Bill Curry Art Scam, emadamirudo1@gmail.com

This person was a little more creative with his approach.

1st Email:

Hi,

I'm Bill Curry from California. I was going through your works and my eyes
caught this particular piece,I want to purchase it as I am moving to a new
apartment next month. Kindly let me know if you still have the piece
available and also let me know it's final price and more information about
it. I will be waiting to read from you.
Regards,

Bill.


2nd Email:

Thanks for your prompt reply. I would prefer 12" x 16".

Unfortunately, I'm on my way to France on an official trip(I'm a marketing
Executive) and wont be back for another two weeks.

If you'd like to know, I'm relocating to South Africa soon and I'm trying
to gather some good stuff for my new abode.

However, I'll have to notify my shipper who's helping me move my stuff to
get set for the pick up of the piece from your place as I MIGHT be delayed
depending on how things goes.

PS: In the mean time, kindly get back to me with your contact address and
phone# so I can get a check prepared and have it mailed out to you right
away.
 
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Eyes on Pittsburgh
Formerly the Pittsburgh Art Blog, Eyes on Pittsburgh focuses on cultural aspects of the region, including visual and performing arts, as well as locavore, development and environmental issues through original, analytical writing and interviews. Pittsburgh area galleries and art venues are listed at the sister site www.PghGalleries.com. The blog and website are volunteer projects from fine art photographer and Pittsburgh artist advocate rick byerly.

Marlene Bishop Gets Into the Art Scam Business mbishop506@gmail.com

They keep coming...

On May 22, 2013 at 10:13 AM Marlene Bishop wrote:

Good day to you.

I am so excited that I came across of your work on internet search,I am interested in purchasing these creative artworks from you.....................

rock face (face it han),yellowstone thermal water (frozen in motion),bryce canyon (#1462)
 
Let me know their various prices.and how much discounts are you going to give?I will be happy to have these selected artworks hung in our new home in South Africa.As
well,I want you to take out the shipping cost.I have been in touch with a shipping firm that will be shipping other house decoratives.

We are traveling from our Seattle home to our new apartment as soon as possible.On Paying for the artworks,I will be glad to pay you with a Money Order or Cashier`s

check in US funds that can be easily cashed at your local bank,please let me know on how to proceed for the payment of the creative artworks.

I will await your advise on how to proceed.Have a wonderful day.

Take care,
Marlene Bishop

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Eyes on Pittsburgh
Formerly the Pittsburgh Art Blog, Eyes on Pittsburgh focuses on cultural aspects of the region, including visual and performing arts, as well as locavore, development and environmental issues through original, analytical writing and interviews. Pittsburgh area galleries and art venues are listed at the sister site www.PghGalleries.com. The blog and website are volunteer projects from fine art photographer and Pittsburgh artist advocate rick byerly.

Raw Artists: Give us money and we'll throw a party with your art?

The RAW Artists wagon rolled through town this past Thursday.   I am skeptical of any organization or gallery who makes the artist pay up front without anything tangible in return.  I didn't attend so I don't have that end of things to contribute.  I certainly wouldn't call it a scam but it certainly should be looked at critically from the standpoint of the artist.  

From a numbers standpoint the artists selling tickets account for roughly 480 of the 500 people who attended the Raw Artists Pittsburgh event.  From the website and fakebook page I could identify a minimum of 24 artists so figuring each artist had to sell 20 tickets at $10 a piece that accounts for 96% of the total attendance which the Post Gazette identified as 500.  It doesn't look good when you look at it from the artists' perspective when you consider the 24 artists and bands brought the majority of the people who attended.  That's like paying a gallery and then having to bring all the people and either make them pay to get in or cover them yourself.  And we haven't even gotten to sales, real exposure etc and the artist is down $200. 

Maybe it will turn into something much bigger down the line but for now I would remain skeptical and would push for details as far as who and what they are bringing to the table.

The following is worth taking a look at below. 

Galleries that ask you to pay to show with them, in most cases, are a red-flag.

It seemed to me that they were using artists to promote them instead of the other way around.

http://www.merylpataky.com/my-raw-artists-experience.html 

The artist above contributed quotes to a story at LA Weekly Blogs .


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Eyes on Pittsburgh
Formerly the Pittsburgh Art Blog, Eyes on Pittsburgh focuses on cultural aspects of the region, including visual and performing arts, as well as locavore, development and environmental issues through original, analytical writing and interviews. Pittsburgh area galleries and art venues are listed at the sister site www.PghGalleries.com. The blog and website are volunteer projects from fine art photographer and Pittsburgh artist advocate rick byerly.

Fraud Alert: Emails from Charles Phey: Your Art

adapted from an email i received from an art group:

Emails are being sent out to artists from a Charles Phey with the email academicss001@gmail.com . The subject line will most likely read the name of one of your works and the price. The email that is being sent out reads something like:

"Good day to you out there, My name is Charles Phey, I'm from South Well-fleet, MA. Need some artwork for an exhibition,We have being buying and collating different artwork samples from across the world. why surveying i came through your work, going through it, my eyes caught this particular work, i will like to have it this month.please let me know if the piece is available, if yes let me have the detailed price and more information about it. i will be waiting to read from you. Regards."

Upon following up with this character, they will request you send your work to them and then they will send you a money order. Or they will send you a fake money order for more than the amount and want you to send back the difference. THIS IS FAKE. This spammer has been taking advantage of artists all over the world. If you receive anything from Charles Phey at academicss001@gmail.com DO NOT OPEN IT - send directly to your trash/spam folder.

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The Pittsburgh Art Blog

The Pittsburgh Art Blog features selected pittsburgh artists and upcoming exhibits with photos from the artists and galleries. since the major press outlets do not go beyond a directory listing of exhibits, blogs are needed to promote pittsburgh artists and their work. the blog also calls attention to the inferiority complex of pittsburgh art and how it's perpetuated by the major players in town. Started on August 20,2007. pittsburgh area galleries and art venues are listed at the sister site www.PghGalleries.com.

the blog and website are volunteer projects from fine art photographer and pittsburgh artist advocate rick byerly.