Meet Corrina Hughes | Southwestern jewelry artist based in Albuquerque, NM

We had the good fortune of connecting with Corrina Hughes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Corrina, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Consistency, reliability and professionalism. Those three things help establish an important rapport within the working world.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My Jewelry business is now in it’s 6th year & still going strong. That comes with a lot of lessons – some of them hard, others have been surprising and most are certainly educational. I cannot stress enough the importance of building your own network of true business advocates and cheerleaders. Surround yourself with people who want you to succeed. In the art world the environment can be incredibly cutthroat, competitive and unstable. There’s a lot of insecurity and a lot of promoters and event organizers that run shady business models. When I started out, I had a specific vision and a plan/timeline of what I wanted to accomplish and when I wanted to accomplish it. I am extremely goal-oriented and schedule things out far in advance. Then I tick off those smaller goals. I understand that not everyone is this organized or meticulous. When I launched my business, I made sure to have conversations with quite a few veterans who had been in the scene for awhile. It’s great to talk to as many personality types as you can. Compile viewpoints. I also had the previous experience of my parents having their own ceramics company when I was a teenager. I learned a lot and retained a lot of info from their experiences and working for them. That experience has served me well. My success is based in the form of cultivating some healthy habits – Show up & show up early. Communicate clearly. Packing things in a specific order for optimal unload/reload for events (this way you don’t forget anything!), making lists of important things, etc…..

Flexibility is also important. Everyone in the art biz eventually finds a groove of sorts. We find what works for us and then we stick to a certain formula that gives us the desired outcome. I always tell emerging artists to take chances and try everything once. That’s the only way you find what works and what doesn’t. Even now, I still have the odd show that falls below expectations. Last year was a great test for those of us that thought we had everything pretty much figured out in this challenging economy – Sales weren’t as great as we had hoped they would be. We’re the first in line to feel the crunch when a recession hits. People have to pay to keep the lights on and put food on the table. That shiny pair of earrings or spiffy new painting takes a back seat priority wise (as it should).

The other important thing is to learn how to network within these various groups. YOU are responsible for building and maintaining your presence. You must build and maintain a certain level of visibility. Not everyone is friendly. Not everyone wants to lend a hand up. Not everyone is chatty or is willing to share resources and/or opportunities. I personally think that most artists deserve a fair shot at success but they have to be willing to work their behinds off. If I see a great work ethic and consistency, I’m more open and willing to share the few resources that I have. My advice to anyone starting out in this business would be to have patience and be realistic in their expectations regarding the speed with which success will be achieved. Things don’t happen overnight. I earned everything great by working really hard. Slow and steady maintains a better presence than a flash in the pan. I’m more concerned with building a brand with staying power. I am committed to my long term vision of sharing my affordable & unique version of my art.

It’s great to sit down and plot out an overall trajectory : price points with wiggle room to adjust when the market and supply chains go awry. Do you want to wholesale your art or sell in established places/shops (I don’t!). Do you want a brick and mortar location or do you want to do pop-up opportunities ? How will you market your products ? Are YOU comfortable being the face of your brand ? It’s great to explain your vision for your company/art. Cultivate a mission statement. Make sure you have a long and short biography to submit to bigger shows that require one when you apply. Update those things once a year because anything can change. People love to relate through things like shared experiences or goals. I’m more of a private person but I’ve learned to share & relate more to my customers through the storytelling of my products and occasional newsletters I send out through my store website.. You cannot beat a personalized experience and presence from a smaller business. Big corporations don’t have that gift and talent. We do !

My mission is still the same as when I launched my company – providing unique & affordable southwestern jewelry & pieces for the refined fashionista. I want my customers to know that they are getting the highest of quality and materials for every working dollar that choose to invest. To see your customers wearing items they purchased years ago, be it a special occasion or for everyday wear, is the highest of honors. I will never take that special feeling for granted.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I already do this often ! I am quite proud of where I grew up. I take friends out to brunch at either Monica’s El Portal for *AUTHENTIC NM cuisine* in Old Town, The Grove Cafe in Nob Hill, Sawmill Market in the Sawmill district or to Mille which is a great French bistro located off the plaza in Santa Fe owned by dear friends. Consistently stellar food at any of those locations. We could visit a few local galleries depending on what is showing – the NM Artisan Market hosts a plethora of outstanding local artists during the holidays and during Balloon Fiesta at the lovely Hotel Albuquerque.. Las Golondrinas hosts themed once a month events during the summer & fall, including the biggest Renaissance Fair in NM. Las Golondrinas also approaches the experience they provide with a youth driven educational angle which is valuable. Blue River Productions & the Village of Los Ranchos host New Mexico’s largest Lavender Festival in the summer. Again, the list of top notch artists, crafters, growers and demonstrations is second to none !
The Orpheum Community Space & Homewise Santa Fe host a fantastic array of both established and emerging local artists and musical acts year-round. They also host fundraising drives for various local organizations and charities in need <3
We might also make our way to Santa Fe for the Indigenous Ways summer festival or any of the Artwalk Santa Fe events that host local artists.
We also have Meow Wolf, the Abq Biopark & Zoo, The Launchpad, Sunshine & El Rey for great local music,The Natural History Museum, the Tram or the Mira! Festival out in Las Cruces. We have a bunch of wonderful galleries including Ghost Wolf, Gallery Hozho, Mariposa, The Georgia O’Keefe museum & the IAIA MoCNA in Santa Fe……the list goes on & on. There is no shortage of things to do in Abq and NM in general.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family support system is amazing – my boys and husband Brad, my father Doug (who is also a mentor & fellow creative), my sister Lucille, my beloved late grandmother Natalie, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. I also have the most amazing chosen family -Brenda, Jane, Lili, Carol, Lucky, Deborah, Caitlin, Alisha, Amanda, Tahnee & Steph, Maureen, Priscilla, Richard, Gary, Kim, Greg, Monica, Amaya ……. so many wonderfully supportive souls in my chosen family. A kind word goes a very long way, especially when things get difficult. If there was ever a need to advertise give a shoutout…. or just show up to an event/market, I knew I could count on any one of these amazing friends. Even during the pandemic, my friends and family came out to support me in full force. I am incredibly lucky to have support from these amazing people in my life.

On the opportunity/business front, I’d like to give the New Mexico Artisans Market at Sawmill/Hotel ABQ, Rebecca Tuccillo a huge shout-out for always supporting our local artists and providing amazing opportunities for those artists. I’d also love to mention the Indigenous Ways Festival founded by Elena Higgins & Tash Terry, Artwalk Santa Fe with Alex Streeper & Mara Saxer, Blue River Productions with Lorianna Marrone, Suzan Schaaf of Las Golondrinas, The Dona Ana Arts Coucil in Las Cruces, WESST, Caitlin Padilla with the City of ABQ Cultural District and last but certainly not least, Monica Bencomo from the Orpheum Community Hub/Home wise. All of these organizations have provided amazing opportunities for our artists. Grateful for them. Thank you all so much for your hard work and dedication and for letting artists truly shine within their talents !

Website: kokopellidesignstudio.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kokopellidesignstudio/

Image Credits
Kokopelli Design Studio.