Tis the season when artists get solicited to apply to art shows.  And, when you’re juried in (supposedly chosen by noteworthy judges, due to your artwork being of a particular standard) it’s easy to feel chuffed.  In fact, the excitement might help you overlook how much you then have to pay to register (on average, between $1000 and $3000) exclusive of accommodation, transportation, importation tarifs, printing, and other costs.  

Having participated in three international shows, back to back (December 2007 - April 2008), Florence Biennale, Toronto Art Expo, The Artist Project (Chicago), I’ve had ample chance to discover the expectations and disappointments such experiences can generate.  While the organizers make money (mostly from the artists), artists can feel short-changed and become frustrated for a variety of reasons:

1.  Feedback isn’t seen to be responded to, or remedied, when things go wrong, or aren’t as suggested.
2.  Conditions (for setup and takedown) can be as exhausting as they might be chaotic.  There are a lot of logistics, but not every protocol is logical.
3.  Booth location might be unfair (yielding unequal opportunities)—attached to seniority of participants, favoritism, or the luck of the draw.
4.  Advertising and ticket sales (on the show’s part) might be insufficient.
5.  Inconsistencies (who gets away with showing/selling reproductions) or expands beyond their allotted physical space could be overlooked.
6.  Excess charges for sundries, like lighting, electricity, flooring and furniture, usually supplied by third parties (that aren’t as good quality as advertised) can mount up, unnecessarily.
7.  Out-of-towners travel expenses receive little, if no, subsidy.
8.  Shipping (from out-of-town) is problematic, organizers neither subsidizing charges nor helping resolve practical/procedural complications.

Of course, the above is just a partial list.  The photos included below (taken at The Artist Project, 08) reveal additional glitches. All photos were taken during show hours, and this is just a small selection:

1. Busy aisle (but booth 4123A was almost the only booth not in an aisle).  Caution:  Object to being isolated. Neighbors matter!

2. Display and cleaning closet alongside each other. Caution:  What’s next to you is important.

3. Empty café opposite the booth.  Caution:  A café might appear like an attraction, but only if people go to it…

4. Garbage bin infront of display frequently. Caution:  Nice to have amenities close by, but not that close…

5. Endless cleaning stuff passing in front.  Caution:  In an out-of-the-way booth, distractions like these don’t make things any better!

6. Open closet and show guests, side-by-side.  Caution:  Not every booth can be ideally placed, if organizers are maximizing on floor space (and revenue).

7.  Traffic flow to the aisle marked "exit" (misses the booth completely).  Caution:  Organizers might argue that this is not a "problem," but when they bypass the booth, themselves, distributing "feedback forms" it’s a little ironic.

8.  Raised wall joints that make hanging difficult.  Caution:  After-the-fact, you might be told that these could have been attended to.  But, by whom and how at a time when any "special request" makes it seem like you’re a "fuss-pot"?

 

Typically, show organizers, no matter the stature of their show, appear unconcerned about responding to individual artist feedback post show, or prepared to compensate for problems.  Instead, it seems, their focus is on group solicitations for follow-up shows (expanding revenue options). There are plenty of fresh artists eager to exhibit their work who’d be thrilled to have it accepted (regardless of organizational issues and expense)!