Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Sunday, September 12, 2010
ArtSlant - Artists, Exhibits, Galleries and SalesRoom
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Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Artist Websites and Marketing
Fine Art Studio Online: "FineArtStudioOnline is a revolutionary web site creation tool that allows an artist to create his or her own art website in a matter of minutes!"
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
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Saturday, February 21, 2009
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Stolen Paintings
Hello Art Lovers. I have an experience to share with you, an experience that might, hopefully, prevent other artists from going through the same ordeal I’ve gone through.
Although the vast majority of art dealers I’ve dealt with in the past have been professional and honest, sometimes an incident comes along that can propel an artist into total emotional frustration. That incident for me occurred one year ago, in the summer of 2007, when I was invited to have a solo art show at D Gallery in Oceanside California. Being a blind artist, the opportunity for people in San Diego County to see my art was invigorating. One of my goals has always been to show that blind people can create visual art. Although I have less than 5% vision left in one eye and only light perception remaining in my other, I can utilize that tiny bit of sight with the use of my memory. Relying on my memory is vital for I cannot see my paintings in their entirety either during or after their completion.
D Gallery was run by an art dealer named Gia Guidinger (I’ve since found out this is possibly an alias), the art show would run from August 1st 2007 – September 1st 2007, and we worked out a contract that contained all of the details one is supposed to have in a good contract. I made arrangements to fly from my home in Missouri to attend the show on opening night.
Opening night came and everyone in attendance had a great time. I responded to many questions regarding my art and the way I create it, and several people came up to me stating that they had just purchased certain works. I left for home feeling confident more sales would occur over the next four weeks.
Two weeks after returning home I was contacted by a friend in California, who told me that D Gallery was closed and all of my paintings were missing. I immediately phoned Ms. Guidinger and demanded that my art be returned to me or I would be contacting the local police. She assured me that my art was fine and claimed that the show lost money and she had to close down the gallery. When I inquired (several times over the next few weeks) as to how many of my paintings had sold, I received various answers along with excuses about misplacing her paper work. Little by little she shipped my paintings back to me, and when Ms. Guidinger said I’d received them all, I was15 paintings short. It was already past the date in the contract I was to be paid by, but she promised to send my percentage soon.
Several months passed and no payment came. Emails from her were vague, sometimes offering excuses and promises, other times they were abusive, and occasionally they were bizarre. I’d had enough of this fiasco and decided to take her to court.
She had breached the contract, and California civil service code 1738.6 states that an art dealer is required to pay the artist their share of the profits prior to the dealer paying himself/herself or spending any of the proceeds. I filed papers with San Diego County court, but found it impossible to have these documents served to Guidinger, for she had disappeared.
In January 2008 I placed a theft notice on my website with photos of the 15 paintings and a photo of Ms.Guidinger and myself. A couple of months later I received an email from her threatening to take legal action against me unless I removed her photo from my website. I wanted to shout, “please do it, take me to court, I’d love to see you in court!” Instead, she offered to pay me what she owed if I agreed to remove the theft notice. I was thoroughly familiar with her tactics by now and never for a moment believed she would actually pay me, but I wanted to say that I gave her every chance. So, I removed it, she didn’t pay, and the theft notice is now back on my website. I’ve also discovered that I’m not the first artist to have this experience with her, but as far as I know, I’m the only one speaking out about it.
It’s now been one year since the art show, I still haven’t been paid one penny, and the whereabouts of most of my 15 paintings is still a mystery. However, several weeks ago I received an interesting special delivery letter. It was from a Judge Mathis, and upon opening the letter I found out he’s a judge on TV. They search through court records around the country, came across my case in the files at San Diego Courthouse, and asked if I would agree to have my case on TV. I agreed, but they either couldn’t find Ms. Guidinger or couldn’t get her to agree to appear on Judge Mathis. A few days ago I received another special delivery letter. Now Cristina’s Court wants my case on their show. I await the results of their efforts to find her/convince her… I’m not holding my breath.
If anyone would like to see a photo of this “art dealer to avoid”, the link is http://www.davidkontra.com/notice_of_art_theft.htm .
Although the vast majority of art dealers I’ve dealt with in the past have been professional and honest, sometimes an incident comes along that can propel an artist into total emotional frustration. That incident for me occurred one year ago, in the summer of 2007, when I was invited to have a solo art show at D Gallery in Oceanside California. Being a blind artist, the opportunity for people in San Diego County to see my art was invigorating. One of my goals has always been to show that blind people can create visual art. Although I have less than 5% vision left in one eye and only light perception remaining in my other, I can utilize that tiny bit of sight with the use of my memory. Relying on my memory is vital for I cannot see my paintings in their entirety either during or after their completion.
D Gallery was run by an art dealer named Gia Guidinger (I’ve since found out this is possibly an alias), the art show would run from August 1st 2007 – September 1st 2007, and we worked out a contract that contained all of the details one is supposed to have in a good contract. I made arrangements to fly from my home in Missouri to attend the show on opening night.
Opening night came and everyone in attendance had a great time. I responded to many questions regarding my art and the way I create it, and several people came up to me stating that they had just purchased certain works. I left for home feeling confident more sales would occur over the next four weeks.
Two weeks after returning home I was contacted by a friend in California, who told me that D Gallery was closed and all of my paintings were missing. I immediately phoned Ms. Guidinger and demanded that my art be returned to me or I would be contacting the local police. She assured me that my art was fine and claimed that the show lost money and she had to close down the gallery. When I inquired (several times over the next few weeks) as to how many of my paintings had sold, I received various answers along with excuses about misplacing her paper work. Little by little she shipped my paintings back to me, and when Ms. Guidinger said I’d received them all, I was15 paintings short. It was already past the date in the contract I was to be paid by, but she promised to send my percentage soon.
Several months passed and no payment came. Emails from her were vague, sometimes offering excuses and promises, other times they were abusive, and occasionally they were bizarre. I’d had enough of this fiasco and decided to take her to court.
She had breached the contract, and California civil service code 1738.6 states that an art dealer is required to pay the artist their share of the profits prior to the dealer paying himself/herself or spending any of the proceeds. I filed papers with San Diego County court, but found it impossible to have these documents served to Guidinger, for she had disappeared.
In January 2008 I placed a theft notice on my website with photos of the 15 paintings and a photo of Ms.Guidinger and myself. A couple of months later I received an email from her threatening to take legal action against me unless I removed her photo from my website. I wanted to shout, “please do it, take me to court, I’d love to see you in court!” Instead, she offered to pay me what she owed if I agreed to remove the theft notice. I was thoroughly familiar with her tactics by now and never for a moment believed she would actually pay me, but I wanted to say that I gave her every chance. So, I removed it, she didn’t pay, and the theft notice is now back on my website. I’ve also discovered that I’m not the first artist to have this experience with her, but as far as I know, I’m the only one speaking out about it.
It’s now been one year since the art show, I still haven’t been paid one penny, and the whereabouts of most of my 15 paintings is still a mystery. However, several weeks ago I received an interesting special delivery letter. It was from a Judge Mathis, and upon opening the letter I found out he’s a judge on TV. They search through court records around the country, came across my case in the files at San Diego Courthouse, and asked if I would agree to have my case on TV. I agreed, but they either couldn’t find Ms. Guidinger or couldn’t get her to agree to appear on Judge Mathis. A few days ago I received another special delivery letter. Now Cristina’s Court wants my case on their show. I await the results of their efforts to find her/convince her… I’m not holding my breath.
If anyone would like to see a photo of this “art dealer to avoid”, the link is http://www.davidkontra.com/notice_of_art_theft.htm .
Friday, March 14, 2008
Time for a newsletter
So much is happening at Art Lovers gallery: plans to make it a cooperative; plans to expand our internet and print sales . . . it's time for a new newsletter.
It's also a time for a fitting tribute to Victor DeGraff, the gallery's best-selling artist, who died last month, after his car went off the road just past Dead Man's curve in Cobden. Victor would appreciate the irony. His Sands of Time Studio website has been recently updated, so his legacy will continue.
You can sign up for the newsletter on the Art Lovers home page.
It's also a time for a fitting tribute to Victor DeGraff, the gallery's best-selling artist, who died last month, after his car went off the road just past Dead Man's curve in Cobden. Victor would appreciate the irony. His Sands of Time Studio website has been recently updated, so his legacy will continue.
You can sign up for the newsletter on the Art Lovers home page.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Juno in July
Visiting artist to offer lectures, workshops in July: "Visiting artist Violet Juno will be on campus July 2-27 with a series of 25 events, including lectures, performances and workshops. The series, called 'Campo Truth Charmer: An Interdisciplinary Performance Expedition,' is meant primarily for artists of all types, from musicians to writers to painters to dancers, and for the 'art-curious' in any discipline.
Juno is an arts learning activist for the Alameda County, Calif., Office of Education. She is also a performance artist, having participated in exhibitions in more than 30 cities over the past 17 years, including a premier performance at SIUC's Kleinau Theater of "Swallowed Whole: Stories from Inside the Painting," an exploration of her work in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Juno was born in Germany, but raised in Normal, Ill., where, according to her biography, she learned to recognize the "absurd masquerading as the mundane." She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree at Washington University and a master of fine arts at the University of California-San Diego.
Juno's visit here is funded in part by the Student Fine Arts Activity Fee. All of her events are open and free of charge. Each week has a theme. The schedule is given in the press release."
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Aftermath 2002, and other Plochmanns on display
The Southern Illinois Art Gallery at Rend Lake will be displaying the paintings of Carolyn Plochmann's Gift, a selection of paintings and drawings from the 1940s through 2005. The highly distinguished Carbondale artist, Plochmann, gifted the work to the Illinois State Museum in 2006, many of which are being shown for the first time.May 20 - September 9, 2007.
Six miles north of Benton, Illinois, just west on Exit 77.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Can you Duhigg it?
Artdaily.org - The First Art Newspaper on the Net: "ST. LOUIS - The annual Kranzberg Exhibition Series opens June 8, 2007 with an exhibition featuring the work of Thad Duhigg titled, Assumptions Mediated and will run through September 2, 2007.
Currently professor of sculpture and the Chair of the Art and Design department at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville, Duhigg will fill the indoor galleries at Laumeier with his bold, probing and provocative work. The exhibition includes sculpture, installations, prints and drawings. Duhigg’s most recent work questions and provokes as it focus on issues of identity, race and current events. . . .
Duhigg received his B.F.A. from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale "
Currently professor of sculpture and the Chair of the Art and Design department at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville, Duhigg will fill the indoor galleries at Laumeier with his bold, probing and provocative work. The exhibition includes sculpture, installations, prints and drawings. Duhigg’s most recent work questions and provokes as it focus on issues of identity, race and current events. . . .
Duhigg received his B.F.A. from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale "
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Healing art
Healing through art: "Twice a month teens and adults meet at The Women's Center in Carbondale for a unique form of art therapy called 'The Art of Survival: Women, Healing and the Arts.' The program is the only one of its type in Illinois and it has highlighted the work of about 25 people since it started in 2004.
'We let each individual decide what they want to do in their art. Through the artwork and various steps, an individual is able to reconnect with their feelings that they may not be aware of,' volunteer program manager Elka Kazmierczak said."
'We let each individual decide what they want to do in their art. Through the artwork and various steps, an individual is able to reconnect with their feelings that they may not be aware of,' volunteer program manager Elka Kazmierczak said."
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Picasso works stolen from granddaughter - Yahoo! News
Picasso works stolen from granddaughter - Yahoo! News:
"The paintings, 'Maya and the Doll' and 'Portrait of Jacqueline' by Picasso -- worth a total of nearly $66 million -- were stolen from the artist's granddaughter's house in Paris overnight Monday to Tuesday.The Art Loss Register, which maintains the world's largest database on stolen, missing and looted art, currently lists 444 missing Picasso pieces, including paintings, lithographs, drawings and ceramics. Among recent missing Picassos reported to the register was the theft of an abstract watercolor stolen in Mexico."
Monday, February 26, 2007
The Russians are Coming
Russian musicians to visit SIUC School of Music, March 6 & 7, to perform Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 with the Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra at two venues: Shryock and The First United Methodist Church.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Lucky 13 in Mt. Vernon
Reported in FLIPSIDE Online: Thirteen Carbondale artists will display their work in the Mitchell Museum's main gallery at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts in Mt. Vernon, beginning this Saturday, Feb. 24 through May 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.
The exhibit features the art of Andrea Buckvold, Luca Cruzat, Harris Deller, Ann Dodge, Cheonae Kim, L. Brent Kington, Jiyong Lee, Alex Lopez, Michael Onken, De Sande R, Rick Smith, Jason Urban and Chris Wildrick. Their works include photography, acrylic, ceramics and oil paint.
The exhibit features the art of Andrea Buckvold, Luca Cruzat, Harris Deller, Ann Dodge, Cheonae Kim, L. Brent Kington, Jiyong Lee, Alex Lopez, Michael Onken, De Sande R, Rick Smith, Jason Urban and Chris Wildrick. Their works include photography, acrylic, ceramics and oil paint.
Juried student art exhibition on display this week
Juried student art exhibition on display this week:
"The Graduate Sculpture Student Organization at Southern Illinois University Carbondale presents the first SIUC Juried Student Art Exhibition. The exhibit will be in the Surplus Gallery in the Glove Factory, on the corner of East College and South Washington streets in Carbondale. First, second and third place winners will receive $100, $50 and $25, respectively.
The exhibit will be open Thursday, Feb. 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, Feb. 23, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The reception and awards presentation are set for Friday, Feb. 23, from 6 to 9 p.m. The events are free and open to the public.
Mel Watkin, the director of the photography gallery at the Public Policy Research Center of University of Missouri, St. Louis, will jury this inaugural exhibition."
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Strange statues around the world
One of Art Lovers favorite artists and dear friend, Christa Barnell, has moved to colder, but greener, pastures in Michigan, from where she sends this link to strange statues around the world posted on haha.nu - a lifestyle blogzine.
Which gives Art Lovers an idea..... How about an imaginative statue in Town Square?
Which gives Art Lovers an idea..... How about an imaginative statue in Town Square?
Saturday, February 10, 2007
One man's urinal, is another man's art
Yahoo! News reports in France: Court upholds urinal attack conviction:
"The self-proclaimed performance artist who attacked a urinal symbolic of the anarchic Dada movement with a hammer had his three-month suspended sentence upheld by a French court Friday.
Known as 'Fountain' and first exhibited by surrealist artist Marcel Duchamp in 1917, the ceramic urinal was slightly cracked by Pierre Pinoncelli's attack in January 2006.
'It was a nod to Dadaism, I wanted to pay homage to the spirit of Dada,' said Pinoncelli, 78, who complained about the 'non-recognition of his artistic act.'"
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