Pot Lucks are terrific

I like the idea of a party -- where is not an issue. Pot Lucks are terrific -- I've never been to one where there wasn't food leftover. Meet then socialize. That's my vote.

Chris Bergquist Fulmer
http://www.chrisfulmerart.com and http://www.dallasartsrevue.com/members/F/ChrisFulmer/CFulmer.shtml

 
Okay, there will be a Pot Luck Supper meeting and party at my house at 7 pm September 21. I'll put a map up on a page for those who don't know where I live.

Conceptual Sensibilities

I've seen you go through these periods before and survive and I know you will this time, too. I realize that's not much help and I wish I could offer more. We're all scraping the bottom right now... in our case, I went back to North Lake (not a bad solution!) and Larry took a JOB job at the Amon Carter Museum, which he LOVES - no more evil contracting jobs!!

As far as the site goes, I don't think people will visit it if you charge. It seems that advertising (horrors!!) is the way sites make money if they are not selling something. I know that goes against all your morals (mine too!!), but I don't know of another way to do it....but, then I'm not an expert on these things....

I would love to come to your house for a meeting and potluck! Most of your members are my friends, and I would like to meet the others. It would be a great start of community building that we so desperately need!

A show at the Bath House would be great. You and Kathy - jurors -- I would have no problem with that... I appreciate your open mindedness (collective). I know I won't be eliminated because of "conceptual sensibilities." I suggest you invite all your members (yes to members only) to send 6 slides (no - not too expensive - request SASE's and keep those who don't include it! -- make digital an option) and "select" 2-4 pieces for the show.

Most organizations don't jury out their members for membership shows, but you could control the size, quantity, quality, etc that way. That way you could call yourselves "curators"...much more impressive on the resume! Ask for volunteers for help with the work -- I would be glad to if I can (I am currently teaching 3 art apprec classes in the fall and shortlisted for one of the OCA jobs).

Lessee....$30 might be a little steep... you could arrange it like MAC and DVAC (more horrors!!) - you know, $20 members, $15 + membership if you join with entry... If you could get some art-hotshot to jury/curate the show (pro-bono), maybe you could get more people to join up... you know, the "carrot" of "exposure" and all that.

Finally, JR, a big HUG and THANKS for the community you have built through the site... hmmm... maybe you should consider non-profit status, then you could get some grant money! Hey!! That's a great idea! Texas Commissions for the Arts! I bet you could qualify for Lawyers for the Arts aid and get help with the paperwork and all. And there's lotsa law firms out there who have pro-bono shops for those of us who can't afford to hire a lawyer.

Anyway, wish I had need of your services... maybe the guys (Monte Martin and Glenn Nerwin) at the NRH Gallery would need your help in some way...? They do lots of wonderful installations and at last look had NO images on their site.

Keep the faith!
Carol
http://www.wilderenge.com/
http://www.DallasArtsRevue.com/members/W/Wilder-Enge/WE-Wilder-Enge.shtml

 
I had to laugh out loud (LOL) when I read your second horrors note above. I contacted MM & GN, but I don't think they read (or answer) their E-mail...

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For-Sale Art Page

My thoughts:

First of all, Your mind amazes me. I bet you have about 50 things going at once.

I think the membership fee is fine the way it is, of course, I would have probably payed $100 for the year just as easy as the $50. Your site attracts a lot of different kind of visitors. It is a a WEALTH of information. I would hate to see the information behind a wall for only those who could afford it. Most artists can barely afford to have the internet access. What about the option of having a page with for-sale artwork? You could receive a percent of the sale price and also charge the artist a small fee to display it on the for-sale page. Would that be too involved?

If you want to do any foot marketing, I would be happy to go around and drop off brochures or flyers for the DARTs site.

"Meeting here" - Sure. Yes. 

dannaj
http://www.DallasArtsRevue.com/members/J/DannaJackson/DJackson.shtml

 
Intersting idea. Will take some thought. Your letter inspired me to finally raise the Membership Fee. Thanks.

Purient Capitalism

I'm still mulling over most of the questions and ideas in the aug ramble... however, I still think if you want to make some internet money, find an advertiser who would want to put a banner with my pages.... you already have a disclaimer in place, and I doubt it (a banner) will stop those who want to see my stuff.

Plus you can have all the money and not sully the rest of the site with any advertising. I sort of see those banners as an art form in themselves, and I am often amazed at the ingenuity of these guys (and I am sure some gals) in communicating an idea, however prurient, in such a small space.

You were nervous about putting my stuff on your site, and I think it has worked out okay; so here's another idea to be nervous about, but it could mean revenue with a small compromise on your non-capitalist principles, plus I think it would be a hoot. Give it some more thought....

I acquired Photoshop (Susan was able to get it at UTSouthwestern at a discount) and am working on some projects with it... pretty exciting! I'll be in touch again soon...

Ken
http://www.DallasArtsRevue.com/members/members_i.shtml#anchor35020

 
If only I knew who to annoy about such a capatalistic concept. Any suggestions?

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Full service art group

Hi my friend. Sounds like you could use some help! We have a big house, now with a swimming pool, and a big studio. We are busier than we have ever been in our lives, became grandparents of the most perfect little boy in Austin in April, will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary on the 21st of August in Kerrville where we spent our honeymoon.

Sounds like a dream, yet as artists we remain stressed due to our lack of business knowledge and computer literacy. You see we have no time for either and would be more than willing to pay for business advice and book keeping. I am sure we are not the only artists who need to concentrate on their work instead of worrying all the time about business matters, after all it takes a lot of time and energy to produce and we are just plain too tired for anything else.

We find we have to take a full day off just to look at books, PR, our future etc., which obviously cuts into our productivity and creative concentration. Another matter that stresses us out as we age is of course health insurance. Most artists are self employed and pay high premiums. I never understood why EASL or some such organization has not created a group plan for artists in the metroplex or the whole state. Certainly there are enough artists who would join a group to qualify. These are the things that keep Jim and I awake at night.

Maybe you could create a service for artists, visual and performing, eventually hire a staff and make a living . You see there are many so called financial advisors out there, but we trust you!!

Back to the big house with pool and big studio -- Either are yours for the meeting !!

We love you,
Mary Lynn and Jim
http://bowmanglass.com/
http://www.DallasArtsRevue.com/ArtSpaces/Bowman/Open-Bowman.shtml

 
I write good PR, did that for Allen Street and DARE -- the early years. But I am not a bookkeeper. We'll have the party at my house; I need an excuse to clean this place up.

Special Friends

I left for vacation just after receiving your lst ramble - so I did not have time to respond. Now we are back and I see plenty of people have told you to RAISE your PRICES #1. Richard and I think $65 will still be a very big bargain.

I also wanted to suggest that you add fees for taking the digital pics for those of us who require that of you.

Good idea and long overdue.
 

And, maybe there are different levels of sponsorship - different prices for individual artists, galleries, groups, etc. Also, a Special Friends of DallasArtsRevue could be an even bigger price. I think all of this would seem very fair.

Yes! I'm raising the Gallery price for all future gallery pages to $150 per year. No telling if they'll ever get anything together to put on their pages, however... And I'll soon add a Patron Level. Patrons will get the whole kaboodle for a minimum of $250.

All this may still not help you out of $$ problems though - so don't be shy to advertise your great expertise as a digital photographer, art critique, and web guru - advertise on your site your prices for whatever of these services you would do for someone.

But, I hope Dallasartsrevue still remains mostly OPEN as a great place to know about Dallas Visual Art. That is what makes your site so appealing -- that you have so much that shows off Dallas Art. MORE than any place in Dallas - or Texas probably.

 
Yeah, I hated closing off the pages I did. I chose them because they were this site's most popular. My precious, ramping chart is going to flatline...
 

We artists are never "business" people - we are too busy for that, too creative and impractical.... but we do have to eat, buy gas, clothes and other stuff like that - and go on vacations. Maybe a "business" agent is out there somewhere for you? Thanks J R for being honest with us all and for doing what you do.

Oh, and Richard and I would come to your house for a party/meeting - and covered dish is always a good thing to do.

Good luck on figuring it all out - you have a good start.

Marty and Richard

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On the Fence About the Calendar

Good or you JR!

You devote so much time and energy (not to mention opinions and views) into the Dallas Arts Revue you should be compensated. I am still on the fence about the Calendar page but support what ever decision you make.

Thanks again for all of your hard work.

T.Stone

Interested in a Long Term Relationship

How long am I good for @ the $75 rate? You're website is great and you photos of my work are super!! I am recommending your site to all of my friends and anyone who wants to see my work I am referring them to your site. I want to put your web address on my literature as reference. How long can just anyone check me out? I'm interested in a long term relationship.

Sure appreciate you coming to my opening! So sorry I did not to get to see or speak to you while you were there, but I was not mobile.

Thanks again!
James Crowe

Memberships are generally good for one year from the last day of the month you wrote your DARts Membership check. If I actually were a good bookkeeper, I could whip that date out, but since I'm not, I'll just hope you wrote your check down somewhere.

Multi-Level Memberships

I like to think awhile about the questions you ask before I can answer. But I see you've already done one thing I was going to suggest . . . some sort of membership/subscriber level, the higher the level, the more perks. Maybe the lesser committment levels would only see a basic outline of information, where the higher levels could click into deeper pages that were more thorough in details. But to do it that way may be too involved and double your work, I don't know. It may be easier to make some pages only for full members. I was even thinking about some type of student membership level for full-time students, but $25.00 for limited access and no personal page is much like a student level. I still think its a bargain. So much information and the fact that it is very frequently updated makes it more like a subscription to a newpaper or art magazine.

I don't see why you couldn't ask for a commission if art is sold from your members pages. You could control this I guess by having folks interested in work to email you. But that may also be too much of a headache.

A meeting is a great idea. Potluck is perfect and your home is fine. Also, the entry fee: I was thinking more like $25 but for 5 or six slides $30 is probably fair. And yes, non-members should pay more but offer them the price of members if they do join with slide delivery. You and Kathy apparently have been involved in the arts scene for quite awhile and remain that way, so I do not see why you couldn't be the jurors. If this show turns out to be aworthwhile undertaking for you and the artists, then maybe down the road some juror prospects could volunteer their time. I say go for it, do what you think is right and then for next time you will know what changes you need to make.

Suzanne Truex
http://www.DallasArtsRevue.com/members/T/Truex.shtml

 
Yeah, now I'm thinking of more, upper levels, too. But, so far, not a single bite on the line for the new, Subscriptioon level. Not even an angry letter, and I was hoping for something.

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Hi JR,

Regarding the question about whether to keep the site open or member-only, I'd say try it for 6 months, or whatever lenghth of time seems feasible, and make a decision then.

Actually, I'm going to try it till it works. It's beginning to now. Kathy says she'll be happy with 100 subscribers. I'm hoping for 200.

It may help you to know that I had decided to send you a check quite a while ago (maybe in late June, when I first found the site, and started to read about your personal bits of life). The fact that some of the pages became member-only, just acted as a reminder, rather than a motivator.

Few people sit down, write a check immediately, then plop it in the mail. Some few like to tantalize me by sending me an E-mail every once in awhile just so I don't forget... I understand that it takes time to decide these things. More for some than others. It's a gradual process. Patience is required.

In general, I suspect that people won't pay for what they can get for free, and what they can't access for free they don't know they are missing.

That's why I have teaser pages with some information on and some info only aluded to, to keep them aware of what they're missing. I'll know if it worked in a couple years, I suppose.

It seems to me that people who benefit from your site are artists and galleries. So, they will be the ones who will pay if they think it is worth something to them. If they don't want to or cannot afford to, then you are back to non-for-profit, grant-writing, patron-courting, etc.

Uh... Yes. And no.

Artists and art appreciators are my audience, no doubt about that. But I can't go back to nonprofit, because DallasArtsRevue, at least, never was. I personally do not believe governments should mess with artists in any way. Patron courting can be dangerous, but so far it has not been.

You seem to be doing all the right things by getting the site known and publicized at all the events around town. By making it more widely recognized and appreciated, it becomes "valuable" and can produce some kind of money. Sorry for the lesson in Capitalism 101... You have a few savvy entrepreneurs in your group of 32, I am sure they have told you all about it.

The trick now is to have enough worthwhile - you'd say valuable - pages to draw an audience, some of which are potential Supporting Members and DARts Subscribers.

Thanks again for the site and all the great stuff in it.

Anonymous Patron

Thank you for helping support my habits.