Terms & Conditions - Lavit Gallery

CUSTOMERS

Programme

We currently schedule 10 exhibitions per year in our main gallery which will be reduced to 8 from 2028. Our six annual exhibition fixtures are Student of the Year, Annual Members Exhibition, ‘Neighbours exhibition’ (Backwater Artists Group / Cork Printmakers every second year), the Summer Exhibition, New Irish Art and the Winter Exhibition. In addition to these 6 exhibitions we programme 4 additional exhibitions which usually take the form of solo, two-person or small curated group shows. Our vaults are programmed separately with 6 non-sales-based art installations programmed from May to October. This will be reduced to 4 installations from 2029.

All standard exhibitions in the main gallery are 3.5 weeks long, and the opening reception for each exhibition usually takes place 5.30-7.30pm on a Thursday evening. The exceptions to this duration of exhibition are the Summer and Winter Exhibition which run for approximately 6 weeks.

Sales

For standard exhibitions (3.5 weeks) all sold artwork remains on display in the exhibition for the entire exhibition run, with a red dot placed on the wall next to the artwork to signify that it is sold. The purchased artwork can be collected or arrangements for shipping can be made after the exhibition has been deinstalled. This system allows the show to remain intact for viewing and appreciation as intended by the curator and artists.

For the two seasonal exhibitions (Winter/Summer) a different system is in place. We hang these shows with more artwork in reserve, and customers can take away their purchased artwork on the day of purchase as long as they have paid in full. We then replace this artwork with another by the same artist or a different artist.

For the above reasons our standard exhibitions are navigated with a numbered price list with corresponding numbers on the wall. Our seasonal exhibitions (Winter/Summer) are in flux, as described above, so the list system is not suitable. As such, each artwork in our seasonal exhibitions is labelled on the wall and if sold the artwork and label are replaced.

Browsing our stock: we recommend that customers consult our website first if they are hoping to view a wide range of artwork. On the website you can browse by artist, medium or price range in order to arrive at a shortlist. When you visit the gallery we can then take those pieces out of the storage racks for you to see in person. Our stock racks are not for use by our customers but a selection of pieces is always on dislay It is technically possible to buy online but most of our customers prefer to see the work in person prior to making a purchase. If you want to see a large selection of work on display in the main gallery space we especially recommend attending the Annual Members Exhibition, our Summer & Winter exhibitions and New Irish Art.

Consultation: If you have a project or interior that requires specific consideration we are happy to book a meeting with our Director during which your needs will be assessed and advice provided on how to proceed. We are happy to provide guidance on one off purchases or a staged process of collecting for a particular suite of rooms.

We are a not-for-profit arts organisation, registered charity and CLG dedicated to promoting an appreciation of art in Cork. It is our goal to make our sales-based gallery platform sustainable so that we can continue to make this provision for artists and the public. To this end we pursue revenue in the form of funding, sponsorship, membership, venue hire, consultancy fees and donations but to date we are still largely dependent on commission from sales. The pricing of artwork is not arbitrary and must cover the costs of the artist and the gallery. The price is set in consultation with the artist or their estate. We ask that you respect the pricing of artworks and do not ask for a discount unless you are buying multiple items of a combined value in excess of €2000. We are currently developing standardised discount rates and spending thresholds across our various membership types (to be announced).

A VAT receipt can be provided upon request. A VAT rate of 23% is factored into the 50% gallery commission on all sales. A VAT receipt gives the breakdown so that the correct amount of VAT can be claimed back by those eligible to do so. Some artists are registered for VAT and in these cases their VAT will also be clearly communicated.

Payment by installments: Purchased items can be paid off in installments over a period up to 6 months. We ask that a deposit of at least a 10% of the value of the item is paid at first to make the sale official and that some indication is given by the customer as to their intention regarding a payment plan (i.e. how many payments, how often, method of payment). Once this is agreed and noted we can wait for the payments to come in. If not agreed we will be obligated to check-in regularly to remind the customer to update us on their intentions. The sooner the item is paid off in full, the sooner we can pay the artist and this is our primary concern regarding the duration of staged payments.

Collection of purchased artwork: We ask that customers collect fully paid-for artworks within 1 week of final payment and/or within 2 weeks of the end of the exhibition from which the artwork was purchased. Please note that artwork purchased from Winter/Summer exhibitions that is paid for in full can be taken away immediately at time of purchase.

Shipping can be arranged in two ways. We work with MBE, Cork who act as a broker for courier services with the additional service of packing and insurance, the latter being dependent on the former. For example we cover a painting in a single layer of bubble wrap and all the remaining packing is done by MBE. Because they pack it they can insure it. They do not insure ceramics. Some ceramics can be packaged carefully by us and sent by registered post, however this is at the buyers own risk as postal insurance may not cover the full value. Also smaller, lighter and less fragile items such as an unglazed canvas can be packaged carefully and sent by registered post at a lower cost. We will advise in each case, based on the size, weight, value and destination of each item. In the case of shipping we obtain a quote from MBE who provide a breakdown of packing, shipping and insurance. This is relayed to the customer and a payment for shipping is taken by Lavit Gallery. In the case of registered post we us the An Post online parcel calculator, take payment from customer and proceed with postage.

Valuations/Re-sales

We do not provide valuations of artwork or conduct re-sales. We only work directly with artists or their estates. In terms of valuations, we can only consult our own record of sales made by an artist and provide comparable pricing based on those records. For items that were sold through our organisation we can provide a Certificate of Authenticity confirming sale details providing we have records of same. For all valuations and sales of other artwork in the secondary market we recommend contacting a specialist auction house such as Morgan O’Driscoll.

ARTISTS

Submissions

Please see submissions section of website here

Membership

Please see membership section of website here

The gallery consists of 3 spaces – the main gallery, the vaults (programmed separately) and the stockroom. There is a courtyard area that is shared by the 3 arts organisations in our complex. This space can occasionally be used by an artist, but this has to be agreed in advance with all three organisations.

All works exhibited in the main gallery must to be for sale unless the project is specifically funded and gallery costs covered by those means OR a particular item or artwork is essential for curatorial reasons. The vaults programme, although generally non-sales-based, can facilitate also sales where relevant.

We are programming both the main gallery and the vaults 2-3 years in advance

We cannot cater for all artists and tastes. Exhibitions and artists are programmed and curated with great consideration taking into account our sales targets, our remit, our standing in the local and national arts landscape, our relationship with our funders and partners and the feedback of our audience and customers. As a result we have a consistent brand and standard of programming that can not be compromised.

We do not offer representation to artists. However we do regularly stock and exhibit some artists with whom we have a longstanding relationship. Our organisation is operating in a limited local market so working with a small exclusive group of artists would not be advantageous. Instead we can be adaptable and open to showing new artists on a rolling basis. Also, we do not have the resources to provide the supports that representation normally entails such as the production of catalogues or the promotion of artists at art fairs.

Our Director cannot do prospective studio visits. Studio visits only take place in the case of confirmed solo, two-person or curated group shows.

Solo and two-person shows are decided 2-3 years in advance and are strategically chosen in order to build the profile of the gallery, stimulate the market and create significant opportunities for artists with discernable career momentum. Opportunities are offered to emerging, mid-career and established artists.

A gallery commission of 50% applies to all exhibitions with the exception of the Annual Members Exhibition for which the commission is set at 25%. The 50% commission is only negotiable for artworks with demonstrably excessive production costs as is the case with bronze casting. Lavit Gallery recommends that all artists price their artwork taking into account a standard gallery commission of 50% so that a market value is calculated, that can then be applied to all selling scenarios. If an artist is represented by another gallery, that gallery is entitled to a share of the gallery commission, the exact percentage being negotiable but preferably taking into account our not-for-profit status.

The gallery is not available for hire for exhibitions unless in exceptional circumstances whereby the proposal is of sufficient financial or strategic benefit to our organisation.

A formal consignment document is not used as standard but can be provided upon request. All details and conditions are exchanged by email as standard and logged within our own system.

As standard we carry out the following PR activities for our programme: email press release to press, e-newsletter invite to subscribers and members, social media promotion before and during show, listings in relevant general press and arts press publications and online platforms, Whazon, VAI

Artwork and artist information: We ask for an artist statement and biography as standard and where possible this should supplemented by information specific to the work/project being exhibited. For each artwork we require the following: Name of artist, Title, Year, Medium, Dimensions (HxWxD framed and unframed) in cm, Price including gallery commission. We recommend this is exact content is contained within each image file name submitted.

Transport or shipping of artworks to and from the gallery is the artist’s responsibility unless pre-agreed or pre-arranged with the gallery pending availability of funding and/or our own means. We do our best to help artists keep their costs down but we typically do not have a budget for transport and shipping.

Install and de-install: Our exhibitions are installed and de-installed by our in-house staff. If there are particular install requirements for an artwork, these need to be communicated to gallery staff at the time the artwork is confirmed for the exhibition. This allows for any extra staff or specialist equipment to be arranged ahead of the install. In the case of a solo or two-person exhibition it is customary for the artist to be on site for a half or full day on the first day of install to be part of the placing the work, after which gallery staff will complete the install

Gallery documents: For standard exhibitions a hardcopy press release and price list are made available to visitors to take away. A shortened press release advertises the exhibition in the window.

Opening receptions for main gallery exhibitions take place on a Thursday 5.30-7.30pm during which wine and water are served. Our hospitality partners Bubble Brothers are on site to present selected wines for some exhibitions. There are currently no opening receptions for the vaults programme.

An artist talk is scheduled mid-run for our main gallery and for the vaults programme, a talk is either scheduled mid-run or on the last day. The date and time of the talk is agreed with the artist but we typically hold our talks on a Saturday at either 12pm or 3pm. These run for 25-35min excluding a Q&A.

Sales, invigilation and customer interaction: all gallery staff are trained and briefed to engage visitors and customers appropriately, welcoming them to the space and providing supplementary information and guidance where necessary or requested. All queries for the specific attention of the Gallery Director are logged and relayed as standard.

Liaising with buyers about payment and collection of artwork: the gallery pursues closure on all sales and collection of work as standard and keep artists up to date as much as possible

Artist payments: Artists will be paid no later than 30 days from the point of full payment for an artwork. Artist payments are queued in chronological order and paid in batches, as cash flow allows, always keeping in mind the 30 day rule, but paying sooner where possible. Payments for smaller items such as multiples are often delayed and gathered to allow for larger periodic payments rather than small individual payments.