I posted about this in Nels Johnson's blog from Gasparilla and it was suggested that I start a new thread here. A bit of background is that I am new here and to the art show circuit as an aspiring jeweler. We have been researching shows in Florida this season to prepare for next year and have noticed that a pair of photographers keep showing up at two different shows on the same weekend with exactly the same tropical photographs. They evidently jury as a team and then somehow are able to split up to do the two shows individually. I have also seen a very well known painter exhibit his wife's work at three big shows and she is NEVER there!
Obviously this gives them (the photographers) a great advantage to double their income and as a newbie I'm very surprised to see this happening at such great shows as Ft Myers, Mt Dora, Gasparilla, New Smyrna and a big name promoter's shows. All of these shows state in their rules that all of the artists must be in attendance. So how do they get away with this? Is this common practice in this industry to skirt around such basic rules? I thought that the art fair business was based on pretty high standards and sound ethics.
The though had crossed my mind to apply to two shows on one weekend and to send my wife to one while I do the other, but I must admit that we would be embarrassed and humiliated to be caught breaking a rule and then shut down or black listed for a show. But how can these guys get away with it? Nels seemed to infer that he was aware of the photographers actions, so others must know too. I'm no rocket scientist and I picked up on it right away! Why won't shows enforce their rules? Or do they not care about integrity so long as they fill their booth spaces? I guess I have whole lot to learn!
Replies
Im with you Phillip ... an apology is in order ... i mean i can't believe the Jasinskis had to go as far as to post their private zapp applications to appease this suposed Mr. Robert Jones . They told him very diplomatically is a prior post that is there was a mistake in the application process and he basically called them liars... WTH... why would any artist be so overly interested to anothers artist business ... and they are not even the same catagory ! It really doesn't make any sense! Its been my experience that people only worry about others when their own business isn't going well ... my advice to Mr Jones is put all this time and energy spent "investigating , scrutanizing, and hen pecking"into his own artistry and maybe he will be so busy it won't matter who applied to what show under what name.... as a team or showing individually!
This discussion has taken many turns, but my original post was in reference to a team of photographers that apply as a team to two different shows on the same weekend and then split up, each one doing a different show. Both names show up in both shows' programs and yet only one is in attendance at each show. At least four of these shows require presentation of an ID at check in. It appears that shows really don't care as long as no one rocks the boat. I don't think it has anything to do with spouses, kids, mileage or mortgages. It is just greed and a total lack of respect for the shows, their rules and for their peers.
Photographers appeared on this site briefly to offer up an excuse blaming "Zapp" and the "shows" for the errors, but the show applications I've seen are very straight forward and if only one person is applying, then only one name should be on the application. Not a very difficult rule to follow. What can we as artists do about such blatant violations?
Dear Mr. Jones
In response to your reply I will defend myself and my brother from you once again. Below you will find the zapplication emails that we received from zapplication that have not been altered in any way. As you can see there is only one name listed on each show that we applied to separately like we told you the first time around. Obviously the zapplication database defaults to listing both of our names when in fact only one of us has applied to the show. We have contacted any show that has listed us as a team erroneously and told them to correct their mistake. Some have made the corrections and some have not. However, the shows were notified. Below you will find the emails that we have sent to two shows that we tried to have remedy our names both being listed erroneously. In the end neither show fixed the problem like they said they would.
You also say that it is just greed and a total lack of respect for the shows, their rules and for their peers. This again is not true. You claim to know so much about us however I have never met or even heard of you before. For a first year jeweler, you take such an interest in two people that are not even in your same category that its hard to believe you are a jeweler at all. Up until your last post I have attempted to remain as diplomatic as possible but you have finally crossed the line. The fact is , I know who you are, I know who both of you are...and this forum is not the first time you have tried to drag our name through the mud using a different name. In fact this is at least the 4th time you have attempted this using 4 different names. You are not Mr. Jones but two individuals that have worked for a major art show promoter for quite some time until recently.
I believe you should concentrate on your own art work instead of trying to slander my brother and me. Yes, that means your cutting boards, or your paintings, or your photography, or your jewelry or whatever it is that you are creating now. Your gravy train has gotten away and now you have nothing better to do but to involve yourself in other peoples business.
In these tough economic times, my brother and I must split up with our own bodies of work to survive and to sustain our individual families. If you have a problem with this I am sorry. We are braking no rules and are not trying to deceive anybody. We are completely above the board. Enough of your slander and allegations regarding us. If you were to actually visit the shows that you claimed you had, you would in fact see that our bodies of work are different.
Brian Jasinski
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:23:21 -0600
To: jasinskibrothers@hotmail.com
Subject: ZAPPlication: Payment Confirmation Receipt
From: noreply@zapplication.org
Dear Brian Jasinski
This is your confirmation receipt for your ZAPP transaction.
Your payment was made successfully!
This charge will display as 'ZAPP™ Software LLC' on your credit card statement.
Purchase Date: 10/19/2010
Transaction ID: EPFP5F97639E
Total Paid: $344.50
Tender: ending in 7524
Purchased Item(s):
Description Unit Price Quantity Total Unit Price Coupon Card Ending
ArtFest Fort Myers 2011
Juried Fine Art Show 10 x 10 Booth Fee (includes sales tax) $344.50 1 $344.50 None
Total Amount: $344.50 7524
Transaction ID: EPFP5F97639E Date: October 19th, 2010 Time: 5:23 pm
Any questions about this transaction should be directed to the show administrator.
To view purchase history please visit your My ZAPPlications page.
Thank You,
ZAPPlication Team
contactzapp@westaf.org
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:23:21 -0700
To: jasinskibrothers@hotmail.com
Subject: ZAPPlication: Payment Confirmation Receipt
From: noreply@zapplication.org
Dear Michael Jasinski
This is your confirmation receipt for your ZAPP transaction.
Your payment was made successfully!
This charge will display as 'ZAPP™ Software LLC' on your credit card statement.
Purchase Date: 11/23/2010
Transaction ID: ESGP5FEBD302
Total Paid: $425.00
Tender: ending in 3254
Purchased Item(s):
Description Unit Price Quantity Total Unit Price Coupon Card Ending
Mount Dora Arts Festival 2011
Corner Booth Fee $125.00 1 $125.00 None
Single 10x10 Booth Fee $300.00 1 $300.00 None
Total Amount: $425.00 3254
Transaction ID: ESGP5FEBD302 Date: November 23rd, 2010 Time: 11:23 am
Any questions about this transaction should be directed to the show administrator.
To view purchase history please visit your My ZAPPlications page.
Thank You,
ZAPPlication Team
contactzapp@westaf.org
To: jasinskibrothers@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: acceptance
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:06:43 -0400
Hi Brian:
From: Michael and Brian Jasinski <jasinskibrothers@hotmail.com>
To: gasparillaarts@yahoo.com
Sent: Wed, February 16, 2011 9:37:21 PM
Subject: acceptance
Dear Sarah, Shaun, and Brandon,
I just received my booth location and I am excited to see I got exactly the booth I requested. I am emailing because for some reason my brother(Brian's) name still shows up along side my name. I sent an email on 12/7/10 explaining that in the past we used this same Zapp account to apply to shows. I explained that in applying to your show I applied under my name only(Michael) and all images are mine. I am not sure if you all received the original email because I never heard back? I am just emailing again to avoid any possible confusion at checkin. Sorry for any inconvenience. I am going to include the original email sent 12/7/10 and forward the application fee receipt and booth fee receipt from zapplication to gasparillarts@yahoo.com that show only the name Michael Jasinski on them.
Thanks,
Michael Jasinski
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:33:13 -0800
From: gasparillaarts@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: acceptance
To: jasinskibrothers@hotmail.com
March 5 & 6, 2011
Downtown Tampa, Florida
Michael:
Don't know if this will help with further confusions but....
ZAPP takes all the artist info from their ZAPP profiles and the show's app and turns it into a Excel database for shows to use. So if you have info that is outdated on your profile it will continue to show up in every show you apply to thru ZAPP.
Example: I have my husband listed on my app. When we got to shows he was always listed with full name and middle initial. I thought this odd as I hadn't shared that info with anyone. But indeed I had. That's how I listed him on my profile. I changed it on my profile and no more formal name for him. He's back to Dave.
Artists often ask me why I am using their old address, phone, etc. Because it is still on their ZAPP profile. All artists should check this once and year and see if its up to date. Shows use the Excel database a lot (or at least we do) as its so flexible and easy to use in a variety of situations without having to re-enter a bunch of data.
So hopefully, if you can make changes to your profile, the mis-information and resulting confusion will cease.
hth
Carla
"Photographers appeared on this site briefly to offer up and excuse blaming "ZAPP"...." If you had really followed the thread, you would have seen that some photographers, such as myself, did not blame ZAPP! I suggested - twice - that if there is any question about how to interpret the rules, that the artist should contact the show for clarification. It's as simple as that.
Having spent part of my college years correcting/editing other students' papers for a bit of cash, I can tell you that many of the rules written by some shows are poorly written and could easily mislead the applicant.
I have also found that even shows that require ID at checkin don't follow up and there have been artists who check in then leave, with a rep to run the show. And even when artists have complained about the bait and switch, some shows will blow us off. And they aren't necessarily the little neighborhood or regional shows either.
I also feel that if two artists apply, regardless of their category, both artists should show ID at checkin and both should be in attendance at the show. Period. Check my comments on 3/28.
Again, I disagree. That is a very cold, and uncaring outlook. Artists who work together inevitably do not include their significant other on the app if one MUST actually take care of offspring or aging parents. It is a disservice to those who work with a partner.
I do not expect those who are on this high horse to have respect for those whose lives are intricate and include family. These excellent artists then apply in one name only and that person does the show. Inane and capricious rules will have little effect on those who have a family and love this world of art fairs. It just shows such a lack of higher order thinking.
It is unfortunate that those few hens who actually make assumptions and inform the shows that they SUSPECT others of doing who knows what have such loud voices. Some show promoters actually listen.
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