More and more you see calls to artists where there is a $25 to $35 submission fee. I have also seen some that are asking for $10 per image submitted. This fee doesn’t guarantee that you are in the show only that you can submit.

I have also noticed that alot of calls state that you the artist, have to incur the cost of shipping the work to and from the gallery. I found this from a website call:

“Shipped works must be sent in an easily reusable container/packaging with return shipping prepaid, and include the return shipping label with the work.”

I get it that in order to survive that some galleries need to levee these charges especially artists run centers.

For Example:
I was juried into a The Sculptors Society of Canadian a few years ago. They are based in Toronto and I live in Alberta. In order to show in the gallery I have to pay a $50 submission fee as well as pay for the transport of my work there and back. This is a great group and a lovely gallery and I get it that they don’t have a lot of funding. For a venue like this perhaps it would be alright to participate and pay the submission fees maybe once a year???

I still don’t think artists should have to pay submission fees to show their work! I have always had a policy never to pay submission fees to exhibit my work especially not to a vanity gallery.

Do you pay submission fees to galleries to show your work?

Footnote: There was quite a discussion on this at Facebook from artists as well as a gallery owner. You can follow it here by liking my Facebook page or sending a friend request. I like everyone.

In order to have a successful relationship with a gallery first and foremost the gallery owner, director, dealer has to believe in your work. Even if the gallery believes in your work and fails to find an audience for it; this can not be considered a successful relationship.

If you think it would be nice to be given a chance and have the market prove them wrong chances are the gallery is not going to be pushing your work. Meaning it will more than likely become your off site storage.

It is a symbiotic relationship or at least it use to be. Quiet interoverted artist needs professional well contected art dealer and well contected art dealer needs art.

The art world is changing and I hear and read more and more about artists taking their own careers in hand and finding their own market and marketing to that market.

It is not an easy task taking one’s art career into your own hands. Most artists rely on the galleries to be their spokesperson and advocate but if you are looking for a starting point check out these resources at artbiz.ca/school

Weather it is a group or a solo exhibition if you are showing in a Public Art Gallery you have responsibilities. NEVER assume anything, always ask. There are a number of responsibilities you have as a showing artist but right now I just want to talk about the installation of installation work.

What you need to know:

Ask for a floor plan for the space?
If at all possible visit the gallery yourself to become familiar with the space and take your own measurements.  Having a floor plan of the space and pictures will help you visualize the installation in the space provided. You may need to make adjustments if for example the ceiling height is higher/lower or your allotted wall space is different than anticipated.

When are the installation dates?
If you can be there to install try to do it earlier rather than later. This will give you the time you need in case something unforeseen happens and save you from being there until midnight or finding yourself short of materials and all the stores are closed.

What technical support is available?
Again never assume that the gallery will know what to do with your installation. More often than not in artist run centers and galleries that are not the MoMA, the gallery installers are students there to learn and earn credits.

What equipment and tools are available for installation?
If your work has any special hanging requirements talk about it with your gallery contact. You might be required to supply the special installation items so give yourself plenty of time to source suppliers. Make sure you describe your work, how it was made and what attaches it to the wall.

I always bring my tools with me because I know I’ll have the right size drill bit, etc. Also if you need electrical outlets inquire about extension cord routes in relation to your installation, you might have to supply your own extension cords.

Do a dry run: install your work in your studio.
Chances are you have done this in order to create the install in the first place but if you are grouping pieces to create an installation work like I have done with the piece Cruciform then don’t think that you can figure it out on site. A dry run will help you work the bugs out of the installation process and confirms your dimensions. Map it: do a drawing indicating dimensions and a starting point for the install. It will also make the actual install go so much quicker and smoother.

If the exhibit is out of town provide the gallery with installation instructions and drawings with dimensions. Photograph the work from various angles already installed and send them with the instructions.

If there is a catalogue being published for the exhibit, ask what type and how extensive a publication it will be. Often artists with installation work will not have professional print ready images of the piece being shown. Don’t count on getting those images from the gallery when they document the exhibition as this may be too late to be included in the catalogue.

At the end of the exhibit
Find out when the work will be coming down and try to be there to disassemble the work. Sometimes the work doesn’t come down the same way it went up so make sure that uninstall instructions are also included with the work when sending out of town.

Always be prepared and you will have the best show ever.

I posed the question for Alyson Stanfield to use at artbizblog.com:
Have you ever shown at a venue that broke or damaged one of your artworks and didn’t offer to remunerate you for the loss? What did you do?

The response was over whelming, 19 38 comments. Admittedly a few of those comments were me connecting with an artist who owned a piece of mine. Very cool this small world of ours. Still the stories ranged from work lost in fires, stolen and or mishandled and it all seems to come down to contracts and insurance.

My piece Ink Well was damaged by a gallery during installation. It was an accident and yes I had a contract with the gallery and they did have insurance on the work while it was in their possession.

What did I do? I took it on the chin.

Why?

1. It was a public not for profit gallery.
2. There were extenuating circumstances with the people involved that I think are to personal to publish here.
3. I was able to piece the work back together (sort of).

While the damage to this piece brought a tear to my eye I was able to make something of it. The gallery gathered up all the fragments and most of the breaks from falling off the wall to a concrete floor below were clean.  But because this work is encaustic I could not just glue it back together.

Hesitantly I applied melted wax as slip and used my torch to fuse. I had to pass the torch over the surface to create a good bond and remove the crack lines. This process moved the current layers of wax and the colours thus creating a whole new piece.

While I still prefer the original piece I am happy that I was able to maintain the focal point at the center of the piece which was my favourite aspect of the original.

Ink Well Before

Ink Well After

Which one do you prefer?