Female Artists Lose Out

Anonymous

The 24th annual International Women’s Day Art Show has begun at the Orillia Museum of Art and History, with the theme “On the Edge.” According to the museum website, the goal of the show is “to encourage women to express themselves artistically in a themed group exhibit, which is not juried and therefore inclusive. The spirit [of] the exhibition is one of affirmation and co-operation.” 

With “works in oil, acrylic and watercolour, as well as mixed media, printmaking, photography, sculpture, fibre arts and video production,” the exhibition is stunning, showcasing talented artists in amazing and personal ways.  

However, OMAH is reportedly charging consignment on the art in the International Women’s Day Art Show. The museum is known for having a relatively high consignment price at 60:40, where other museums might charge 75:25 or even 80:20. 

In the past, the museum did not take consignment on the International Women’s Day Art Show, as it simply hosted the exhibition and sold the pieces, meaning the artists took home the full profit of their artwork. 

While OMAH is run by an entirely female staff, its Board of Directors, who likely made the decision that the art would go under consignment, is primarily comprised of men. 

Additionally, the decision was purportedly made without telling the show’s coordinator, so many of the artists are under the impression they will be getting the full profit of the art they sell, as they have in years prior. This could cause a major issue when the show comes to a close and less money goes back to the artist than expected. 

It is unfortunate that the show has become a consignment based business rather than a show focused purely on the talent of women artists. 

The International Women’s Day Art Show: On the Edge runs from March 8th - April 12th.