Wednesday, July 30, 2014

MEMBER EVENTS



Natalya B. Parris artworks Alexei and Olga will be on display at “Earth Angel for Peace" August 2 - 30, 2014 exhibit at the Latino Art Museum; Opening Reception and Pomona Art Walk on Saturday, August 9, 2014 from 4PM – 9PM; 281 S. Thomas St.  Suite 105, the Art Colony Pomona, CA  91766

Marilyn Hayes & Jane Forth

Join us at Studio 2 in River District Arts (RDA) in Sperryville, VA, this coming weekend, Saturday & Sunday, August 2nd & 3rd. See our new work! Enjoy great music at the Living Sky Foundation fundraiser. Have delicious authentic Spanish tapas and food at El Quijote. 
And - there's a lot more to see. View fine art in 9 other studios at RDA and in the Co-op Middle River gallery and ... visit the Old Rag Photographers and artisan market. 
Check out the details below. Enjoy a day in the country. River District Arts is in beautiful Rappahannock County - travel time from DC area is only about 1and a 1/2 hours.  You can also see the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains.  http://www.riverdistrictarts.org/
Have questions?  Email me at hayesarts@yahoo.com
PS - You can also find us at the Rappahannock County Artisan Trail, part of the Artisan  Trail Network at http://www.artisanscenterofvirginia.org/

Have an event or exhibit, send your information to wcadcorg@gmail.com


HOW TO PRICE YOUR ARTWORK-

Artist/Teacher/Curator/Blogger Karen Atkinson truly understands the art world from different perspectives. She shares her expertise in this guest blog, reprinted from her website at GYST http://gyst-ink.com/, a company run for artists by artists in California. 

Pricing work can be one of the strangest, most nebulous areas of an art practice to navigate. After all, the monetary value of art, unlike car repair, or say, furniture manufacturing, can’t really be quantified by any set standard. There is no perfect formula for pricing your work, but here are a few helpful hints. 
• Plan ahead. Don’t price things at the last minute. This can lead to outrageously high or low prices depending on your mood, current economic situation, or desire for attention. 
• Err on the high side. Low pricing often signifies that the artist doesn’t have confidence in their work. On the other hand, if you are an emerging artist, asking for $25,000 for a painting might be over the top. Prices can go up, but they should never go down. Getting your work to start selling might be more important than pricing things too high. Use common sense. 
• You should compensate yourself fairly for your time and materials. Most artists undervalue their work; often make less money on sales than they spent making work. It is a good idea to keep track of your expenses and the time spent creating the work. Use the GYST software http://www.gyst-ink.com/products/index.php for this. 
• Defend your prices. If you have kept track of your time and expenses, you can defend the price of your work should your dealer or collector insist they are too high. Be realistic here, but also include your direct expenses for materials, as well as your overhead expenses such as studio rent, utilities, phone, etc. 
• Use an hourly wage to calculate how much your art is worth. You are a professional artist and you deserve a professional living wage. Don’t go with minimum wage numbers here. The US Department of Labor Occupational Labor Statistics lists the mean hourly wage of Fine Artists as $23.22. Use this as a starting point for figuring out your hourly wage. 
• Letting dealers and consultants price your work is not always the best way to go. Often a dealer will set the price of your work, but you should be a part of this discussion and it should be a joint decision. If you have your expenses calculated, you have a better chance of getting your share of the total price of the work. But remember that gallery dealers calculate things like rent, salaries for employees, and marketing costs into valuing your work. 

• Some excuses you will hear from dealers about pricing the work low is that you are an emerging artist, your résumé does not have the right venues, the work is small or derivative, or the dealer needs to spend more time and spend more to promote the work of emerging artists. Defend your work, show them how much it costs to make your work, refer to your hourly rate. Be negotiable, but don’t undervalue your work. 
• Artists with gallery experience and consistent sales histories should already have base prices set for their works. If you do not already have a track record of sales, your base price should approximate what artists in your locale (with comparable experience and sales records) charge for similar works of art. Keep in mind that even though your art is unique, experienced art professionals, like dealers, advanced collectors, consultants and agents, make price comparisons from artist to artist all the time. Being able to evaluate your art from a detached standpoint, by comparing it to that of other artists in your area, is necessary in order for your price structure to make sense in the marketplace. 
• Keep work that holds special meaning for you or represents critical moments in your life or career off the market. Make sure this work is not drastically different from your other art in terms of physical criteria. You may want this work as part of your own private collection. Also, often times, the tendency is to overprice such work. 
• When calculating your studio expenses, maintain records of the time you spend, and the cost of materials. Include overhead such as rent, utilities, professional fees, fabrication costs, assistants’ wages, transportation, postage, and shipping. Divide the total by the number of works you make a year, and average the cost per work. Then, add the sales commission. Make sure you build in a profit margin and room for a discount to notable collectors or collecting institutions. 
• Visit galleries, rental spaces and exhibitions, and do some research on comparable artists and artwork. Look at the exhibition checklist for these details. 
• If you are selling work in your studio or at a studio sale, you might want to price the work a few hundred dollars over the set price so you have space to negotiate. 
• You should not price your work according to what region of the country or city it is shown, or what gallery sells it. Consistent pricing is a cornerstone of a sound practice and eventually leads to successful sales. 
• Always have a price list available that states the full retail price. If you are selling the work yourself, always include the discount policy in writing on the price sheet. This will get you out of a bind if a buyer brings it up. 
Commission Splits 
• Usually galleries and art consultants take a 50% commission of all sales. Anything above that is highway robbery. If the commission is less than 50%, do not lower the price. Have a heart-to-heart talk with anyone who wants a higher commission. Often there will be a wide range of excuses for this, including that you are an emerging artist, your work costs more to sell, etc. Do not buy it! Many nonprofit galleries take from 0-30% commission and many leave the negotiation up to the artist. 
• There are special circumstances in which you may need to receive more than the 50% commission. If your work is very expensive to produce, and the fabrication is very costly (such as foundry work) or you use a specialized process, you will need to negotiate this up front, before the commission split. 
Prices Too High? 
• If people like your art enough to ask how much it costs, but do not buy, it may be because your price structure is too high. First, conduct an informal survey by asking dealers, experienced collectors, consultants, fellow artists, and agents what they think. Never arbitrarily cut prices or adjust them on the spur of the moment. Reduce your prices according to the consensus of knowledgeable people. Use your concerned judgment. Avoid having to reduce prices again by making sure your reductions are in line with or even slightly greater than the consensus opinion. Never make your art so inexpensive that people will not take it, or you, seriously. 
Price Increases 
• A price increase is in order when demand for your art regularly outstrips demand for your contemporaries’ work. The best time to increase prices is when you are experiencing a consistent degree of success and have established a proven track record of sales that has lasted for at least six months and preferably longer. Depending on what you make, and the quantity of your output, you should also be selling at least half of everything that you produce within a six-month time period. As long as sales continue and demand remains high, price increases of 10-25% per year are in order. As with any other price-setting circumstances, be able to justify all increases with facts. Never raise prices based on whimsy, personal feelings or because you feel that they have remained the same for long enough. 
• Your prices should remain stabilized until you have one or more of the following: increased sales, increases in the number of exhibitions you participate in, increase in the number galleries that represent you, or inflation. 
Online Sales 
• When pricing and selling your work online, you should keep the big picture in mind. Continually compare your prices to available art in your area, as well as on the Internet, and not just among your circle. Have a good selection of reasonably priced works available for purchase. Give the buyer the option of starting small, without having to risk too much money. Remember, people are just beginning to get used to the idea of shopping online for art. Hosting your work on the Internet opens the doors to a different market, which is not necessarily driven by region. Many collectors and patrons visit web site to see new artists who are outside of their area. 
Discounts 
• You should not be required to split discounts with the gallery. It is a public relations expense for the dealer and you should not be paying that expense. The gallery is usually awarding the buyer for previous patronage. Exceptions might be when the buyer purchased your work before or they are buying more than one work by you. Always get a Bill of Sale as a purchase contract between the artist and the collector. Often, a dealer will issue you a purchase order, which states both commissions and the collector who bought your work. Always maintain records of who has purchased you work, including name, mailing address, and email and phone number if possible. Beware of dealers who will not give you the information on a collector, as by law, you are entitled to a copy of the bill of sale and information on who bought the work. 
Market fluctuation 
• No matter how old you are or how long you have been making art, know that art prices fluctuate over time as a result of a variety of factors. Set your initial price structure according to the initial value of your work, your local or regional art market, but be ready to revise those prices at any time (assuming adequate justification). The more you are aware of market forces in general, and how people respond to your art in particular, the better prepared you are to maintain sensible selling prices and to maximize your sales. 

*There is also a great guide to pricing your work by Alan Bamberger  who is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America. He has served on the board of Creativity Explored, an organization dedicated to encouraging artistic expression in the developmentally challenged, and on the exhibition committee of Visual Aid, a service organization for artists with AIDS. 

For more information on this and other subjects of interest to both artist and collector, or to speak with Alan regarding his specialized artist services, visit his web site at www.artbusiness.com 






Looking for the next artist. Are you interested in being the Artist of the Month?
Please send your artist statement/bio and exhibit/website information, 6-8 images, image list (name, size, medium), image files no larger than 3mb/150dpi  to wcadcorg@gmail.com




Sunday, July 20, 2014

 CALLS FOR ART





Calling all Artists 55 years and over!

The 28th Annual "Young At Art" show announces a call to artists in the
Metropolitan area who are 55 and over for a juried art exhibition from August 25 - November 21 at the Durant Arts Center at 1605 Cameron Street, Alexandria, VA. 

This event is co-sponsored by Senior Services of Alexandria and Goodwin House Foundation. The juror will be Chris Haggerty, a Fine Arts Professor at Marymount University.  Cash prizes will be awarded to the top 3 places, plus 5 honorable mentions.

For further information, contact:
Mary Lee Anderson, Executive Director
Senior Services of Alexandria
703-836-4414 Ext. 11
executivedirector@seniorservicesalex.org

Jeanne G. Jacob, Executive Director
Goodwin House Foundation
703-824-1345
jjacob@goodwinhouse.org

Strokes of Genius: A Fine Art Painting Exhibition
National Juried Exhibition Open for Entry:
Open Call for any original 2-D artwork created through any painting media (inc. oil, pastel, acrylic, watercolor, encaustic, etc.).

Artists in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico are invited to enter.  Any original work following exhibition guidelines will be considered by the juror. Juror: Kim Lordier, Painter and Pastelist.

Selected works will be on exhibit at MFA Circle Gallery, 18 State Circle, Annapolis, MD. An online sales gallery will be available on the MFA website during the show dates October 31 to November 22, 2014

 For more information visit www.mdfedart.org 

View Prospectus
ENTER ONLINE

ENTRY DEADLINE: August 21, Closes at Midnight.

Awards: Cash awards total $1,000.

2ND ANNUAL ARTFUL AUGUST SHOW (Posted: 7/7/14) -- Village at Leesburg http://www.villageatleesburg.com/ (Leesburg, VA) announces a call to artists for its 2nd Annual Juried Art Show with $4,000 in prizes, August 23, 2014. Open to residents of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and DC. Adult Division age 18+; Youth Division age 6 - 17 years old. No entry or display fees, and artist keeps ALL proceeds from any art sales. Deadline: August 15, 2014, earlier appreciated. 

Visit website 
http://www.villageatleesburg.com/artfulaugust/ for details. Questions? Contact Nancy Walters at nancy@veryspecialevents.com or call 800-214-3020. 

DEGREES OF ABSTRACTION  -- The Santa Cruz Art League http://www.scal.org/ announces a call to artists for a juried art exhibition, Oct. 25- Nov 16, 2014 in Santa Cruz, California. $1,000 in awards. Juror: Tobin Keller. Open to United States residents. Abstract art submissions may include printmaking, drawing, painting, bookmaking, collage, photography, and 3D construction. $45.00 Non-member/ $35 SCAL Member. Deadline: August 31, 2014.

Visit website http://www.onlinejuriedshows.com/ for prospectus. Questions? Contact Keelin Sabel at keelin@scal.org or call (831) 426-5787.


MULTIPLICITIES: NEW DIRECTIONS IN FIBER  -- Imago Foundation for the Arts http://imagofoundation4art.org/ seeks entries for a juried fiber exhibition, October 17 - November 8, 2014 at the Imago Gallery in Warren, RI. Cash Awards. Juror: Elin Noble. Work created using or referencing any fiber techniques and vocabularies, in any material, is eligible. Techniques considered are traditional as well as innovative, including weaving, twining, plating, beading, stitching, felting, dyeing, knitting, crocheting, quilting, spinning, embroidery, surface design, and 3-D mixed media. Materials considered include cloth, thread, paper, metal, glass, wood, clay, plastic, as well as any other material. All work must have a shipping address in the continental USA. The artist must be 18 years of age or older. All work must be original and completed within the last 3 years. $35 entry fee. Deadline: August 31, 2014. 

Visit website http://www.onlinejuriedshows.com/ for prospectus. Questions? Contact Mary Dondero at imagoallery@gmail.com or call 401-245-3348. 

BRAVE NEW WORLD 
is a politically motivated screening event at the “Institut fuer Alles Moegliche” http://www.i-a-m.tk/in Berlin. A selection of videos of different genres will be screened dealing with fundmental political incidents or radical social changes of the present time. 

The first BRAVE NEW WORLD screening is scheduled for September 2014 in collaboration with “artvideoKOELN international” on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the foundation of Google (4 Sept 1998). 

Videos with a duration of max. 10 min can be submitted via Internet upload by using, for instance, WETRANSFER / Vimeo / youtube / etc … 
AFTER UPLOADing Please send your link along with the filled form exclusively via e-mail to: artvideoKOELN@gmail.com and BNW@i-a-m.tk. 

Entry Form – 
please cut and paste 
and use for each video a new entry form 
——————————————— 
1. 
artist/director 
a) full name 
b) full address 
c) email, URL 
d) short bio (max. 100 words, English only) 
2. 
film/video 
a) title English – original (max 3 works) 
b) URL home page, (Internet address for download) 
c) year of production 
d) duration 
e) work synopsis (max. 100 words/submission, English only) 
f) 2 screenshots for each submitted work (jpg, 800×600 px) 
Please add this declaration & sign it with your full name & email address 
I, the submitter/author, declare to be the holder of all rights on the submitted work. 
In case the work is selected, I give – until revoke – artvideoKOELN the permission to include the work in the festival context online and in physical space for screenings /exhibitions free of charge and use screenshots for non-commercial promotional purposes. Until revoke means, that the author can remove his work at any time. 
// 
Please use for each submission a separate entry form 
deadline: 4 August 2014 
Please send the submission as plain email text only to these both email addreses 
artvideoKOELN@gmail.com 
sartvideoKOELN international 
http://artvideo.mediaartcologne.org http://artvideo.mediaartcologne.org/ 
Institut fuer Alles Moegliche 
http://www.i-a-m.tk http://www.i-a-m.tk/ 
subject: Brave New World 


Call for Entries – SohoPhotoGallery 
Deadline August 22: 
Soho Photo initiated its Annual Alternative Processes Competition in 2005 with the objective of recognizing the achievements of those photographers who continue to craft their images the way photographers have done since the beginning of the medium. These alternative processes include (but are not limited to) Albumen, Cyanotype, Van Dyke Brown, Platinum/Palladium, Gum Bichromate, Bromoil, Salt Print, Ambrotype, Tintype, Image Transfer and Ziatype. 19th century photographic processes dominate this genre, however some modern methods have joined the accepted ranks. Alternative photographic printing processes result in the creation of one-of-a-kind handmade images, with the imprint of each photographer’s special individuality and artistry. Click here http://sohophoto.com/participate/competitions/alternative-processes-competition/ for more information. 

Call for Entries – Media ICONS Juried Photography Exhibit 2014
Deadline August 29: 
All photographers are invited to enter “Media ICONS: Man-made” Juried Photography Exhibit. Creativity is encouraged around the theme of “Man-made,” for photographs captured in the town of Media, PA and anywhere in Delaware County. The juror for Media Arts Council’s 8th annual competition is Rob Cardillo, who has been photographing gardens, plants, people and man made elements for over twenty years. His award-winning work appears regularly in publications, advertisements and websites (www.robcardillo.com). We believe Rob will bring a rich creative eye to the jurying of this year’s show. Four cash prizes will be awarded. 
All selected photos will be displayed at the Media ICONS Photography Exhibit, 609 West State Street in Media, October 11th to November 8th. The opening reception and 
awards will be on October 11th, during 2nd Saturday Arts Stroll. 

Call for Art – Unframed.us
Deadline August 1:
The exhibition confronts the viewer with a fascinating array of everyday, ordinary things, and in the process gets us to take a close look at the objects and our encounters with them in our daily lives. These “mundane things” are the stuff that we encounter daily without almost any thought. They are overlooked, ignored or simply taken for granted. This exhibition of objects takes a close look at the all too frequently unnoticed objects that many artists are turning to for inspiration or the creation of their art. 

Please submit 5 images of your work, CV, and statement. Entry fee is $15. 
Click here http://www.unframed.us/callforart/ for more information. 

SMALL WORKS
National Juried Small Works Show 
Type: Exhibition Opportunities [View all http://www.collegeart.org/opportunities/type/3/] 
Posted by: Main Street Arts 
Deadline: 09/22/14 

The first national juried exhibition at Main Street Arts will be an exhibition of small works (12" or less in any direction). Open to artists working in all media excluding video/sound and installation art. This exhibition is open to all U.S. residents at least 18 years of age. Entry is currently open. 

Prospectus: 

Jurors: Gallery director and staff 

Awards: $1,000 in cash awards 

Important Dates 
Entry Deadline: Monday, September 22, 2014 at midnight 
Notification: The week of October 6, 2014 
Shipping/Delivery Dates: October 28–November 1, 2014 
Exhibition Dates: November 6–December 27, 2014 
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 8, 2014 

Submissions: 


Thursday, July 10, 2014

MEMBER EVENTS

Sisters on The Move II, CFJ

You are invited to join Cynthia Farrell Johnson 
at Fenton Street Market

Please join us at Fenton Street Market 
on Saturday, July 12, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM 
at Veterans Plaza in Downtown Silver Spring.


If you cannot make Saturday's event,
we will be at the Fenton Street Market again on Saturday, September 13.

EVENTS, ETC..

Pyramid Atlantic
Jose's Birthday Party
Event: Birthday Party Arty Day
Date: Saturday: July 12
Time: 2 pm - 6 pm
Place: Pyramid Atlantic Art Center
Cost: Pay What You Can 


Kramer Gallery

STUDIO SPACE
Downtown Silver Spring Office Space for Rent Available August 1
$680/month, 405 s.f.
WiFi and all utilities included.
 
Large conference room/reception area and adjoining office available. Tenant has separate entrance. Perfect for artist, therapist, writer or researcher. Ten minute walk to Silver Spring Metro and several bus lines. Floor is shared with an arts nonprofit.
For more information, email create@createartscenter.org



Have an event/exhibit? Let us know, it can be posted here on our blog and in our newsletter. Send your information to wcadcorg@gmail.com.