Any artist who was doing shows in the mid-Atlantic during the end of September/early October know that TS/Hurricane Joaquin coupled with a series of low pressure systems wreaked havoc with plans.

Neptune in Virginia Beach was able to move a 250 artist show from the boardwalk to an indoor location in what must have been herculean effort.  By all accounts we heard, artists and patrons were there in full force and many reported having a great show.

For An Occasion for the Arts, in Williamsburg, VA, there was no suitable alternate location available and for safety reasons the show was cancelled at the last possible minute.

As artists looking forward to participating in AOFTA for the first time, we were really disappointed in the toll that the weather took on what was certain to be a great event.

So where does the “class act” come in?  First, the artist liaison did an outstanding job of keeping everyone up to date on the decision making process and the issues that were being confronted as part of that process.

Social media were used effectively to keep the patrons, volunteers, and artists apprised of the festival status.

When the show was cancelled, email and Facebook blasts made the announcement almost the instant the decision was made.  Included in that email was the following:

“After consultation with local and regional officials and due to safety concerns for artists and patrons related to strong winds and significant rain fall (an unpredictable hurricane), I deeply regret informing you that the board of directors of An Occasion for the Arts has cancelled the 46th annual show scheduled for this weekend, October 3rd & 4th.  SNIFF!! This is only the second time since the show was founded in 1969 that we have cancelled. This action was not done lightly but we are convinced, given what we know at this time, that it is the right move.

In the next few days we will do all we can to preserve as much of our financial resources as possible, with hopes of returning a portion of your investment back to you.  I will be in touch with you in the next few weeks once we can determine our financial situation and what our strategy will be.”

“Returning a portion of your investment”!!!!! This was astounding.  Since the show was cancelled basically the day before set-up, so many costs must have been incurred that our first thought was “How is this possible?”  Our second thought was, “We if we get $50 back that would be great.

An email two weeks later said “At minimum, we are committed to a 50% reimbursement of booth payments. The exact amount of reimbursement cannot be determined until we have completed the tally of all our expenses.”

50% at minimum!  How were they doing this?

Finally, an email arrived yesterday.  It said: “I have good news! The Executive Board of An Occasion for the Arts has approved a 97% refund of your 2015 booth fee (your payment minus the 3% processing charge by Zapplication).”

In its simplest terms, the Board of AOFTA made the artists whole.

The explanation: “This unprecedented action is the result of unwavering support to the success of AOFTA by the Williamsburg community: all Sponsoring Organizations followed through on their financial commitments, Friends of AOFTA continued with their individual contributions, and service providers (e.g. shuttle, tents, etc.) voluntarily returned substantial deposits.  Of course, there were other contributing funds, for example: no performance fees, no security payments and no artist awards.

It also important to note, that An Occasion for the Arts is coordinated by a dedicated volunteer Board. Hundreds of hours were contributed to organizing the event and in managing the crisis afterward, all without payment. Most shows pay an administrative staff but since we do not, this made a substantial difference in our ability to consider ambitious financial solutions to the crisis.”

So, kudos to AOFTA, the organizing committee and Board, the city of Williamsburg and all of the volunteers.  This was a lost weekend not just for the artists but also for everyone involved in putting on the festival.  Thanks to the generosity of all of those folks, the artists’ loss was limited to sales and not expenses.

I would encourage anyone with an opening in his or her schedule for this weekend in 2016 to strongly consider applying to AOFTA.

One thing that was made perfectly clear is that the 2015 artists must apply again and be juried again just like everyone else.  (There are no exceptions other than the 2014 award winners.)

A lot of shows could learn much from the way AOFTA (and also Neptune) handled the rain/wind/flooding situation

 

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  • That is great news!

    The show that was cancelled for me, in Waterford VA,  the same weekend due to the hurricane is also considering refunding our money/ or putting it towards 2016 show or having a December event. I'll let you know which it is when it is decided.

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