Art Show 2008 Information

Summary
General Information
Other Art Show FAQs
Anthrocon 2007 Art Show Awards


Anthrocon 2007 was our largest convention ever, with attendance of 2,849, 135 artists participating in the Art Show, and total Art Show sales of over $65,000 with more than 1,000 pieces sold.


General Information
On behalf of participating artists, the Anthrocon Art Show exhibits and sells original artworks of a science fiction, fantasy and/or fannish nature, especially relating to anthropomorphics. Artists offer works in various media, both flat (sketches, pen-and-ink drawings, paintings, etc.) and 3-dimensional (sculpture, masks, costumes, etc.) for display and sale.

If you are an artist, an information packet with the display rules and a space reservation form is now available for downloading:
2008 Art Show Packet (ArtistPacket2008.pdf) (402.78 KB)
Reservation deadline is April 30. There is a lot of information included, so please allow yourself a few days to go over it and prepare your reservation. Start thinking now about how many pieces you wish to show, and how much room you'll need to display them.

If you are interested in purchasing artwork at the Art Show, more information will be posted on the Anthrocon web site as the date of the convention approaches.

Areas of the Art Show

There are two distinct areas of the Art Show:

1. The "General Gallery" features original artwork depicting subjects suitable for all ages to view. This room will be open for silent (written) bidding during the day and early evening Friday and Saturday, and Sunday morning. If a piece receives enough written bids by noon Sunday, it will be sent to voice auction Sunday afternoon.

2. The "Mature Gallery" is for original artwork depicting mature subject matter. This room will be open during the same hours as the rest of the Art Show Friday and Saturday, and monitored to keep minors out. Pieces in this area which receive enough written bids by Saturday evening will be sent to a separate voice auction later that evening.

Since we provide artists the opportunity to get a Dealers Room table or a free table at Artist Alley, Anthrocon does not offer a Print Shop in the Art Show for the sale of multiple-copy items. Many artists make arrangements to sell their work through a distributor such as The Rabbit Valley Comic Shop, who can make sales all year long instead of just at the con. Artists may still exhibit and sell single copies of prints to the highest bidder in the Art Show, as with original artwork.

Types Of Artworks

All entries of original art must be your own work. All entries of prints must be based on your own work. You may enter collaborative works for which you contributed a significant effort, as long as you have permission from all other involved artists, and credit them accordingly. If a work is based on commercially-available patterns, designs, stencils, etc., this must be stated in the "medium" description on the bid sheet.

Artwork for sale should depict your own original characters, unless: (a.) you have written permission from the character's owner, or (b.) the work is obviously a parody. You should not sell art depicting trademarked characters unless you have a license to do so, as this opens you up to an infringement suit. Works found to contain unauthorized depictions of others' intellectual property may be removed from display or marked "Not For Sale" by the Art Show Director upon request from rightsholders or their representatives.

All flat art should be matted and backed, framed, or otherwise mounted, ready to hang upon arrival. Framed works should have a wire for hanging, securely attached to the artwork. Glass mountings will not be allowed. The idea is to protect the artwork and minimize the amount of fuss needed to display it. Contact the Art Show Director at art-2008 (at) anthrocon.org if you have questions or an unusual situation.

Three-dimensional works should have a case to hold the items. If you do not have a case, we cannot guarantee the safety of the item.

Prints are defined as limited-edition photoprints, serigraphs, lithographs, photocopies, laserprints, or other multiple-copy items. (Hand-colored lithographs are considered original art.) Only single copies of limited edition prints (under 500 copies) will be allowed in the Art Show. We do not offer a Print Shop for the sale of multiple copies of prints; we suggest you contact a distributor, who would also sell your work year-round instead of only at the con.

Any item created using a computer or other method which can be used to produce multiple copies (e.g., screen printing) must be indicated as a print in the "medium" description on the bid sheet unless accompanied by a notarized statement from the artist affirming that it is a unique work and that no further copies will be made.

Display Space

The display unit for flat art is the pegboard panel, 2 ft. wide by 4 ft. high (approx. 60 cm wide by 120 cm high). The display unit for 3-D art is the half-table, which is 3 ft. long by 30 inches deep (approx. 90 cm long by 75 cm deep). You must specifically reserve space for each area in which you wish to display work: General Gallery and Mature Gallery.

Please note that our panel units are smaller than those of many other cons. This is to avoid dealing with fractional reservations. Feel free to request two or three or more panels to get the amount of space you need.

When reserving your space, please keep in mind that you must allow space for mats, hanging hooks, adequate clearance, and for bid sheets around your pieces. Your artwork may not extend beyond the edge of any panel or table, and it may not interfere with any works displayed by any other artist. One panel will typically hold six 9" x 12" or A4-size (21 cm x 29.7 cm) matted pieces. Bid sheets are 4.25" wide x 5.5" high (10.8 cm x 14 cm, approx. A6-size). Allow 3" (8 cm) above the top of each piece for clips and hooks. The top 2" (5 cm) of each panel is unusable because of the panel supports; a sign for each artist is attached there.

Floor space for large free-standing artwork (e.g. sculpture or costumes, or works on easels you bring) must be arranged with the Art Show Director by the reservation deadline; please contact him and include all details about the piece(s) and supports (if any).

Agents and Mail-In Service

If you cannot attend Anthrocon, you may be represented by an agent at the convention. An agent is simply someone you authorize to act on your behalf in dealing with the Art Show at the convention. He or she will bring, hang and pick up your artwork, do your paperwork, etc. -- i.e., perform the normal duties and accept the responsibilities you would if you were present. Typically, an agent is an artist's friend or acquaintance who is attending the convention anyway. One person can act as an agent for several artists. There is no set limit to the number of artists an agent can represent, but remember, it takes time to hang the art and do the paperwork: it could take several hours for several artists.

We no longer offer mail-in service. We feel it best to devote our efforts to the artists and agents who invest the time and expense to attend the convention.

Fees and Commissions

Anthrocon is a registered not-for-profit organization, but we must collect a commission on sales to cover the expenses of running the Art Show. (Neither Anthrocon nor its staff profit from this.)

We have set 15% as a maximum commission rate, but when the sales payments are issued every year, the actual rate to be charged may be revised downward, once all expenses are in and we can determine if we can afford to ease up on the rate for that year. Those who paid for space in the Dealers Room receive a discount of 2.5 percentage points (i.e., a maximum rate of 12.5%).

We may also pass along any expenses incurred in accommodating special requests. This may include such things as fees for electrical use, shipping expenses if you leave unsold artwork behind, etc.

Keep in mind that, unlike many other conventions, we do not charge a hanging fee. You may request as much space as you need to display your art attractively, free of charge.


Any questions? Check the Art Show FAQs or email us!

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