Should I Fire This Artist

nikfrz

nikfrz

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Jul 2, 2005
Posts
3,668
Loc
South Carolina
I represent an artist now over 8 years. Sales have been steady, but slow lately because of the economy. I receive an email from the artist yesterday, that she is sending a customer in to the gallery that she has been working on for several years to sell a certain giclee. The only prints available at this time are with me. It is obvious from the email, that she is selling outright and she hopes that I will get the framing from it.

She has also stated in her email that the print was offered at a reduced price to make the sale. I dont know what that reduced price is, but I do know that the people are going to think that my price is a ripoff. And to top it off, they may think that my framing prices are inflated also.

I have addressed my concerns in my reply and have not heard back.

What should I do??? Do I take the prints out and store them in the back and tell the customer they need to contact her directly, or do I hope that they are going to buy in hopes I get the framing from it. I have to greet them when they come in the door, and I have to try to make a sale, whether it is mine or not. Gotta be nice, even though I dont feel nice right now.
 
Another "Sticky Wicket". It seems to happen so easily.

My question is, did you draw up a contract before getting into a relationship with this artist? If so, hopefully it would take care of this issue. If not, I'd say, do what you need to do to "keep the peace" in this instance and when all is said and done, go to lunch with the artist to discuss your desire to work together on creating an infomal contractual agreement so you both have a clear understanding of "The Plan". Otherwise, you each adapt your own "rules" and neither of you are on the 'same page'. That's not right for either of you.

Hope that helps.
 
What is the nature of the relationship between the artist and the customer? Is it business or is the customer a private individual trying to get a 'wholesale' deal? If the latter, it is a bit naughty. The artist is jepardising a long relationship with you just to turn a quick buck. Having said that, as long as the artist doesn't do this as a matter of course to all and sundry, it doesn't do a lot of harm. The main thing is not to advertise the fact.

Are the prints you have on SOR or bought outright?

If they are on SOR, take the discount off the artists slice, not yours.
 
Treat it as a sale and take you standard commission based on the full price (assuming it is a consignment situation). If the artist wants to give away their stuff, that is their business, but they should not have the power to barter on your behalf, and should bear the full weight of any "deal" they cut with a third party.
If there is no contract, then you are as much at fault as they are.
There are still a lot of variables that are unknown to us as to your business relationship with the artist, but for the most part I can't see any situation where the artist has the right to negotiate with a third party without your informed consent.
 
If they are consignment items, I think you can stand by the contract that you and the artist have entered into.

If you have a fixed commission then you shouldn’t have to lose a dime. Any discount should come out of the artist’s pocket entirely.

If you have a percent commission, then you could probably make a stink, but I’d eat some of the lost commission along with the artist.

However, in either case, I’d go along even with a reduce commission so as not to alienate this artist.

Peter,

I have to confess my ignorance. What is SOR?

Stand-Off Radar?
Synchrotron Orbital RadiatIon?
Sex Offender Registry?
 
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