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There is help for that.

This message is from Carroll Swayze, a printmaker from Florida who has been involved with the NAIA, an artists support organization since its inception in the 1990's. 

I am the Communications Coordinator of the NAIA (National Association of Independent Artists) and I am sending a letter for you to any cancelled show that is not refunding show fees explaining why they need to return your money. If you have a show that is not refunding your show fee please send me your cancellation letter by email and I will try to get your money back for you. If you have the directors name and email that would help me time wise too.

Send to: SwayzeArt@msn.com

MONDAY - MARCH 23 - 1 PM ET

How are you feeling? I am totally enervated and concerned about the future of art festivals, not only in the short term but in the long run. I'm hearing from artists and reading comments on ArtFairInsiders.com about "what next?" and I have to take some action. This exhaustion leads down a dire path. My answer: let's talk.

On this podcast art show directors will come together to discuss cancellations, refunds, rescheduling and the disruption to our business and what they are doing to keep their events and artists income alive for another day.

The first responders to our call for a panel, and who will be joining us:

Karen Delhey, Executive Director, The Guild of Artists & Artisans (Ann Arbor); Anne Curran, Executive Director, Armonk Outdoor Art Show (Armonk, NY); Jean Hungiville, President/CEO, Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce (FL); Amy Amdur, CEO and President Amdur Productions (Chicago area) and Mark Loeb of Integrity Shows (metro Detroit). 

The jumping off point from my inbox:

"I live in Massachusetts and do shows throughout the northeast, from Vermont to South Jersey, NY and the coast line of NJ, Ct, RI, NY etc. shows are start to cancel. Some are right on target with refunding the booth fees, some wasn't to reschedule (& we all know that's the kiss of death to shows) and some, are unscrupulously not refunding any money. I would love to hear from those promoters who are choosing to refund, reschedule, & run as to their thoughts."

We would love to have other show directors call in with their comments on the topic. Here's the #: (805) 243-1338.

(As always this will be recorded live and will also be downloadable forever from ArtFairRadio.com)

Click here to listen: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/artfairs/2020/03/23/show-organizers-coronavirus--what-do-you-do

Please put your questions in the comments below. There is SO much to discuss and we'll try to hit the most important issues. Let's help each other to a brighter day. 

The Huffhines Art Trail show in Richardson, Texas, was rained out last weekend. Today, we got this note from them: 

Dear Huffhines Artists,

I am happy to let you all know that I just received word that the City will be issuing refunds from the cancellation of the show last weekend. As soon as I know when you can expect a check or a credit on your card, I will let you know. 

Hope this news makes your Halloween happier!!!

It sure made this artist happier. The show was to be put on by the town, and I know they'd already spent money on advertising, electrical work, T-shirts, programs, etc. They didn't have to refund our booth fees. I am grateful, indeed. 

I’ve seen a lot of posts lately from artists with the same concerns as mine.  Extended deadlines after artists have already been rejected.  Exorbitant late application fees.  Calls for Artists issued after certain categories are full without disclosure of the categories that are open, if any sometimes.  The number of available spaces and applications per medium not fully disclosed.  Unknown jury members.  Shows trolling artist websites prior to ‘blind’ jurying.  Sneaky Buy/Sell crap.  Application and booth payment deadlines almost a year before the show date.  Advertised award amounts that are never given out.  Unfair refund policies.  Rising booth costs, rising application fees, rising expenses, dwindling returns.   Shows that are all about the spectacle of a festival not about the art.  Blacklisting artists because of their outspokenness.  And the many other dirty little secrets that prevent artists from reaching their full potential.

Many artists wring their hands and lament there is nothing that can be done about any of this, it’s always been this way, you have to learn to fight within the system, blahblahblah.  Not me.  I want to make a difference.  I PLAN to make a difference.  It is my future and I will fight for it.  If you want to make a difference also, The Corner Booth (http://www.thecornerbooth.proboards.com/) is a good place to start.  Don’t come there looking for advice on tents or weights or good photos.  Don’t come to hear Cumbaya and violins playing while a show’s selection of bagels is lauded around a website.  Come for spirited dialogue about the really important stuff I mentioned above.   Call out the shows for their behavior, good and bad, and be specific in your examples.  Strong opinions are needed, both pro and con.  Your opposition will be just as valued as your approval.  Don’t miss out on the companion site http://nationalartistsadvocacyinstitute.wordpress.com/ if you haven’t gone there yet.  Lots of amazing ideas there.

One concept formulated on TCB is if artists know more about the shows themselves, they can make more educated decisions about which shows to participate in.  TCB has undertaken its first project to gather and analyze statistical show information obtained from polling a number of prominent shows.  Much of the information requested is currently available somewhere already, either on the shows’ sites or one of the online entry systems.  But the heart of the survey, how many spots are really available and how many applications are received per medium, is what artists really need to see.  And what many shows don’t want the artists to see.  Broad Ripple and Krasl are two known shows that already share this information with their applicants.  TCB just wants to make it available for everybody, and about as many shows as possible, hopefully all of them. 

The goal of this first survey is not to pass judgment, not to organize a boycott, not to embarrass or humiliate an organization.  It’s simply an attempt to get valuable information into the hands of the artists.  Knowledge is power.  Let’s get some.  No more just blindly throwing jury fees at a show hoping they’ll stick.  To be sure, we should all have the confidence to think our art is the best and we can beat out 21 other applicants for a show’s 5 spots.  But what if there were really only two spots?  Now how about 10 spots?  Don’t you just want to KNOW what you’re up against?  More surveys are in the works.   There are just too many issues to try to address all of them in one poll. 

I’m hoping what comes out of this effort is a little more disclosure and transparency from the shows.  I don’t care if a show has 300 booths, and gives 298 of them to its preferred artists.  AS. LONG. AS. THEY. TELL. ME.  I don’t care if a deadline is extended, but I do want to know why, what categories might already be filled, and how many applications they’ve already received in my category.  I want to know who their jury members are, and what other shows share those same jurors.  I want to know they jury out and/or kick out buy/sell crap because they are knowledgeable enough to do so.  I want them to value my art, not feel so threatened by my opinion that they blackball me.  I want all of these things and more.  I want it to be about the art, not the side-show.