Added May 30, 2019
What’s On The Easel, June 2019, Vol. I, No. 3, A monthly newsletter from Jim Fischer
It’s a scam…
So, Jersey City recently had it’s first major gallery/artist show called 14C in the Hilton downtown (Why 14C? Got me) and a ‘call for artists’ was sent out for a general exhibition in the hotel’s ballroom. After paying $40 and submitting three works some weeks later I received an email proudly announcing, “We received over 200 submissions” and declaring that 29 pieces had been accepted for the ballroom exhibition. So, do the math. They made $8,000 out of the box from mostly losers. On top of that, they would get a 40% commission for any sales (not that anything that made the cut was worth buying).
And then there was the ‘call for art’ I got from a curator putting together a show in a small gallery in some town in North Jersey. The call was for small pieces (10 x10 inch max) and, wow, there was no entry fee. Ah, but there was a ‘hanging fee’ of $25 for accepted pieces and a 40% commission for the curator on sales. So, I estimate this ‘curator’ could squeeze in 200 pieces into the space, $5,000 in ‘hanging fees.” A nice haul for putting nails in walls.
So, there’s money to be made from them-thar desperate artists and now I, for one, am taking the advice of a reputable gallery owner and never again paying a fee to get into an exhibition. It’s a scam.
The wrong work
Here we go again. While my serious realist works continue to be ignored, this piece, a rainy afternoon's amusement, another joke now gathering dust in the gallery (needs a cleaning) is selected and featured in an upcoming exhibit. I give up! I am not a sculptor! It's what I call 'junk art.’
The title I used for the entry is 'Dancing With Matisse', but it's real name is 'The Creation: Heaven and Earth' and it's part of a series of pieces based on the creation story in Genesis that also includes 'The Creation: Eve,' ‘The Creation: Light,’ ‘The Creation: Adam’ (in the works) and ‘The Creation: Day and Night/Flora and Fauna (in the works as well). They want garbage, I can do that:
So, was there anything on the easel?
Not really. This is the time of the year when I need to be outside working on the gardens (pictures to come in future newsletters).
In other news…
They call it a ‘bucket list’ and some people just want to see Paris, others want to climb up to Machu Picchu. Now, I don’t like to call it a ‘bucket list’ but I did have one thing I always wanted to do. Since the 1970s I have been a Wagnerian, one of those who enjoys the works of Richard Wagner, and for us kind of people nothing can top seeing a live performance of his Ring Cycle, The Rings of the Neubeling. And I did just that this month at the Metropolitan Opera. Four operas, 20+ hours over six days. Stunning, just stunning (although there were spots where you felt, ‘Come on, Wagner, move it along’). Alan, you haven’t heard The Ride of The Valkyries until you see the live performance, ten minutes that leave you in awe. Would I do it again? Actually, no. It was great but it was gruelling, so, once is enough.
That’s all for now. Drop me a note if you like. I’d love to hear from you.
Everyone be well.
Jim