Summertime, and the Living is...

We're about to hang Stephanie Pui-Mun Law's wonderful "Immortal Ephemera" show today, and as I sit here at the crack of dawn, cup of coffee in my shaking, tired hand (after all, it is literally the crack of dawn), I'm reflecting on the concept of "when does the hard work turn to easy work?".

I think that when we've thrown ourselves into a task that requires everything we've got, we all hit that point when we wonder when we'll get that break. For Krab Jab Studio, I always sort of fantasize that summertime will allow me to slow down a little bit. After all, for the second time this year we have a two month show ("I'll Read You a Story" children's picture book show starts in July) and this year I have an assistant, Kathryn, whose been busily snapping our operations together and turning us into a well oiled machine. We're getting more press now, which is a huge blessing. And sales seem to get better quarter to quarter of the fiscal year. So I should be able to kick back and put up my feet.

But I know I won't.

For example, I just wrote up an article for the blog Muddy Colors based on my workshop at this year's Spectrum Fantastic Art Live convention, called "Demystifying the Gallery World". The intention of the article was to elaborate on the bullet points of my lecture (which is available here as well as on our YouTube channel). In my Muddy Colors article, I tacked in a segment called "Finding a Gallery" which wasn't in my lecture but I get a lot of questions about. From there, I concocted a nearly 3k word article, of which I wasn't even halfway through the lecture segments. Clearly this was a two-part article; therefore, I will have to write the second part and turn that in for publication at a later date. Lord knows how long THAT segment is going to be!

Prior to Kathryn coming on board, I was behind in everything, me being only one person and all, running a business on my own. One of our priorities is getting caught up and back on track, whether its editing and releasing older Artist Talks to our YouTube channel, cleaning out our storage, or organizing our back room. We've made huge headway but I know we've got much more to do, much of it on my own head, like cleaning up my messy accounting books (we keep good records but I am living in piles of paper).

Meanwhile, I'm working on curatorial projects outside of our normal show schedule. I work with the crew that runs the Mythic Worlds convention, creating a space within the convention that embodies the heart of what the convention is all about. I'm working on travelling our fantastic "Lennon" show, which just ended this early June but needs to be seen by many more eyes. I have a few more irons in the fire I can't really speak about yet, but will take a good chunk of my energy.

Then there's my home life, which is just as busy. Family weddings are coming up, house needs to be repainted, backyard has a couple of projects, and I have a couple of trips to plan. House is always in need of cleaning and organizing, and our two Boxers need entertainment and exercising on a regular basis. I have my own artwork to make, mostly consisting of finishing a few large paintings which will likely take me all summer. I have an overdue commission to complete.

In all, I know that the hard work won't end. Really, it never does, especially when you're working in a field you really enjoy. It turns into an attitude thing: "hard work" doesn't mean "tiring, unsatisfying work". My plate is full, but it's full of yummy, juicy stuff. Granted there are some dull, not-fun things on my list, but when you run your own business there's always a few things you're not crazy about doing. You just dig in and do them. I am rewarded with a sprinkling of easy days, and when I get one, trust me, I really savor it. But it's okay if the entire summer isn't one big fun vacation. I'd probably get bored anyway. There's only so much sitting around I can do before I get antsy.

-Julie Baroh, June 2015

Demystifying the Gallery World: Things an Artist Should Know

So this last weekend I attended the Spectrum Fantastic Art Live convention, which is a medium sized convention located in Kansas City, MO. It's about three years old and spun off of the juried annual Spectrum Fantastic Art. I went mostly to lurk around, see some kickass art, meet amazing artists and run a workshop called "Demystifying the Gallery World".

The gallery world isn't all that mystical, really. It's just a business. Granted, it can be volatile, unpredictable, baffling, but it's really not all that much from any other business in that there are protocols, contracts, agreements and mostly, relationships. Curator, artist, visitor, collector...

I only had 30 minutes to cover an insane amount of information, so I tried my best to hit as many points as I could, using simple slide shows to bullet point. As requested, I am going to list my slides here, in all their glory.

(Want to See the Actual Workshop? Here it is!)

Developing a show with your curator

•  Working relationship (key word: “relationship”)
• — Size of show, size of work(s)
• — Theme or series
• — Curatorial vision
• — Communication! Keep it open, even if there is a problem

Contracted obligations for You and the Curator/Gallery

• — Written agreement stating terms of show
• Average retail gallery commission: 40 – 50%
• Exclusivity clause?
• Artist usually pays for shipping fees to/from gallery
• Amendments must be discussed, written and signed by both parties to be legal
• — Insurance, security, damage or loss of art
• Marketing obligations, if any

Managing the workload between Confirmation and Delivery

• Mindful of deadlines vs your own work ethic
• “Buffer days”/”work days”/”potential sick days”/”FAIL days”
• Last month is devoted to press releases, marketing, documentation, cataloging
• Unlike some publishing scenarios, gallery openings are “hard openings”!

Preparing to document your work: Photography, Statement

• WIP photos are great, especially for a unique process 
• Traditional 2D: good lighting, clear images, true colors (ie, get a professional if you need to) 
• 3D: multiple angles, detail shots (video is okay too) 
• DON’T: use cell phone, photograph a piece under glass (unless you have no choice), or overly Photoshop an image 
• OIL, metallics, and high gloss mediums: mindful of reflections, blowout, moiré 
• Statement: reflect the theme of your piece/show. Be heartfelt (visitors can read through bullcrap). First person statements are best. If your medium is unique, you may need to explain what it is or why you used it 
• DON’T: copy from your website

Framing and Display

DO:

• Ask about weight/size limitations, as well as wall hanging options and amount of wall space 
• Wall space: ask about “usable” vs “total” wall space 
• 3D: Ask about types displays, surface type, if pieces can be anchored, height of displays 
• Use framing material that is archival – if it is not, alert gallery owner 
• Ask about frame options on the gallery end, if you are shipping. Many galleries have inhouse framing or framers that are economical. 

DON’T:

• Use chipped, broken, scuffed frames 
• Use glass if you plan to ship the piece. Use plexi or matte acrylic 
• Use a cheap frame (that clearly looks cheap) for expensive pieces. Customers complain about that. 
• Use odd colors for mats or frames, they’re a harder sell. Use neutral colors such as white, cream, gray, black, beige. 
• Use toothed hardware. It tends to come out. Use appropriate d-rings, wire.

Shipping your work

When packing 2D art:

• Ask gallery if they have packing material requirements (such as “no peanuts”) 
• Don’t pack glass if at all possible 
• Use foamcore, hardboard or rigid material to protect front of piece 
• Don’t tape anything directly to your piece or frame 
• Paper corners, bubble wrap, paper on corners 
• Don’t overpack a box. Also, make sure pieces will not shift in transit 
• Don’t use packing tubes for original art 
• Insure your package! 

When packing 3D art:

• Crate larger pieces (have one built or buy one at places like Uline) 
• “box in a box”, floated 
• Complex pieces should be broken down into smaller pieces, boxed individually 
• Send along assembly information and images, including a repair kit 
• Insure your package!

Pricing your work

• Materials, time as a factor (adjust if you tend to work slow or fast) 
• Take in consideration commission rate 
• Market value: speak to gallery owner about local retail averages vs global averages (example: Grand Rapids may have a higher price point than Anchorage for art) 
• You may need to make some adjustment to your pricing (or piece choice) to reflect your new locale 
• Don’t undervalue: your humble $300 price point for your detailed oil painting may say “there is something wrong with this” or “I’m not worth collecting” to a collector. You don’t want to brand yourself as naïve or desperate. 
• Don’t flux: Collectors get very frustrated with art that’s re-priced from show to show or month to month. If a piece isn’t moving at a current price, RESEARCH WHY. The results may surprise you. Never drop a price…

Market your show: marketing, opening receptions, and review

• Branding the Art and Show: from Objects to Experience 
• Social media/Mailing Lists/Preview Lists 
• Press Releases and advertising 
• Opening and Closing receptions 
• Press and collector parties 
• Reviews: the Good, the Bad, and the Nothing At All