From: rcampb@cac.washington.edu (Russ Campbell )
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: Norwescon Art Show snobbery
Date: 28 Jan 1993 18:39:20 GMT
Organization: UW Computing
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: redx.cac.washington.edu

Excerpt from the Norwescon 16 Art Show rules (without permission):

"Only Original art, Fine Art Prints and Hand Colored Prints may be made
available for written bid and/or direct sale."

"DEFINITIONS

A fine art print is one where you have made the plate/s or screen/s and
pulled the prints primarily by hand.  Examples are:  woodcut, block print,
etching, drypoint, engraving, serigraphs (silkscreening) and lithographs
(not to be confused with lithoprints).

Other types of reproductions such as laserprints, photoprints, xerox and
lithoprints (or photo-offset lithography) do not qualify as fine art
prints and may be sold only via direct sale or print shop."

-------------------

This snobbish separation of items in con art shows was implemented last
year by Norwescon and remains in force again this year.  The show is 3
bids to auction as always.  I sound agitated about it?  Good.  Here's why:

1.  putting such limits on what can and cannot be sold by bid limits artists.
	It limits what an artist will display, especially local/regional level
	artists 90% of whom can barely afford the expense of producing quality
	photoprints in runs of less than 100.  They now cannot hang these 
	for bids at Norwescon.  Such prints may only be sold at a fixed price.
	This puts the artists at that level in a bind - do they lower prices
	to assure *some* sales of prints at *maybe* break even price or do 
	the not display anything but original art which they must price 
	high to make anything off of?  Or do they stoop to making cheapo
	photocopies of poor quality, hand coloring them, and selling them
	as "Hand Colored Prints" (allowable under the written rules for 
	Norwescon).

2.  such snobbish separation of items limits what buyers will be able to 
	afford.  By forcing the "lesser" types of prints to be sold only at
	direct sale prices (unless it's hand colored of course) the average
	fan buyer will purchase much less than they might have if they could
	try to snag a photoprint or lithoprint at minimum bid or at least 
	something less than the direct sale price.

I bring this up because I believe, as a fan/buyer and as an artist that
such snobbery has no place in fandom.  As a buyer I'm dismayed to think
that I could go to a show and not be able to bid on something with a low
minimum bid on it (a bid the artist won't feel ripped off for if I get it
at minimum bid) to have some fun bidding in the auction and get the thrill
of "winning" a piece in the auction.  As an artist I'm dismayed that I
would not be able to provide the opportunity to buyers like myself.  

If the purpose of this change is to limit the number of pieces going to
auction then Norwescon should follow the lead of other cons of similar and
larger size art shows (including Confrancisco which has no such separation
in it's rules) and raise the number of bids to get a piece to voice
auction.  Silicon was 4 bids to auction, Loscon 5, and Confrancisco will
be 8.  That would seem to me to be a better way to limit what goes to
voice auction. 

If there is some other purpose for such rules I cannot myself think of it.
In response I will not be displaying my art at Norwescon again until the
situation is corrected.  To those of you who have mailed me asking if I
would be showing there (some so they could try once again to get a piece
at minimum bid), thank you for your interest and I apologize for any
inconvenience.  You can see my work again at Westercon in Bellevue,
Washington, in July.  

To any other artists who are considering displaying at Norwescon but are
in the same boat (not able to afford to produce "fine art prints") I urge
you to write to the Norwescon art show directors when you receive your
mailing and let them know you're not happy about these rules.  Follow that
up with not entering the show until the purpose of the rule in question is
made clear and/or the rule is repealed. 

To the Norwescon art show directors (who will get a copy of this by US
mail), be warned:  you have instituted a disservice to fandom and local area
artists.  I will do everything I can to get you to change this ruling, up
to and including urging artists not to participate in the show and fans
not to buy.  Already there are two others in the area who have decided as a
result of this needless snobbishness not to display, and two more who have
indicated they'd rather not but had already committed to being there as
panelists and will have to "dump" something at an objectionably low price
to cover at least some of the costs of attending.

Sincerely and in concern for fandom's art shows,

Russell D. Campbell