To the latest headache for the DNC: Late last month the Graphic Artists Guild sent a letter to Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz calling a poster contest run by the convention leadership "shameful" for underpaying graphic artists in violation of the guild's ethical and professional guidelines.
First off, it should be known that many Graphic artists’ works never see the light of day. Just like most photographers work. Most of these Artists sit and wait for their big day, hoping someone will give them a chance. For many this Contest is the very chance they are waiting for. Also it’s a way for them to show their work to the world.
I know this was the case for me. I' consider myself an amateur photographer; who is still waiting for my million dollar image. I was lucky enough once to get paid for my work.
One day back in summer of 1998 I was lucky enough to photograph a terrible auto accident. The driver of a medical supply truck hit the back of a propane tanker. Busting off the main valve and sitting off the gas.
A house was completely burned to the ground, the driver of the propane truck die inside of the cab. It took three fire depts. over 6 hours to putt this fire out, while till the all the propane burnt out that is. All they could do was to stop the other two homes catching on fire.
I told over 6 rolls of film of the fire. While standing on the sidelines, a news reporter from VA Beach asks me if I plan to sell any stops to my local paper. I told her no, since their photographer was on the scene. She suggested that I try VA pilot in Va Beach, since they are a daily paper and my local was a weekly one. I took her advice and travel to VA Beach. The paper brought ten shots of the accident and fire. This was the first time I was paid and publish in a newspaper.
(All images are copyrighted to me)
Question is did I get a good price for my photos, who knows? In retrospect I might not have, but it was opportunity that I’m glad that I took.
But, So many artists and photographers do choose to enter these contests, hoping they will win and that their work will be seen by many. This can lead or/and help they to find a career in their field. Hell, look what song writers have to good through to get, musicians to sing what they have written.
Everyone knows that one Photograph or piece of art work can launch a career or make one even better.
"The Guild thinks the DNC needs to realize how ironic this contest actually is," the letter states. "A crowd sourced contest soliciting free work (spec work) from American artists for the purpose of “building a better future” and creating “opportunity”… to work for free or be underpaid for our work."
Now it’s not like they aren’t going to pay the person for it, the DNC is going to give $1 to the artist for each poster that is sold. So the artist is getting something. The Guild thinks this is to low of a price, and maybe they are correct.
I think the real reason behind their objection is that no nationally known Artist or a Union Group is getting this project or huge amount of money for this.
I see the DNC move to hold a contest for this year poster is to get the young artisans a chance and exposure on the national level.
Most of the all artists and photographers has done the following at some point in their career.
to work for free or be underpaid for our work.
I know I have, I did my first wedding last fall for a friend who had very little money to spend on their wedding. So I photographed their wedding as a wedding gift..
But wait this is another reason why they are piss,
The DNCC poster contest includes the same badly thought out rules as the “Art Works” contest: All artists who submit work to the contest grant the DNCC an unrestricted unpaid irrevocable license to use ALL of the submissions and create derivative works, not just the winning entry (term #5 “Grant of Licenses”). And although the DNCC requires permission to use the artist’s name and likeness, there’s no promise to even give the artist credit when her/his work is used.
For me I would be willing to take those chances, to get my work shown and published.
I personally think that it’s a good ideal. That the DNC decide to hold a contest for this year’s DNC in Charlotte NC.. To help give a unknown artist the chance to shine in the Day light, even if it is just for a while. Who knows this contest could launch a New Artist.
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