Clay art on fri 24 aug 12
To make matters worse, the work that you donated got sold under price value=
.
That undermines the gallery down the street that is trying to sell your wor=
k
at the right price and the public that is "hunting for bargains" get their
bargains over and over again, because they wait for your next donation.
They even get back to you and brag because they got your piece. You smile
and say: "I'm glad you got it" while we know there are 10 other pieces tha=
t
will not sell that easy. We are suckers aren't we...........?
Antoinette Badenhorst
www.porcelainbyAntoinette.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Paul Lewing
Sent: Friday, August 24, 2012 7:32 PM
To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: artist as the sucker
On Aug 24, 2012, at 4:47 PM, mel jacobson wrote:
often artists think that being a good person, donating work will get your
name out there....and, there is no reason to think it will happen.
Yes, they always phrase that as "It will be good exposure". My response to
that is, "You can die of exposure".
I have never in over 40 years of making a living selling art heard of a
single person who ever got a sale because someone had seen their work at an
auction. The people who run them think it happens. It doesn't.
Paul Lewing
www.paullewingtile.com
www.paullewingart.com
mel jacobson on fri 24 aug 12
often we only have ourselves to blame.
bad business practices are rampant in the art world.
we want to be good people, we want to help others, but
often we get it in the ear.
we must be more careful. caution.
look closely at what people want from you.
and, don't be afraid to say no.
it was the same at the old art fairs.
do a good deed for the area, neighborhood.
help promote your area. be a good citizen.
then they figured `hey, these artists are stupid, they
will pay us to promote our own cause.` then they raised
the fee and the artists still showed up, they tripled the fee
and they still showed up in droves, then they decided
to take a percentage of sales....and they still showed up.
i left the year they said...`you gotta pay`.
do they care if it rains, storms, work is stolen?...hell no.
you are on your own. it is reported that a great deal of work
was stolen at the uptown art fair this year. duh. you would have
to sleep in your booth if you wanted it safe.
i give to only a few causes, and they had better be honest.
i was on the board of a big art center for four years.
i learned what opm meant. other people's money.
i even asked that the center put on some fund raisers, selling
quality art, at retail prices...support the artist. and let the customers
support the center and artists.
they thought i was insane. it was like i was a interloper.
`we don't sell art, what is wrong with you? we beg from rich people.`
if you do not take care of your own professional art, your own dignity
and what you make...you are a fool. you only have yourself to blame.
and there are times you must take a stand. it is personal.
often artists think that being a good person, donating work will get
your name out there....and, there is no reason to think it will happen.
it is your job to promote your work, and see that your name is out there.
those institutions will do nothing for you...they are worried about their
own image...never yours.
the school of hard knocks rules, yes, i am jaded, but i have been watching =
this
happen for 50 years. it takes some people a long time to see the world as
it really is.
mel
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart page below:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
http://www.21stcenturykilns.com/
Paul Lewing on fri 24 aug 12
On Aug 24, 2012, at 4:47 PM, mel jacobson wrote:
often artists think that being a good person, donating work will get
your name out there....and, there is no reason to think it will happen.
Yes, they always phrase that as "It will be good exposure". My
response to that is, "You can die of exposure".
I have never in over 40 years of making a living selling art heard of
a single person who ever got a sale because someone had seen their
work at an auction. The people who run them think it happens. It
doesn't.
Paul Lewing
www.paullewingtile.com
www.paullewingart.com
Rimas VisGirda on sat 25 aug 12
Paul Lewing wrote:=3D0A=3D0AI have never in over 40 years of making a livin=
g se=3D
lling art heard of=3D0Aa single person who ever got a sale because someone =
ha=3D
d seen their=3D0Awork at an auction.=3DA0 The people who run them think it =
happ=3D
ens.=3DA0 It=3D0Adoesn't.=3D0A=3D0AHo Paul, mostly you are right. However, =
I used t=3D
o donate to a prominent organization in an East Coast city who starts with =
=3D
P. A philanthropist who shall remain nameless happened to buy my piece and =
=3D
started a correspondence that led to more purchases of major works from me =
=3D
directly as well as other monetary opportunities... Another collector saw m=
=3D
y work in a teapot exhibition and contacted me which led to tha sale of a m=
=3D
ajor teapot from my studio. There have also been some minor sales from peop=
=3D
le that have seen my donated works...=3D0A=3D0AIn the past 10 years or so I=
hav=3D
e stopped donating work unless I get 50% return of the selling price, and I=
=3D
do this only for organizations that I personally feel do work that further=
=3D
s the ceramic arts and artists. A few places that I feel are exceptional I =
=3D
will donate without a kickback... -Rimas
lori leary on sat 25 aug 12
I have an exception! =3D20
When I had my teaching studio in Murrell's Inlet, SC, I donated a teapot =
=3D
to be auctioned off to help support the yearly cleanup of the local =3D
waterways. A woman won the teapot and seemed very happy. The next day, =
=3D
she visited me in my studio, bringing the teapot with her. Thinking, =3D
"Uh-oh, what's up?", I greeted her. What she said was this: "I love my =3D
teapot... can you make another one just like this? In blue? It's for =3D
my mother-in-law". =3D20
True story.
Lori L.
> I have never in over 40 years of making a living selling art heard of
> a single person who ever got a sale because someone had seen their
> work at an auction. The people who run them think it happens. It
> doesn't.
> Paul Lewing
> www.paullewingtile.com
> www.paullewingart.com
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