Joining as an Artisan & Maker

This guide walks you through becoming an Artisan & Maker member — from finding the right membership through to your maker profile going live.

Artisan & Maker membership is $180 / year. It lists you as a maker, with a profile on our website, and lets you sell your work through the Waterwheel’s shop. A retail space at the Waterwheel is extra: as the Artisan & Maker page puts it, "Secure retail space for $50 a month or just list on the website only as part of your membership."

Want to exhibit original artwork in the gallery? Send an Expression of Interest at /exhibit/, and our curator will look at your work. You can do that as an Artisan & Maker too.

It takes about 10 minutes to apply.

On the Membership page, scroll down to the Artisan & Maker card.

It shows the current price and a short list of what you get.

Click Apply as an Artisan on the card, then again on the Artisan & Maker page that opens.

Not sure yet? ‹ Back to all tiers on the application form opens the join page, which puts all the tiers next to each other so you can double-check Artisan & Maker is the right fit.

The form asks for very little: your name, your email address, whether you’d like to pay monthly or yearly (each option shows what it costs), and your agreement to the Artisan terms. There’s also a box to get our newsletter; it’s optional, so leave it unticked if you’d rather not. Then click Apply as an Artisan at the bottom.

Use an email address you check often — everything that happens next, including your welcome message, goes there.

We’ll email you a link to confirm the address is yours. Click it to carry on (it works once, within an hour). If you’re already signed in, you go straight on.

You’ll be taken to a secure payment page to save your card details.

Nothing is charged yet. Your card is only stored so your first payment can be taken once your application has been accepted — and you’ll know before that happens.

The page is run by Stripe, our payment provider. We never see or store your card number.

Your application goes to the committee. A real person reads it — it isn’t automatic, and it isn’t instant.

Nothing is charged while you wait. Your card sits saved and untouched.

When you’re approved you’ll get a welcome email. If there’s a question about your application, someone will email you about that instead. Either way you’ll hear back.

Your welcome email has a link to set your password. Click it and you’ll land straight on this page.

Type a password you’ll remember, or click Generate Password and save the one it makes somewhere safe. Then Save Password.

You only do this once.

From now on, Login at the top right of any page takes you here.

Sign in with the email address you applied with, or the username shown in your welcome email, plus the password you just set.

If you ever forget it, Lost your password? on this page emails you a fresh link.

This is your home from now on. Everything you can do as a member is here:

• Your shop — things you make for sale
• Sales — what sold, what you’re owed, and your bank details
• Your maker page — your public profile: your bio, studio and links
• Needs you, at the top — anything waiting on you

You never need to go anywhere else, and you’ll never see the technical side of the website.

Start with My public profile, under Your maker page. This is what visitors see when they find your work.

Write your bio in your own voice — how long you’ve been doing this, what you make, what you care about. A few honest sentences beat a polished paragraph.

Add your studio location, website and social links if you have them.

Profile changes appear immediately — no waiting for approval. Fix a typo at breakfast and it’s live at breakfast.

That’s different from your shop items, which a volunteer checks first because they can be bought. Your profile is just you describing yourself, so nobody needs to approve it.

Your profile is live. The next step is putting your work on the site: Adding your shop items — the things you make, for sale at the counter and online. It takes about five minutes a piece.

Exhibiting in the gallery — one-off original artworks, or hanging a show — isn’t part of Artisan & Maker membership. Send an Expression of Interest at /exhibit/ and the curator will review it. You keep your shop either way.

How long does approval take? It’s volunteers, so it varies — usually a few days. You’ll get an email either way.

I haven’t had my welcome email. Check your spam folder first. If it’s not there, email info@yarravalleywaterwheel.org and we’ll resend it.

Can I change my email address? Email us and we’ll update it — your membership and billing are tied to it, so we change it carefully.

What does it cost, and when? Artisan & Maker membership is $180 / year, taken once your application is accepted, then yearly. Managing your subscription covers renewals, changing your card, and cancelling.

Something’s wrong and this guide doesn’t cover it. Reply to any email from us, or use the contact form. A volunteer reads them.