Who Can Exhibit:

Every two months, a group of up to 15 VAW members will have their work on display. If more members sign up for an Exhibit Period than there are available spots, then the Exhibitors for the upcoming period will be chosen by lottery.

NOTE: As a perk for serving on the Board of Directors, Board members will have the right of first refusal for each Exhibit Period.

Consider joining the Board today!

Cost:

2-month Exhibit Period FEE: $70.00
Mall Operating Costs COMMISSION: 10% per sale, including cards and prints.

Exhibit Period:

Length: 2 months
Opening Day: First Monday of Month #1
Closing Day: Last Saturday of Month #2
Turnaround Day (take down, put up): Sunday before Opening Day

Display Areas per Exhibitor:

One Section of (white) Wall Space: approx. 5 feet wide by approx. 7.5 foot high
(approx. 6" space between each display)

One Section of (black) Stand-Alone Pillar: approx. 16" wide by 4 feet high.

There is also room for prints and greeting cards.

Business cards are also set out on display, and you are welcome to post your name and artist biography on your wall display.

Gallery Shop Hours (subject to change):

Monday to Friday: 10 am to 7 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday: CLOSED

Sit-Time Shifts:

The Gallery Shop has to be supervised by 2 VAW members at all times. All Exhibitors have to sign up for approximately 16 (4.5 hour) shifts per Exhibit Period.

Mon. to Fri.: 10 am to 2:30 pm and 2:30 pm to 7 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 1:30 pm and 1:30 pm to 5 pm

Sales:

All items for sale at the Gallery Shop are added to the Inventory in the VAW Gallery Shop Samsung Tablet. This tablet is used for every sale in the Gallery Shop.

Every Exhibitor must take a short workshop with Pat Haftar on how to a) input the artwork information into the tablet and b) to use the tablet for sales (cash, debit, and/or credit card). Easy peasy!

If you sell while exhibiting at the Gallery Shop, the VAW will keep 10% of the sales to cover the rental cost of the space. At the end of each month, the VAW Treasurer will send the artists the 90% of the sales revenue via e-transfer.

[Notes: If the buyer uses a credit card, then a 2.65% service charge is applied, and is deducted from the artist's revenue. If a buyer uses a debit card, there is a $0.10 charge applied.]

How To Sign Up To Become An Exhibitor:

You can contact us:

1) via the website: Go to the Contact page and send a quick message

OR

2) via email: visualartistsofwelland@gmail.com

ALREADY SIGNED UP?

Congratulations! Go to "Preparing for Your Exhibition" below to learn what your next steps will be.

To prepare for your exhibit, you must get several things done BEFORE the Opening Day of your exhibit at the VAW Gallery Shop in Seaway Mall.

1. GATHER YOUR ARTWORK

You will be able to hang pieces on:

a) a 5 foot by 7.5 foot section of the white-slatted wall, and
b) a 16 inch by 4 foot side of a black-slatted pillar.

No overhang or "creeping" into neighbouring spaces allowed, so plan accordingly. You should also leave ample space for eye appeal between your pieces. [Note: There is a mandatory 6" space between each wall display.]

Be sure that your pieces are clean and in a good state of repair.

IMPORTANT NOTE! To ensure that each piece of artwork hangs securely from the hooks in the Gallery Shop, it is our policy to accept only those pieces that have a sturdy hanging WIRE on the back. Therefore, single D-rings, loops, sawtooth hangers, hanging string, and other hanging mechanisms are not acceptable and will be refused.

There is a tall greeting card holder and a table for prints; you are welcome to bring these in to sell during the Exhibit Period.

2. INVENTORY AND PRICES SHEET: Find the PDF (below).

Download and print two copies - one for your own records and one for the binder at the Gallery Shop during the Exhibition. Please contact Deedee or Pam if you need a Word version of this document.

When you fill these in, include greeting cards and prints that you bring in to sell in the Gallery Shop.

Do not fill in the "Code" yet.

3. SALES AND INVENTORY WORKSHOP with Pat Haftar:

If you are exhibiting for the first time, you will need to learn how to

1) input your items for sale into the VAW Samsung Tablet (for the Gallery Inventory), and
2) how to use the Tablet for sales while you are on shift at the Gallery Shop.

Arrangements to attend a workshop will be made via email. You will need to bring your completed Inventory Sheet and a pen.

4. BOOK SIT-TIME SHIFTS DURING THE EXHIBIT PERIOD:

Every Exhibitor must work 16 sit-time shifts (sit-time), each approx. 4.5 hours, during a 2-month exhibit period. There will always be two Exhibitors scheduled for the same shift. You will be notified by email to choose your shifts, and a Shift Schedule for the current exhibition period will be sent to you.

5. TURNAROUND DAY

On the Sunday before the Opening Day of a new Exhibit Period, some of the previous Exhibitors will take their artwork down earlier in the day and the new Exhibitors will put their work up afterwards.

Every Exhibitor is expected to handle their artwork themselves (taking down and hanging up), or make arrangements to have someone else do this on your behalf.

There are approximately 6 inches between each artist's wall space. Those six inches need to be respected. Please do not creep into the six-inch space.

As well, the pillars are 4-sided; if there is overhang on one side, the adjoining sides will be visibly affected. Therefore, no overhang allowed.

Make sure you bring in your completed Inventory Sheet; you will be expected to input your inventory into the Tablet.

You will also be expected to fill out 2 sets of the Art Labels provided by the VAW; tape one on the back of each piece and one alongside each painting in the exhibit.

Please bring in your business cards, which will be put out on display.

Click here for the Exhibitor Artwork Inventory and Prices Sheet.