Exhibit advice needed

[Kirk Gittings]

I have both for solo exhibitions and group shows. I have also waived a fee when production costs have been covered by previous hanging fees and public funding when I've known a Gallery was struggling getting funding. Sadly though many galleries try to get away with paying nothing.

Ian

As I recall, in 1979 when I was a graduate student in Canada, there was, a nominal fee given to the featured artist in both public and private galleries. But it was not much $. I don't remember how much. Already having been showing in the states for almost a decade, I had never heard of such a thing and was amazed, and have never personally seen it again since returning to the US in '83. I wonder if any Canadians know about this-if it has continued?

Now, I have had work purchased that became part of a packaged traveling exhibit that traveled to out of state institutions and I am sure that there were rental fees paid between institutions for the rental of these packaged exhibits, but I saw nothing from the rental fees.

[IanG]

I've just returned from my local library (back in the UK) which has a separate art gallery and they do pay a nominal fee for Exhibitions. I also know that they can add to this through additional arts funding if required which does not come out of their own operating budget. But they have to go through an application process which may or not be successful.

In addition they can also get funding to commission new work. Often they recoup some of the costs by then rewnting the work out as a touring exhibition.

Ian

[bob carnie]

Your Local Canuk chipping in here.

On a Public Gallery Note:
I just finished putting two large photographic shows in the Royal Ontario Museum.
First Nigel Dickson with the Vanity Fair exhibit which ran for 6 months, as well Mark Nowaczynski House Call Project which is still open for 10 months. The ROM paid my company to print and frame the House Calls exhibit , and paid my company to print the Dickson exhibit , the framing went elsewhere.
The house call exhibit was featured in the View Camera mag along side Frank Petrino by the way.
They handled all the marketing / opening issues for both artists and in both cases the ROM plans to move the shows to other public galleries/museums in Ontario.
I am not privy to know what the deal was between the Artist's and the Museum.
In both cases the artists were chosen on the projects themselves and made selections from 11x14 portfolio proof prints, and not framed pieces.

On a Private Gallery Note:
The Toronto Art Fair is opening this week , and Galleries that pay the big bucks to be in usually pay for the printing and framing of pieces for this 5 day show. They usually will only do this for signed artists with their gallery. For others who are not signed the usual thing is the artist ** gladly** provides prints and frames with the hope of being picked up and being noticed. ** Gallery Owners from all over the world attend**

Day to day , the better commercial gallery's will invest their money in proven photographers, who can bring to the table the goods, They are not interested in breaking in Artists who bring all kinds of issues with them, they like to see a few final solo shows under their belt and some kind of track record with sales.
The rest of the commercial gallery's usually will help with promotion and the physical opening of a show but shy away from any financial help. Their position is that they are paying the rent on a bricks an motar building/showroom, pay the staff to help/administer the shows and the photographer needs to deliver the goods ready to hang.

I hope this fills in the blanks a bit , I am only talking about the Toronto Area, where I have been hanging/producing shows for over 25 years.

Right now I am working on a project with my friend Paul Paletti in Loisville where we plan to bring to that area over 30 crated solo and group shows.
In this case the photgraphers have not only paid to have their work printed/framed and crated, they also will be asked to cover the shipping , back and forth between Loisville Kentucky and Toronts, but as well be present for all the opening in Kentucky when we get this project all sorted out. We hope to have private gallerys, public galleries , private and public spaces join in and offer their location for this project.

For my clients this is an amazing way to show their work and we have plans of moving this show to other locals that want to work with us.

As I recall, in 1979 when I was a graduate student in Canada, there was, a nominal fee given to the featured artist in both public and private galleries. But it was not much $. I don't remember how much. Already having been showing in the states for almost a decade, I had never heard of such a thing and was amazed, and have never personally seen it again since returning to the US in '83. I wonder if any Canadians know about this-if it has continued?

Now, I have had work purchased that became part of a packaged traveling exhibit that traveled to out of state institutions and I am sure that there were rental fees paid between institutions for the rental of these packaged exhibits, but I saw nothing from the rental fees.

[Louie Powell]

I would need to know a lot more about the situation before answering the question.

I've never been paid to hang a show. In fact, the situation is usually the other way around - I have to pay in order to access a venue to hang my work. In return for hanging the work, I have the opportunity for sales. Admittedly, an unfulfilled dream, but we can always hope - - -

If you have the opportunity to sell images, it seems to me that a major question is whether the venue expects to take a percentage of sales. If the venue is hosting the show in expectation of generating revenue, then there is an argument that the venue should also share in the cost of the show. But if the venue is not taking a significant percentage, but rather is only doing it in order to provide decoration in their facility and perhaps attract a few additional visitors, then I don't see a valid argument for asking them to pay you to hang the show. And that's especially true if the venue is a non-profit.

Since you described the situation as a long-term show, then I presume you retain ownership of the prints. Who is responsible for insurance? If the prints are protected under the venue's insurance, then there could be an argument for you to pay them something. But that's balanced by the fact that your show is bringing value to the venue.

[Frank Petronio]

Some institutions are awash with cash and you should have no qualms about taking it from them for your reasonable goods and services.

There is nothing wrong with having lunch or a drink and sociably asking what the situation is, do your homework, talk to board members, and err on the bold side since you can always come down a bit and they'll think they are getting a better deal.

Leaving money on the table - so they can just go buy more Aeron chairs or whatever - is a real shame.

I did quite well with one deal six years ago. I am still spending their money. They were just going to give it to some other company if it wasn't me.

[Richard Mahoney]

... Leaving money on the table - so they can just go buy more Aeron chairs or whatever - is a real shame. ...

Completely agree with Frank on this ... There is simply nothing wrong with sitting down and having a quiet chat with a crowd that you are trying to work alongside. It's the only way to get a sense of where things really stand. Putting aside for the moment one's expectations about `the way things are always done' may be helpful. Who knows, depending on the position of the non-profit it may be possible for them to recoup the cost of the exhibition against their tax. It might also be possible to do the same against your own if one's work was classed as a `donation'. One simply isn't going to know unless one asks and politely discusses various approaches.


Kind regards,

Richard