Art Show Refunds

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="05bfd5a3.jpg"> <div> <B>Art Show Refunds</B></div> <div> <B>6260 N.W. 19 Street, Sunrise, Fl. 33313 Toll Free 1-877-512-3333    Email: </B><A HREF="mailto:mike@mikealbin.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:mike@mikealbin.com"><U><B>mike@mikealbin.com</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="05cd2043.jpg"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mike Albin.Com "><U>Mike Albin.Com </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="wd.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Web design"><U>Web design</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="ma.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Marketing Articles"><U>Marketing Articles</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="sr.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Show Reviews"><U>Show Reviews</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="mt.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Marketing Tools"><U>Marketing Tools</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="l.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U>Links</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#777777" TEXT="#080000"> <div> When should artists get show refunds?</div> <bR> <div> Normally when writing this column, I try to help other artists sell their work by offering marketing and sales advice. This month is a bit different, however, because there is a topic that has been bothering me, and from the letters I've received, I know it's been bothering a lot of you, too. </div> <div> Although the issue of refund policies - or I should say the lack thereof - has been a heated topic for a while, I came up with the idea to write about it after reading the letter to the editor in the March issue from Steve Terlizzese. Steve was very upset that after canceling his space at Fairhope, Alabama's Downtown Arts & Crafts Festival the day after receiving his acceptance and five months before the show, Fairhope still cashed his check and refused to give a refund. Obviously, Fairhope was able to call someone off the waiting list and fill that spot, allowing the committee to collect two booth fees for the same spot. This is what bothers most of us artists.</div> <div> There are two sides to every argument, though, and I am trying to present both, so what follows is a summary of artists' opinions and a sampling of show directors' thoughts.</div> <bR> <div> The artists' perspective</div> <bR> <div> Many of us have been in the same boat: We apply to two shows on the same weekend, hoping to receive an acceptance from at least one. The juries at most shows change from year to year, so there are no guarantees of acceptance unless you win an award and are invited back. Most of the really big shows receive well over 1,000 applications for as few as 150 spaces. That means four out of five artists who apply will receive a rejection letter - not very good odds. So we have to apply to more than one show on the same weekend to survive.</div> <div> Show acceptance is a truly inconsistent element of the show circuit. As an example of that inconsistency, I recently spoke with an artist who had been doing one show for 12 straight years but had received a rejection letter for that event this year. He was left with no show on that weekend because he hadn't bothered to apply for a backup. "This was usually such a good show [that] I only did this one show for the month," he said. "Now I'm sitting home that weekend, scrambling to find something so I can pay my bills." </div> <div> Sometimes we get rejected by all the shows we apply to on a given weekend, while other times we get accepted into more than one. If we receive two acceptance letters, most of us cancel in a timely manner, especially if there is a refund policy in place. That is a no-brainer, as long as the deadline for cancellation is after the other show's notification. However, if there is a no-refund policy, there really is no incentive to cancel early. We're going to lose our fee either way, so why not wait until the last minute to cancel? Something might come up with the show we were planning to do, and we could always fall back on the second acceptance. </div> <div> However, by canceling early, you give another artist on the waitlist a chance to make a living that weekend. We've all been waitlisted before and know how good it feels to get the call that a spot has opened up. Katrina Gallegos of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival said, "The best part of my job is calling a waitlisted artist. I make their day! … They are usually so excited on the phone, thanking [me] and glad to be given the chance to participate." So do the right thing for a fellow artist and cancel early. By the way, some artists actually try to do both shows at the same time, and it thrills most of us hard-working artists to see a show close down an artist's booth if he or she is not actually at the show! </div> <div> Artists do not arbitrarily sign up for shows and cancel at will. When an artist cancels a show, it's usually for one of the following reasons: acceptance into two shows, illness of the artist or family member, transportation trouble, not enough inventory (because of an awesome show the previous weekend) or something out of our control (a storm, a fire, or damage to our booth or inventory).</div> <div> The final major issue is that refund policies differ as widely as slide requirements. Some shows, such as Coconut Grove and Artigras, send out invoices with their acceptance letters, giving you the choice of participating. If you wish to be in their show, you send in your check, and if you don't, you can cancel with no penalties. Other shows have instituted a backhanded refund policy and return your money only if you cancel before jurying takes place. </div> <bR> <div> The directors' side</div> <bR> <div> I e-mailed show directors, asking them their feelings on this issue, and I received several really good responses. Nancy Musser, event coordinator of the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, wrote, "I can understand from the artists' perspective that they think it's so easy to just get another artist from the waitlist, and what is the big deal? Well, let me tell you, it is a big deal. The ADF is a non-profit organization with two paid employees managing the entire Festival. It is and has been our policy to not refund artists' money after the designated deadline due to the time and expense we have dedicated to producing a topnotch artist market and an atmosphere where our artists can be successful. We understand that life happens and personal things change; however, they must understand our position. In most cases, after the deadline, we have already produced two artist packets for that artist, printed their booth card and name tag, paid our IT guy to have their name listed on our Web site, printed their name in the brochure, and so on. … This is all at an expense to the organization. Artists really need to take the time to get familiar with the individual show's guidelines and decide whether it's a contract that they are comfortable entering." </div> <div> Sue Dinenno, chairwoman of the Under the Oaks Art Show in Vero Beach, Florida, offered a similar opinion. "From the show director's perspective, cancellations create all sorts of havoc," she said. Dinenno provided me with a detailed list of 12 steps that go into selecting artists for her show, starting with the designing, printing and mailing of applications, and ending with the returning of slides to artists who were accepted. </div> <div> "Most of the cancellations occur in the last week before the show," she said. "When a change does occur anywhere after step five [entering the names of accepted, rejected and waitlisted artists into her database, followed by the cashing of applicant's booth-fee checks], there is a waterfall effect that runs through the subsequent steps, not the least of which is securing a replacement in the same category (not always possible), receiving the replacement's check in time to be sure it clears, and redoing all the printed materials that time allows. The later the cancellation occurs, the more difficult it is to adapt to the change - like the program. And when late substitutions are made, show balance is affected."</div> <div> Howard Alan wrote, "Howard Alan Events tries to work as closely with artists as possible and probably has one of the most liberal payment policies in the industry. For all our shows on our Florida and Midwest tour, when an exhibitor fills out an application, they will send in a $50 deposit. That $50 will not be cashed until the exhibitor is accepted into the show. If the exhibitor is not accepted, the $50 is returned to them immediately. The remaining balance on the show, which they have submitted for, is not due until 30 days prior to the scheduled show date. If for any reason the exhibitor chooses to cancel the scheduled event, if they give us 30 days' notice, their deposit, or [their total fee] if they paid in full, will be fully credited."</div> <div> Richard Sullivan of the Naples National Art Show in Florida wrote, "The Naples National Art Festival gives 100-percent refunds up to five weeks after artists have been notified of their acceptance," he wrote. "We give 50-percent refunds up until the beginning of February. After February, everything has been done - printing of festival guides, printing of booth signs badges, Web site, slide scans, packets produced. The work on behalf of the artist is then complete. </div> <div> "After February, we consider all cancellations on a case-by-case measure. … We may offer a partial credit for the following year, and in some cases, we may offer a jury-exempt certificate for the following year. (This usually involves an award winner from the previous year who has to drop out.) We do get a few … cancellations from artists who call just days or hours before check-in to cancel. … We do not consider cancellations at that late a date eligible for refunds. [However], we always take health, well being and hardship of the artist under consideration no matter what stage of the year and treat these refunds differently."</div> <div> Finally, Anne Johnson, director of the St. Stephen's Art Show in Coconut Grove, Florida, wrote, "This topic is definitely an issue for both directors and show participants alike and one I struggle with personally. On one hand, I see the participants' side of things. They have given up their space in a show and, time permitting, it will be filled with someone on the waitlist. Their thought might be: `So why shouldn't a refund be issued? The show isn't losing any money.' Or is it?</div> <div> "As a show director especially new to the art show world, I am extremely sensitive to our participants' financial investment in the process. … I would hope that artists that participate in our show do so because it's where they really want to be, not just what was available, but I understand that it doesn't always work that way and also that it's not personal. It's a business, and … the artists need to be wherever they can best market their work and make a living. However, the amount of time administratively [that] a show invests in processing each application from start to finish … is enormous. …</div> <div> "As you know, after a show has accepted an artist, a waitlist is developed, and, regrettably, the other applicants are notified they have been denied for that year due to non-qualifying work or simply lack of space. … The show is at this point being developed based on the accepted and waitlisted artists that have been selected to best represent the show.</div> <div> "Our application rules clearly state that, `Your application, when accepted and processed for space assignment, is considered your commitment to the show.' This year, to decrease withdrawals from artists accepted to respective shows held during the same weekend as ours, we instituted a refund policy which stated, `Applicant booth fees will be returned in full, for withdrawals received in writing, by the postmark deadline of September 20, 2005.' This is prior to our jury date. `A partial refund of $175 will be refunded for withdrawals received in writing by October 31, 2005. No refunds will be offered after November 1st, 2005.' … [These] deadlines were selected to accommodate other show-acceptance dates as well. </div> <div> "When one person withdraws after they've been accepted, the layout of the show starts to shift with that one withdrawal. Administratively, it's the nature of the beast and something we just factor in. When multiple applicants withdraw or, in some cases, don't notify the show at all of their intentions not to show, it not only complicates the layout process, but it affects the overall quality of the show. </div> <div> "I had hoped by instituting a refund policy (one that had never been in place over the past 17 years), the policy would send the message that our show was trying to work with the artists … and facilitate the administrative process at the same time. As a director, I would more than welcome suggestions from show participants and/or other directors."</div> <bR> <div> Most artists are reasonable people. We realize putting on an art show takes an incredible amount of work - done mostly by volunteers. And we truly appreciate all of that hard work. Without it, we could not make our living! </div> <div> One of the things I have realized in working with so many show directors is that most of them are reasonable people also and really have a desire to be fair. They're busy trying to put on the best show they can, promote the show, and deal with city/county regulations, insurance, police, fire and EMS inspectors. So all they - and the artists - really want is a "fair refund policy." If cancellations occur several months before the show and a substitute artist can be found, I believe at least a partial refund is fair. </div> <div> Is it possible to develop standards for refund policies that a majority of people will consider fair for both artists and promoters? Well, I'm actually working on an idea for that standard with the help of show directors and exhibitors. If you would like to help, e-mail me at mike@mikealbin.com.</div> <div> I have tried to be fair with this article, and I hope I did not offend anyone or step on any toes. My wife and I make our living traveling the country, selling our creations at art shows. We care very deeply about the show circuit and the people who make it happen: artists and the thousands of volunteers and staff who work tirelessly to put on shows and support organizations such as <I><B>Sunshine Artist</B></I>. Every day that I get to wake up and live my dream of being an artist, I consider myself truly blessed! Sell your artwork and live <I>your</I> dream, and we'll see you at the next show!</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>