On Prey and Art #Terrence Sanders #F*dMeOverToo #ArtVoicesMagazine
Back in 2013, I was living in New Orleans. A previous gallery owner told me I might get contacted by a fellow by the name of Terrence Sanders that was offering good quality printing for artists who were looking to get their art work promoted in art fairs or curators through his magazine called ArtVoices.
Indeed, a few weeks later, Terrence sent me an email:
Dear X,
I hope this note finds you well.
I have a space available in the 'Viewing Room' section of Artvoices Magazine if you're interested.
Our WINTER Art Basel Miami issue marks Artvoices 6th Anniversary and our 34th issue in print.
The ‘Viewing Room’ is an in-print gallery section in Artvoices Magazine where artists have a full page to display their work to reach their targeted demographic.
Our readership in turn will support the artists with sales and or opportunities to sustain their practice. It's a necessity that artists get their work where the public and the art world can see it!
The ARTVOICES WINTER issue will be distributed heavily at Art Basel Miami as well as our regular distribution coverage areas of NYC, LA & New Orleans. We are a FREE art periodical publishing since 2008 and have a readership of 15 -30,000.
Collectors, gallerists, art dealers, museum directors and curators are on our subscription list. We are also in library collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Princeton University and other prominent libraries across the country.
There is a small fee of $250 for participation that covers my cost.
This is a great deal I’m offering to my fellow artists and I hope you can take advantage.
I was living with the bare minnimum back then. Paying for materials for shows, freelancing as much as I could through dry spells and dealing with other personal issues. I thought this was a great opportunity to what seemed to be gaining momentum, at least in my art work. I paid for the section and I got my invoice a few days later. I did so for another issue with the same section on January for a lesser price and also got back an invoice and some nice images from Art Miami of people delivering magazines to the fair attendees.
Some months later I received another email. This time I was moving out from New Orleans and going back and forth from Mexico to the US concluding my personal affairs. I wanted to be present somehow in US mediums even amongst this transition where I felt I was loosing not only my home but a world of oportunities soon to be evaporated:
I hope this note finds you well.
I revisited your website on a whim and discovered the relevance and depth of your work.
I have never had a Latin person on my cover! :( Growing up in NYC and now living in Los Angeles I have always been interested in the Latin contemporary art dialog. The weird thing is every time I look for an artist their either too rooted in folk and or chicano traditions. Your work is a break from that norm. You are an intelligent and fearless artist and you deserve to be recognized for your important work.
Please lets try to make this happen because I'm sure it will be a win-win for the both of us.
I like New Year’s Bonfire, Sweat, Digital Obsolescence, Improvised Melting Improvisations and Gazing Game.
I have Chuck Close on the SUMMER issue cover! If I lowered the fee to 2,000 could you swing it? I can even break the payments into two installments.
I look forward to your response.
Ego, vulnerability, the process of becoming gaullible is evident now but not then. I wasn't used to be fooled by Americans. I truly and stupidly believed they had other standards. They cut their lawns, paid their taxes and in rare occasions they did wrong but in my mind it was the lesser of the times?
I agreed and I can't tell you how hard that was and the impact of what the currency exchange entails in terms of becoming scammed. I wasn't aware I had been fooled until very recently. My navieté just slapped me hard across the face.
Why did I become a prey? Reading back the emails it's so obvious, but what was obvious too, was my desire to strive, to move forward in such a harsh environment as art is.
The writer designated for the article, Bill Sasser seemed to have a great Jazz Fest as he never got to see me personally for the interview. He sent emails telling me he had IE problems or his microphone didn't work. The interview was poorly made through Skype and indifferently written.
Through the process I got reassuring emails from Terrence on the printing process and distribution of the issues.
I was happy and grateful and this is the part that hurts the most. I was grateful, hopeful for new opportunities, expectant. Preying upon artists is like inviting yourself to a poor man's home. They will offer what they have in their heads, hearts and hands but they might not eat the next day. Terrence is the worst example of an "artist", a crooked, unhinged, one. Quoting Obama, dissing writers and artists for their justified anger against him.
Some years have gone by, but a few days ago I was updating my CV and was looking for the issue on their website. Zilch. But what I did find was other artists with the same cover issue online so I sent them an email trying to figure out what was going on because Terrence never got back to me:
Of these three, only one of them got back to me, preventing me to engage with Terrence, I told the artist it was too late but thanked the advice.
I am writing this for other artists and writers. For younger ones, for older even, seeking exposure. Learn. Don't trust mediocre artists preying upon your talent and your desires. Wait paitently, make work and it will work the other way around, don't expect immediacy if what you are doing is honest. If you are an artist f*d over by Terrence and looking for some kind of legal complaint, do it here. They are looking for other artists to come forward.
For gallery curators, be cautioned, you can never separate the person from the artist and their art work, if you ever see this guy, tread carefully.
Indeed, a few weeks later, Terrence sent me an email:
Dear X,
I hope this note finds you well.
I have a space available in the 'Viewing Room' section of Artvoices Magazine if you're interested.
Our WINTER Art Basel Miami issue marks Artvoices 6th Anniversary and our 34th issue in print.
The ‘Viewing Room’ is an in-print gallery section in Artvoices Magazine where artists have a full page to display their work to reach their targeted demographic.
Our readership in turn will support the artists with sales and or opportunities to sustain their practice. It's a necessity that artists get their work where the public and the art world can see it!
The ARTVOICES WINTER issue will be distributed heavily at Art Basel Miami as well as our regular distribution coverage areas of NYC, LA & New Orleans. We are a FREE art periodical publishing since 2008 and have a readership of 15 -30,000.
Collectors, gallerists, art dealers, museum directors and curators are on our subscription list. We are also in library collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Princeton University and other prominent libraries across the country.
There is a small fee of $250 for participation that covers my cost.
This is a great deal I’m offering to my fellow artists and I hope you can take advantage.
I was living with the bare minnimum back then. Paying for materials for shows, freelancing as much as I could through dry spells and dealing with other personal issues. I thought this was a great opportunity to what seemed to be gaining momentum, at least in my art work. I paid for the section and I got my invoice a few days later. I did so for another issue with the same section on January for a lesser price and also got back an invoice and some nice images from Art Miami of people delivering magazines to the fair attendees.
Some months later I received another email. This time I was moving out from New Orleans and going back and forth from Mexico to the US concluding my personal affairs. I wanted to be present somehow in US mediums even amongst this transition where I felt I was loosing not only my home but a world of oportunities soon to be evaporated:
I hope this note finds you well.
I revisited your website on a whim and discovered the relevance and depth of your work.
I have never had a Latin person on my cover! :( Growing up in NYC and now living in Los Angeles I have always been interested in the Latin contemporary art dialog. The weird thing is every time I look for an artist their either too rooted in folk and or chicano traditions. Your work is a break from that norm. You are an intelligent and fearless artist and you deserve to be recognized for your important work.
Please lets try to make this happen because I'm sure it will be a win-win for the both of us.
I like New Year’s Bonfire, Sweat, Digital Obsolescence, Improvised Melting Improvisations and Gazing Game.
I have Chuck Close on the SUMMER issue cover! If I lowered the fee to 2,000 could you swing it? I can even break the payments into two installments.
I look forward to your response.
Best Regards,
Terrence
Terrence
*I can even break it up in 2 payments if it helps.
Ego, vulnerability, the process of becoming gaullible is evident now but not then. I wasn't used to be fooled by Americans. I truly and stupidly believed they had other standards. They cut their lawns, paid their taxes and in rare occasions they did wrong but in my mind it was the lesser of the times?
Why did I become a prey? Reading back the emails it's so obvious, but what was obvious too, was my desire to strive, to move forward in such a harsh environment as art is.
The writer designated for the article, Bill Sasser seemed to have a great Jazz Fest as he never got to see me personally for the interview. He sent emails telling me he had IE problems or his microphone didn't work. The interview was poorly made through Skype and indifferently written.
Through the process I got reassuring emails from Terrence on the printing process and distribution of the issues.
Some years have gone by, but a few days ago I was updating my CV and was looking for the issue on their website. Zilch. But what I did find was other artists with the same cover issue online so I sent them an email trying to figure out what was going on because Terrence never got back to me:
I am writing this for other artists and writers. For younger ones, for older even, seeking exposure. Learn. Don't trust mediocre artists preying upon your talent and your desires. Wait paitently, make work and it will work the other way around, don't expect immediacy if what you are doing is honest. If you are an artist f*d over by Terrence and looking for some kind of legal complaint, do it here. They are looking for other artists to come forward.
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