Just when visual artists and art galleries in South Carolina thought it couldn’t get any worst – along comes the SC Arts Commission with a great opportunity – an opportunity to help whom?
In my recent travels I was handed a letter which someone received from the SC Arts Commission about an opportunity to rent a booth at the upcoming American Institute of Architects South Atlantic Region (SAR) Conference to be held at the Carolina First Center in Greenville, SC, from Sept. 30 – Oct. 4, 2009. This conference will host architects from North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia with over 1000 attendees expected.
The letter states, “SAR is offering to artists and commercial galleries the opportunity to exhibit and sell their work in the exhibit hall. Booths are limited and are on a first-come, first-served basis. The special booth rate/registration for artists and commercial galleries is $277.00 per person. The cost for additional registrants is $189.00. The rate includes meals (snacks, breakfast and lunch, only, booth rental, one chair, one table, booth signage and carpeting).”
The letter also suggest checking their website (www.aiasc.org) for further info. Good thing I did – and I hope others did too before jumping on this opportunity.
Here’s what the website gave as registration cost breakdown.
The total cost $277 of registration for one person includes:
$30 Wed. Exhibitor reception (food)
$20 Thur. Breakfast (food)
$14 Thur. Breaks (food)
$30 Thur. Lunch (food)
$30 Thur. Reception (food)
$20 Fri. Breakfast (food)
$30 Fri. Lunch (food)
$14 Fri. Breaks (food)
$21 Booth Cost
$19 One Table in Booth
$1 Chair
$8 Booth Sign
$40 Carpet in Booth
That’s $188 for food for three days. That’s $62 a day for food and it doesn’t include any dinners – $94 for Thursday alone. That’s some good eating for an artist who hasn’t been doing so well in this economic downturn – a real luxury.
Out of the $89 which actually is dealing with the booth – $40 is for carpeting? Of course this isn’t being offered ala cart. There is just one fee and it’s take it all or leave it.
I know some people would think this is a great opportunity to have access to 1000 architects, but is it? Did I miss the news about the building boom going on in these three states? And, I guess all these architects and their firms don’t already have connections with artists and art galleries in their own home areas. Plus, do you think these people don’t have meetings, lectures and workshops to attend and they are just going to be going from booth to booth to do some shopping for art?
Is the $277 plus travel, lodging and other expenses worth this “rare” opportunity? If you think it is – there you go. Thank you Arts Commission for the opportunity.
And, I’m sure some will do it and may have great stories to tell of this opportunity. But if money is as hard to come by for you as it is for me these days – is this really an opportunity for me or anyone to help the American Institute of Architects pay for their conference or more profit for the Carolina First Center?
Why now is the SC Arts Commission sending out letters to offer opportunities for commercial galleries? Is this the kind of help we should expect? There are a lot of ways to look at this.
First, how do you think the Greenville visual art community feels when they have such a juicy conference taking place in their town – during one of their First Friday art walk events – where those 1000 architects could be visiting their galleries and studios – free that evening? Thanks, Arts Commission!
Is this the kind of padded registration fees you would expect at other opportunities you would participate in as an artist or gallery owner? That’s $188 for partial food cost and $40 for carpeting.
Did the SC Arts Commission know this was the breakdown of the registration fee? Did they care to check out the website for details? Do they think this is really what visual artists and art galleries need right now?
My question is should it cost $277 to have access to architects and their firms in these three states? Shouldn’t they have access to some sort of state-wide art registry that they can scan through when they need art. Is there not one at the SC Arts Commission?
Or, is this their way of saying the registry doesn’t work and you need to pay to have access to these people. Access you could get just as well on the internet or by e-mail with a little hard work. Time is money, but in this case your time may be in more supply than demand.
I don’t know about you but I’m not spending $62 a day on meals for me or my whole family. I couldn’t justify $40 for whatever kind of carpeting they could be supplying. And, I would expect more from the SC Arts Commission in the way of help – if I expected anything at all.
What would have been a real opportunity is for the SC Arts Commission to have made a deal where artists and galleries could participate for just the booth fees – not all the extravagant extras.
But then – that’s me. How about you?
I know one thing – I’d like to have the carpet rental contract at the Carolina First Center in Greenville, SC.