Artists' Pipeline #25 - April 10, 2001

Sister Kenny Institute's 39th annual International Art Show by Artists with Disabilities runs April 19 to May 16 at the Sister Kenny Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, 800 E. 28th Street (at Chicago Avenue) in Minneapolis. Admission is free. Regular exhibit and sales hours are weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 612-863-4463.

The theme of the spring exhibit at Interact Center for the Visual & Performing Arts is "Spiritual Beauty." A variety of new artwork by artists with disabilities will be displayed from April 6 to June 30 at the Inside Out Gallery, 212 Third Ave. N., Suite 140, Minneapolis. Hours are Monday through Friday 10:00 to 4:00, Saturday noon to 5:00 and by appointment. For more information, call 612-339-5145 or email InteractCenter@aol.com.

New Work by Performers with Disabilities "Mother Mary's Gumbo Ya Ya" is a new theatre production being staged by Interact Center for Performing Arts in Minneapolis from April 20 through May 19. The work is conceived and performed by artists with disabilities. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 and Saturdays at 3:00. ASL-interpreted performances are April 26 and 28 and May 11 and 12, 3:00. The opening on April 20 includes real Louisiana gumbo and zydeco music after the show. Interact is located at 212 Third Ave. N. (enter on 2nd St.). For reservations or more information, call 612-339-5145 x 2. Tickets are $12, with group discounts available.

by Malik M. Lloyd, FIND ART information bank (Washington, D.C.).

One of the greatest mysteries of being an artist is knowing how to price one's work. I've been an artist over 20 years, and in some cases still find myself fumbling with the answer. Charging too much often results in little or no work. Charging too little may undermine the value of the work and may prevent the artist from being adequately compensated for the amount of time and effort put into creating the art.

For the artist, there are many variables involved in pricing one's art. Are you a professional artist or amateur? What is your experience level? Do you have a strong history of published work? How many awards have you received? What is your education level? From how prestigious a university? What kind of reviews has your work received? What are you organizational affiliations? Where have you been employed/exhibited? In which geographic location do you live? And of course, what is your talent level?
Regardless of one's artistic discipline, before you even think about pricing,you should have some idea of how much time it takes you to complete a job and consider attaching an hourly wage to your work. Although you may not bill the client based on an hourly rating system, this method could assist you in determining your price range. Also, if applicable, consider your regular expenses, such as art supplies, studio rental, supplies, marketing, equipment, models, travel, research, taxes, utilities, taxes,etc. What are your operating costs? It is from these costs that you will establish a "minimum." A minimum price is one that will cover your expenses and to which you will add a reasonable profit.

It is also a good idea to visit galleries and other venues to compare prices and simply ask other artists about their pricing methods. Most artists are willing to assist their fellow artists. In the book, The Business of Art, the author stresses that "You've got to intelligently investigate the market to ascertain what the going rate is for work done in a similar medium, style, size, degree of complexity in execution, done by other artists in about the same stage of career development. Check out galleries and ask other artists about prices so you will have a feel for the range. If you have not sold before, opt for a price that lies between low and middle of the range, so that you can start moving your work. Once it begins to sell, then you can start raising your prices. And for the oft-heard phrase, "I'm going to lower my prices so I can sell more" - forget it. Never lower your prices once they have been publicly established. There is no faster way to anger a collector."

For the freelance artist doing publication work, in many cases, the fee for one's artwork is determined by an existing "rate sheet." There is a specific price that the client will pay for b&w, color, size and location of artwork. However, in some cases, one still has to negotiate. There are several basic pricing questions that should always be asked before pricing any job.

1. Just what exactly is the project to be priced? How will your artwork be used? The project you are being asked to price will have a large bearing upon the kind of price you will give.
2. What is the deadline of the job? If you accept a job on Friday that needs to be completed the following Monday, that job naturally must commands a higher price than the same job due in four weeks.
3. How complicated is the job? For example, is it a location shot that will demand greater amounts of your time or a simple set-up in your studio? Will it be your responsibility to hire models, approve props, etc. or will that be the responsibility of the client? Will the job require travel?
4. What rights are being sold? Does the client want to reproduce your art only once? Does he want to own the physical art itself, as well as having the right to reproduce it?
5. What is the client's budget? How much is the client willing to pay for the job? If the client wants to pay "x" dollars for the job, your decision will be, do you want to do the job at the client's price.

It cannot be stressed enough that the artist must always confirm what he or she is selling before the job is accepted. The artist should know exactly what is being sold: first-time rights, all reproduction rights, all rights including copyrights and ownership. These different situations should be priced accordingly and should be negotiated and agreed to before any job is accepted.

FIND ART Information Bank's mission is to provide information to artists of every discipline and experience level to enhance their artistic development and professional livelihood. To this end, it forms alliances with art organizations to provide an ongoing major source of information and opportunities for artists. FIND ART information bank is distributed via email once a week. Send requests to: FAINFOBANK@AOL.COM. Mailing address: P.O. Box 15411, Washington, DC. 20003 Contact: Malik Marvin Lloyd, FIND ART information bank, 202-678-3455, Fax: 202-678-0165.

Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) nurtures women's voices, visions and values in the community by empowering women in the visual arts and promoting their work. Programs include mentoring, ArtsAlive! (summer workshops), Fresh Art (monthly networking meetings), exhibitions and a WARM-Ups newsletter. Contact WARM, 550 Rice St., St. Paul, MN 55103; 651-292-1188; warm@rconnect.com; web site: Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) (www.warm.org).

Minnesota Watercolor Society aims to further development of watercolor artists by providing a supportive environment with education and exhibition opportunities, and by promoting public appreciation and greater visibility of the art. Annual membership is $25 ($20 seniors 65+, $35 couples/families). For more information or a sample of its monthly Brush Strokes newsletter, contact MnWS, 4011 Chicago Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55407 or call 952-996-9228.

Juxtaposition Arts was created in 1995 to nurture creativity and build self confidence for North Minneapolis and inner city youth. It provides hands-on opportunities for young artists to learn skills and grow as creative individuals. Activities include a studio arts program, field trips, mentoring, artistic lectures, youth art exhibitions, community murals (summer) and community art partnerships. Staff includes Roger Cummings and Petyon, founder/artistic directors; DeAnna Cummings, managing director; and Keegan Xavi, program coordinator. FMI: Contact 612-374-1418, Juxtaposition Arts (www.juxtaposition.org), the office at 280 Second Ave. N. #201, Minneapolis, MN 55401; Fax 612-374-1419; or the studio at 1902 Glenwood Ave., 2nd floor.

The American Composers Forum links communities with composers and performers. It offers a Sounding Board newsletter, calls for commissions, scores, competitions, grants, fellowships, workshops, seminars, and websites: American Composers Forum (www.composersforum.org) and Composers Datebook (www.composersdatebook.org). For more information: American Composers Forum, 332 Minnesota St. #E-145, St. Paul, MN 55101-1300; 651-228-1407; Fax 651-291-7978.

Descriptive Video Service has been applying the art of describing visual images for people who are blind or visually impaired since 1986. Through an innovative Emmy Award-winning technique, narrated descriptions of visual elements - actions, costumes, gestures and scene changes - are woven into the pauses of a program or film's soundtrack. You can watch these movies and hear the descriptions with a regular VHS videocassette recorder (VCR) and a television. For a DVS Guide or Catalog of DVS Home Videos, call 1-888-818-1181 for Braille, 1-888-818-1999 for large print, 1-800-333-1203 for an audio version or information about DVS; e-mail dvs@wgbs.org; or web: WGBH - Media Access Group (www.wgbh.org/dvs). Or contact WGBH, 125 Western Ave., Boston, MA 02134, 617-300-3600.