Creativity is a gift everyone possesses, though every person’s level is unique. Some people are truly gifted. Others? Not so much. Some people can create when they feel the urge or when they’re called upon to create, and others feel like they’re almost possessed with a spirit to compulsively make stuff. It’s something they have to do, like eating and breathing.
No matter the level of talent or creative passion, however, the relationship between an artist and his or her art can’t be denied. And it’s probably most obvious when an artist feels his or her work isn’t valued.
Many artists will share horror stories about their work getting the short shrift, but one particularly vibrant artist, who wanted to remain anonymous, recently shared with the Sun her “bottom of the barrel horror story.”
This artist donated an original piece of art worth about $500. When it went up for auction, she watched with a heavy heart as the piece failed to fetch bids. In fact, many of the attendees at the auction hadn’t yet been seated to have a chance to bid. So she bought the art back.
“I couldn’t bear to see my piece going for next to nothing,” she said.
Many artists will attest to the fact that their work, which otherwise sells for a nice, profitable amount to art enthusiasts, will often fetch significantly less at an auction. Still, most artists are driven by a need to fill the world with art, to send a message or simply help the community in some way.
While artists create for different reasons, nearly every person who creates—whether as a hobby or for a living—does so out of a need to express what’s inside, and hopefully add something that enriches the world. That puts artists in a special situation, because while they have a need to create, they also have a need to make a living, and sometimes it’s difficult to integrate the two. To feed their creative sides, artists need to bring in income. But bringing in an income means artists must get their work in front of people—and that sometimes means sacrificing the level of income their work can bring in.
In other words, they may occasionally have to provide their artwork for free.
This cycle also leaves artists in the unique position of having the ability to help the community by donating their work, which also leaves them vulnerable.
Artist and Allan Hancock College art instructor John Hood said the issue is an ongoing one that each artist is forced to deal with at one time or other. The question of whether to provide donations for art auctions or to hang work in public places isn’t as clear-cut as it seems. Artists pour their hearts and souls into their work.
“There is a fine line between wanting to get your work noticed and also being taken advantage of,” Hood said. “I think any time you can expose the community to art, it is usually a good choice, even if it means not being compensated. The rewards can often be small, but feedback from the viewing public can often be just as satisfactory.”
Hood noted, however, that there’s a flip side to that.
“Those looking for artists must be made aware that we are creating work that is often emotionally and physically demanding, and if anything, needs to be respected,” he said.
He added that artists who depend on sales for their livelihood need to choose wisely in which events they participate.
Nanci Jo Ward is a graphic design instructor at Allan Hancock College and has run her own design business since 1983. She says there are many reasons designers should be wary of providing noncommissioned work.
“My guidance to students on this issue is this: It is unprofessional for a business to ask a graphic designer to provide artwork for free or ‘on spec’—even if it means exposure,” Ward said.
She quoted several reasons cited by the American Institute of Graphic Arts, including the fact that clients risk compromised quality, the possibility of designers being taken advantage of, as well as possible legal risks involving the use of intellectual property and trademark.
Instead Ward advises students to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement with organizations seeking donations; she said trade or barters are a great way to do this. She added that donating work for nonprofits is a great way to contribute to the community, since the nonprofit gets some much needed help for its meager budget.
“Hungry artists/designers need to work for their work to get seen and lead to the next job—paid, hopefully,” Ward said.
“If you benefit from developing a fantastic portfolio piece and it is not so intensive that it takes you away from other work or marketing efforts, I still see it as a win-win.”
Artist and founder of Central Coast Gallery Fred Ventura said the gallery always welcomes opportunities to physically show work in public spaces. He said the question of whether exposure is enough doesn’t just come up when an artist donates a painting. It also comes into play when an artist is showing work.
“If you take someone who has a nice venue and they let you hang their art, there is a lot of value as well as exposure that comes from that,” he said.
He echoed Ward’s comment that the situation should also be mutually beneficial, with each side working to promote the other. An artist should work just as hard at promoting his or her work and the venue as the venue should at getting people in the doors.
That’s one of the reasons artist and muralist Vicki Andersen said she’s choosy about where she donates her work. If she gives something, it’s because she truly supports the organization or cause.
“If I choose to donate something, it is because I choose to,” she emphasized. “I don’t like when people expect it. It’s like they don’t value your work.”
Andersen said that most people aren’t trying to take advantage of artists, it’s just that they don’t often realize the value of the art, nor do they realize that a donation of artwork is actually like donating a portion of that artist’s income.
“They don’t think about it,” she said. “It’s your work, it’s your livelihood. If they got their paycheck and it was short, they would be pretty upset.”
Andersen said that in some cases, the asking party believes artists can get a tax write off for their donation the way art collectors would if they donated a piece from their collection. Instead, if an artist donates a painting that would otherwise sell for $500, the artist can only claim the cost of materials as a tax deduction. The collector can claim the actual value of the piece.
Another often-overlooked facet to consider: What kind of exposure is actually being offered?
“You want to be in the program, in the advertising,” Andersen said. “You want your paycheck, just like anyone else who goes to an office to get paid.”
Though Andersen said that she has indeed been tracked down by an art enthusiast who saw her work at a show and later wanted to buy some of her pieces, not every artist is that lucky. Often someone will see an artist’s work at a show and decide they like it, but the likelihood of that person later finding the artist to buy a piece is slim.
Jill Targer said she doesn’t see any drawbacks to donating her work in exchange for exposure. She said such an arrangement helps an artist build a name, and for Targer, it’s a great way to support organizations she believes in. She also said it brings a measure of respect for the artist.
“My pet peeve is when [I] donate something to an auction and they don’t give me the consideration of letting me know what it went for or if it went at all,” she said. “That information gives me an idea of what the market is doing and what people are willing to pay.”
She said most organizations don’t set out to take advantage of artists; they’re simply trying to raise money for their organizations.
“We poor starving artists like to get something too,” she said. “We do need to get credit.”
Annie Yakutis said sometimes an artist needs to establish that respect in the first place by becoming empowered and in charge of his or her career. That includes being choosy about where art is displayed and to whom it’s donated.
“I think, if you want your work to stand out, you need to treat your own work with respect,” she said. “You need to think: Do you want this thing you made to be on a beautiful Saks 5th Avenue display or at Marshalls?”
Valinda Gallea believes all exposure carries the chance to increase an artist’s visibility. Her display at a local play this summer resulted in a month-long exhibition at a gallery in San Luis Obispo.
“In my experience, there is always a chance that the right person will see your work and something good will come out of it,” Gallea said.
Julie Fish said she’s more than happy to provide works of art to help the community because she doesn’t always have money to offer, but she paints so much she loves to pass her work along to others.
“People say my paintings make them smile,” she said. “People who go to community events and buy my paintings at discounted prices in order to support good works feel good about helping and smile more because they got original art to enjoy, too.”
Ultimately, all artists enjoy the fact that their creative work contributes to others in various ways; what varies is each artist’s perspective of the ratio of what a work’s value is in correlation to the amount of exposure the artist receives.
“Everyone has to have their own line of demarcation that they are to give of themselves,” Andersen said.
Arts Editor Shelly Cone can be reached at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Oct 13-20, 2011.