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I have my doubts as to the safety of people and fans gathering at the Con based on the federal government's (Trump) handling of the Pandemic. Anthony S. Fauci has strongly suggested people should become obsessive hand washers and never shake hands ever again with anyone for any reason in regard to the virus. Yeah, that fills me with Howard Hugh Syndrom confidence. Guess we'll all move to the hand greeting in Demolition Man. Mellow greeting y'all. Iceland and South Korea may be smaller countries but they are more on-the-ball handling their shit way better than the US. Iceland has its own Detectives for crying out loud tracing and backtracking those who were infected and worked out a model to track any new cases. The US has Trump. So it would be a better idea to postpone the Con instead of canceling it. The situation is unsafe at this time and getting a highly dense crowd of people in one place is just inviting calamity and more cases. The US has never had to deal with this sort of thing before on this level. It's not worth the risk.

Well it's official. The Art Show or Gallery as it's being labeled as is not returning to the Fanime.
I got an answer back from my inquiry.

(Thank you for your email and interest in Art Gallery. Yes, Art Gallery is returning in celebration of Fanime's 25th anniversary! Rather than being a space for selling art, the Art Gallery will highlight the history of Fanime, by showing memorabilia and artworks related to themes throughout the years. Artists who contribute artwork for display can include business cards.)

Guess I'll go back to the NDK. At least they know how to run an Art Show.

Since the Art Show has been absent for four years, it's difficult to guess if anything is in motion at this time. I doubt anything will happen in the most boring month of the year. Not sure how many inquiries have been sent to the new Art Show curators but we'll just have to wait for anything specific.

I certainly hope it will be too. I'll have 4 years worth of art to show there that was in the past 3 NDKs in Colorado.
Wonder if they found a good "business model" like they mentioned to me before. Wouldn't mind rounding out the
batch of badges I have to 20 years.

I recently checked the Fanime web site and discovered the news that the Art Show or Art Gallery will return after a 4 year absence.
I've sent and email inquiry for any details. Hopefully I'll hear back from someone soon.

Well after sending an email to [email protected] I received a reply shortly after from Milton Le that they don't plan on
having an Art Gallery for 2018 but plan on bringing it back next year.

We were planning to have an Art Gallery for this year and it was recently canceled. Unfortunately, that part of the website was missed. I apologize for this and we're definitely already planning to bring it back for next year.

if I wanted to display in the Art Gallery I need to know what the info is. 5 days to go.  :'(

You gotta be kidding me. Eight days until opening day and still no info about the Art Gallery?  :(

I just want to assure readers that I'm not complaining about the state of the Art Show, entirely. I had been going to the Fanime and its Art Show since 1997 when it was at Foothill College. It was a regular thing I definitely enjoyed. I know things can change and I know unforeseen things can happen. The years the Art Show was not there I went to the Nan Desu Kan and its Art Show. I like both. I miss the Art Show at the Fanime. I just want it to come back and hopefully be better.

There hasn't been an Art Show or Gallery since 2016. The Art Show was discontinued because the last person who ran it was accused of fouling up the receipt books and fired. That person did nothing wrong and was a scapegoat. I count 2015 as well because it was display only so it wasn't a real Gallery or Art Show. I and Moonbug offered to run it but were turned down. But with only 16 days until opening day there's still no info. The upper management just didn't think an Art Show was business worthy anymore considering what the artist alley has turned into.

Wow 17 days and counting until the first day of the Con. Wonder what the hold up is.  :'(

Okay so there's 27 days to go after this post and there's still no information about the gallery? Kinda cutting it to the wire.
How can anyone intending to display anything if we don't know what's going on?

[View Only]

It may very well be View Only to benefit the Artist Alley. Considering that with the new pegboard displays used last time, it really doesn't take a whole lot of organization or setup for a Gallery. Just seems kinda odd that with only about 40 days remaining there doesn't appear to be any further info on the Fanime site. Does make me wonder though.

Here's hoping if the Gallery (Art Show) does come back it isn't "Display Only" for the Artist Alley. That would be sad.  :'(

Is this news of an Art Gallery returning to the Fanime confirmed?

Yeah, guess it is a sign. Been going to the Fanime since 97. Sad to discover it has no interest in having an art show anymore. Well, on the bright side I still have the Colorado NDK in September. Love that Art Show. Truly a well oiled machine. Certainly gives me time to come up with new works and the plane ride is always cool. Ah well, it was a good run. Still have all the Fanime badges to remember by. Maybe one day they'll come to their senses and bring it back.  :-\

[Moonbug]

Okay. I know it's early, but seriously speaking, May is not far away. Just like March isn't far off and I'm REALLY looking forward to the Ghost in the Shell movie. I have copious faith that if the Fanime council (which sounds very Lord of the Ring-ish) lets Moonbug run the resurrected Art Show she will be great.
I truly HOPE the Art Show comes back but I'm still puzzled as the the council's determination regarding a "better business model".

Well it's always good to hear positive news. I had a feeling something would be different in trying to keep the Art Gallery alive. Thanks Moonbug for taking the time to meet with the Fanime and being a valuable voice to the artists and attendees for the Art Gallery. I'll be patient of course with no buts.
More than likely I'll prepare some works for the next Fanime and HOPE like hell the Art Gallery comes back. The Art Gallery was the nucleus for me to attend and without it I don't have the enthusiasm to attend.

Well that's new. Aside from proper book keeping after collecting the sales to give to the Fanime's accounting department to cut checks for artists, what does a "better business model" entail? The new display panels are pretty good at least. But to be honest considering the times I helped put up and take down the older displays I do kinda miss them.  ::)
As I said before, I want the art show to return to the Fanime so you have what help I can provide if you need it.

What happened at the Fanime 2016 Art Show is that it was considered by the Fanime to be unimportant. Mainly because the last person who ran the Art Show was a "fill in" and didn't allow anyone to sell anything. The "fill in" was a quick sort of band-aid in 2015 because the person before 2015 was used as a scapegoat and released from service (fired) when she didn't do anything wrong.

Sooo, since there was no one else to fill the slot to run the Art Show and the "fill in" was not returning, the Fanime decided there was not enough time to organize an Art Show and concluded the it would be skipped. Hard telling if they are serious about next year what with a little over 6 months to work it out.  :P

Since there was no Art Show in the 2016 Fanime I had to make up for it and go to the Colorado NDK which I was happy to attend since I had not been there in almost seven years. If you ever get a chance to go to NDK the Art Show is wonderful, fully functional, organized, and if you sell any of your works you get the money on the last day of the Con.

I WANT the Art Show to return to the Fanime because the Con seems hollow without it.