Uptown Gallery Procedures
Artists’ Information We suggest all members become familiar with Uptown Gallery and the classroom facilities.
Exhibiting members should insert a two-page artist’s statement and biography in the artists’ profile binder at the front desk so that the open binder can show both pages when the artist is selling. New pages should be provided every year. Members may also provide up to ten of their business cards to be kept in the card display and the box on the front desk.
Minis All members are encouraged to donate small works to the Association. All proceeds from sales of these minis go to the Association. The size limit for minis is approximately 8x10, including mats. Leave minis in the designated box in the workshop. The minis committee is responsible for preparing minis for gallery display.
Exhibiting members should insert a two-page artist’s statement and biography in the artists’ profile binder at the front desk so that the open binder can show both pages when the artist is selling. New pages should be provided every year. Members may also provide up to ten of their business cards to be kept in the card display and the box on the front desk.
Minis All members are encouraged to donate small works to the Association. All proceeds from sales of these minis go to the Association. The size limit for minis is approximately 8x10, including mats. Leave minis in the designated box in the workshop. The minis committee is responsible for preparing minis for gallery display.
Displaying Your Work
General
Works for Regularly Scheduled Shows The gallery display is changed before the gallery opens on the first Monday of the scheduled exhibition.
Winter Exhibit Exhibiting members choosing to show during the winter months will participate in a lottery to allocate exhibit space. Spaces will be assigned to each artist, who will then be responsible for displaying his or her own works, changing the exhibit as frequently as the artist wishes. MCAA yearly dues must be paid by December 31 to participate in the winter exhibit the next month.
Special Shows From time to time special shows will be held at the gallery. Participating members will be informed of the particular requirements for their exhibits.
Franklin Street Festivals and Other Events
All display-eligible members are allowed to sell at Franklin’s festivals. The regulations of each festival are unique, depending on the sponsoring organization and the decisions of the City Council. The Macon County Art Association will inform members of these rules. Display-eligible members are encouraged to sign up for these events. The rules outlined above for the Highlands Shows generally apply to the other shows and sales.
Private Shows and Other Private Events Any member of the Association may use the gallery when it is normally closed (e.g. Sunday afternoon) for events that are
The gallery must be tidied and cleaned after a private event. The gallery display may not be disturbed for these events unless all the work is restored to its original position before the gallery reopens for normal business.
- Each exhibiting member generally will be able to display three pieces of original work, both two- and three-dimensional pieces, depending on the nature and size of the work.
- Very large wall art is usually hung at the top of the display wall; these pieces are considered to be part of the artists’ allowed three pieces and must be submitted at the same time as the other work for show in the gallery. As this space is limited, artists are usually permitted only one work in this category. Members are asked to inform the gallery director ahead of the scheduled hanging if they are intending to display a very large piece, so that appropriate accommodations can be made.
- Acceptance and display of art work is generally at the discretion of the gallery’s display committee. If a work is improperly matted, framed or wired, the artist will be notified. At the discretion of the display committee, the artist may immediately correct the problem, or resubmit the remediated piece for another show.
- Works considered against the association’s best interests will not be displayed. However, if a member wishes to dispute the decision of the display committee then he or she may ask the MCAA Board of Directors to consider the matter.
- Works may only be displayed in one show per four months.
Works for Regularly Scheduled Shows The gallery display is changed before the gallery opens on the first Monday of the scheduled exhibition.
- All exhibiting members, whatever their media, must conform to the exhibiting schedule provided by the Gallery Director. There are no exceptions to this rule, unless a special arrangement is made in advance with the Gallery Director.
- Should a member need to remove a piece before the end of the exhibit, it must be replaced with a comparable piece checked and the Gallery Director must be informed.
- Members are required to collect work at the end of the show period after the gallery closes on the last Saturday of the show, or at any time the following day. If unable to pick up the pieces at these times, artists should make arrangements for someone else to pick up their work. If this is not possible the artist should notify the Gallery Director so that their pieces may be placed in the lower bins or other safe location for later collection. This should be as soon as possible after the show’s end as MCAA is not responsible for damage to pieces.
Winter Exhibit Exhibiting members choosing to show during the winter months will participate in a lottery to allocate exhibit space. Spaces will be assigned to each artist, who will then be responsible for displaying his or her own works, changing the exhibit as frequently as the artist wishes. MCAA yearly dues must be paid by December 31 to participate in the winter exhibit the next month.
Special Shows From time to time special shows will be held at the gallery. Participating members will be informed of the particular requirements for their exhibits.
Franklin Street Festivals and Other Events
All display-eligible members are allowed to sell at Franklin’s festivals. The regulations of each festival are unique, depending on the sponsoring organization and the decisions of the City Council. The Macon County Art Association will inform members of these rules. Display-eligible members are encouraged to sign up for these events. The rules outlined above for the Highlands Shows generally apply to the other shows and sales.
Private Shows and Other Private Events Any member of the Association may use the gallery when it is normally closed (e.g. Sunday afternoon) for events that are
- approved in advance by the gallery director
- co-sponsored by a board member.
The gallery must be tidied and cleaned after a private event. The gallery display may not be disturbed for these events unless all the work is restored to its original position before the gallery reopens for normal business.
Gallery Shows
Members may bring in work for the new show when they collect their works from the previous show.
- If works for wall hanging must be left before the end of the previous show, artists must contact one of the Gallery Directors.
- Artists working in three-dimensional media must contact the Gallery Director if they need to leave works before the end of the previous show.
Signing in Pieces for Gallery Shows When bringing in new work for display the member must enter information (including price) about the piece into one of three books usually located just to the right of the door in the back room and must make out a display card to accompany the piece. The books are arranged alphabetically under artists’ names.
- Work for the upcoming show must be logged into the Gallery Show book and a display card filled out in black ink. Leave the work with its card in the gallery itself.
- Work for inclusion in the browse box(es) must be logged into the Browse Box book.
- Reproductions must be logged into the Reproductions book.
Presentation of Two Dimensional Work for Hanging
- Works must be either gallery wrapped canvas or framed in a professional manner with high quality materials. There must be no damage to the frame, glazing material or mat when used.
- Works must be wired according to the Uptown Gallery standard (see below) unless they are to be displayed on the shelves in the Tiny Treasures section. This section is currently for pieces priced from $35 to $50.
- The wire should be secured to the frame about ⅓ from the top of the frame and should stretch to no closer than 2 inches below the piece’s top. This ensures that the work is securely hung and that the hooks don’t show, taking away from the appearance of the work.
How to display art work for hanging
The frame will either make or break a work of art, so it is important to spend a little extra time and effort to ensure that the art is what the viewer sees, not a poorly hung frame. Here are some simple tricks to help assemble a frame:
- Use the smallest eyelet screws able to hold your art work. Place the screws at least ⅓ of the way down the frame. This will ensure that the frame lies flat against the wall when hung.
- Whenever possible, place the eyelet screws in the inside of the frame, again so that the frame will lie flat. If this is not feasible, use a flat d-ring hanger.
- Notched hangers are unacceptable for hanging in the Gallery
- Make sure the hanging wire is at least 2 inches from the top of the frame when taut. This will ensure that the picture hanger will not show above the frame.
- Make sure that the cut ends of the wire aren’t poking out. It is suggested that you tape around the ends or use plastic tubing so that people hanging the work can’t be injured.
- Clean glass before assembling your artwork in the frame.
- Touch up any small nicks or scratches on the frame.
Presentation of Browse Box and Unframed Art Members are allowed a maximum of ten pieces each in the browse box(es). Enter the title, medium and price of each work in the Browse Box Book, make sure it complies with the notes below and put it in the appropriate location.
- Pieces may be left in the browse boxes for up to twelve months.
- The browse boxes are an important part of the gallery display, not a clearance sale. A minimum price for browse box art is set by the gallery committee. Currently, browse box items must retail for $35 and above. Each piece must be clean and appropriately wrapped in a professional manner as needed.
- Browse box pieces must not include protruding hanging hardware as this could damage other pieces.
- Browse box pieces must include the artist’s name and must be priced according to gallery guidelines with stickers on the back of the work using a black pen.
- Artists are not notified of browse box sales. You should monitor the browse box and replace pieces as necessary.
Presentation of Reproductions Limited edition reproductions are allowed to be displayed only as unframed pieces in the reproductions box. Each piece must comply with #2 - Authentication.
- Members are allowed a maximum of five non-identical pieces in the reproductions box.
- Each reproduction should be wrapped in a professional manner and matted as necessary.
- Enter the work in the Reproductions Book, affix a price label according to gallery guidelines to the back of the piece and put it in the appropriate location.
- Artists should not leave reproductions in the rack for more than twelve months. As artists are not notified of reproductions sales they should monitor the number and condition of reproductions and replace as necessary.
Presentation of Cards The gallery has stands for displaying cards. Cards may be original drawings, paintings or reproductions of the artist’s own work.
- The number of cards on display by each artist may be limited at the discretion of the gallery committee.
- Cards must be labelled with the producer’s name, and trademark if applicable, and include a description of their origin (e.g. Reproduced from painting, photograph or original work).
- Each card or group of cards should be bagged in a professional manner and priced neatly according to gallery guidelines.
- Artists should not leave cards in the rack for more than twelve months. As they are not notified of card sales they should monitor cards’ numbers and condition and replace as necessary.
For the Gallery Staffing Team
Here are some pointers other staffers have found helpful.
If you are first staffer of the day:
Enter your name (and the date if you open the gallery) on the gallery daily log book page for the day.
Only when there are alternates staffing do you need to call next day's staffer(s). If an emergency occurs, it is your responsibility to find an alternate staffer. Call the calendar coordinator if you need help or if another staffer alerts you to a problem.
Open the Cash Register, count the bills and record the amount on the daily log page.
Are you new to retail sales? Here are some ideas to help you:
All Staffers:
Put a mark in the daily log book to record each guest. When we are busy, it would be helpful to know the time of day customers come in.
SALES! All the information about cash and charge sales is in the sales procedures section of the procedures book on the desk. ALWAYS consult it if in doubt. Tons of information is in it. When you first sit after an absence, we suggest you open it to the sales section to help you as you make sales.
When writing up a sale, first fill in the sales receipt. Don’t get rattled. Art shoppers are rarely in an all-fired rush. Follow the sales procedure carefully. Don’t forget that the cash register figures the sales tax!
Record all money transactions in detail in the daily log book. Notify the artist their work has sold, unless it’s a browse box, reproductions box or card sale, so they may enter a different work for the balance of the show.Write anything of any pertinence to the gallery in the comments section of the daily log. This helps other staffers and the gallery director and committee.
When there are no guests in the gallery, PLEASE do housekeeping tasks. Consult the list in the procedures book and find what needs doing. Look around! Record what you do in the comments section of the daily log so that other people will know what needs doing.
If you close the gallery:
Fifteen minutes before closing time
Whatever you do, HAVE FUN!
NOTE: We of the Macon County Art Association are proud of our Uptown Gallery. Having one’s art work displayed in a gallery on Main Street is a privilege that comes with responsibility. In order to keep our doors open we all must do more than just pay our dues and volunteer a few hours a year ….
- Try to park at the back of the gallery or in the parking lots available across the road to free up Main Street for customers. We need to be good Main Street citizens!
- At the desk, find the Uptown Gallery Daily Log and Activity book, the Gallery Procedures book (a.k.a. The Bible), the Workshops and Classes book and the Artists’ Information book. You’ll need them later.
- Check for telephone messages. Follow the instructions in the Procedures Book for retrieving and relaying messages.
If you are first staffer of the day:
- Open the front door with your key. Personally, I always relock the door, if I come in the front door, when I walk to the back to turn on the lights. Then I return and unlock BOTH sides of the door and turn the “OPEN” sign. (Guess by now you’ve figured out that turning on the lights is a good idea! The ones for the back room are to the left of the door when you’re facing the front door. The gallery lights are on the left hand wall.)
- Put out the sign advertising events. In good weather and during festivals prop open both gallery doors. This encourages people to come in and look.
- Check that the back floodlights are off as the closing staffer may have had to leave it on.
- Turn on the CD player. (We will show you how this works.) Make sure there’s unobtrusive, restful music playing all day.
- If there is a class or other activity in progress (they often begin before the gallery opens), let them know you are staffing the gallery and retrieve the portable phone if necessary.
- If you need to leave the retail space for any reason it's a good idea to re-lock the front doors. During slow times of the year it's fine to bring art to work on, but if you're in the workshop area make sure you can hear the bell and see the gallery area (the mirror on the back wall helps with that).
Enter your name (and the date if you open the gallery) on the gallery daily log book page for the day.
Only when there are alternates staffing do you need to call next day's staffer(s). If an emergency occurs, it is your responsibility to find an alternate staffer. Call the calendar coordinator if you need help or if another staffer alerts you to a problem.
Open the Cash Register, count the bills and record the amount on the daily log page.
Are you new to retail sales? Here are some ideas to help you:
- Familiarize yourself with the work on display and who the artists are. There is artists’ information in the book at the desk to help you AND the potential customer if they are interested. (Don’t forget to put your info in!!). Know about upcoming workshops and classes (see the newsletter, website, brochure etc.)
- When the phone rings answer “Uptown Gallery, (your name) speaking. How may I help you?”
- Stand up and greet all visitors to the gallery with “Welcome to the Uptown Gallery.” For the time they are in the gallery people are like guests in your home, so make them feel welcome.
- Ask if the guests are local or visitors and if they have been in the gallery before.
- Confirm they know, or tell them, that we are a non-profit association of local artists.
- Find out if they are customers for art works, people interested in classes or workshops, or are artists who might join the association.
- Remember, it’s SALES that keep us in business and we must be salespeople in a gentle, sophisticated sort of way. Chat guests up any way you are comfortable. Ask questions such as: Have they anything in particular that they are looking for, or like? . . . friendly, rapport-building stuff.
- Invite guests to select their favorite work and vote for that artist in our Artist of the Month contest. This helps you introduce potential clients to our artists.
- Show them around the gallery; point out the various types of works. Talk up the work that appeals to them but don’t be shy in showing them your work. Don’t forget the browse box, cards and reproductions box!
- If you see that some of the party isn’t interested in art, give them a seat and include them in the conversation. Offer them a beverage - anything to keep them entertained while the rest of their party shops!
- Give guests a brochure.
- As each person leaves, thank them for stopping by and say you'll hope they'll come again.
All Staffers:
Put a mark in the daily log book to record each guest. When we are busy, it would be helpful to know the time of day customers come in.
SALES! All the information about cash and charge sales is in the sales procedures section of the procedures book on the desk. ALWAYS consult it if in doubt. Tons of information is in it. When you first sit after an absence, we suggest you open it to the sales section to help you as you make sales.
When writing up a sale, first fill in the sales receipt. Don’t get rattled. Art shoppers are rarely in an all-fired rush. Follow the sales procedure carefully. Don’t forget that the cash register figures the sales tax!
Record all money transactions in detail in the daily log book. Notify the artist their work has sold, unless it’s a browse box, reproductions box or card sale, so they may enter a different work for the balance of the show.Write anything of any pertinence to the gallery in the comments section of the daily log. This helps other staffers and the gallery director and committee.
When there are no guests in the gallery, PLEASE do housekeeping tasks. Consult the list in the procedures book and find what needs doing. Look around! Record what you do in the comments section of the daily log so that other people will know what needs doing.
If you close the gallery:
Fifteen minutes before closing time
- Put the sales receipts, checks, credit card transaction tape, and any miscellaneous transactions (e.g. receipts for cash paid out) and put them in the current receipts envelope.
- Count the cash - bills only - in the cash register.
- Leave as close to $125 in bills in the register as you can and put the excess in the receipts envelope.
- Record the cash amounts on the daily log sheet. Write all the information required on the envelope.
- If there is no change in the register, check for extra change in the petty cash box. If you can get bills or coins from there to meet the next day's needs do so, leaving a note in the petty cash box if you don't replace the amount taken and also writing in the daily log and putting a note with the receipts in the envelope. You can use the bills tally for this.
- Turn off the CD player and check that the coffee maker etc. are turned off and clean. If necessary, turn the thermostat to an energy-conserving setting (68’F in winter, 78’F in summer).
- Turn the door sign to “closed”, set the foot locks on the front door and lock the door; try it to be sure it is locked. Check that the back door lock is set; turn out the gallery lights, then the back room lights. If it is dark outside, put on the lights to the back stairs. Close the back door firmly and test it.
Whatever you do, HAVE FUN!
NOTE: We of the Macon County Art Association are proud of our Uptown Gallery. Having one’s art work displayed in a gallery on Main Street is a privilege that comes with responsibility. In order to keep our doors open we all must do more than just pay our dues and volunteer a few hours a year ….