Anthrocon Artists' Alley
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This information is from Anthrocon 2009. It is posted here for reference only.
Artists Alley information for Anthrocon 2010 will be posted in the spring of 2010. Anthropomorphics conventions are traditionally very art-intensive, and Anthrocon is no exception. In addition to our sizeable art show, each year we set aside a place for artists to show off their work, sell prints or just sit and draw in sketchbooks. Known as Artists Alley, this area is available to all artists on a first-come, first-served basis. Space is limited, but we do our best to accommodate as many artists as possible. This year, Artists Alley will once again be sharing space with the Art Show and the Dealers Room in Hall B of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The Artists Alley is not the Dealers Room. Important differences include:
Artists Alley General Rules
Artists Alley Sign-Ups Although we are expanding the Artists Alley this year, we unfortunately still sometimes can have more artists than we have seats available. For this reason, seats will be allotted by lottery at the beginning of each day. Having a seat one day does not guarantee a seat the next. Seats may not be "reserved" from one day to the next by leaving belongings or signs. Artists Alley signups will take place each morning Room 303-305 in the Convention Center. Signups will be from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM on Friday, and 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday. At the end of each day's signups, all artists who have signed up must gather back in Signup Room. If there are fewer artists in the lottery than there are seats available, then everyone gets a seat. If there are more artists signed up than there are seats available, names will be drawn at random to determine who will be placed on the Waiting List. We will then announce the names of the artists who will receive seats in the Alley that day. YOU MUST BE PRESENT IF YOUR NAME IS CALLED TO RECEIVE A SEAT IN THE ALLEY. "Proxies" are not allowed - you must claim your seat yourself. If your name is called and you are not present, you will be placed on the Waiting List and the artist at the top of the Waiting List will receive your seat. Note to artists hanging art in the Art Show:
Please note that artists can hang their art in the Art Show until 6 PM on Friday. We recommend that you secure your seat in the Alley on Friday morning (i.e. stay for signups and choose a seat at the tables), then step away from your table for a few minutes to hang your art. We'll understand, really! Also, if you are going to sign up for the Alley and you have an Art Show reservation, you can hang your art in the Art Show as early as 9:30 AM on Friday. The Art Show staff will make an announcement at 10:45 AM to remind artists to go to the signups room. As long as you are in line to sign yourself in by 11 AM, we will not turn you away. Communications Between Artists and Customers Because artists may sit in Artists Alley for all three or only one or two days of the convention, Artists Alley staff and Anthrocon cannot be held responsible for communications between artists and customers (i.e. for returning sketchbooks, commissions, etc.). We provide a small bulletin board for notes between artists and customers, but ultimately the responsibility lies on the artists and customers. If artists leave their cell phone numbers with Artists Alley staff, if a customer is seeking an artist, Artists Alley staff will contact the artist with the customer's contact information. Anthrocon's Artists Alley staff will never give out an artists' contact information without the express permission of the artist. Sales of Artwork Ordinarily, each vendor (defined as a person collecting monies for the sale of merchandise or services) must have a Pennsylvania sales tax license, and additionally must be registered with the local authorities through the convention for a vendor's permit. The fees for these vendor's permits are charged to the convention and the permits are currently limited in number. There would not be enough for everyone, and the costs associated with obtaining additional permits would be prohibitive. We could not conduct Artists Alley in the traditional fashion without charging exorbitant fees to the artists and compelling them to register for a license and collect sales tax. In order to allow for sales in Artists Alley, we have devised the following system. We apologize if it seems inconvenient, but the alternative is to require all artists to obtain sales tax licenses on their own, or to forbid any sales from taking place whatsoever. Anthrocon will be the centralized dealer for the entirety of Artists Alley, selling the items there on a consignment basis. We will collect the money and the necessary sales taxes, and will distribute the funds to the artists. Anthrocon is thus responsible for keeping the paperwork in order and for filing the tax forms, and everything is kept legal. The advantage to the artist is that Anthrocon is able to guarantee check payments, and is capable of accepting credit and debit cards for payment. At the end of each day, the artist walks away with cash in hand for all sales that day. Due to the strictness of the local and state laws regarding our merchants, we absolutely can not allow the direct exchange of cash for merchandise or services within the Artists Alley, or within any other area under the control of the convention. Anyone found in violation of this rule may be subject to losing Artists Alley seat privileges for a period of time. Further violations may result in expulsion from Artists Alley or from the entire convention. All decisions of this nature will be carried out by the Anthrocon Artists Alley/Con Store Manager or Artists Alley Staff as designated by the Manager. Additionally, if such a violation occurs in the presence of a state or local official who has come to monitor our activities, the guilty party will be solely responsible for fines or other legal penalties that may be imposed. The Sales Procedure, Step by Step 1) After your name is called in the lottery, you will be issued a receipt book. This will be returned to us at the end of each day. Each receipt is in three parts -- white, yellow, and pink. There is a cardboard tab that you can place under each pink copy to keep the writing from going through to the next. 2) When a customer wishes to purchase a print or sketch, write out a receipt on the white copy, pressing hard enough to make sure the yellow and pink copies are made. Include YOUR NAME, the title or number of the piece(s) (or some other way by which you can identify it) and the sale price. Do not total the sale. Tear off the two copies. Keep the white one in the book and give the pink and yellow copies to the customer. Again, KEEP the white copy, GIVE the pink and yellow. 3) Send the customer to the cashier. We will total the purchase and add 7% tax. We will keep the pink slip and will give the customer a cash register sales slip. That slip will be stamped PAID and will have the number of your receipt on it. It will help to minimize lines if you suggest to the buyer that he make his rounds of the room and take all of his receipts to the sales table at one time. 4) The customer will give you the sales slip. The PAID stamp is your proof that the item was paid for. If the PAID stamp is missing, DO NOT give the customer his merchandise - there is a chance that we do not have record of the sale, and you will not receive payment from us if we do not have proof of sale. Keep that slip along with the white copy of the receipt. Give the customer his art, letting him keep the yellow slip. Now to get paid! 1) Payments to artists will be made at the end of each day immediately after Artists Alley closes (5 PM on Friday and Saturday, 4 PM on Sunday). If you wish to check out of the alley before that, you will have to wait until the end of the day to receive payment, although exceptions may be made for extenuating circumstances; contact the Artists Alley Manager if you have any questions. If you do check out early, we suggest that you check to make sure you have a "paid" sales slip for each white receipt; if not, you may still have a buyer waiting. No payments can be made in the 1-hour period prior to closing! 2) At checkout, bring your receipt book to the sales table. We will compare our pink copies against your white ones. If we are missing a receipt, your "paid" sales slip is proof that payment was made. Once all of your sales are added up we will pay you in cash for the total. Return your receipt book at this time. Congratulations, you have successfully participated in Anthrocon's Artists Alley! If you have any further questions, please e-mail the Artists' Alley Manager at . Anthrocon Artists Alley rules version 6.0, May 2009 |








