The Sidney Fine Art Show is Postponed Indefinitely
The Sidney Fine Art Show (SFAS) has been a cherished event in our community, showcasing exceptional artistic talent and fostering a deep appreciation for the arts. Running from 2003 through to 2019, this three-day art exhibition featured diverse selection of 2D and 3D artwork including painting, sculpture, fibre arts, photography and more.
Regrettably, pandemic restrictions and potential financial implications made it unfeasible for the show to proceed in 2020 and 2021. As the ArtSea Community Arts Council, we understand the significance of this event and the desire to see it return.
In 2022, the ArtSea Board carefully evaluated a proposal submitted by the SFAS Organizing Committee and concluded that the upfront financial investment and human resource capacity requested from the tiny ArtSea Team far exceeded our available capacity. Furthermore, the scenarios presented in the proposal would present a significant risk to future success of our organization.
We would like to address the future of the Sidney Fine Art Show and provide some insights into our considerations.
First and foremost, ArtSea would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the volunteers who have made the SFAS possible in the past. Their dedication and hard work have allowed this event to flourish, and we extend our sincere appreciation to the previous Sidney Fine Art Show Organizing Committee, show volunteers, sponsors, patrons, artists and artisans.
We understand the desire to see the SFAS return; however, it is crucial to note that the current resources, both human and financial, are scarce and demand careful management and allocation. Despite these challenges, we want to emphasize that ArtSea remains committed to supporting and promoting arts and culture in our community. As an organization, we have several programs that significantly contribute to the artistic and cultural fabric of our community. These include the ArtSea Gallery in Tulista Park, the Salish Sea Lantern Festival, the ArtSea Studio Tour, the Sidney Art Walk, the ArtSea Scholarship, the Saanich Peninsula Arts and Culture Grant Program, and numerous others. Each of these initiatives requires dedicated attention and resources to ensure their success.
The ArtSea team, although small in size, worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and beyond to responsibly manage and maintain our organization. We have adapted and presented these programs in alternative formats to meet the challenges of the times. These efforts have fully utilized our financial and human resource capacity.
What would it take to mount a Sidney Fine Art Show in the future?
To present a successful Sidney Fine Art Show in the future, it would require careful planning, organization, and collaboration. As a starting point, a group of volunteers would need to form a committee and commit to working throughout the year to oversee the entire show (the previous Sidney Fine Art Show Organizing Committee resigned at the end of 2021). This committee would need to include individuals with experience in event planning, art curation, marketing, and logistics. At this time, ArtSea is not aware of any such group of volunteers that would like to take on this grand endeavor.
Due to a lack of financial and human resource capacity, ArtSea has made the difficult decision to postpone the SFAS indefinitely. We greatly appreciate the continued support and understanding from the community! ArtSea remains committed to supporting and promoting arts and culture in our community through our programs and initiatives.
Would you like to learn more about the cancellation of the Sidney Fine Art Show in 2022?
Assessing the Feasibility of the Sidney Fine Art Show (click to read more)
In 2020 and 2021, the Sidney Fine Art Show (SFAS) Committee determined that it would not be feasible to mount the Sidney Fine Art Show given pandemic restrictions, preparation requirements, and the potential financial impact.
In April, 2021, The SFAS Committee began discussing options for a potential 2022 show. The committee approached the ArtSea Board of Directors about providing an up-front financial investment and contributing paid and volunteer resources toward the planning and provisioning for show.
The ArtSea Board was happy to hear of a potential 2022 SFAS; the show has been an integral program for ArtSea and proceeds from past years have helped to support several community initiatives and has been key to investing in the SFAS the following year. Since the large, up-front investment for the SFAS would come directly from – and drastically effect – ArtSea financial and human resources, the Board felt it was necessary to carefully assess the costs and risks of moving forward with a 2022 show. A critical consideration was the impact from the many ongoing uncertainties arising from the pandemic and the drastically reduced financial and human resource capacity of ArtSea. As the Board has a fiduciary duty to ArtSea and a responsibility to ensure its financial assets and annual budget are managed prudently, a feasibility assessment was requested from the SFAS Committee to address:
1. Funding feasibility
- A budget listing all expected revenues and all costs associated with mounting a 2022 SFAS
- Based on the preliminary budget, would it be possible for the 2022 show to proceed without incurring a financial loss given pandemic restrictions, the associated economy uncertainties, and investments that may be required to pivot components of the show?
- What is the likelihood the show will generate the same level of sales as in previous years?
2. Staffing feasibility
- What volunteer resources are needed to support (organize and manage) the show and what are related measures to address COVID public health protocols and restrictions.
- What are the options if the required volunteers are not found – given that SFAS depends on numerous volunteers to organize and resource the show, and that it has been extremely difficult to recruit volunteers under pandemic conditions?
3. Event feasibility
- What are the contingency plans should the SFAS needed to be cancelled due to the pandemic?
- How might the show adapt to meet the challenges of the pandemic?
- Could the current economy support the event at the previous level – e.g., likelihood for the support of donors and sponsors, impact on in-person attendance?
- Should in-person attendance be feasible, what additional costs will be incurred to address COVID measures and requirements?
In July 2021, The SFAS committee provided the ArtSea Board with a proposal that included information and budget scenarios for a 2022 Sidney Fine Art Show.
The ArtSea Board reviewed the proposal provided by the SFAS Committee and invested a significant amount of time to conduct an unbiased assessment of the risks associated with investing in a 2022 show. The SFAS proposal was evaluated using the ICEDRIPS checklist (innovation, competitors, economy, demographics, the regulatory environment, infrastructure, partners, and social trends) to measure the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) associated with presenting a 2022 show.
After careful consideration and a thorough analysis, the ArtSea Board determined that it would not be feasible to provide an up-front financial investment or the ongoing administrative support necessary for a 2022 Sidney Fine Art Show, based on the proposal submitted by the SFAS Committee.
Why was the Proposal for a 2022 Sidney Fine Art Show “Not Feasible”? (click)
The proposal from the SFAS organizing committee presented significant capacity risks for ArtSea given the complexities of the current environment and did not contain alternatives that could potentially mitigate these risks. Specifically risks with respect to:
Administrative and human resource capacity – The proposal did not account for adequate volunteers, committee members, or paid resources to run the SFAS. Additionally, the SFAS committee request for additional administrative capacity from the ArtSea team could not be fulfilled. The ArtSea team, consisting of four board members and one staff member, have already been operating well beyond capacity since the beginning of the pandemic. This dedicated team have invested countless hours to responsibly manage the organization during the pandemic and pivot ArtSea programming to serve the ArtSea Membership and the community.
Public Health and Pandemic Impacts – The proposal did not provide flexible or adaptive programming alternatives (and related costs) that would adequately respond to the challenges of our changing environment (e.g., restrictions and protocols due to the pandemic, climate related issues, economic and supply chain impacts, etc.).
Financial risk – The proposed options did not fully account for the risks of potential environmental, social, and economic impacts related to the pandemic with respect to the financial viability of the show. Three budget scenarios were provided requesting an up-front investment of $72,950, $81,600 or $98,050. All scenarios included a three day live show with a Thursday night opening. Two scenarios proposed a virtual adjudication, requiring investment in new software. The three proposed budget scenarios included significant expenses that were not adjusted or reduced from previous (pre-pandemic) years; for example, $10,000 for the opening night Gala, $14,000 for media design, and $15,000 for media buys. The inclusion of these expenses did not acknowledge or account for risks and challenges related to the current environment or indicate readiness to reduce show expenditures during a time of necessary financial moderation.
ArtSea Financial Status – When the SFAS proposal was received, ArtSea was working with an annual revenue of only $78,800 for the entire organization. Due to the pandemic, ArtSea revenue streams were drastically reduced and future revenues were (and remain) very uncertain. These funds are vital for ArtSea operations and for the programs that ArtSea has worked tirelessly to provide for ArtSea Members and the community throughout the pandemic, including: the ArtSea Gallery (pivoted to Art on the Deck); The Salish Sea Lantern Festival (pivoted to A Week of Lanterns); The Studio Tour (pivoted to the Virtual Artist Tours); and many other programs.
Further, an up-front investment provided for the SFAS at the beginning of 2022 would not yield profits or losses for the following 10 months (SFAS takes place annually in October). The allocation of a large financial investment to a single program at the beginning of the year would present a considerable risk to all ArtSea programs, operations, and staff. If the SFAS were to lose money due to unplanned or unforeseen circumstances, it would significantly impact ArtSea and hinder the ability to present programs for ArtSea Members and the community. With only two months remaining in the fiscal year, the belated outcome of the SFAS would not allow time or opportunity for ArtSea to adapt or recover. Most importantly, if losses were great, it could result in the complete financial collapse and dissolution of ArtSea. As the ArtSea Board has a fiduciary responsibility to ensure the sustainability of the Society this risk presented a significant concern.
ArtSea is very grateful to the Sidney Fine Art Show Organizing Committee, and all of the volunteers who have donated their time and energy to present this amazing show. The Board would like to recognize the positive contribution that the SFAS has made to ArtSea and to the greater community. ArtSea would also like to thank SFAS sponsors and patrons for their generous financial contributions over the years, as well as participating artists and local municipalities for their support.
Although ArtSea was not able to approve up-front funding for the proposal submitted by the SFAS Committee, ArtSea would love to see the Sidney Fine Art Show return to our community!
Will there be a SFAS in the future? (click)
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO PRESENT AS SUCCESSFUL SIDNEY FINE ART SHOW IN THE FUTURE?
- The Sidney Fine Art Show is a grand endeavour that requires a very dedicated team of volunteers to work throughout the year. As the previous SFAS Committee resigned in the Fall of 2021, a group of volunteers would have to form a SFAS Committee and dedicate to work throughout the year to plan and organize the show.
- An up-front capital investment: a project proposal would have to be developed with options that address the realities and overall impact of the pandemic and the current economic landscape, to include a flexible and responsive health and safety protocol plan that can be adapted as necessary.
- Hundreds of volunteers from the community that are available and willing to donate their time to mount the show.
- Financial Contributions from Donors and Sponsors to support the event.
- Artists willing/able to submit their work and pay the adjudication and display fees.
