Traditionally one of the big two Trade/Supplier events that Gallery owners visit, I will be attending to see the new releases and to meet our suppliers, whether that is the suppliers of artwork itself (i.e. the publishers), manufacturers of the frames or a whole manner of other Gallery related items.

The Autumn Fair state:

“The timing of Autumn Fair is impeccable. This impressive showcase of big brands, major global suppliers and innovative home-grown producers offers a pre-Christmas buying opportunity that is second to none. Plus with 90% of exhibitors launching new products, this is your chance to preview some attention-grabbing trends for Spring.”

The Autumn fair believe this is a good time for galleries to attend and buy their new stock for the Christmas selling period but I also expect people attend to catch up with the latest news and gossip from their various contacts throughout the industry. It’s also nice to put a picture to the face of people you speak to throughout the year.

Entry is free to the trade and you can register online at the Autumn Fair website.

One of the UK’s biggest art publishers, Washington Green Fine Art will be having their own event showcase at the Birmingham International Convention Centre (ICC) starting this Saturday 2nd September. They will be an exclusive showing of their new releases to the art trade, at the ICC.

thank you

Russell

Hosted by the Fine Art Trade Guild, The Art & Framing Industry Awards is considered to be the UK Art Industry’s premier awards. All sectors of the industry are represented at the event, not just the large players and are in with a chance of winning. The awards themselves are, in essence, a chance to celebrate the success stories of the last year within the Art Industry.

To enter the awards one normally has to apply the previous September and previous years have shown that winners of the awards may receive national media recognition and possibly new avenues of business.

Some photos of the event are available to view.

Just off the top of my head, two premier UK artists I know who have won awards in previous years and seen benefits from the recognition are:

John Silver, who was awarded the 1998 “Best New Published Artist” Awarded by the Fine Art Trade Guild.

Nigel Hemming received the Fine Art Trade Guild’s “Published Artist of the Year” award in 1996.

Incidentally they are both known for their canine art.

In Results from the 2007 Awards ceremony:

Best-Selling Published Artist 2007
Henderson Cisz
Sponsor: Arqadia

Up & Coming Published Artist 2007
Philip Gray
Sponsor: Daler-Rowney

Independent Publisher 2007
Selective Prints
Sponsor: Great Art

Set Piece Framing Award 2007
Katie Herriman GCF, Towngate Framing, Poole
Sponsor: Peterboro Cardboards

Free-Thinking Framing Award 2007
Kerensa Carr, The Framing Room, Dornoch
Sponsor: Glass & Mirror

Exemplar Framing Award 2007
David Wilkie GCF, The Eagle Gallery, Carshalton
Sponsor: Glass & Mirror and Peterboro Cardboards

Customer Service 2007
JOINT WINNERS: LION Picture Framing Supplies and Arqadia
Sponsor: Washington Green

Best Mount Design 2007
Paul Pearson, Exhibit 1 Frames, Leeds
Sponsor: Framers Corner & Wizard

Art Retailer Of The Year 2007
Platinum Galleries, Middlesbrough & Northallerton
Sponsor: DeMontfort Fine Art

Art Business Website 2007
Creation Art Gallery, www.creationartgallery.co.uk
Sponsor: Hahnemühle

Sales Promotion Event 2007
The Framing Workshop, Bath
Sponsor: Art Business Today

Sales Promotion Campaign 2007
Castle Galleries
Sponsor: Slater Harrison

International Contribution 2007
LION Art Service, Moscow
Sponsor: Hot Press

Innovation 2007
Gunnar Weissenberger AG
Sponsor: Emap TPS

thank you

Russell

How is this enforcement going to happen? Well firstly the UK government is paying for 4,500 new ‘copyright police’ who will be carrying out raids across the UK as of April.

Secondly, following recommendations in December 2006’s Gowers Review of Intellectual Property, responsibility for this type of enforcement has moved from the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) to Trading Standards Officers, giving them new power under Section 107A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. It will also give £5 million to law enforcement agencies to tackle copyright infringement.

“From 6 April, there’ll be an additional 4,500 pairs of Trading Standards eyes watching counterfeiters and pirates,” said the UK’s Trade and Industry Minister, Malcolm Wicks. “This will mean more surprise raids at markets and boot sales, more intelligence, more prosecutions, and more criminals locked up.”

It will be interesting to see how this new legislation affects both buyers and sellers of art. This will obviously help stop the illegal copying of original art, limited edition & unlimited prints. When such ‘copying’ does take place, these images are often illegally put on other products e.g.: Clock faces, mats, posters etc or simply reproduced and sold as art ‘prints’.

I am personally not sure however how will effect things like the sale of mounted ‘cards’ and ‘magazine’ pages, being sold and more importantly ‘described’ as being art prints. I think this whole area is a bit grey and I’m not sure if the new Laws will affect the sale of that type of art. As far as my knowledge of the art business in concerned, that is the biggest ongoing copyright infringement that takes place.

Further reading can be found here:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/13/more_copyright_police/
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/crime.htm
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/gowers_review_intellectual_property/gowersreview_index.cfm
http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/uk_law_summary

thank you

Russell

At last year’s 2006 fair, suppliers of glass, mount board and mouldings were doubtless pleased the demand for stretched canvas art had finally ‘peaked’ with frames and framing related art products having a much better look-in, and once again they featured heavily at this years Spring Fair 2007.

The stands of the major publishing houses were again displaying both framed limited edition art and also canvases but many of the prints and on canvas art had frames around them – time will tell how popular box canvas art (not requiring frames) stays.

I was also very impressed as usual with the Washington Green Fine Art and Demontfort Fine Art stands this year. I find it amazing that these things are actually exhibition stands and not real buildings – I stared in wonder at the stands for a moment before I looked at the Art work itself!

Although this point is open to some debate, ‘Male/ masculine’ art or shall we say art with colours and subject intended to appeal to a male target audience dominated the Art stands. Whole series of works had earthy brown tones and others had charcoal blacks and greys.

Ill post more on this shortly.

thank you

Russell

Some of the trade stand categories are to include: Art & card, Gift & Home Fashion and Fashion Accessories.

According to the ‘Summer Fair’ website:

“No other summer trade exhibition boasts such a mouth-watering line up of of international brands, many showing exclusively at Summer Fair London”

If you are in the Art trade, you can register now on the their website and get free entry, saving you £15.00.

thank you

Russell

The scheme is run by the Arts Council & the Scottish Arts Council with HFC Bank being the credit provider.

Considering the scheme is only 3 years old, the stats are impressive. Since it was created in 2004, 305 English galleries and 40 Scottish art galleries have signed up to use the scheme, with 7000+ customers spending £5.5 million pounds sterling on art through ‘Own Art’ scheme. Loans range from between £100 - £2000.

The withdrawal of credit by HFC Bank starts in May 2007 and although the repayment agreements with existing customers will be unchanged, no new galleries will be allowed the sign up to the ‘Own Art’ scheme. I’m presuming the situation will change when a new credit provider comes forward.

A spokesman for the Arts Council said:

‘Over the coming weeks we will be making arrangements to secure a new credit provider to ensure its continued success’

thank you

Russell