Don't know who here has ever heard of this Texas show--the 43rd Annual SeptemberFest in Midland, TX. I hadn't, until I just got this email through art-linx.com.
It has a mandatory Friday night "preview party" (a pet peeve-I have yet to make a significant sale at one of these).
But wait--according to their email, artists are "required [THEIR word, not mine] to donate an item of their work to the Silent Auction." (The detailed show information on Zapp also mentions that the donation must be original work, with a minimum value of $100.) There's been lots written on this topic recently elsewhere on this site. Here's the link, if you want a refresher course on why donating work is nearly always a bad option...let alone a bad REQUIREMENT.
And here's the real kicker (also a direct quote from their email):
" Preliminary judging to be done from donated items."
Which amounts to double-jeopardy--if not extortion. It's distasteful enough to REQUIRE a donation of artwork. (ZAPP, in fact, mentions that you can't even get your booth assignment until you have handed over your artwork!). But to say, in effect, "If you don't donate artwork, you can just forget about having a shot at winning any award money" is outrageous. (Incidentally, the email lists only a "Best in Show" award of $1,000, and ZAPP doesn't even mention that.)
The beneficiary of participants' largesse, by the way, isn't a local charity. It's the museum itself.
Good to know what an art museum thinks of their artists.
Replies
The obvious solution to this highway robbery is a letter writing campaign. All that's needed to say is that the writer had thought of applying to the show, but after realizing a mandatory socializer which virtually never produces worthwhile results was required, and that an extra required donation of a jury-worthy piece was likewise mandatory and incidentally, extortionate, that the requirements are too heavy handed and said artist will therefore pass on applying to their show. After 50 to a hundred letters of this sort, someone might, just maybe, take a hint.
Here's some contact info for ya'll (as they say down in TX):
For more information please visit MuseumSW.org or check out our Facebook event!
Email questions to Cristi Branum (cbjshorty2@aol.com) or Phyllis Short (pshort27@att.net)
Or call the Museum of the Southwest: 432.683.2882