The topic of ‘pay to play’ as an artist is very polarizing. Some artists are adamantly against it while others buy in to advance their careers. I have engaged in a few ‘pay to play’ moments meaning, I paid a fee to participate in, or secure, an artistic opportunity. Here’s the dividing line for me that I generally follow: It cannot be a paid CHANCE at an opportunity. If paying a fee only secures my application, not my spot, I won’t engage.
I do not feel offended paying a fee if my participation is guaranteed and the benefits are properly communicated. I’m happy to know my fee supports overhead expenses like the table, tent, and cords I’m renting as a vendor or operating expenses for an art exhibition or fair. It seems like a good use of money to support the expenses and operations of a high-quality place that has already approved my application.
I’ll retell a time I did not feel my money was going to good use during a ‘pay to play’ opportunity with Women and Their Work in Austin, TX. I respect the gallery space and wish them well, but it was not working for me to continue my membership. This blog is about documenting my art journey and all the thoughts rattling in my mind along the way. So, expelling this story from my memory helps me move on.
This blog is about documenting my art journey and all the thoughts rattling in my mind along the way.
I was asked to apply for a solo exhibition in 2023 and it felt like I had ‘made it’ as an artist; as if I was on the radar of a quality gallery and welcoming community space. The fee was $25 and I expressed that I could not afford it. They suggested I join their membership plan instead. Now, I felt a bit duped. I said again that I could not afford it. WatW lowered a tier of their membership to just $5 and I agreed as it granted me a place on their artist registry and Found Work’s registry. I added the affiliations to my website and felt like progress had been made towards sharing my passion and gaining a network.
However, I was left out of exciting opportunities like their Red Dot sale and other activities which required additional applications. They assured me that a new series was evolving wherein artists would be interviewed from their studios for digital publication. This barely got off the ground and I was not included either. The next year, I applied once again for a solo show by paying the $25 fee and was flatly rejected. In the meantime, several acquaintances and colleagues I knew in the art world may have noticed my affiliations on my website, social media, or my name in the registries of WatW and FW and began to secure opportunities for themselves without being paid members…or reaching out to say thanks for the tip.
I am happy to be a silent influence, if that was indeed the case, but the glaring issue was my lack of advanced involvement with WatW despite being encouraged to pay fees to them. Not only that, but AI bots and workers scalped me from the WatW registry and began contacting me. I let the gallery know I wanted to depart the membership group and they cooperated swiftly and professionally by removing me from the registry. That’s a ‘pay to play’ that seemed so beneficial, but I felt I was warming the bench. Yes, my money helped support an amazing gallery for a year, and my motion may have inspired others to succeed, but I want to be in the game if I’m paying for such a length of time. I doubt I will apply again for a solo exhibition or membership, but I hope to visit the gallery and Austin, TX in the future one day soon.
Have a Pleasant Day!
-Rae