MediaWest*Con 28 -- May 23-26, 2008

Art Show Rules

For Artists and Agents

Art Show Director: Gordon Carleton

Assistant Art Show Director:  Karen Klinck -- Auction Director:  Jesse McClain

1. Artists must be Attending or Supporting members of MediaWest*Con 28 in order to enter the Art Show/Auction. Agents must be attending members. No memberships will be taken at the door!

2. Subject matter of art to be exhibited should be related to SF, fantasy, or other media of interest to convention attendees. Acceptability and grouping of items for display and/or auction shall be determined by the Director, whose decision is final. Art must be the original work of the artist, not an item for resale.

Self-supporting 6' x 3' room dividers will be used to hang two-dimensional art. The panels consist of a tubular outer frame surrounding wire mesh. This design does not lend itself to artwork overlapping the outer edges of the panels. 2' x 8' tables will be provided for three-dimensional art.

3. Space shall be available for display on a reservation basis only. Hanging space reservations will be taken in units of panels, or panel divisions. A maximum of one and one half (1-1/2) panels may be reserved by a single artist. Artists may share space, but combined space reserved cannot exceed 1-1/2 panels per artist. A full panel is 6' in height by 3' in width. A 1/2 panel will be 3' high by 3' wide. A 1/4 panel will be 3' high by 1-1/2' wide. A 1/8 panel will be 1-1/2' high by 1-1/2' wide. These dimensions are for hanging two-dimensional works.

To reserve three-dimensional space, give dimensions of table surface required, not to exceed one full table per artist. A full table will be 2' by 8'. A 1/2 table will be 2' by 4'. A 1/4 table will be 2' by 2'. A 1/8 table will be 2' by 1'. Please specify if you plan to enter any items which require special handling (such as stained glass), or small items that may require greater security (such as jewelry). There may be a charge for electrical hook-ups (if the hotel charges us, we'll charge you). Artists may provide their own displays (pedestals, stands, etc.) to make more efficient use of the table surface. All such displays must be labeled with the artist's name.

Fees will not be charged on the basis of space reserved. Reservations are simply to ensure that adequate display space may be provided. Artists may display nameplates and/or business cards within the space reserved.

Artists who wish to combine their Space Reservations to share space and reduce paperwork may do so, but such combinations may not be used to exceed the maximum space allowed per artist (i.e. Artist X may not use 2 panels out of combined 3 panels reserved by Artists X & Y).

Art Show reservations must be received by May 5, 2008. Available space may be filled before this date. We will attempt to accommodate all changes in space requests up to this date, so please let us know if you reserved too much or if you need more space (up to the maximum allowed). Artists will be assigned display space in approximate alphabetical order after all space reservations are collected.

4. To reserve space in the Art Show, fill out the attached Art Show Space Reservation Request form (or a copy or printout) and mail it to MediaWest*Con 28 Art Show, 200 East Thomas Street, Lansing MI 48906-4047 USA.

Space Reservation requests will NOT be taken by phone. We will accept completed space reservation forms by FAX (517/372-0738) and by e-mail using the online form below through the deadline above. If you need control sheets and bid sheets mailed to you, please include a $2.00 mailing fee; this will cover the cost of an envelope and postage without the problems of too small SASEs with incorrect postage, etc.. If you do not need forms mailed, you do not need to pay the mailing fee. As always, extra control and bid sheets will be available in the Art Show.

Agents for multiple artists should use separate forms for each artist represented, or request that space be combined using a single form, listing the agent as "artist" for filing purposes. Again, such combinations may not be used to exceed the maximum space allowable per artist.

If you use a fannish or professional pseudonym, you may use it on MediaWest*Con Art Show forms and you will be listed accordingly, but you must also list your legal name for our records.

5. It is your responsibility as an artist or agent to fill out all forms with correct information. The Art Show will not be responsible for any sale or lack of sale due to erroneous information on control or bid sheets.

6. All two-dimensional art must be matted and/or framed for hanging. Matting should consist of a top piece of heavy matboard (framing the art), hinged to a backing board with tape. Heavier pieces should be framed and rigged for hanging. This is to protect your work!

7. Only original art will be displayed, or sold at auction. Photographic copies of artwork, such as PMT's, veloxes, xeroxes, or any other optical reproduction of artwork will not be acceptable for display or sale at auction.

There will be a Print Shop if enough interest is expressed. See Print Shop rules below.

EXCEPTIONS: Original photographs taken by the artist, original photo-composites or collages, art lithos produced by the artist, silkscreen or block prints made by the artist, and optical reproductions that have been altered by hand-coloring with ink, paint, etc., shall be considered "original art." Only one copy of each item may be displayed and/or auctioned (Such exceptions must not duplicate items displayed in the Print Shop/Table if a Print Shop/Table is provided). Items in this category must have "PRINT" clearly labeled on the bid sheet.

Three-dimensional items must be separately cut, molded, shaped, assembled, molded, joined, or otherwise formed into each individual work. Castings or other mass-production techniques are not acceptable for display and/or auction unless they are hand-altered by painting, glazing, etc.. The bid sheets of three-dimensional   items must be labeled "3-D."

If you are unsure as to the acceptability of a piece, please ask the Art Show Director or his Assistant.

8. All work entered in the Art Show must be labeled on the piece itself with the artist's name, address, title of the piece, medium in which the piece was rendered, the fandom/genre represented, what publishing rights are included (if any), the minimum bid or NFS (Not For Sale), as applicable.

All artwork must be titled. The artist's phone number is not required, but is encouraged.

9. Bid sheets shall be attached to all items to be displayed. Minimum bid shall be a whole dollar amount. Items not for sale shall be labeled "NFS." Multiple bids will be required for a piece to go to voice auction. Please include the number of pieces you intend to show with your Space Reservation Request.

10. There will be no Quick Sale Price (QSP) or after auction sales.  Art will not be sold after the voice auction if it received no written bids.

11. There is a $1.00 per item hanging/display fee charged for all items available for sale. These fees will be refunded for all items sold at auction. A non-refundable fee of $2.00 will be charged for each NFS item.

Mail-in:  Hanging/display fees will be $2.00 per piece (refundable per item sold), $3.00 for NFS (nonrefundable) for all art mailed in to MediaWest*Con. Art mailed directly to MediaWest*Con 28 by non-attending artists must be received by May 19, 2008, and must include return postage, insurance, and all appropriate fees. MediaWest*Con will not be responsible for artwork lost or damaged in transit by post office, UPS, etc..  Mail-in art should be sent to MediaWest*Con 28 Art Show, 200 East Thomas St., Lansing MI 48906-4047.

MediaWest*Con will retain 10% of the sale price of all items sold through the Art Show/Auction (15% Print Shop/Table sales, if provided).

12. Artists or their agents will be paid by check and may pick up unsold artwork Monday morning until noon. Earlier checkout must be arranged in advance, preferably when art is first registered. All unsold artwork not picked up by noon Monday becomes the property of MediaWest*Con.

Artists will receive a copy of their control sheet(s) listing the sales price of each item sold, total sales, all fees paid and/or refunded, and the total amount paid to the artist upon checking out. Artists who mail art directly to MediaWest*Con will receive payment and control sheets, along with any unsold artwork through the mail/UPS/etc. after the end of the convention. Artists are solely responsible for any taxes due from the sale of their artwork at MediaWest*Con.

13. The Art Show will be open for registration Friday. Entries will only be accepted until noon Saturday, except as by previous arrangement.

14. The Art Show room will be locked at night.

15. There will be NO SMOKING in the Art Show and Auction rooms. There will be NO PETS allowed in the Art Show room.

16. Any discrepancies in the application of these rules should be brought to the attention of the Director or his assistants. Monetary penalties may be assessed for failure to comply with Art Show rules. Exceptions and rulings are to be made only by the Art Show Director, whose decisions are final.

NOTE: Original artwork is inherently protected by copyright law, and does not infringe on the rights of copyright holders in respect to likenesses, characters, etc..

Publishing Rights are not included in the sale of any artwork unless so designated.

MediaWest*Con 28 Art Show

Print Shop Rules

1. Artists must be attending or supporting members of MediaWest*Con 28 in order to participate in the Art Show/Print Shop. Agents must be attending members.

No memberships will be taken at the door!

If you use a fannish or professional pseudonym, you may use it on MW*C Print Shop forms and you will be listed accordingly, but you must also list your legal name for our records.

Agents for multiple artists should use separate control sheets for each artist represented, or request that space be combined using a single form, listing the agent as "artist" for filing purposes.

It is your responsibility as an artist or agent to fill out all forms with correct information. The Art Show will not be responsible for any sale or lack of sale due to erroneous information on Print Shop control sheets.

2. Print Shop items must not duplicate any works in the main Art Show. This includes hand-altered prints allowed as "original art" in the Art Show.

3. A reasonable number of different prints will be handled by the Print Shop for each artist. Subject matter of prints to be exhibited should be related to SF, fantasy, or other media of interest to conventio n attendees. Acceptability, quantity, and grouping of items for display and/or sale shall be determined by the Director, whose decision is final. Prints must be the work of the artist, not an item for resale. If you are unsure as to the acceptability of a piece, please ask the Art Show Director or his Assistant.

4. Print Shop items will be grouped together for display in the Art Show room. Self-supporting 6' x 3' room dividers will be used to display sample prints. Artists may display nameplates and/or business cards next to their prints.

5. Each print must be represented by either a sample copy or the original art for display purposes. All such sample prints must be matted and/or framed for hanging.

Matting should consist of a top piece of heavy matboard (framing the art), hinged to a backing board with tape. Heavier pieces should be framed and rigged for hanging. This is to protect your work! A copy for display may be numbered or an artist's proof. If an original is used for display, please note this on the control sheet.

6. Each display copy of Print Shop items must be labeled on the piece itself (on the back of the mat) with the artist's name, address, title of the piece, medium in which the print was rendered (silkscreen, litho, etc.), the fandom/genre represented, and the price per copy. If the display copy is the original art, it should be so labeled. This is so pieces may be easily identified for handling by the Art Show staff. The artist's phone number is not required, but is encouraged.

7. I.D. sheets shall be attached to all items to be displayed, listing artist's name, piece # (as assigned on the control sheet), title (all artwork must be titled), fandom represented, and price per copy (price per copy shall be a whole dollar amount). This will be for the reference of those wishing to buy prints.

A person wishing to buy a print will take note of the name and piece number of the print and go to the control desk to purchase it.

8. A reasonable number of copies of each print displayed will be held for sale in a designated area of the Art Show. All copies of these prints should be signed and numbered (individual copy #/total # copies made -- i.e. #1/100) by the artist.

9. There is a nonrefundable $1.00 per item hanging/display fee charged per each different print displayed in the Print Shop, payable at time of registration.

10. Mail-in:  Prints mailed directly to MediaWest*Con 28 by non-attending artists must be received by May 19, 2008, and must include return postage, insurance, and all appropriate fees. MediaWest*Con will not be responsible for artwork lost or damaged in transit by post office, UPS, etc.. Mail-in art should be sent to MediaWest*Con 28 Art Show, 200 East Thomas St., Lansing MI 48906-4047.

11. 15% commission will be deducted from all Print Shop sales. Print Shop sales will be added to the Art Show control sheet at checkout. Artists or their agents will be paid by check and may pick up unsold prints at the same time as other artwork Monday morning until noon. Earlier checkout must be arranged in advance, preferably when art is first registered.

Artists will receive a copy of their Print Shop control sheet(s) listing the sales price of each item sold, total sales, all fees paid, and the total amount paid to the artist upon checking out. Artists who mail prints directly to MediaWest*Con will receive payment and control sheets, along with any unsold prints through the mail/UPS/etc. after the end of the convention.

12. The Art Show/Print Shop will be open for registration Friday. Entries will only be accepted until noon Saturday, except as by previous arrangement.

13. The Print Shop will close when the Art Show closes in preparation for auction. Prints will not be sold after this time.

14. There will be NO SMOKING in the Art Show, Print Shop, and Auction. There will be NO PETS allowed in the Art Show/Print Shop room. The Art Show/Print Shop room will be locked at night.

15. Any discrepancies in the application of these rules should be brought to the attention of the Director or his assistants. Monetary penalties may be assessed for failure to comply with Art Show/Print Shop rules. Exceptions and rulings are to be made only by the Art Show Director, whose decisions are final.

NOTE: Publishing rights are not included in the sale of any prints.

Art Show Rules and Space Reservation Request Form were included in PR1.

You may also use the online form below & send a SASE separately.

MediaWest*Con 28 Art Show

Online Space Reservation Request Form

This official MediaWest*Con page was updated April 19, 2008

Return to MediaWest*Con 28 page