Minicon 50 Art Show

Overview

The Minicon 50 art show is a non-juried show open to all artists who'd like to submit artwork in a science fiction and/or fantasy theme. Regardless of what media you work in — traditional, digital, fiber, sculpture, etc. — you are welcome. Most art is for sale, although some may be just for show. Art can be bid upon or, if the artists chooses, be immediately purchased at a set price.

• Wednesday setup: 3–8pm. For artists and setup volunteers only. Artists may hang their art 5–10pm.
• Thursday: 3–7pm. No direct sales until Saturday, only bidding.
• Friday: 10am–7pm. No direct sales until Saturday, only bidding. Artist reception in the evening.
• Saturday: 10am–7pm. Direct sales begin and continue through Sunday. Silent auction ends at 6pm. Pieces with 3 bids go to voice auction show at 6:30pm.
• Sunday: 10am–4pm. Artists may begin to pick up unsold art at 10am. Pieces purchased via direct sale or won at auction may be picked up. Direct sales end at 4pm.

Volunteers are needed for set-up, tear down, and lunch breaks. Besides the art show proper, we are thinking about again having art-based activities and programming in the art show area, but we haven't yet finalized these plans. If you have ideas or want to run such a thing, please contact the art show head at arREMOVEtshow@miniconTHIS50.mnstf.org.

Calling All Young Artists!

All artists under the age of 18 can hang their art for free at the Minicon art show (no hanging fees). Please limit the number of pieces you submit to 5 per person due to limited hanging space. All other art show rules apply.

Mail in art

Minicon offers an option for artists to mail in their art prior to the convention. The option may be used whether or not you are attending the convention. When mailing in art, make sure to fill out the appropriate forms. Please send any art you wish displayed to:

Minicon
c/o Beth Phillips
11401 Excelsior Blvd
Hopkins, MN 55343

Rules

General Rules and Guidelines

• Regardless of what media you work in — traditional, digital, fiber, sculpture, etc. — you are welcome. You may offer prints and/or original art for sale to attendees directly or by auction.
• Minicon is a science fiction/fantasy oriented convention, so please keep this in mind when submitting your work for sale.
• We are a family attended convention so please consider your visual and themed content carefully.
• No artist registration or pre-registration is required.
• There is a $0.50 per piece hanging fee for each piece of art entered in the Art Show.
• No hanging fee is charged for print shop items or for submitting artists under age 18.
• Minicon collects a 10% commission on all artwork sold through the Art Show and Print Shop. Minicon does not take a commission on the first $10 of sales for each artist.
• There will be a Print Shop area for prints and reproductions. No more than 5 copies of any one work of art may be submitted, please.
• Art that is not for sale may be entered.
• If you are unable to attend the con, you may mail your artwork. See Mail-in Art above.
• Walk-in artists are accepted and encouraged.
• Permission to use copyrighted characters, when required, is the responsibility of the artist, not of Minicon or the Minicon Art Show staff.
• Minicon will cooperate with legitimate efforts to enforce copyrights.
• Security will be provided by Minicon staff while the Art Show is open, and will be secured in a locked hall by hotel staff at night.
• Minicon and Minicon art show staff will not be responsible for theft or accidental damage to artwork or artist's property.
• Art purchased via direct sale or auction will remain on display until Sunday, and may be picked up when the art show is open. Art purchased from the print shop may be taken immediately.

Setup

• Artists who actively help set up the art show on Wednesday may reserve their first choice of hanging space.
• Hanging space for artists not helping with set up on Wednesday cannot be reserved and is first come-first served afterwards.
• 8X10 ft. pegboard panels and 3X12 ft. tables will be provided for art presentation. Pegboard hooks and clips will be provided free of charge. Vertical panel space will be lit with incandescent bulbs.
• You may use your own hanging hardware and lighting if you choose.

Art Auction and Sales

Auction Artwork

• The art show conducts a three-bid auction with a live auction for deciding pieces bid at a count of three.
• Bid sheets are marked with the highest bid by bidders who want the piece by auction.
• If as piece has one or two bidders by the end of the silent auction on Saturday the highest bidder wins the piece and it does not go to Saturday live auction.
• If a piece is marked with three bids, the piece will go to live auction on Saturday to be won by the highest bidder.
• If at the live auction, a three bid piece has no other bidders, the piece is won by the highest bidder on the bid sheet.
• If a direct sale piece is bid upon and is eligible for bidding, the direct sale option is no longer available.
• Only pieces with no bids and are marked as direct sale pieces may be purchased at the artist's direct sale price.
• A Minicon member badge number is required for bidding and the bidder must have contact information available through their badge number.
• Single reproductions or prints may be entered or displayed in the art show. Multiple reproductions or prints should be presented in the Print Shop area.
• There will be no art pick-up/purchase by bidding winners before Sunday.
• There is no Saturday artist check-out.
• Once auction art is hung, it will remain on display until the close of the Art Show on Sunday.

Direct Sale Artwork

• Only pieces with no bids and are marked as direct sale pieces may be purchased at the artist's direct sale price.
• If a direct sale piece is bid upon and is eligible for bidding, the direct sale option is no longer available.
• Direct sale pieces will remain on display until Sunday, when the purchaser may pick up their piece.
• Dreamhaven Books will assist the art show with credit card/debit card sales in the dealer's area.

Print Shop

• Print shop items are sold through direct sale only, not by bid.
• Artists do not need to submit artwork in the main show to have items for sale in the print shop.
• Cash and checks are accepted for payment of print shop items.
• Dreamhaven Books will assist the art show with credit card/debit card sales in the dealer's area.
• Print shop items must be clearly described as such on Print Shop control sheets.
• No hanging fee is charged for print shop items.

End of the Art Show and Beyond

• Pieces purchased and won at auction will be organized in a separate area of the art show Sunday morning for pick-up and paid for if necessary.
• Art not sold at the convention may be picked up on Sunday of the convention for attending artists/agents.
• Checks will be mailed to the artists (or their agents if so requested when the art is checked in/mailed in) within four weeks after the end of the convention for total auction and/or print shop sales, minus the art show commission fee.
• If payment for hanging fees, postage, and any shipping insurance the artist may request is not provided by the artist and is not covered by sales, then the Art Show Coordinator will retain the art and contact the artist to make other arrangements.
• Mailed art will be mailed back Monday after the end of the con via USPS unless otherwise requested by the artist.

Abandoned Artwork

Artwork that is won by auction but not paid for by the close of the art show Sunday will be returned to the artist as unsold. Minicon will not deliver artwork to auction winners.

Artists: Art Documentation, Check In and Check Out

• Each piece of art work will be checked in and out of the art show by art show staff before it can enter or leave the hall. This is to provide an accounting of each piece that is turned over to Minicon and to track sales totals.
• Art work can be removed only by direct sale buyers, auction winners or artists after check out.
• Whether art is for sale or not, each artist must have a control sheet to keep track of their artwork in the show.
• Each piece of artwork in the art show auction must have a bid sheet attached to it, and the information on that bid sheet must match the control sheet.
• Each artist with print shop items must have a print shop control sheet.
• These sheets are available for pre-printing from this page (click links above) or in person at the con.
• For artists with many pieces of art, we strongly recommend that you print and fill out your bid, control and/or print shop sheets before the con. This will make your step up much quicker!
• Only the artist or agent checking art in can check unsold art out again, unless otherwise stated clearly to the art show coordinator (or designated subhead) at check-in.

Contact

Please contact Alec Phillips, art show head, at arREMOVEtshow@miniconTHIS50.mnstf.org with questions.