Be Prepared

The little exhibition of the SIS prototype at Bohemian Hall last week woke a sweet memory of what it's like to get your show on the road. ArtLab Trenton is on my mind on a daily basis. Site-specific artists like me learn all about the ordeal fast but the laundry list is worth talking about here for those just getting their feet wet.

Having exhibited far from home in Ohio, Amsterdam and Germany, different snippets to be called upon when crafting a TO-DO list:

1. Go to the venue around four days in advance. Make a note of:

     a) Parking in the area, far it is from the venue, how much it costs and if they give discounts because you're working in the venue.

     b) Does public transportation service the venue in case you can't get a ride or renting a car is out of the question? (Getting a car far from an airport isn't always as easy as you think)

     c) Hardware (or electronics or art supply or stationary) store in the area and their store hours (important if you're in Europe).

     d) Assistants you can hire to help you. Sometimes the gallery only helps you out when your stuff is already in the door. Ask the venue or do some homework in advance; post an ad/FB/Tw. I found a photo assistant in Amsterdam to help me put the installation together. We had agreed on his day rate, but he had so much fun, he cut me a break.

     e) The office(s) of the transportation company if your stuff is being shipped. There are many ways to ship crated artworks cheaply, some you wouldn't expect. But you have to be knowledgeable of what the drop-off/pick-up depot is, especially if you're on a tight deadline.
    Some things tried and tested:
http://postcalc.usps.com is postal calculator for large packages, use the last tab on the right. I shipped panoramic photographs ( 20 x 50 inches!) to Oklahoma, standard, taking a week, for around $ 25.00. Only $ 50 for 2-day delivery. Not bad.
http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm100/choosing-service.htm This is for retail service and,
https://www.usps.com/business/why-choose-usps.htm? is for B-2-B.
This might be useful if you have to ship a lot of small packages. I'm looking into this for when I ship my Kickstarter rewards [Wishful thinking, but if I make goal my time will be limited, so it's best to be prepared. Five minutes of research now...]
http://www.express1.com. I haven't tried these guys, but if you're not a do-it-yourselfer, they're worth looking into as an intermediary for USPS.
http://www.uship.com/cheap-discount-shipping/ This is a handy service for anything shipped within the US. If there's extra room on a truck going to your destination, you can score a cheap shipping price for large or heavy items that would be expensive on FedEx Freight or UPS. Do some research and you can really save, even with insurance.














f) Get your own crate and pack it yourself. Check out http://www.quickcrate.com.

g) If you're showing abroad, find out the customs rules as well as the location and office hours of the nearest US General Consul. When I showed in Amsterdam, the well-paid shipping company I used neglected to fill out the proper papers (they had written my crate up as a shipment, as if my work was a big piece of luggage). Dutch customs at Schripol wanted import duty for artwork. (Holy sssitt!) So I found myself filling out import/export papers at the US Consulate after spending the morning on the phone with the Embassy at The Hague. The Dutch stevedores are awesome and I still have my Customs House clearance badge, but I could have done without the stress. And, I when heard the Germans are just as tough, I snuck my work under my arm rolled up in a tube and shipped the electronics as a gift to a friend.

The beloved train station of Düsseldorf,
my control room in the Fatherland, photo-
graphed on an unusually sunny day.

      h) Food. What if you need a bite to eat and you're short on time? You might say "I'll eat anything, anywhere" but, it's easier if you know where to get it. I couldn't get a cup of coffee without walking four blocks on New York City's Upper East Side on a Sunday at 6 AM. 7 AM, another story. But I lost an hour. And, often you have to feed the assistant. Really think about this if you're showing in an area where you have to drive to everything (my host in Ohio had amazing time and patience, shuttling me around) or if you're in an area that wakes up later than you'd like (trust me, the train stations in Europe become your HQs).