Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Spontaneous Combustion





One day, a month or so ago, I was having a chin-wag session with old friend, publicist & client Bonnie Friedman. As it often will... our conversation turned to the subject of art.

A frequent traveler to the Big Apple and European Continent, Bonnie had seen and seized upon the idea of the "Pop-Up Gallery" as a way to maintain intellectual & creative stimulation on this isolated rock filled with individuals of ingenuity & creative passion.

A mutual recognition that venues for artists to show and sell their work outside of mainstream commercial galleries and hotel lobbies were virtually non-existent here, and... if they were, the traditional 50-50 or 60-40 split between artists & their gallery representatives only compounded problems faced by artists desiring to get their work in front of the public.

Also noting that the recent economic recession had left many a commercial storefront and mall retail space vacant, we agreed that the idea of staging several events/exhibitions throughout the year just might be a good idea. Central to our mutual cause were the ideas of a more "democratic" method of exhibiting art, devoid of the formality found in commercial galleries, devoid of the cheezy "art sales consultant" that, here, act more like used car or time-share salesmen. Also central to our hatching scheme was a much friendlier sales split between gallery & artist.

With all this in mind, serious planning ensued... and we are now very happy to announce the formation of a small collective coming together under the banner Gallerie Spontaneous!

When I say "small collective"... I mean SMALL! At the moment, it's just the two of us. We are reaching out to collect other like-minded individuals and artists interested in furthering this idea of one or two day exhibitions throughout the year, to be held in virtually any venue that will have us.

For our first, formal outing, Gallerie Spontaneous has teamed up with the generous folks producing the annual Maui Agricultural Festival. The Ag Fest has agreed to donate to us a large tent space in which to mount or very first exhibition during the event, falling on the first Saturday in April. 

The theme of our first exhibit is: Fertile Ground. Here's the Gallerie Spontaneous Mission Statement and the Prospectus for the exhibit Fertile Ground:


Gallerie Spontaneous Mission Statement

Gallerie Spontaneous is a small, growing collective of like-minded artists & individuals with the goal of advocating for the arts and for the artists of Maui County, both emerging and established. Recognizing the need for artists to affordably exhibit & show works they create that may be incompatible with commercial galleries & exhibition spaces, the collective was formed with the intention of mounting one-day, juried exhibitions at various locations around the island throughout the year.

For our first formal outing, Gallerie Spontaneous has partnered with the Maui County Agricultural Festival to create a “spontaneous,” one-day exhibition during the event at the Maui Tropical Plantation, on Saturday, April 6, 2013. 
The theme of our first exhibition is “Fertile Ground.”

For more information or to get involved with Gallerie Spontaneous, please contact organizers:

Bonnie Friedman:
p: 808.242.8391

Tony Novak-Clifford:
p: 808.242.8773

Find Gallerie Spontaneous on Facebook, too

  • Fertile Ground Exhibition Prospectus
  • ELIGIBILITY
  • ·      Each entrant must be a current resident of Maui County with valid proof of residency.
  • ·      All works submitted must represent the theme of “Fertile Ground in any way the artist may interpret that theme.
  • ·      All Gallerie Spontaneous/” Fertile Ground” Exhibition entries must be original and have been created within the last two years independently and without supervision. Works may not have been exhibited in any venue in Maui County. If any number within an edition has been shown, no other duplicate piece within the edition may be entered.
  •  
  •     CONDITIONS
  • ·      “Fertile Ground” Exhibition is limited to two-dimensional artworks, in all mediums. Maximum size of entries is 17 inches by 22 inches. Submissions must be submitted unframed & unmatted, enclosed in adequate protective packaging.
  • Works not accepted for the “Fertile Ground” Exhibition must be picked up on Monday April 1, 2013 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. at 1975 Vineyard St. – Ste. 400, Wailuku (the offices of Grapevine Productions), 242-8383
  • ·      Receiving Day: Art will be accepted for jurying on Friday, March 29, 2013 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Work will be received at 1975 Vineyard St. – Ste. 400, Wailuku (the offices of Grapevine Productions), 242-8383
  • ·      All entering artists will be notified by telephone of the jury’s decisions on Sunday, March 31, 2013.
  • ·      Artists may submit a total of three works; cost is $15.00 for first entry and $10.00 for each additional entry. Cash and personal checks only, please.  All works submitted by students with a valid Student ID at the time of entry will be accepted for jurying free of charge. Students are limited to a maximum of two entries per artist. 
  • ·      Works will be juried by an independent team of jurors, and the decision of the jurors is final. There are no refunds of the entry fee(s).
  • ·      Artists are responsible for delivery and pick-up of their work.
  •  
  • ·      “Fertile Ground” accepted entries will be on display in the Gallerie Spontaneous Exhibition tent during the Maui County Agricultural Festival Event on Saturday, April 6, 2013 for one day only.
  •  
  • ·      Prizes will be awarded to three works chosen by the jury.
  •  
  • ·      Selected works on exhibition during the event must be picked up the evening of Saturday, April 6, 2013 between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. at the Exhibition tent.
  • ·      Artists are responsible for shipping sold work; buyers are responsible for the shipping cost.
  • ·      Accepted art may be photographed for educational or publicity purposes.

  • ·      All artists must sign the liability release. Gallerie Spontaneous/ “Fertile Ground” Exhibition assumes no responsibility for any loss or damage to art.

  • ·      All accepted art must remain on exhibition for the duration of the show.

  • ·      Late fees of $25 per day with a maximum of 2 days will be charged to artist for non-selected works left after published pick-up day, and exhibited work after final pick-up day at close of show. All art not picked up on published dates will be removed from the Exhibition Tent. If still uncollected and late fees unpaid after two days, the art will be donated to charitable auctions. No exceptions.
  •  
  • COMMISSION
  • Gallerie Spontaneous’ commission is 25% of the sale price. It is suggested that all art be for sale with the artist’s price reflecting the fair market value of his or her work. Gallerie Spontaneous will collect General Excise Tax of 4.166% on the sale price for all works sold during the exhibition. Any other tax liabilities, to include any other excise tax liabilities, are solely the responsibility of the artist.


You can find out more about Gallerie Spontaneous on Facebook:


To get involved in this or future events planning and/or participation... please get in touch with us! 

No comments: