When I retired from Offutt Air Force Base, I wanted to continue to earn a living as an artist, but idea of sending hundreds of roughs and concepts with supporting resume pieces to hundreds of minor editors who may or may not even look at your submission wasn’t appealing. I felt at the time that Prairie Breeze Graphics, the name under which I publish work, could be available to other artists beside myself. Once outlets were established and the right equipment on hand it seemed like a good idea to offer the services to other artists. Prairie Breeze isn’t there yet, but soon…

I already had a stockpile of sketches from bicycle rides around Nebraska, and I got the idea to turn them into note cards. It turned out to be a pretty good idea. All the card sets feature the areas around in my Dundee neighborhood, Omaha, and Nebraska. With this kind of niche marketing, there are no worries about international or national companies stealing the territory…they just aren’t interested in those small potatoes.

One of the things I am most grateful for is the assistance from an organization called GROW Nebraska. They have provided classes and seminars, opportunities to exhibit my wares, and suggestions for improvement (which I usually take). They underscored the importance of a well-thought out business plan, even if you aren’t borrowing money. GROW Nebraska has also directed entrepreneurs to information about web tactics and authoring.

Useful organizations like that deserve support, so when they asked me to write an interview of one of the organizations, I willingly complied. The text of this first interview for their pilot newsletter follows:
The Cutting Edge ... an interview with Sue Quambusch, owner of A to Z Printingby Armand GibbonsGROW Nebraska recently conducted an interview with the owner of A to Z Printing. A to Z is a very successful printing company…doing $1.5 million in sales and looking to expand to $1.75 million. Sue Quambusch originally worked for a consortium of three recycling groups selling recycled paper to printing companies in Lincoln. As things evolved she decided to start a printing company based on that recycling ethic. The company started with three equal partners, but eventually Sue bought out the other two. Sue said that one of their strengths is that they have continued to evolve and change over the years, mostly by increasing the line of products offered to customers. Today there are fewer business forms, but more demand for full color work, and they configured to meet that need. As technology explodes around them, keeping up on trends in the industry and being on the cutting edge is important. She said they were the first company to do "desktop publishing" as the basis for their typesetting, starting with with Mac Plus and Mac SE's to a full complement of Macs and PCs today. One of their challenges is keeping their "mid-20th century" press room equipment conversing with their 21st century graphics equipment. Sue says being a part of the community is important, and that was difficult for a woman business owner. She said, "We had to create our own service groups. I do this by offering in-kind printing for those organizations whose mission I believe in. It leads to board positions and all kinds of exposure while doing something worthwhile for the community I live in. In the mid '90's we had a program where I would pay my employees while they read books to a class of elementary students at one of the local schools. Our teacher contact there retired, so it fell apart, but we are getting ready to start a new employee/volunteer program." (author's note - on their website, you'll find A to Z provides wonderful exhibition opportunities and exposure for quality artists) The basis of A to Z's success is continuous hard work. Sue said "...you can never let the business leave your mind. I'm saying that after 20 years." Sue's advice for emerging businesses: "Keep at it, and the cliche-esque: 'Believe in yourself.' Make sure you are doing something unique and use the internet immediately. Be technologically savvy (or surround yourself with people who are) and find someone to help you market your product (ie GROW Nebraska!)."

The Latest

During the month of May I will be the feature artist at the Wildwood Art Center, 911 Central Avenue in Nebraska City, Nebraska, 68410. If you have the opportunity, I’d appreciate it if you would drop in. The next month they will feature Thomas Majeski, my printmaking instructor from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His work is excellent and well worth the trip.

Prairie Breeze Graphics attended Audubon’s Rivers and Wildlife Celebration (RWC) last month in Kearney as a vendor. The event intentionally coincided with the height of the Sandhills Cranes migration, and as I approached Kearney the air was thick with birds. Since I had to man the Prairie Breeze booth, I didn’t get to go to the blinds on the water and view the cranes, and it was very disappointing. Everyone who came through the vendors’ area said the sight and sound was something you would never forget.

I introduced a new line of cards called “Nebraska Wetland Birds” at the RWC that included the Sandhills Crane, the Great Blue Heron, the Avocet, Snow Geese, and Killdeer. Those cards will be available at the Wildwood Art Center and selected other locations. Other new products for Prairie Breeze are double-matted prints sized for 5 x 7 frames, 8 x 10 frames and 11 x 14 frames. Images available are the artwork from the Nebraska Wetland Birds card set and the Nebraska Wildflower card sets.

I am signed up for the Tour de Nebraska 5-day bicycle ride this year and will be sketching the Nebraska landscape along the way. The Tour is June 20 - 24. I ride a "recumbent" bicycle, and lead a group called the County Cruisers. It's worth a look at the website (http://members.cox.net/armandg/Cruisersrule.html) if you aren't familiar with recumbents.