Dear Editor,

I applaud the message and the timing of the article written by Boo Ersham on art in your May issue.

Any attempt to assist the public, business and even artists in their understanding of what comprises an income for a professional artist will only increase the value, financial and otherwise, placed on an original work of art.

Boo Ersham is so right in educating and warning artists to be aware of scams and "inflated" promises made by promoters of art. More often than not, these promoters of art are only promoting themselves. By way of an explanation to the public as to what they are really dealing with in a work of art, I would like to add my voice to Ms. Ersham's article: Asking artists to donate or drastically reduce in price their work is in fact ignoring the true value of any artwork.

Artist are promoting a product like any other business. There are costs that are incurred all along the way in the creation of a piece of art, as there would be in any other business, overhead costs. Internal costs such as studio, utilities, supplies, possibly model fees, labor, promotional materials, transportation are part of the cost of artwork. External costs such as exhibit fees and/or commissions, advertising and reception costs are also factors in the pricing. When a sale is made by an artist, after the commissions, fees and costs are recouped, an artist is fortunate indeed to come away with any real income. In a sense, artists are already donating their art to the public for a worthy cause---- an inspired love of art.

Boo Ersham is so right. Artists must be aware of all the ways some {promoters, galleries}, fundraisers, even art groups, have developed to take money from artists with little or nothing given back to the artist. In the world of commerce, the rule is "Buyer Beware." In the world of art, the rule is "Buyer Be Aware."

Sincerely,

Martin F. Hennigan

To see a sample of Mary "Boo" Ersham's artwork go to www.arttesa.org and click onto her gallery page.