It was with great dismay that I heard about the Naples National volunteer who was encouraging patrons at the gate to " the artists are all hard up, come back Sunday and get a deal". It is a shame that the thoughtless words of one person could have a devastating effect on the lives of the artists. Rather than be credited for their heroic effects, braving all wind, weather and economical conditions to sell their work, they face being demeaned and treated as lowly carnival acts.
Artists have families, children, mortgages and jobs. Being an artist is a job, a real one, just like any other profession. No better no worse. It's an honorable living using God's gift. Instead of being given proper respect as with any other trained person, it seems lately we are used and abused beyond belief. We are always the first people to be called upon for any charity act. Donate. Donate. Donate. Or to be used as entertainment, depending on us to at least be of interest for a stroll down the street or a walk in the park.
The artists have to literally go to war to get a fair shake. They fight through the jury process, they fight to pay the exceedingly and ever increasing ridiculous booth fees, while the organizations keep adding more booth spaces to increase their profits while diluting the sales of the artists in the process. They create silent auctions based on donations from the artists. Every sale in the auction booth is one less sale that could have happened for the artists. It's become quite obvious the organizations don't care about the artists.
If organizations cared about the artists, they would consider the times and decrease the booth fees. If they cared about the artists, they would stop doing silent auctions and pre-show auctions and turn their focus to what they are really SUPPOSED to be be doing, which is supporting creativity and the arts in general. It has become all about the dollar. Guess what....artists are quitting right and left. They are sick of it. Sick of all the shenanigans and hoops they have to jump through just to put food on the table.
If organizations cared about local artists, they would stop using them as fillers in the national shows. Putting local artists straight to the wait list, waiting to see who was a "no-show" and plugging a local artist into that spot at the last minute is a slap in the face to the artist and nothing more than a way to double sell the booth space. Instead of $500 for the space, they gained $1,000 knowing that the local artist is anxious to fill that space.
It's about time someone in charge got a reality check. Street shows are a hard way to make a living. Driving long distances, staying in motels, getting up at 4am, setting up in the dark, many artists with no helpers, facing extreme weather, knowing there is no refund and then presenting oneself to the public with one's creations, only to hear....."they're really hard up, come back Sunday when they are desperate".
Patsy Reeves
Naples, Fl.
Comments
I'd like to hear the justification for the jury fees? I talked to a juror who said he thought most were excessive. The jurors either view slides on CD's or email/website photos. They are charging everyone $25 and UP to "view" the entries (100 applicants x 25 = 2500). The poor artists who don't get accepted are out the money. Thus, another way for promoters to make money. It has become big business. That's why sooo many shows are popping up. Not for the artists' benefit, that's for sure.
Note to self: Forget the southern winter circuit - expensive, grueling, seemingly demeaning. Stay within 100 miles of home and go home at night - that's 2 small paintings that I don't have to sell for a hotel stay..
Being both a crafter (which supports my art show habit) and painter artist, I want to remind the audience that in general, craft table spots are under $100.00 for all but the most expensive and snooty gigs. Also, I tend to make 3-5 times my craft table fee at these shows. The events do not charge admission and people come to shop and buy. I don't need a portable gallery space which cost $4000 - $5000 and an expensive vehicle to haul it about...
So, why can I do the craft thing at the DuPont Country Club for cheap and rub elbows with an exclusive, upscale crowd that I would love to see at most art shows (and don't usually).... and yet when I pay a $500 booth fee plus a $50 entry/jury/processing/application... fee, the promoters charge a gate fee, sometimes a parking fee.... I don't generate the revenue that the inexpensive craft show generates...
Another thought: I was at a juried art event talking with another artist about a juried arts and crafts show in the same town with a much higher booth fee. He remarked that he had done the show in times past with his art and had done OK... but he experienced a paradigm shift... He found that he could purchase 3,000 units of a cheap customizable import for a $1/unit, do some on the spot personalization which took less than a minute and sell it for $3/unit and regularly sell out. ..... He said,'why should I work so hard to put up an 'art booth' when I can make 6x the profit with minimal expense and effort... and have either exhibit pass jury'?
The future of the summer art show is in the hands of the promoters. If they use the event to promote artists and their wares while making a reasonable ROI, the tradition may flourish. However, if they use the event as a pure revenue generator and charge fees for as many aspects and as many exhibitors and attendees as possible, it is doomed...
Patsy, I just wanted to let you know that we are listening to your concerns. I'm the PR and Marketing Director for the organization behind the show where this volunteer assisted. We were also extremely dismayed to hear this morning what was said two weeks ago and have already set out to do more to prevent such a thing from occurring in the future. We wish that we would have been told about the situation during the festival, because, as Geri mentioned, we would have immediately taken care of it.
Especially because you are in the area, I invite you to come to a town hall style meeting specifically for local artists. We're holding these as we're preparing for next season. The next one is Tuesday, March 26 at 10 a.m. and again at 5:30 p.m. at the von Liebig Art Center. Executive Director Aimee Schlehr has scheduled these meetings in order to better personally listen to what artists are facing and how the Naples Art Association can make a positive impact for you. There are no easy answers, of course, but we want to keep the dialogue open and work to keep improving. Feel free to private message me, call the art center at 239-262-6517 or email any of us directly anytime. (kathleen.taylor@naplesart.org, aimee.schlehr@naplesart.org, marianne.megela@Naplesart.org).
We know you're in a tough profession under any circumstances, but we are glad that you have chosen to follow your creative passions to do it. We hope you may reach out to us soon if there's anything we can do to help.
It was not me that was told to come back Sunday. The person who experienced posted earlier.
Did you ask to see the show director? That should have been stopped immediately.
I forgot to add it is ridiculous for the fairs to charge admission. Do they not realize how many people won't come based on principle? Yes, have a "donation" box for "if they choose to make a small donation", but charging admission reduces the show to a carnival. Totally tasteless.