considered an search engines for the past nine years or native New Yorker, I know that fast, eff ective
unusual career choice for an individual more, and that’s a continual source of new service is essential in a market that depends
originally accepted by the U.S. Foreign Service business for us.” on quick availability of fi ne new art. Quality,
after achieving a Masters in International Porterfi eld’s is always looking for talented service, effi ciency – three features of successful
Relations and International Trade from the artists who can create art – particularly that business that will never change.”
University of Chicago. “A little thing called the which will appeal to a certain demographic – As for the future? Klass says the Porterfi eld’s
Vietnam War got in the way,” Klass says. “I was in this case, women over 30, the group which mission is to continue to develop its artists and
fortunate enough to spend two years in the purchases 85 per cent of all consumer goods its array of wonderful artwork. The company
U.S. Peace Corps in Malawi instead of doing in America. “They purchase for their spouses, plans to debut its new artists and their works,
service in Vietnam. Those were two of the their children, their homes and themselves. and new collections by traditional Porterfi eld’s
best years of my life, but when I returned to These consumers want artwork that will artists, at Licensing International 2009,
this country I discovered that President Nixon brighten their lives and enhance their home June 2-4 in Las Vegas. You can see them at
had instituted a broad hiring freeze so it was environments. Crafts and hobbies are also stand 1564.
Porterfi elds is one of America’s top commercial international art agencies. It provides companies with the perfect art and
design for their products, and represents artists who are able to cooperate and work with those companies to provide exactly
42
what they need. www.porterfi elds.com
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