SOMEONE COPIED MY ART WORK!!!!

Has anyone ever tried to copy your art work? Some people say, its a compliment, i say, "hog wash"! It happened to me and I assure you, it wasn't a compliment.

An artist friend of mine, called to tell me that someone had "copied" my art and it was on display at a local craft store. I didn't give it much thought, until I happened to go into that craft store and saw it for myself .......and I was apalled! I had been successfully selling my art on the art fair circuit and I told all my customers that my designs were original. This incident challenged my integrity and I did not handle it well.

I argued and argued with the sales lady and made quite a stir, even my friend who was with me had to walked away. This sales clerk would not back down and I kept getting more livid by the second. Thank God, I left the store but in a rage.

I knew once I slept on this, I could figure out what went wrong and I would correct it first thing in the morning. I did not get much sleep that night but I got the answer. Once refreshed and removed from the ignorant sales clerk I got clarity on how to handle this situation. I was not going to shove it under the carpet, I was going to write a letter to the manager (not the sales clerk) and let them know I meant business.

I let them know who I was in the art community and dropped names of galleries and associations I have been a part of for many years. I told them I had documentation (slides) of all my work and that I could prove that this was a "copy" in a court of law. In return, all I was asking them to do was to take down the "copied" art work which was displayed in their store immediately.

My friend went in the store a few days after I had written the letter and she said they had removed the "copy" from their display. I was happy and learned a valuable lesson. You must speak with the right party, at the proper time with documentation. Had the craft store not have been cooperative, I would have contact my art attorney, Kyle Citrynell (Citrynell@derbycitylaw.com) to write a letter on my behalf.

Hope this story helps you from making a fool of yourself like I did!! Be encouraged!!

ART MARKETING CLASSES 2010

Please check out my revised website to learn about a new class I am offering this year. "Creating an Art Marketing Plan for 2010!" Classes start after Valentine's Day!

www.paulacundiff.com

LET YOUR CUSTOMERS DO THE BRAGGING

#1 FEBRUARY TIP FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 1, 2010

In our culture, it is not polite to brag about yourself, it makes you seem..well, arrogant. But, somehow you must get across to your customers that your work is good without bragging. Hmmmm........

Ask your previous customers to write a statement about your work. Or perhaps you have a teacher, mentor, gallery owner you can quote. I have a book review on my website, with testimonies from my art marketing students. I let them do the bragging!

"IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING, YOU WILL END UP SOMEWHERE ELSE."
Yogi Berra

LOUISVILLE ARTISTS FOR HAITI VICTIMS

If you want to join other Louisville Artists who are making art donations go to:
www.burnerswithoutborders.org