artwise
ART SHOW AND FAIR ETIQUETTE An expert shares his advice for managing eight sticky situations. ——— BY DANIEL GRANT ———
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uried art shows and fairs have their own etiquette, and, like much of what passes for good manners, a lot of it is arbitrary. Does it really matter if you set the soup spoon to the right of the plate? The fact that there is no Emily Post-style standardization among the thousands of shows and fairs taking place annually around the United States means that artists must tailor their own sense of right and wrong to conform to the rules of this or that event. One rule on which there is general agreement, however, is that artists should not substitute another work for the piece that was submitted to an admissions jury. The desire to make a substitution may come about when an artist sells a juried piece before the show begins. Months pass between when artists apply to be in an event and when the event actually takes place, and not all collectors will allow the works they bought to be part of a show, putting the artist in a bind. Should they hold off on a sale, withdraw from the show, or see if the show sponsor will accept something else? It’s a real dilemma, but artwork is not interchangeable, and a work that is
submitted for an exhibition should be available. Sales may have to wait. Another point on which most would agree is that the same work should not be submitted to two or more shows taking place at the same time. If the artist’s work is accepted into more
Nathan Brandner from Green Bay, Wisconsin, paints under a jewelry shop awning during June’s Paint Cedarburg. (Photo by Robert M. Powell)
Richie Vios poses with the local couple who bought his painting Cedarburg Mill, which took third place at Paint Cedarburg.
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than one show, it means another artist’s work was rejected, and the show sponsors may have to scramble to fill an empty space if you withdraw due to double booking. Even in cases where there is no overlap of shows, the work an artist submits can be a cause
In June, festival-goers gathered for the 32nd Annual Manayunk Arts Festival in Philadelphia. (Photo by J. Fusco)
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Willard Watson III, Programs & Outreach Director of Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, paints outdoors to draw attention to the upcoming Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival in western North Carolina.
