Does Your Local Art Society Allow You To Show Digital Art?

[Roun2it]

Are you able to show your work at your Local Art Society?

I am a committee member of a contemporary Fine Art Society in the UK who embrace all kinds of painted media. We hold a number of exhibitions throughout the year where exhibitors can sell their pieces. At the annual exhibition we also award prizes.

At our last committee meeting we were asked by one of our members who paints in various media, including digital art, how do we stand on displaying and selling Printed Digital Artwork via our society. We had no answer.

Our main problem was the selling of the artwork because we could not guarantee the uniqueness of the piece, unlike a painting, which has a one off quality, a print by it's very nature can be printed again and again.

Has anyone here stumbled across this problem before and is there a work around? We had thought of limited edition prints but just worry about the authenticity of such a system and is it something that a small society like ours should be getting involved in?

I would love to hear from those of you who have been allowed to show and sell their digital artwork at local exhibitions.

[LavenderFrost]

I have no experience with these things but this may be something your committee has to discuss and decide. Maybe try it once and see how it goes.

Love your signature.

[rpaultompkins]

I always think of 2-d digital art that was manifested into physical form as being a print, and not a painting. This is, as you suggested, because prints are more reproducible. So, it follows that one would treat the value of this work like a print, and that gets into a whole new set of complicated issues relating to the quality and original nature of the print. I've marketed and sold a small number of numbered digital prints on archival quality paper and using archival inks in the past, but I suppose the technology is always changing. So, the agreed upon rules are continuously being updated as well. It is definitely a good idea to study up on it.

[Elainepsq]

I've been round and round with this issue in several groups. My local art group included digital painting in mixed media, simply because they don't get enough digital paintings for it's own category. Since we don't include photography, any piece has started with or contains recognizable photography is not accepted.
As for the issue of being a print, one of the local galleries accepts digital paintings, only if the artist agrees that the print will be the one and only made. I haven't had any issue with that, but if asked, I always say it is a limited edition. Anything that I have sold, I will only make prints for myself or for family members. I have (unsuccessfully) submitted work for licensed prints and reproduction on things like fabrics, rugs, flags, cards etc. but I wouldn't submit any piece that has already been sold as a painting.
Our local county fair asked me to speak to the board on the subject. One year, a very skillfully painted piece by one of my students (a senior citizen and seasoned artist) was placed in the arts and crafts area, because it was misunderstood. Others felt it should go to the photography. So the following year, I went in with one of my paintings printed on canvas and insisted that it go into painting on canvas. At that point, I was asked to demo for fair goers and to speak to the board. They now have a dedicated category for digital painting in the fine art dept. completely separated from manipulated photos which is still in the photography dept.

[JenieJo]

Thanks for asking this question, and for all the informative answers. Art shows near me are accepting digital works, without any restrictions. I have been pondering all things mentioned.

Now I can start making decisions.

[John Blackford]

Here in Our community;

I sell my digitals as well as my hand painted works along side of each other. I lithograph copies of my painted prints and I also sell limited editions of my digital pieces. I use a certificate of authenticity that is attached to the original file and limit any prints to the quantity I want to sell. Once I reach that limit I opt to sell or auction the file to the highest bidder. at local art auctions and then thats it. I have to create more lol
best of luck to you it is a bit of a conundrum at best.

[tiago.dagostini]

Originally Posted by Roun2it

Are you able to show your work at your Local Art Society?

I am a committee member of a contemporary Fine Art Society in the UK who embrace all kinds of painted media. We hold a number of exhibitions throughout the year where exhibitors can sell their pieces. At the annual exhibition we also award prizes.

At our last committee meeting we were asked by one of our members who paints in various media, including digital art, how do we stand on displaying and selling Printed Digital Artwork via our society. We had no answer.

Our main problem was the selling of the artwork because we could not guarantee the uniqueness of the piece, unlike a painting, which has a one off quality, a print by it's very nature can be printed again and again.

Has anyone here stumbled across this problem before and is there a work around? We had thought of limited edition prints but just worry about the authenticity of such a system and is it something that a small society like ours should be getting involved in?

I would love to hear from those of you who have been allowed to show and sell their digital artwork at local exhibitions.

Traditional art can also be printed.. so just treat it as selling lithographic copies of a traditional art.


Here I would be happy to even have an art society :P