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Expert: - 2/4/2005


Question
On the art contest rules for a juried show it reads: "Amount for which your work will be insured if selected."

I'm not sure what amount to put, or how it might influence the selection. What amount should I put?

Appreciated any help. Thank you!

Answer
Dear Jim,

The amount you need the gallery to insure your piece should be the amount you think the piece is worth. In the rare case that something should happen to your artwork, you need to indicate how much money would be enough to replace its value. In simpler terms, how much would you sell this piece for?

Now, selecting a value for your art is always a difficult subject to approach. Am I charging too much? Am I charging too little? How do I even know where to begin setting a price? These are all questions swimming about your head as you try to attach a number to something you've worked hard to complete, and most likely this is something you value in terms that have nothing to do with money and finances. I usually tackle the matter practically. What did you use to create the piece; how much were the cost of materials? How many hours did it take to complete? Assign yourself an hourly rate and multiply it by the number of hours. All this will give you a price range that you can most likely comfortably choose a value. You may have to play around with the numbers a bit till you find one that feels like a fit.

Use this amount to fill in your insurance value. In ways, this is exactly what you do when you insure the contents of your home or apartment. I cannot tell you how this should affect the selection of your piece into the contest. Honestly, I don't think it would be a factor unless you've chosen some wildly large number…and at the same time, often members of a jury panel are not shown information about the person who created the piece so that they are only influenced by the integrity of the art itself.

I hope this helps and good luck with the contest! May your piece be chosen and may you have much success with your endeavors!

Sincerely,
Gianina

Careers: Arts

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Gianina L.

Expertise

I can answer questions concerning most traditional mediums such as acrylics, watercolor, colored pencils, collage/cut paper, graphite, charcoal, and pen and ink. I also have strong, advanced knowledge of Photoshop, Powerpoint and Publisher; and beginner to immediate level knowledge in Illustrator, Freehand, After Effects, and Flash. In addition, I can cover miscellaneous subjects such as portfolio preparation, applying to art schools, art school study skills, color theory, basic design and drawing principles, basic animation techniques, working on personal art styles and exploring new artistic techniques. Topics such as the detailed legal aspects of art, web programming and Flash action scripting do not fall under my area of expertise.

Experience

Experience in the Area
I graduated summa cum laude with a double BFA in Illustration and Computer Art (specializing in 2-dimensional animation) from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where as a student, I happily tutored fellow peers in all aspects of art and created numerous illustrations for the school newspaper. For the past several years, I have been illustrating seminar books, designing numerous graphics, and creating short animation sequences for use in video. In addition, I work as a private tutor and am co-director / co-owner of a company that focuses on and promotes the local music industry. I assist with all the day-to-day operations of this company as well as manage all art direction and design.

Education/Credentials
Savannah College of Art and Design
BFA Computer Art, Illustration
Summa Cum Laude
Dean's List, GPA 4.0

Awards and Honors
Induction into Alpha Pi Beta honor society for art and design, 2002
Outstanding Achievement in Computer Art, 2002
Outstanding Student for the academic year 2001-2002
Awarded "Most Dependable" for District, the student newspaper, 2002
Who's Who Among American Colleges and Universities, May 2001
Better Business Bureau Honesty in Advertising Essay Competition, Merit Award, November 1998
Mary Renee Whelan Scholarship, Savannah College of Art and Design

Exhibitions and Festivals:
Embodiement; Myths in Animal Form, www.postpicasso.com, December 10 - January 10, 2005
SCAD Alumni Show, Stardust Café, Orlando, FL; December 2004
Finalist, International Juried Online Symbolist Art Show, www.dracoblu.com, May 2004 - April 2005
Finalist, International Juried Online Symbolist Art Show, www.dracoblu.com, May 2003 - April 2004
Senior Showcase, SCAD Pei Ling Chan Gallery, Savannah, GA; May 2002
2D or not 2D, SCAD Trustees Theatre, Savannah, GA; April 2002
Small Works, SCAD Exhibit A Gallery, Savannah, GA; November 7 - December 31, 2001; art was purchased
Magnanimata Animation Festival, May 1999

Publications
Quoted briefly in Animation World Magazine, "Predicting the Future of Futurama" (April 1999) and "Ed, Edd, n Eddy: A Unique Approach" (June 1999)

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