Putting the fun in fundraiser

Dear Robert, This letter comes at a crucial time. I am asked at least three to ten times a month to give to a charity. I must say, first and foremost, that I would not be where I am today if I had not given back to my community. I have done extensive work with AIDS, Children’s Hospital, Breast Cancer and a number of other key charities. Designing cards for children’s hospitals have spring boarded to major jobs designing street light banners and even a 30 foot mural. When I see some of the other artists I am showing with, even Robert Genn, I have been thrilled to be part of it. Donating work has become more about relationships than with supporting the community. There was one gem of a group that did visual and performing art programs for children’s that had a big place in my heart. For 18 consecutive and solid years I donated to their annual fall gala fundraiser. I was very pleased and proud to be part of this exclusive and prestigious event. On more than a few occasions I painted a specific piece. Sometimes they would give me a chair, a cabinet or an umbrella to follow that seasons theme. All the while working diligently and happy to participate. The executive director was a lovely woman who, every year, wrote me a hand written thank you card. I was jazzed and I felt like I had arrived as a recognized and established artist. Last year, the executive director stepped down after 20 years of service. She was replace with a woman from television. Within a week, I received a letter from the new director with three sentences thanking me for my previous donations. It went on to say my services were no longer required…Three sentences! I have never been so hurt, dissed or felt more dismissed. You would think this new director, with her sage experience, would have pick up the phone and at least make this call to me in person. I sent her letter off to the board of Directors I knew and they called me in shock. They didn’t know this was happening and they were all very upset. The next day, this new director called me and asked if I would meet her for coffee. I told her the ship had sailed and at this point I didn’t feel like being “Handled” by her. Her lack of skills in damage control was now rearing it’s ugly head. Sadly, I still believe in this group and the service they give. The splashy event went on without me… John Ferrie

I donate a painting each year to the on air auction/fundraiser for our local public broadcasting organization and I regularly contribute pictures to our watercolor society to raise funds for an art scholarship at the university. These are 100% donations with nothing back to me on the sales. I’m happy to be able to help. I wish artists in the US would contact their congressmen and senators and ask for an amendment to the tax laws to allow a deduction for the lesser of the fair market value or the amount realized from the sale of contributed art. Under current law we are allowed to claim a deduction only for the materials used in the work. I’m glad I’m in a position to help non-profits, but I fully admit I hold back from donating higher end work out of a selfish motive that might be overcome if I thought I could at least claim a deduction on my tax return. A change to the tax laws and regulations might help bump up the amounts realized by non-profits from these worthy annual events.

Well Robert, you just broke me up. I surprised myself as I laughed out loud reading this great line…”Last year one of mine sold for more than twice its gallery value, mainly because my daughter-in-law, Tamara, who happened to be the MC, mentioned that I was not feeling well.”

I wanna know how, when I get a twice weekly letter on a certain date, there are already so many comments on it? How do they get advance copies?

I’m with Carole Wayne King. Why are we let in so late? Sometimes I have a comment on the subject, but there are so many replies I’m sure what I have to say is already more than covered, so I just forget it and leave.

In fact the two above our comments were sent yesterday.

Like Ron above, I cracked up at your painting selling for twice its gallery value because your daughter-in-law, the MC, stated that you were not feeling well. This gives me all kinds of ideas for managing not to feel well when selling work out of my studio. I can see the new sign in my window now: “Artist at Death’s Door — Don’t Miss Out — Invest Now!”

Wine + painting…I will HAVE to try that!

(My nightowl habits turn up a new clickback sometimes very late on Mondays or Wednesdays.) I have donated work before and was embarrassed at the little it raised. Other times I was truly gratified at the amount. The only difference was one bidder wanted to donate a token amount whereas the other loved the piece and was willing to pay enough to bring it home; it wasn’t the work itself, it was the participants. Regardless of tax laws or what our individual work can demand, it is still a charity. If you believe in it, do what you can. If not, pass. Learning to say “no” graciously is something we all must learn if we are to control our time.

I also donate several painting a year to various charity events, but the last couple of years I have been donating more of my time. I paint Memory Boxes for our Prenatal Care Program for our local hospital. These are given to mothers who have lost their infant during pregnancy and have a vessel to take home the Teddy Bear the hospital gives them and other baby items to cherish. Last year I rounded up 12 of my students and put together a calender in support of the YWCA and our Woman’s Shelter. This project was very satisfying and involved a bigger participation from other artists. The latest donation of my time was to paint ceiling tiles for another hospital in our area. These 18 tiles are used for the patients who are flat on their backs and could tell you how many flecks are in each tile. These can be moved around letting many patients enjoy some colour. We are putting together a booklet showing each tile with a story for each in hopes that other artists would take up the cause.

Love the “hill of partly-chewed Jujubes” metaphor.

Here we go again, hurt feelings! John Ferrie and Dwight Williams are the newest members Robert’s Wailing Wall for artists with hurt feelings. In spite of Robert’s valiant attempts to give wonderful advice, with humor, somehow some people feel obliged to to tell us how someone hurt them. Dr. Phil would find fertile hunting fields on this forum.

…oh, and for business’ sake, taking Tamara’s lead, I’ll spread the rumor that I have one foot on a banana peel!

I am wondering if those are original Lawren Harris paintings on the walls of the gallery, or prints?

I just finished small W/C portraits of the foster dogs and cats in the local program-40 of them. They are on display for First Friday event. They are not For Sale-just for recognition in case someone wants to adopt one. I want to help Foster Kids and Foster Animals and my local shelters.

Dear Thierry Talon, Well, if you actually read my letter, without being so “selective” I think you might see that I have had some amazing experience with charity work. And while Robert seemed to be expressing the same, I went on to express how I felt about one experience with a charity where I didn’t feel I was treated with very much respect. Now, you can think I am, how did you put it…’whailing’. But I was only saying how something went off the rails and not by my own doing. Did you want us all to link arms and sing Kumbaya? I don’t think that is what this forum is about. We are here to help one and other to show our path and experience and hopefully gain from each others stories. Now, as far as going on Dr. Phil, I am very much in touch with my feelings and feel I express them appropriately. John Ferrie

I have had mixed responses to selling my artwork at charity auctions. I was very pleased when three of my pieces sold for about what they are worth at a church auction. But it is still hard to part with pieces at auction for me, because of the pride issue, I want them to sell at least to close what they are worth, or else I feel like everyone would be better served if I sold the painting regularly and donated the proceeds.

My feelings aren’t hurt, Thierry. I just wondered why the delay for some. We’d like to get in early with a comment about the subject. Using this space to call others names is really what we could do without. Do you paint at all or are just an armchair artist? I’ve had the pleasure of making a living doing art for nearly fifty years.

John Ferrie, I read your whole letter; the sentence that struck me as qualifying you for membership of the Wailing Wall was “I have never been so hurt, dissed or felt more dismissed.” Need I say more? Dwight, which name did I call you?

Dear thierry, so, you think this is some play ground where you are the king of the dime store punks? Dream on fella!…Because it is my experience that Bullys are just immature and insecure…And at least I can express my feelings. Think whatever you want man, you don’t pay my rent!

There appears to be one chronic complainer on this forum these days. Apparently this person might be watching too much television? Good luck, and I truly hope something cheers you up soon. :–) Hang in there!

Rather than seeing work go for a low price in a room where attendees have previously paid full price, I offer a half-day workshop in printmaking in my studio. My husband, a portrait and figure painter, offers a conté portrait of the buyer. That way we both maintain the price level of our work. His website is Drawn2Life.com. I’m at VictoriaCowan.ca We both enjoy your comments and often share them with our students.

Thank you for this timely wisdom and perspective on art auctions. It has long been a pet peeve of mine that charities don’t always attract generous buyers, but instead people who are looking for art at a discount price. I stopped donating to charity auctions that don’t set a reserve price. This is really good information that I will share with some organizations that call me yearly for donations; it could be a catalyst for more fun and money.

Had to reply to this one. God, it was funny! And, I laughed heartily at the pics from the fundraiser event . Those of us who have given similar demos and workshops can truly relate!

Once more, you have injected a heck of a lot of fun in my regular reading of your Twice Weekly letters. I saw the pictures! Thanks for making us see life as it is — FUNNY ! Saguenay , Quebec

Charity auctions have lost some of their lustre. They are now full of bottom feeders who are out for a bargain and not so interested in helping the charity. Creative bidding is needed. As in the big art auctions in the big houses, “plants” and vested interests need to be there to see that prices are pushed. The artist can’t do this himself.

Singer Sargent offered a blank canvas when asked for charity contributions. If it was sold for his minimum price, he would do a portrait.

Robert, please count me among your loyal followers. I appreciate the consistent high quality of your Twice-Weekly Letters. I get something out of the full range of topics aimed at artists, from the detailed technical observations to the high level psychology of creative motivation. Thank you for writing them. That said, in economic times where many of us are dealing with frightening financial uncertainty, I think you would spare us such details as pouring goodness knows how much Chateau d’Yquem, a wine that only the those with money to burn could ever dream to taste. I’m glad you have money to burn. No need to subject an audience, interested in creating, with details of your extravagant indulgences. Or do you feel the need to humble your struggling audience on occasion?

Loved your quip about Tamara mentioning you were not feeling well. The psychology is too true.

Hahah, you were re-gifted!!! Great story!!!

I like the point that Thierry makes. Who cares about those personal miseries? Take John Ferrie’s misplaced pride in his ability to ‘express his feelings’. We don’t care about your self-indulged feelings, John. You can’t even spell: Bullys . . . I agree, Dr. Phil would have fun with you.

I give money to different organizations: hospitals, needy people, cancer research, etc. We are in the 21st century and as an artist, we have no value in the global sense because there is no help from the government. It means, it is no easy life to support oneself.

Dear Dirk, My goodness, what hostility and for someone you do not even know. And that I mis-spelled one word (Heaven forbid), I should have your rath of anger land on me? That is not very nice. And as you, speaking for everyone, don’t care about how I feel, rest assured the only thing I feel for you is indifference. And trust me, I would rather hear from Dr. Phil than some HOT HEAD who doesn’t even have the nerve to write his full name. John Ferrie…that’s right, my real name…you getting all this Dirk, or am I writing too fast?

John, oh John, you don’t sound indifferent. I thought you would be receptive to someone expressing his feelings so well? Oh, with ‘rath’ you probably mean ‘wrath’? That’s extreme anger you’re talking about. Dirk just expressed his feelings, something you profess to be proud about: no anger there, I thought. John, the Wailing Wall is the place for you.

Ugly repetitive aggression with no purpose. I’m surprised Robert lets it stand, but that’s his choice. Baiting and taunting can be found on most forums in cyberspace. They’re small and pathetic motivations for posting, with apparently similar minds behind them. Also very boring. They add nothing to a forum in which most people seem to post sincerely, wittily, and artistically, without demeaning others gratuitously. Yawn. To all the many who post thoughts, original insights, questions, and feelings with honesty, thank you! You’re the ones who keep me and thousands of others reading.

There is a less than noble practice happening now (or maybe it’s always happening) of dealers going to charity auctions, bidding very low on many works, getting some, and then taking them to high-end consignment shops for re-sale. This makes me very sad. I think this cheats the charity (they often don’t know this is what is happening.) Anybody else know of this trend? I recently found one of my pieces in an antiques shop (what…I’m not THAT old!? :) priced three times higher than what the charity got, not fair and a tad immoral, I think. Be wary and give without attachment to the results.

To Carol Wayne King – I get Bob’s letters while you are probably getting your beauty sleep or enjoying some other form of nocturnal activity. When I switch the PC on at about 8 a.m. – now European Winter Time, which is one hour ahead of Greenwich, from which all clocks derive their time (the controling atomic clock is actually in France, however) it’s about midnight on the US west coast and about 3 a.m. in NY (and Canada- at least in the east). Mystery solved????

Robert’s letter, and its repeat on the Painter’s Keys site appears world-wide at about 12 midnight, EST

our organization’s new idea for a fundraiser. We are a relatively small club called Olympic Driftwood Sculptors – e-mail olympicdriftwoodsculptors.org This year, we decided to do a group sculpture to raffle off for fundraising. We picked an appropriate piece of wood, and every two-three weeks it passes from one member to another for a year. Then at the end, another member bases it, and we will sell tickets. There will be about 12-15 different artists working on this project, which should produce an interesting art object. The cooperative efforts is turning into a great joy for all! Check out our website and see who and what we are!

[Time to ignore trolls.] Hi, Robert. Nice prose! I just thought I’d mention that I give work to charities as a part of my spiritual practice. I find I have a tendency to cling to it too strongly. One way on another, you gotta give it up! [Hmm, that also might reflect on the market for my work.]

The fundraiser looks like fun! I recently became a Board Member for an arts organization that provides art classes for children and youth who otherwise may not have the chance to experience the fun of creating. Of course…the organization needs funding. Any chance of getting a rough estimate of the cost/return ratio for the event?