Frank Colson on fri 29 jul 05
The 3rd World Ceramic Biennale Korea, gave out its grand prize to one
individual for 9 bowls. Philippe Barde's "Human Bowl Faces, essentially
received $6,666.66 for each of 9 bowls.
Now that's what I call turning clay into gold. Believe me it ain't
difficult kicking out that kind of money to a single potter in a competition
with 2,500 entries. What I constantly find ironic is how numerous clay
competitions, particularly in the U.S., offer a whooping
$1000.00 as first prize. Big deal! I was winning $1000 awards for shows 3
decades ago. It's like all those dudes organizing competitions, and figuring
how much fee to charge an entry, rarely consider the very fact that the
bigger the purse, the more prestige that organization receives, as well as
offering the artist some funds of substance. Something that a potter can
bite into!
Okay, so the Ceramic Biennale Korea, doesn't charge an entry fee for out of
country entries. But the government subsidizes most of this just like
British Airways is subsidized by the British Government. So, don't jump all
over me for this example; you get my point. A year and a half
ago I did pay an entry fee for exhibiting in Florence,Italy, at a
International Biennale which lasted 3 days. While in attendance during the
exhibit, I pushed some numbers around to see how much I would make if I sent
out a "call to artists". Sure, I would have to work my tusie
off for about a month, but my profit came somewhere to $2/ 300,000.00 net.
Now let's fast forward to the organizing and operating a regional or local
completion here in the good 'ol US of A! These completions are pretty much
set up and operated the same way as I have
described here. How often have you sent in your entry fee, along with l00's
or 1000's of others, and have any idea of how those monies
have been allocated? Yeah, yeah, I know all about having to pay for Judges.
Their accommodations, transportation, honorium, etc. I've
been there too! Remember that many of these organizations only had to put
their data bases for artists, names, addresses, once! After
that it is only a matter of updating. So where is the cream going to???
Gee, let's offer the first price winner a $1,000.00! So, you won 1st prize?
Yeah, yeah! Boy of boy just think of the prestige of being that winner!
However, wouldn't that same 1st prize be a lot more prestigious
if it was $10,000.00? Believe me these people can do it! All they have to
do is put their heads together and hear some rumble from us down
to earth, zen minded, potters who might be able to sell one lousy bowl for
six-thousand, six-hundred-sixty six dollars and 66 cents!
The way it is now we also get to give up all our copyrights for each piece
we submit as well! But then, I already addressed that issue!
Frank Colson
www.R22u.com
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