I recently had an art show at a regional art festival called bang. I have decided to post about my experience so that perhaps others may not be so vulnerable as to fall into the trap that I did. I thought it would be nice to support some “under-dogs” in the regional art world by merely hanging 6 of my paintings for a weekend at their festival. I showed up
friday, hung my paintings, went back
sunday to pick them up, and no one was there….not even the paintings. when I attempted to contact the “producers” one
wouldn’t answer, and the other was hungover and VERY rude….needless to say the whole show became a mixture of confusion, chaos,
miscommunications, and disorder that I was later blamed for. I have never had such a bad experience with an art show. It’s a long, unnecessary story, but ultimately I have some tips for anyone new to the art market or anyone considering an “art festival”:
1.) Legitimacy: Do some research about the festival and figure out how long it has been going on. If it is older, find some former artists that may have some insight as to how the show went; or you could even ask previous show-goers if the festival was organized and seemingly legitimate. If the show is newer, that doesn’t mean that its bad, it just means that the people may be new at doing it, and are going to use this show to learn from their mistakes….don’t NOT participate because its new (b/c they need you to help get it started), but be sure you do the following:
2.) Communication: always be sure you stay in contact with whomever is providing the show. this means not only by email, but more importantly by phone or in person as well. Become aware of who is coordinating and producing the show. The last thing you need/want is some “kids” that think its going to be cool to have bands and art for a weekend trying to put together something they haven’t thoroughly thought about and worked out the details for.
3.) Ask Questions: Always take into consideration what may be going on around your artwork while it is on the wall. Also, be specific (and redundant if necessary) when asking about what time your artwork should be dropped off, who is hanging it, how it can be hung, if you can hang it yourself, when it should be picked up, and what happens if no one is there when you go to pick it up.
4.) Where does the money go?: find out if the show is benefiting a charity or other non-profit organization. If so, don’t feel bad to ask where the profits from your work is going. If it is going to benefit someone other than you, be sure you are alright with the organization it is benefiting. After all, this is your work, and you have all rights to know what’s going on.
These are just a few suggestions to keep your stress level down!! I did by the way get my paintings back (after 2, one and a half hour trips) If you are considering an art festival, then good luck…and the last festival on my recommendation list is Bang.
