After reading through many posts here I have read many complaints about buy/sell getting into shows. I just thought I would start a discussion on shows that have ejected buy/sell from their shows once they have managed to get beyond the jury process. Have you been in any shows and seen any evidence of buy/sell being asked to leave? Did the buy/sell leave without incident? Did the promoter have to call security to get rid of the buy/sell? Did the promoter remove the buy/sell because of your complaint or because of an artist that you know lodged a complaint?
We hear so much about buy/sell being let into art shows that I wanted to start a discussion on the shows that are doing a good job of putting a stop to it. Weigh in here. Who or what shows should get some props?
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Many years ago I was at a show across from a booth full of obvious B/S. I saw the promoter, who is sadly now deceased, quietly ask the "artist" to pack up and leave. He did, but told the people around him that he had just gotten a call that there was an emergency in his family and asked them to help him pack up and some of them did! That's when I learned that there are both good and bad people in this business!
"That's because so many qualified exhibitors have quit the business. Or died. There are spaces to fill in order to just break even."
This all makes it sound like shows are hurting for exhibitors and will take anyone. I don't think this is true - people with good, original work are still being rejected. If this is true, everyone's acceptance rate should be way up.
I totally agree with you Ruth!! This is my second show year as is my friend, we are all geared up to rock the show circuit! We will take the spaces!!
In our first year show we had 6 B/S merchants apply along with 1 mass producer. Luckily we were able to discern the B/S people (who are very crafty in their efforts to dodge suspicion) but we didn't catch the mass producer until a week before the show, when they called to get directions. Something they said clued me to look online again, and I found that they had many employees and a factory in a distant community. I immediately called them and rescinded our offer of participation. I'm committed to keeping B/S off our venue, and had arranged with the local PD to assist in any confrontations. Fortunately we had none. But it is so unpleasant to think of this type of confrontation and distraction during the show, that I'll do whatever it takes to make these determinations beforehand. I think the integrity of the show has to trump the inconvenience of confrontation, and that artists have a right (and vested interest) to expect Directors to protect their markets. T
It is great to hear that some of the dishonest people are being discovered and being asked to leave.
If only all promoters had the testicular fortitude to enforce their own rules the problem could be solved.
I think that if promoters enforced their rules once or twice then word would get out and the vendors that should not be there in the first place would stop applying.
"Testicular fortitude" - my newest & favorite saying! Thank you
"...I think that if promoters enforced their rules once or twice then word would get out and the vendors that should not be there in the first place would stop applying..."
Not a chance. Liars have been applying to shows/fairs since the very beginning. They're not afraid to take that chance of rejection.
I know one particular couple who have taken some fantastic shots of them "making" their product and intimidating promoters. And I have seen the exact same items on Haitian websites who claim they will ship to the USA.
Look, I dislike B/S as much as the next guy. But I also know promoters are human. They do make mistakes. And just some exhibitor coming up to them and accusing another exhibitor of B/S without proof is not reason enough for ejection. Sorry.
Except the opposite is happening, promoters are letting more and more production and b/s into their shows. And as real artists find out, they don't apply so to keep the number of booths up, the promoters let in questionable applicants.
That's because so many qualified exhibitors have quit the business. Or died. There are spaces to fill in order to just break even.
Unless production is specifically not allowed, they have the right to be there as long as they make the work. It makes no difference if each one is one of a kind or s/he makes 300 of the same thing. Again, unless they are specifically barred, they can be there.
Chris, my definition of production is a bunch of people in a room/studio/building making the work that has been designed by someone else.
I am not talking about one artist who makes basically the same thing over and over by him/herself.
The watch people design their work or take custom orders but they do not make each and every watch themselves. They have employees who make them.
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