Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Artist Pay-to-Play Galleries, Exhibitions, Publications

 All this information was taken from Art Business News http://www.artbusiness.com

I completely agree with all of it!

If you receive solicitations to participate in any for-profit exhibitions, galleries, publications, websites, contests or competitions where you have to pay to be included, first read the article Art Contests, Competitions, Shows and More Where You Pay Up Front-- Will They Get You Somewhere? Or Are They Dead Ends, Time Wastes or Scams? Then THOROUGHLY research any such offer-- BEFORE you pay-- and evaluate it on its own merits. The article explains how to do this research right. No matter how marvelous an opportunity sounds, get the facts, get informed, and then make your decision.

Artists often find out about these offers through various forms of advertising, particularly mass emailings. The more agressive senders relentlessly bombard artists with emails and sometimes even contact them directly by phone. Costs to participate can range anywhere from under $100 to thousands of dollars, especially if you factor in incidental expenses like shipping, travel, insurance or accomodations. Whatever the circumstance, make sure you are aware of all costs and potential benefits or drawbacks in advance. Does everyone benefit... or is it more like you pay, they play? Here is a partial list, in no particular order, of publications, venues, and other situations where you have to pay to expose your art, and that you should fully research-- before you pay-- in order to understand exactly what you're getting for your money:


* Agora Gallery, New York City (related solicitations: Chelsea International Fine Art Competition)
* Florence Biennale
* Gallery Gora, Montreal, Canada
* Artists Wanted (related solicitations: The Power of Self, Art Takes London, 3rd Ward Open Call, Art Interview Online Magazine, One Life - An International Photography Competition, Art Takes Miami)
* World Art Media (related solicitations: NY Arts Magazine, APW Gallery, Arts Hotline, Art Fairs Newspaper, Annual Artists' Web Directory, Beijing Arts Space, NY Arts Beijing, The Broadway Gallery NYC, Art Fairs International)
* Artoteque (related solicitations: Artists of Today - 100 Contemporary Artists, iBIENNIAL 2011 2012)
* Masters of Today (related solicitations: Art Addiction, World of Art Magazine, Creative Genius, Art in Vogue, Art Connoisseurs, Female Artist's Art Annual, Artist's World - 100 Contemporary Artists, Nude de Nude online art annual, Bibliophile Limited Edition art book)
* World Wide Art Books (related solicitations: International Contemporary Masters, International Masters of Photography)
* World Art Foundation (Umbrella Publishing, Jojo Marengo)
* Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City
* International Contemporary Artists
* Art & Beyond Publications (online Magazine)
* Palm Art Award
* World Art Vision (related solicitations: Open Art Code)
* Everythingisart.cc Magazine
* Contemporary Art Network (CAN), New York City
* Ico (aka Icosahedron) Gallery, Chelsea, New York City
* Art-Exchange (.com)
* RAW - Natural Born Artists
* American Art Awards
* Artist Portfolio Magazine (related solicitations: MyArtContest.com)
* The Artists' Alley, San Francisco, CA (also known as Galiaria)
* American Art Collector published by Alcove Books
* NY Art Marathon
* Artspecifier (related solicitations: Photospecifier)
* A. Jain Marunouchi Gallery, New York City
* Artists Haven Gallery, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
* The Brick Lane Gallery, London, UK
* Printspace Gallery, London, UK
* Queen Gallery, Toronto, ON
* Working Artist Org.
* Manu Sol Publications
* Art LA (.com)
* James Gray Gallery, Santa Monica, CA (Art LA)
* Laguna Art (.com)
* Townley Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA (Laguna Art)
* Fine Art Connoisseur (related solicitations: Artist Advocate Magazine, PleinAir Magazine, American Forum for Realism, Plein Air Convention)
* Art Show Productions, Rochester & Pittsford, NY (related solicitations: Artisan Direct, ARTISANworks)

7 comments:

  1. I don't agree with any of it. It just makes it more difficult for the artists to get their work out there.

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  2. To clarify my comment above, I don't agree with the pay-to-play concept for artists. It is an added encumbrance for the artist and would make it more difficult as an added barrier for some artists to get their work into the public. I suspect non-artists conjured up this concept for their own financial benefit without surveying artists to see how they felt about it and how such a concept could impact them with probably no guaranteed benefits. I would personally avoid any pay-to- play galleries, venues, publications, etc.-period.

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. kk said...

    This is a great list for artists.I urge all artist think and consult fellow artist before get involve with those offers or simply don't .Most of them is dead end.I agree with Anne these offers are scam.All most all off them is dead end.Will not take you any where.Non -artists run these offer are basically scam to take money out from artist.I personally checked few of them (NYC based) ..
    Artist basically gets nothing out of these show except loosing the hard earn money...

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  5. Some of these I never pay any attention to, but paying a fee is still something to consider sometimes (the atelier I work at has to pay thousands every year for its booth at IFPDA and INK). For instance I know I have gotten a lot of exposure from being in New American Painting and I paid an entry fee for that, but I have been in shows that I got little exposure from and I didn't pay a penny to be in. One of the things I do is look at the lists of winners and compare it to the list of "members" or "represented artists" or what not. If you see that the "winners" are part of an identifiable group, then be wary. I also don't apply to anything just based on the juror, I have judged shows myself and couldn't possible tell you the names of people who I selected as winners. Apply to shows that you want to, but just be wary. Even institutional shows can be expensive and get you little exposure. Truly at my level of the market I know it is all a gamble, there is no one representing me and when I did have someone, they stole my work and I almost lost it forever. So, trust none of it.

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  6. There is a difference in paying to be in a contest that is curated by a reputable guest artist or curator. It is different to pay to be in a gallery to show work. If you pay a gallery to show your work then they have NO incentive to sell anything. They have made the money on the front end-- anything else is gravy.

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