We recently connected with Chandler Sherry and have shared our conversation below.

Chandler , appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

Hello! My name is Chandler Sherry and I am 23 years old. I grew up in Marietta, Georgia and attended the University of Georgia. I graduated in 2022 with a degree in Textile Design and a double minor in Design and Media Studies and Fashion Merchandising. I created my company, Chan Art, prior to graduating. I curate a creative twist on our favorite classic collegiate mascots. I love to use untraditional colors and styles to depict school mascots.

If you were to ask me prior to graduating if I would be a full time artist and entrepreneur, I would have not believed you. I stumbled upon my niche art style right before graduating. In my last semester of college, I was doing a pop-up at the Lamar Dodd School of Art and I printed off a few of my bulldawg drawings. These drawings were done in a less traditional color way and design. They were a hit and sold out! A few weeks later, I was shopping at a popular boutique in downtown Athens and asked if they were interested in the print. They happened to be my first wholesaler, and we planned my first pop-up!

For my first pop-up, I decided that I wanted to add a flair to my designs. I offered to embellish the prints live with all sorts of materials, including disco tiles! People loved it! From that point, I realized that there was a niche for FUN and colorful artwork that gives a nod to collegiate memories and mascots. I officially started my business in June 2022, and applied to be in a summer intensive program with the University of Georgia’s Entrepreneurship Program. This program pushed me to develop my ideas and designs while growing my business, insisting that the two are necessary to do at the same time. It also put me on a tight timeline, setting goals each week. This was crucial to the growth of my business and the execution of my ideas. In the first year alone I did 26 pop-ups.

From that point, I have had so many incredible experiences with Chan Art. I have learned to always be open to different applications of art and design. This has opened my mind to thinking more creatively and opens the door for more opportunity.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am the owner, artist, and creative director of Chan Art! Chan Art curates a creative twist to our favorite classic collegiate mascots (GO DAWGS!). I use untraditional colors and styles to depict school mascots. As a textile design major, I have been concentrating on color composition and textures to enhance my paintings, prints, and products. I love to use bold strokes and abstract lines to create loose images and serendipitous pieces of work.

I do custom commissions, pop-ups, and wholesale! From fine art to the perfect tailgate accessories, I have you covered! I fulfill a niche for FUN and colorful artwork, that gives a nod to your favorite college memories, yet maintains a balanced modern, tasteful, and fun approach!

This last year, I have also launched my first clothing line in collaboration with SHUG! Clothing. I created the textile prints for all the pieces in the Fall 2023 collection. The next collaborative clothing line will be launching spring 2024!

As of today, I have expanded to 9 schools and you can find my work in around 50 different locations across the Southeast. You can also find me online at chanartchanart.com or follow me on instagram @chanartchanart. I am actively adding new schools to my portfolio!

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

From the beginning, I decided to sell directly on my own website, versus selling my work through Etsy. I wanted to have a strong brand image and I did not want to be lost in the sea of products on some of the larger e-commerce sites.

I opened my first Shopify online store front while I was in college and I have not looked back! I have loved using Shopify for the past few years. It has truly made so many aspects of my business easier. The interface is clean and simple to use, the data and analytics are collected well and it connects to many apps that make shipping and wholesaling much easier. I was able to create my own website and I am able to run my point of sales fob through my shopify store, so every pop-up is collecting the correct amount of sales tax and everything is running within the same system. From wholesale, to e-commerce directly on my website, to sending invoices, to selling directly at pop-ups, shopify is able to handle and integrate it all.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Starting a company right after college has been a journey of growth. It has been a huge push outside of my comfort zone and I have learned something new every single day. I tell myself that if I am feeling too comfortable, I am not pushing myself enough.

From the beginning I have been self-funded. I have been financially independent while funding my business. This has been quite a journey for me! I believe that it has taught me how to invest in the business wisely, especially with inventory. Though it has been a challenge, I believe that it has helped me become a resilient and much stronger business owner.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chanartchanart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chanartchanart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chanartllc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandler-sherry-40413b17a/

Image Credits
Haley James Photography