Beware Of Art Scammers Pt.3: Vanity Museums!

This is a follow up to a post from 2017 about Vanity Galleries.

As you may know, the art world is full of Vanity Galleries, aka Pay to Play Galleries. These are "galleries" that charge artist money to put on a show inside their business. As I have said before, if putting on a show of your own work in such a place feels right to you, go for it. I can't fault any artist for promoting their work. But as I have said before, try not to make it a habit. 

I didn't know it was a thing, but it seems that there now Vanity Museums!

I received this email July 24, 2022:

Greetings!

You are welcome to join a very special project -- the international museum exhibition ’Equilibrium' at Haegeumgang Museum, Geoje, South Korea.Geoje city is known for centuries-old Buddhist temples, coastal resorts, and high-tech industry including such companies as Daewoo and Samsung. 

The museum is an important cultural institution created as a link between the Korean tradition and contemporary culture http://www.hggmuseum.com/.

The museum exhibition ’Equilibrium’ will take place on November 1–25, 2022. It will celebrate resilience and creativity of artists finding balance and peace in the present world. What makes it special is that after the exhibition your art will be included in the museum collection. This project is also unique in its curatorial approach. Participating artists may select the work for the exhibition. Please note that the donation of artwork is a standard way to be included in a museum collection because most museums have a limited budget for buying artwork of emerging and mid-career artists.

’Equilibrium’ is a prestigious museum exhibition which could be instrumental for your artistic career:

1. It will secure your participation in a museum exhibition.
2 It will expand your resume.
3. It will solidify your reputation as an international artist of a museum standing.
4. It may open new opportunities of gallery and museum exhibitions.
5. It has the potential to facilitate future sales of your work.
6. It will expose your work to a new expanding art market in Asia.
7. It will guarantee inclusion of your work in a Museum Collection.

You may select any original artwork 25”x25” / 65x65 cm or larger. The may include paintings, drawings, sketches, sculptures, mixed media, etc. Limited editions are accepted in photography and digital art. Artists will cover expenses related to shipping and contribute towards promotion.

Obviously, you do not have to worry about shipping the work back or traveling. You will receive a Museum Certificate confirming that your artwork is included in the museum collection.

While the works will not be for sale, potential collectors may contact you to purchase available artwork.

This museum exhibition will include Installation, Opening Reception, Advertising, Promotion and Public Relations. Regular participation fee is $1,895.00 USD. Now, for a limited time, thanks to sponsorship this amount is decreased to only $975. To take advantage of this unique opportunity
please review the attached form and email us a signed copy by August 1, 2022.

I appreciate your cooperation and look forward to your museum exhibition in South Korea. Stay well and have a good day!

Warm regards,
Martin B******

There are so many " Oh Fuck No's" in this email, it is difficult to know where to begin. 

While " Please note that the donation of artwork is a standard way to be included 

in a museum collection because most museums have a limited budget for buying artwork of emerging and mid-career artists, " is not entirely false, do you really think museums don't have the money to buying emerging art? If you're an emerging artist, fresh out of a hot MFA program or you're self taught and slightly older, but you have been making waves without an MFA and your work is priced between $5-25k, which is very reasonable, do you really think a museum doesn't have the cash to buy your work? Even if they don't have the money to buy a major piece, they have enough to purchase something small, trust me on that.

They might even ask for an outright donation, but they will for sure be a legit institution! But you better have a solid CV with an equally solid purchase history and gallery rep before museums will even LOOK AT YOU.

I know the lure of being in permanent collection is huge, but do you really want your blood, sweat, and tears placed into a museum that will take anyone who has the cash? And what do they have in their permanent collection? What sort of programs do they offer? How long has the museum been operating? Was this once the massive collection of someone who didn't want to pay taxes on their assets so they created their own museum? Who is on their board of directors? Will your work be displayed? Or will it be placed into storage?

Then there is the issue of donating original work AND having to pay for shipping it to Korea, AND having to pay a participation fee!

Oh, but dont worry, "..Regular participation fee is $1,895.00 USD. Now, for a limited time, thanks to sponsorship this amount is decreased to only $975! "

Even if you live on the pacific coast of the US, with the cost of shipping, insurance and the "discounted" participation fee of $975, you are looking at grand total of least $2500-3k. That is a sizable chunk of money for all those MAYBES mentioned above. And I ask this again because I feel it is important,

"Do you really want your art placed into the collection of a museum that operates under a pay to play model?"

Please don't fall for this my fellow artists. On the other hand, I could be totally wrong. If you have taken part in something like this with favorable results, please share. Let me know your thoughts below.