Artists complain about minimum price at art show

VIRGINIA BEACH

Kathleen Coykendall thinks it's unfair that artists are required to charge at least $20 for their items at the Boardwalk Art Show & Festival, taking place through Sunday at the Oceanfront.

The Virginia Beach resident feels so strongly opposed to the show's policy that last week she e-mailed a letter of complaint, also signed by 32 friends, to the head of the art center that runs the show.

"I just think it's kind of petty," Coy-kendall said on the phone this week.

A ceramicist friend of hers who exhibits at the Boardwalk made her aware of the rule. "He has some beautiful artwork. Soap dishes that are fish. Toothpick holders. Soap dispensers," some of which are priced below $20 on his Web site.

Many visitors just want to buy inexpensive, handmade items they can use in their home, Coykendall said. And what about children who hope to find a Father's Day present there? "It's a shame. They're not going to be able to find anything that their piggybank can afford."

Debi Gray, executive director of the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, said the reason for the $20 minimum is to keep the quality of artwork high. The application explains why: "To maintain the integrity and reputation of this high-end show."

The show has imposed such a rule since at least 1990, the year Sharon Tanner of Virginia Beach began managing the show for the center. In her 13 years in that job, Tanner said the limit has risen slightly, from about $15 to $20.

Tanner said some artists complained through the years, but two directors following her said they did not remember any grousing about the floor price. "I think that limit was so tchotchkes weren't sold," said Denise Olsen, who ran the show in 2003 and 2004, and now directs the Port Warwick Art and Sculpture Festival in Newport News. "I have continued that rule at Port Warwick and have never had any complaints."

"All the artists are really pleased with our high standards," said Tiffany Russell, in her third year as show director. She said more artists from around the nation apply each year, and she credits the show's standards as a major factor. This year, more than 100 of the 320 artists at the Boardwalk are new to the show.

National figures also weighed in, with opposing views. "There would be many, many artists who would say bravo to you for putting a limit on that," said Joe Halbrucker, general manager of Sunshine Artists, the chief magazine for artists who make a living at outdoor art shows.

Halbrucker said the Boardwalk ranks 56th among the top 100 outdoor art shows in the nation, among thousands of such shows. "That's a pretty prestigious ranking," he said.

Howard Allen, head of Howard Allen Events, which manages 45 high-end outdoor art shows nationwide, said last week that the Boardwalk is "a very fine, very well-respected show."

However, "I don't believe any organization should tell an artist how to price anything at all," he said. "My attitude is, everybody should be able to walk away with something. The ideal show runs from the very affordable to the very expensive, with lots of stuff in between.

"Let's say I'm a kid and I want to buy something for Father's Day. My point is, you buy something affordable, and then next year your income level goes up. It's a good way to get them started."

Teresa Annas, (757) 446-2485, teresa.annas@pilotonline.com