The Ad Astra Art Show is a gallery showcasing work produced by both amateur and professional artists. The artwork displayed is generally on a Sci-Fi or Fantasy (or in those styles),

No, Art Show is an art gallery setting.

No, you are free to enjoy the convention and leave your artwork in our care.

By all means, we would be delighted to display your art. The only condition is that identical pieces may not be sold in multiple places within the convention.

As per convention policy, identical products cannot be sold in multiple venues. However, we consider different versions of the same image to be different products (e.g., different sizes, matted and unmatted, etc.). Therefore, you could theoretically display a special, limited-edition print in the Art Show and sell it at auction, and have a different size of prints available for sale at your dealers room table. That said, if you don’t want to produce a special, limited-edition copy of a print that would otherwise be for sale elsewhere, you are welcome to also hang a display-only version with your Art Show display, marked not-for-sale (“NFS” on your control and bid sheet).

Absolutely!

While there is a benefit to submitting your fully-completed control sheet as soon as possible, you are welcome to send us new drafts and make changes as necessary.

We print all materials from a 3rd party company and takes two weeks to receive it back. We prepare a registration kit for you that contains your bidding sheets and other materials that are generated from your completed control sheets. This advance preparation guarantees an expedited check-in for you an adequate time to ensure the proper amount of materials will be available.

In general, the sooner that you can send us any changes, the better. We will confirm receipt of every draft that you send us; if we haven’t acknowledged that your changes have been made within two weeks of having sent them, please let us know. If you are keeping the same pieces on your display, please keep their piece IDs the same, if possible.

Don’t panic. If you need to revise your control sheet during the weeks leading up to the convention, we prefer changes to be critical (i.e., registering new pieces or removing old ones, rather than just changing minimum bid prices), in order to maintain our goal of providing you with a smooth, expedited check-in on site. Please remember to proofread your control sheets before sending them to ensure that the information for each piece is to your liking.

A: The exact method is proprietary, but it may consist of a combination of geomancy, offerings to Benzaiten, and a dartboard.

In all seriousness, the assignment of spaces within the gallery relies mostly on the amount and type of space reserved by each artist, as well as any special requests. It is difficult to publish an accurate final floor plan in advance.

As a courtesy to the other artists and the Art show staff, we strongly suggest that you bring no more artwork than you can set up in a half-hour. Estimate at least 1 minute per piece (more if your pieces are particularly large, delicate, or unwieldy) to allow time for our cross-check and verification at the end of your check-in process.

An artist panel (also known as a “flat”) is a section of pegboard on which artwork is displayed. A full panel measures 4′ x 4′ (48″ x 48″).

Not to be confused with the panel discussions Ad Astra is famous for.

No. If a piece is not for sale, you will mark “NFS” under “Minimum Bid” for that piece’s entry on your Art Show control sheet. Its corresponding bidding sheet will be marked accordingly.

We appreciate that this is a complicated and important matter, and we can give no singular answer that will satisfy all artists’ situations and conditions. We also recognize that there are current, generally-accepted guidelines within the artistic community for pricing one’s work, in accordance with both aesthetic values and business practices. We would never diminish the effort that you put into creating your work, and we have long adopted a hands-off policy concerning these matters; ultimately, you, the artist, know what is best for your own work. As such, the best that we can offer is a guideline based on our experiences at Ad Astra.

In past years, we have observed that pieces listed with a minimum bid price of $50 or less have a higher chance of receiving bids (often selling at auction for multiple times its listed value), compared to those with higher listed minimum bid prices.

No. Once an artist’s check-in has been completed, we cannot allow further artwork to be submitted.

Yes, fan art is permitted, provided that the composition of the image is your own work. Directly copying a pre-existing image is not allowed. In addition, the display and sale of fan art of Disney, Homestuck, Marvel, Muppets, Reboot, and Star Wars properties is prohibited at Ad Astra.

No, your artwork is safe overnight. Artists are only required to set up and tear down their display areas once per convention (on the Friday and Sunday, respectively).

We at The art show make the safety and security of all artists’ displays over the weekend a priority. As long as you feel that your display will stand securely over the course of the weekend and that it will pose no risk of damage to your own artwork, that of others, or other attendees, you can set up your display however you wish. If it turns out, through the course of normal gallery operations, that your display has ended up less secure than we initially thought, we will try to get in touch with you. If we cannot contact you, then your artwork may be removed and your display rental fee will not be refunded.

Yes, Unless you have an agent.

No. Once an artist’s check-in has been completed, we cannot allow further artwork to be submitted.

An agent is a person who is authorized to represent you at the art show in your absence. An agent delivers and picks up your artwork, is responsible for the setup and tear down of your display, and handles your earnings at the end of the show. Please note that you only require an agent if you are not personally attending Ad Astra for the full weekend. If you cannot reclaim your own artwork at the end of the show, you will need to make arrangements for an agent to pick up any unsold pieces and your payment on your behalf. An agent must have a valid convention membership.

No, that is not necessary. Since we can accept work from artists who are not attending the convention.

At the artist’s discretion, a piece of art is entered in the silent auction with a minimum bid listed on the bidding sheet. Please note that if the artist has specified that a piece is not for sale, then it will receive no bids.

If the artist has specified that a piece may be sold on Sunday for its listed minimum bid price, and if it has received no bids, then the bidding sheet becomes its price tag. Speak to a member of the art show staff if you are interested in making a purchase. Please note that works of art that are not marked as being eligible for sale on Sunday may not be purchased in this manner.

You can register to bid at the Auction Registration table at the Control Desk. You will be asked to supply us with your name and contact information in case we need to reach you. In exchange, you will receive a bidder paddle (PDF) and be assigned a bidder’s number. Your paddle acts as your contract. Do not lose it. When you find a piece of art on which you would like to place a bid, legibly print your name and bidder’s number on the tag, as well as your bid. Bids are to be made in whole dollars only, at least one increment more than the previous bid. Any bids made at less than $1 than the previous bid will be upgraded to the next dollar (e.g., if the opening bid is $8.00, and you bid $8.01, $8.50, or $8.99, then your bid shall be increased to $9.00).

We’re sorry, but once a bid has been made, it cannot be removed. You are responsible for any bid that you make. Your only recourse is to hope that you are outbid.

At the artist’s discretion, a piece of art that is entered into the silent auction is given an additional pricing at which the piece can be purchased immediately, provided it has not received any silent auction bids. This option is valid for Saturday only. If a piece receives any silent auction bids, it is ineligible for Quick Sale; as soon as a piece is bought at Quick Sale (“Quick Sold”), it is removed from auction contention. Any attendee who wishes to purchase a piece through this method must still register as a bidder (although we can conduct the transaction first so you don’t lose your piece; we’ve got your back!) and pay for their purchase immediately.

Except under extenuating circumstances, we ask that quick-sold pieces remain on display until later in the day on Saturday at the earliest (the artwork looks nicer than our pegboard panels). If you are able to return on Sunday, we ask that you pick up your quick-sold pieces then, along with any other purchased artwork. However, Quick Sale is a perfectly viable option for purchasing artwork from the art show if you are a Saturday-only attendee.

If you can prove that your registration is for Saturday only, then arrangements may be made at the discretion of the curators for you to purchase the artwork immediately after the close of the Art show at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday night if you are the winning bidder. Otherwise, you may opt to appoint an agent to pick up and pay for the artwork on Sunday with a note of authorization and your bidder paddle. No other exceptions can be made.

Pickup of artwork is from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, the hours during which the art show will be open to the public.

All sales end at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. If you have not picked up your purchase by that time, then we will attempt to put the artist in contact with you after the convention. We will hold any unclaimed art until such time as the artist retrieves it. Artists have until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday to pick up any unsold items and to receive payment for any sales. Artwork that remains unclaimed after 5:00 p.m. (or the end of the Artist Pickup period, whichever is later) becomes the property of Ad Astra, unless prior arrangements have been made.

The taking of photography and video inside the art show is strictly prohibited. Exceptions can be granted for personnel with media badges only, who must check in at the Control Desk before recording within the art show, and must be accompanied by a member of the Gallery staff for the duration of their visit. We appreciate your cooperation.

If you have additional questions or concerns, or need to make special arrangements, the best way to reach us until the day before the convention is by e-mail at artshow@ad-astra.org.