AT THE SHOW

Please contribute to the At The Show TipsBoard! This will be the main way to gather information for this area. Information will regularly be compiled into a permanent database. We hope to add much helpful information relating to exhibiting and marketing art at shows/festivals and the logistics for doing so. Longer articles are linked to on your left.

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THE COMPUTER CATEGORY

Computers aren’t going away so let’s deal with it. Computers won’t make a bad artist good but they can be a great tool in the hands of an artist who is good to begin with. As their role in art making inevitably increases they will, if they don’t already, command a category of their own. We’ve been doing some research to try and forestall controversy and confusion and arrived at the following guidelines:

• If work already exists (as a painting, photograph, intaglio or relief print, drawing, ...whatever) and a photocopy or digital impression is made, that copy is a second generation or reproductive image; a "reproduction".

• A first generation (original) digital print is made directly from a newly created digital file in which the computer is used to generate or manipulate images that differ substantially from preexisting examples.

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ARTIST INFORMATION STATEMENT

Responses to our survey last year indicated that a majority of artists feel that misrepresentation in one form or another is a big problem. Everyone realizes that the negative word of mouth that misrepresentation generates is a threat to the general perception audiences have of us, our collective integrity, and the value of our work. Show directors echo our concerns. Why do we put up with it? The NAIA encourages shows to enforce their rules and to eliminate problems (and problem exhibitors) as they surface but they’re hobbled by the reluctance of many artists to speak up and by the difficulty of gathering proof. From the outset the NAIA has refused to be the ‘police’ and we’re not about to start but we can be pro-active in leading the way toward eliminating any dishonesty out there by including in our displays a brief, straightforward statement about our work and our processes. Not only will this immediately raise the level of comprehension among visitors to our booths, if enough of us begin to offer this ‘disclosure’ to our audiences, eventually the omission of such a statement will become obvious to patrons. The intent here is not to dictate a standard or acceptable manner of producing work. It is to insure that the public understands what it is seeing, who made it, and how.

The text should describe succinctly and clearly any information about your work that might be important to consumers, judges, show committees, or other artists. The purpose of the disclosure statement is to identify, inform, and educate. The size and layout can vary, with diversity and creativity being more desirable. It is vitally important, however, to be as inclusive as possible. All the pertinent aspects of how you produce your work should be disclosed. Some factors various artists should consider:

• Identify your medium and the process you use.
• Explain specifically how the work is produced.
• If assistants are used, a concise description of their involvement should be included.
• It should be stated if an outside source such as a foundry or printing lab is used.
• Where appropriate, identify materials and unique methods of handling the materials.
• Include any educational information you feel is important.