There is a new concept, or at least new to me, of having a promoters require sales receipts for goods to try to eliminate the buy/sell that has become so prevelent in our industry. How do artist and crafts people feel about this? It is happening on the Jersey shore and down here in Florida. I know anyone can fake anything but it seems like a pretty good idea to me. I have nothing to hide as I make everything I sell and have receipts to show that I have purchased the items I use. How do others feel about this?
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All I want to say is to remember this. Promoters are human. Every member of a jury is human. And they WILL make mistakes! And yes, sometimes B/S will get by! I have learned to accept that fact. And as far as I'm concerned, I have enough faith in my product to compete with anybody the promoter places next to me.
So please remember, nobody's perfect and mistakes and people will get by any jury! You'll never stop it.
And as far a imports being passed off as domestic, you better have proof before you accuse. I know many exhibitors who take the import stuff and copy them for a change. Just because you think it is, doesn't mean it is.
Thank you all for your input. We all seem to agree that the promoters and the jury should be informed individuals and responcible for the jury selection of participating artists and for the policing of the show. I have run into people who are afraid to speak out when they see buy/sell for fear of blacklisting by the promoters. Knowing that it is illegal to sell imported items without proper labeling may give these people better ammunition when they report buy/sell to a promoter. I hope the promoters are aware of this and can use it to their advantage when checking booths during their shows. No one should fear reprisal for following the law. There should be no penalty for an artist who reports buy/sell to the promoter as artist is trying to keep the show clean and what they bought into when they signed their contract. Buy/sell items belong in the flea market, not in an art show.
I agree with the others that this is too easy to fake, and it should be up to the promoters and jury to spot the buy/sell. As a photographer, I can show receipts for paper, ink, and frames, but that does not prove that I took the pictures. Maybe I should send the jury of picture of mosquito bites, ticks, and me standing in a swamp!
This is not a new thing at all. I remember this requirement over 20 years ago. I do shows with some promoters who, if the work looks suspicous, will ask for further proof of their assertion that the work is handcrafted. So an invoice from a steel supplier (in my case) or a place like Dick Blick Art Supplies really doesn't bother me at all.
I see it as the promoter trying their best to keep the B/S out of the show.
I see too many exhibitors with an "us vs them" attitude regarding the promoter. It's not and never has been. The promoter provides us with a place to exhibit our work. They are not the enemy, they are our partner in business. And we should help them have a successful show. And if that means an extra piece of paper in the application from "Georgia Frame Comany", so what?
It isn't new, but at the same time being adopted by several show organizers/juries.
Having been on a jury and many of the people who applied didn't know what a "juried" event was, made our task hard and at times easy. The jury did their best in giving artists new to jurying every possible chance. One that stood out was one that did a musical instrument, but remember seeing them at a local show and someone mentioning they were buy/sell. Lucky, what gave the jury the red signal was a photo of "a person" making them. Only hands were in the photo - not the artist. So one of the jury members googled them and within two clicks of the mouse found the items were not only made from a kit, but also made in Guatamala. Now I am all for Fair Trade stuff, but the show is a handmade only show - the main requirement for the show - the other being it must be made by the artist - no reps, etc. unless the actual artist would be present during the full run of the event. I have to say we caught about 10-15 buy/sellers that tried to sneak by.
I do agree anything can be faked - just like the photos I mentioned, however if I have nothing to hide - which I don't - I don't care, I will provide whatever is necessary. If it means helping to crack down on buy/sell, I am all for it. I do have two issues with it though - one, I grow my own raw materials, that is something I can't prove via invoice (although I can provide an invoice for the items which I use for packaging the final products - glass bottles and reeds for reed diffusers, bags for potpourri, etc.) this will be something hard for me to provide the jury/show organizer. The other issue is I save my receipts for tax purposes and to have a handle on my business finances - I am guessing an original would be needed to demonstrate where materials come from as anyone can photo copy some papers and doctor them up. This isn't something I care to part with - the originals.
Interesting you should ask this. The organizers of the event are, of course, responsible that everything is above board. But you can help.
I have been involved in art fairs for 30 years, served on many, many juries and know many of the artists in this business. Nonetheless, things do slip by. If, at any time, you have information about buy/sell being in a show please let the organizers know about it.
I am one of the art directors for Arts, Beats & Eats and we were pretty thrilled about a recent applicant with very cool work and looking forward to having it in the show. Then we were alerted by Sally Bright, from the NAIA, who saw this person's name on our accepted list that they were importers. The company is Mistura, a watchmaker from Colombia, SA, who has reps at art fairs all around the country this year. They will not be in the show.
Be on the lookout, and please always pass on this kind of information. Buy/sell is going to be part of the agenda at the NAIA conference in Peoria, IL, in late September.
Paula- I agree with the onus being placed on the promoter and on the jury but often it just doesn't happen. I also feel that the people on the standards committee or the promoter need to be out doing their job of checking to make sure that the items jurried are the items in the booth. If the contract for the show says no buy/sell there should be no buy/sell. I too follow the rules and the promoter needs to enforce them. Fair is fair.
Replies
So please remember, nobody's perfect and mistakes and people will get by any jury! You'll never stop it.
And as far a imports being passed off as domestic, you better have proof before you accuse. I know many exhibitors who take the import stuff and copy them for a change. Just because you think it is, doesn't mean it is.
I see it as the promoter trying their best to keep the B/S out of the show.
I see too many exhibitors with an "us vs them" attitude regarding the promoter. It's not and never has been. The promoter provides us with a place to exhibit our work. They are not the enemy, they are our partner in business. And we should help them have a successful show. And if that means an extra piece of paper in the application from "Georgia Frame Comany", so what?
Having been on a jury and many of the people who applied didn't know what a "juried" event was, made our task hard and at times easy. The jury did their best in giving artists new to jurying every possible chance. One that stood out was one that did a musical instrument, but remember seeing them at a local show and someone mentioning they were buy/sell. Lucky, what gave the jury the red signal was a photo of "a person" making them. Only hands were in the photo - not the artist. So one of the jury members googled them and within two clicks of the mouse found the items were not only made from a kit, but also made in Guatamala. Now I am all for Fair Trade stuff, but the show is a handmade only show - the main requirement for the show - the other being it must be made by the artist - no reps, etc. unless the actual artist would be present during the full run of the event. I have to say we caught about 10-15 buy/sellers that tried to sneak by.
I do agree anything can be faked - just like the photos I mentioned, however if I have nothing to hide - which I don't - I don't care, I will provide whatever is necessary. If it means helping to crack down on buy/sell, I am all for it. I do have two issues with it though - one, I grow my own raw materials, that is something I can't prove via invoice (although I can provide an invoice for the items which I use for packaging the final products - glass bottles and reeds for reed diffusers, bags for potpourri, etc.) this will be something hard for me to provide the jury/show organizer. The other issue is I save my receipts for tax purposes and to have a handle on my business finances - I am guessing an original would be needed to demonstrate where materials come from as anyone can photo copy some papers and doctor them up. This isn't something I care to part with - the originals.
Anyone else see issues about this subject too?
NAIA has as one of it's advocacies that artists shouldn't be penalized for reporting something wrong.
http://naia-artists.org/work/naia_advocacies.htm#grievances
Larry Berman
Digital Jury Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
Test Your Jury Images and Presentation
http://JuryImages.com
412-767-8644
I have been involved in art fairs for 30 years, served on many, many juries and know many of the artists in this business. Nonetheless, things do slip by. If, at any time, you have information about buy/sell being in a show please let the organizers know about it.
I am one of the art directors for Arts, Beats & Eats and we were pretty thrilled about a recent applicant with very cool work and looking forward to having it in the show. Then we were alerted by Sally Bright, from the NAIA, who saw this person's name on our accepted list that they were importers. The company is Mistura, a watchmaker from Colombia, SA, who has reps at art fairs all around the country this year. They will not be in the show.
Be on the lookout, and please always pass on this kind of information. Buy/sell is going to be part of the agenda at the NAIA conference in Peoria, IL, in late September.