A call issued to local artists this month to exhibit their art in Hastings for a small fee of $50 to cover the cost of one board as part of the Site Hoarding Art Exhibit Hastings ‘Colours of Barbados’ on the Boardwalk has been called ‘disrespectful’.
Members of the art community and supporters of the Arts on Bajan Twitter refused to keep silent on this issue.
This is what happens when people see artists as hobbyists
The general consensus amongst persons who saw the not for profit venture aiming to bring colour and creativity of a truly Bajan flavour to the South Coast boardwalk, was that the artists deserve to be paid for their work.
The initiative indicated that all works submitted will be hung on the recently erected hoardings alongside the Richard Haynes Boardwalk by the old Caribee hotel location, now construction site for the 132-room Hotel Indigo property. It indicated that artists can purchase one of more sheets of PVC board 4ft x 4ft to apply their artwork at BBD $50 per sheet. Basic terms and conditions apply, the announcement indicated and it stated that the hanging space has been provided courtesy of the property owners.
The Hotel Indigo brand is part of the InterContenental Hotels Group (IHG). IHG Hotels & Resorts are also Regent, EVEN Hotels, Candlewood Suites, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express amongst other brand names.
On Twitter, an artist said:
“This a bad… Please hire artists properly do not promote this kind of thing we suffer enough and the bar is so low we don’t know right from wrong”
Other persons quote “They always want people to do things for free stupse !”
“Wait so.. Let me get this correct… They’re holding no studio or actual audience, and ya gotta pay to display your work for free?”
“Give me back my window to the sea and stop being parasitic to people who want their artistic talent recognised. Have you honestly ever had someone tell you, ‘I’ll pay YOU $50/16sq. ft. to paint your business?’”
“It’s the audacity for me”
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“…do not let anybody convince you to pay them to display your art”
“So instead of paying for art they want artists to pay for a spot to have their art show cased?? This is disrespectful.”
“This is so disgraceful. Wow. The audacity.”
“This is what happens when people see artists as hobbyists and don’t take it as seriously as other professions. You can’t tell emergency personnel at a fetes to pay YOU, the organizer $50 to offer their service. Bfr.”
“This is ridiculous and insulting.”
Calls to the number on the flyer for their response were unsuccessful up to the time of publishing.
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