PAVA blog

For the past few years I have been traveling and learning about arts communities halfway around the world. I met a Bangladeshi artist exhibiting in Dhaka who now lives in Berlin. The world is a very small place when you have a passion for the same things. Arts play a major role in the lives of Bangladeshi women, on all levels. The Grameen micro credit system has allowed many of them to create and prosper. The images I brought back are inspiring. Hope to reconnect with PAVA members at REH and other meetings.
Susanne

Just a quick post to thank everyone for their kind words, thoughts, help, and donations to the Imago artists after the terrible fire that destroyed our studios and art. Because of so many wonderful friends, we are up again and creating art in a big studio space in Dunedin. The fire may have destroyed our creations, but it had no effect on our creativity.  

Thanks, Denis 

Sun, 9 Dec 2007 — We got horrible news this morning that our fellow PAVA members Denis Gaston and Viv Ruegger along with other artists lost their studios in a horrible fire early Sunday morning. If you go to this link, the picture shows Denis’ studio up in flames.

At this moment, there are talks about finding studio space for displaced artists and various locations are being mentioned amongst city employees and others. Denis is ready to put up a tent behind the building and start painting, if he had supplies. A few of the artists have totally lost everything to do with their art making. Robert Sutherland lost everything except the pants on his body - no cell phone, no wallet, no computer, no clothes.

PAVA (Professional Association of Visual Artists) will be collecting money to be distributed to the artists in equal amounts. If you would like to donate, send a check to PAVA, PO Box 2665, Dunedin, FL 34697. Put in the memo section - Donation for Imago. You will received a receipt for your donation and a counting will be kept.

If you have art supplies you would like to donate, please drop me an email or call me at 539-8901. We will collect items and distribute them to the artists when they are ready to work.

Also, benefits are being planned, with more information to come.

Barbara
PAVA Administrator

2-day Fine Arts Fair

Artists are welcome to apply
for entrance into the 2nd annual

Largo Central Park Artists’ Market
~ Largo, Florida ~

March 15 & 16, 2008

The first year was a smashing success and the sponcors are looking forward to another great weekend! Expecting 100 plus artists this year.

The deadline for applying is
December 31, 2007 or when filled

For a prospectus and application email:
artbuzz@intergate.com

(12/9/2007 News story)

Thanks to all who responded to the call to help the artists of Imago Studio.

A preliminary benefit has been set for December 19, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Dunedin Fine Art Center, 1143 Michigan Ave, Dunedin. Any and all ancillary donated items: music; food; silent auction are welcome DFAC will provide place, staff, beer and wine - can do a donation bar and entry fee - all proceeds will go to the artists.

Art supplies can be dropped off at the Dunedin Art Center. (Or email me if you need assistance.)

As far as art supplies needed - just look around your studio and see what you use. The Imago Artists lost everything and need the same studio items. Some suggestions: paints, brushes, stretched canvas (including gallery wrapped). paper, etc. for oils, acrylics, pastels, colored pencils, watercolors, charcoal. Regular pencils, pens, staplers,framing equipment, bins, pencil sharpeners, tape dispensers for masking tape that sit on the counters, easels, mat boards, frames, screwdrivers, scotch tape, a chair - if you see something in your studio hat you can’t live without - the Imago Artist probably can’t either. At this time, I do not believe there are any jewelry artists at Imago.

Also monetary donations will be accepted. You can make the check out to PAVA and drop it off at DFAC or send to PAVA, PO Box 2665,Dunedin,FL 34697. Put Imago Artists in the memo section. All the monies collected will be distributed evenly to the artists. If youwant to make a donation for a specific artist, please contact that artist directly. An accounting will be kept and receipts given.

Studio space in Dunedin for the group is being researched.

If you have any questions, please contact me via the website contact form.

Thank you.

Barbara
PAVA Administrator

Local landscapes are featured in an exhibit of paintings by members of West Coast Plein Air/Plein Air Florida.  The freshness and immediacy of the paintings is a result of the intense involvement in the environment that is part of the plein air painting experience.  The artists work in a variety of styles ranging from controlled to free and from subdued to vibrant, but all share a love of the Florida outdoors.

The exhibit is at the gallery in the Dennis L. Jones Community Library, sponsored by sponsored by St Petersburg College Seminole Campus. The artists include PAVA members Barbara Kampe Hanson, Brooke Allison,  Jenna Friedman, and Elizabeth Rose.

The gallery is located at 9200 113th St, Seminole, FL. A reception will be held Tuesday, November 27, from 6 - 8 p.m.  The show will run through December 13th. The gallery is open Mondays 2 – 7 PM, Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 AM to 7 PM, Fridays from 10 AM to 4 PM, Saturdays from 10 AM to 4 PM and Sundays from 12 AM to 4 PM.

Artist Marketing Workshop with Bruce Baker on December 1st

“Thrive, Not Just Survive: A Primer for the Art Studio Professional” will be a day-long workshop

covering topics such as BOOTH DESIGN, SALES & CUSTOMER SERVICE, YOUR SLIDES

& THE JURY, and PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & TRENDS. Only $25 registration fee

includes lunch!

DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS NEXT MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH.
Bev Gannon

Department Computer Support Specialist

Pinellas County Cultural Affairs Department

13805 58th Street N, Suite 2450

Clearwater, FL 33760-3733

www.pinellasarts.org

We’ve just added a new category titled Member Announcements. PAVA’s blog is interactive, so we encourage members to register and post announcements; exhibitions, opportunities, etc., that would be of interest to other members.

Denis

I’ve participated in over 100 outdoor art shows over the years, and have made a few observations about the nature of these events. While different organizations run sidewalk art shows, the great majority are created and hosted by local civic groups; chambers of commerce, merchant associations, and junior leagues.

Much good can come from the joining together of civic groups and artists. Artists present their work to a large audience, who become educated about contemporary art, and hopefully begin making purchases.  In addition, by holding an outdoor art event, the local business association brings many people into their city. Those visitors eat at restaurants, and spend money in local establishments, all very good for the area’s economy.

What isn’t talked about and artists tend to forget, is the fact that outdoor art shows are very much fund raisers for civic groups. One fall outdoor show on Florida’s west coast makes $80,000 for the Junior League. The Gasparilla Art Festival in Tampa charges all artist applicants a non-refundable $35.00 entry fee. This high quality show gets one thousand applicants every year! The 300 or so accepted artists then shell out $250.00 for a booth space.

Outdoor art shows are cash cows for local groups, and while artist sales may suffer because of bad weather, a bad economy, or a fickle buying public, the show organizers always make money. They make non-refundable money from the artists as well as food vendors. If a hurricane flattened one of Florida’s many outdoor art shows, the show’s organizer would still take its money to the bank.

This has led to a proliferation of outdoor shows and a watering down of the artistic talent pool. In the last five years, the quality of art at many shows has gone down, while the number of venues has increased. Factor in a down economy, and suddenly art show visitors become more interested in being entertained than purchasing art. They do, however, find enough loose change to buy a beer and giant pretzel.

More and more artists are not even making enough sales to cover booth fees. Eventually, they are forced to move on and try their luck elsewhere. No matter, there will always be enough new artists to make up the defecit. The show’s organizer always collects in this win/win situation.

I am proposing a radical and fair solution to this growing problem. Art shows would pay the artists $250.00 to participate in the show. They make back that money from the food vendors. Artists would then hand over 10% of their sales to the show’s organizer. In this scenario, it would be to everyone’s advantage to have the highest quality and best selling outdoor show possible. Everyone would be a winner on this level art show field.

Denis