The SPGA / Seattle Guild Vision Statement To advance our industry by focusing on and extending membership to all content creators in the communication arts community by conducting inspiring, creative and nurturing events, with a focus on business education, ethics, advocacy and making connections. ------------------ Anyone can subscribe to The White Space by going to the chapter's website homepage and adding in their email address. Updates and deletions can be made by scrolling to the bottom of this email and looking for the eRoi box. ------------------ Chapter Contacts president Complete List Here SPGA/Seattle Chapter ------------------ Schedule of Guild Luncheons are ------------------ Board Meetings Chapter Board meetings are generally held the first Wednesday of the Month and all members are welcomed to participate. Time and location change, so inquire with the president. ------------------ Thank You StudioFile eRoi, Inc. ------------------ Other Organizations Learn about other organizations, their local chapters and events. ------------------ eNewssletter Ads are available to members and non-members (upon review of content). Rates are: $20 for 50 words. Placement is for three weeks. The ad should contain Header, Body and Contact infor. Members can have 2 free 50 word ads a year. ------------------ Dislclaimer/ Subscriptions to this eNewsletter are only used for events and announcements by the SPGA/Seattle Chapter of the Graphic Artists Guild and are NOT used for any other list. This eNewsletter is a compilation of postings received often second, and even third hand. Thus, the provided information is bound to be fuzzy at times, as postings are not painfully researched for their accuracy.
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MARCH 9, 2007
ARTICLES:
>>> March Luncheon Topic: Shameless Self--Promotion – On a Budget! >here
>>> President's Message >here
>>> Upcoming Luncheon Topics >here
>>> Dear Mark Column >here
>>> From The Membership - In Memorium >here
>>> The SPGA/Seattle Chapter seeks Chapter Administrator >here
>>> New Digs for National Guild Office >here
>>> Classifieds >here
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March Luncheon Topic: Shameless Self-Promotion - On a Budget!
We all know how much harder it is to toot your own horn. Attend the Graphic Artists Guild SPGA Seattle Chapter March luncheon at our NEW VENUE (details below) and see how other creative professionals promote their own business with creative, low-cost ideas. We will have a panel of speakers with ideas and tips including, but not limited to, Glenn Bach, graphic design professor for Central Washington University, and Nancy Juetten, Public Relations and Marketing Communications. Nancy is a publicist, newspaper columnist, and author of the Media-Savvy-to-Go publicity toolkit.
Plus--Drag and Brag! Please bring your coolest, cutest idea piece that actually brought you a great new client or two to show the group (no internet available, sorry).
New, Lower Admission Prices!
WHERE (NEW VENUE!):
Rock Salt Steaks and Seafood, 1232 Westlake Ave North, Seattle, WA 98109, 206-284-1047
http://www.rocksaltlakeunion.com/index.html
Map: http://www.rocksaltlakeunion.com/map.html
WHEN:
The last Wednesday of the month: Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Noon to 1:30. Please arrive early as the meeting will start promptly at noon.
RSVP: Click here to RSVP >here
RSVP by Friday, March 23, 2007 for early price. Late RSVPs will pay door price.
RSVP Member/Full-time student* $25.00
RSVP Non-Member $30.00
At Door Member/Full-time Students* $30.00
At Door Non-Member at the door $35.00
(*Must show vaild Student I.D.)
MEAL CHOICES:
Meat Dish or Vegetarian
Please note your preference on RSVP. The default is Meat Dish. At-the-door choice might be limited, so please RSVP.
PARKING:
Parking is free in the parking lot that stretches along that block of Westlake in front of the restaurant.
DRESS CODE:
Our new venue does not require a dress code, so feel free to wear your denim. Business attire is always welcomed.
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Presidents Message, March 2007
Sara Chapman at Chapter's Board Retreat in 2006
Welcome to the Graphic Artists Guild, SPGA Seattle Chapter.
Our outgoing president, Russ Cowgill of Envision Design Factory, has served the chapter with much energy and enthusiasm and helped develop programs and ideas that will make this a stronger, more vital chapter. We sincerely thank him for his many contributions. He will be helping us out as Immediate Past President, and we look forward his continued input.
As I step forward to try to fill the shoes of my predecessors, I appreciate the support and ability of the current board of directors. The membership can be proud of this group, containing not one but two members of the Guild's National Executive committee: Our own Chuck Schultz of Page One Graphics is the National Vice President, and Jackie McCarthy of Vivitiv is on the National Committee as well. Their efforts support all the chapters, and we reap the benefits of their experience. Other key local board members include long-time Guild member and Ethics Chair Mark Monlux, Grand Poobah of Monlux Illustration, and Dan Ballard, also a past president, and Chapter Historian. We are the only chapter in the entire country to have both a Chapter Historian and an Ethics Chair! Please fee free to address your questions to them on their specialties.
The other board members and volunteers are doing a bang-up job as well in helping your Guild develop and flourish. Please consider joining us at our monthly board get-together, as we're a fun group and would like to meet you. There's lots of things to do and we could use your ideas and help. Call me at 253-839-8311, or email sara@artsquadgraphics.com with questions.
There are lots of changes coming, and all for the better we hope. We are going to have our meetings at the Rock Salt on Westlake again, with free parking, lowering our admission prices, and losing the dress code. I know that makes some of you very happy! But feel free to wear your nice business duds anyway.
Our first meeting at the new venue is on a topic we all have to deal with—how to promote our own business. Somehow it's easier to sell someone else's service than our own. And where to spend those limited dollars? Find out how other creative types have addressed this very problem successfully at Shameless Self-Promotion—On a Budget! on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at the Rock Salt. Arrive at 11:30, program begins at noon. Please do bring something you have done that has worked well to share with the group (sorry, no internet available). Drag and brag for artists! We'll have a panel of speakers to provide ideas as well, including but not limited to, Glenn Bach, graphic design professor for Central Washington University, and Nancy Juetten, Public Relations and Marketing Communications. Nancy is a publicist, newspaper columnist, and author of the Media-Savvy-to-Go publicity toolkit.
We'll have door prizes and the usual convivial atmosphere. Please introduce yourself to me as I'd like to get to know as many of you as possible. Looking forward to seeing you there,
Sara L. Chapman, Art Squad Graphics
President of SPGA Seattle Chapter of the Graphic Artists Guild
Celebrating the Guild's 40th Year
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Upocoming Luncheon Topics
April Luncheon Topic "Accustomed to Strange Situations"
presented by Sam Day, Sam Day Illustration
Sam Day, award-winning illustrator and gallery owner, will be revealing the important decisions and choices which helped shape his career. You will be regaled with tales of both woeful hardship and stellar success as Mr. Day recounts the long climb up the creative industry ladder. Learn from the horse's mouth the techniques for courting those large, elusive industry clients, working with government agencies and appealing to the common man or woman. Mr. Day's history in the graphic design market is nearly as rich and colorful as the images he created. Treat yourself to the company of your peers and join the Graphic Artists Guild as we present Sam Day, illustrator, cartoonist, caricaturist, portrait artist. http://www.samday.com
May Luncheon Topic "Some Success Secrets"
presented by Larry Coffman, editor of MARKETING
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I received three letters recently, two from graphic artists and another from a business who hired a graphic artist. All three of the letters asked the same question, "Who owns the file?" The answer boils down to copyright, the creation, the licensing, and the granting.
Dear Mark,
WWI have a general question regarding common practices in the graphic design industry and I am wondering if you could help. Our situation is that we had a graphic designer produce a logo, several brochures, trade show materials including a mural, and business cards over the past several years. We have paid for his services promptly upon receiving his invoices and there is no outstanding balance which we owe to him. Due to several reasons we have decided to change designers and part from our business relationship. We have asked him to forward us the layered computer files for the projects he produced and he told us that it is not his practice to produce these files but he would be happy to continue working with us. Our understanding is that we paid for his services to create these files and that we own them. There was never a formal contract signed with this individual detailing this issue.
WW If you could please give me some advice on this issue I would appreciate it.
WW I look forward to hearing from you.
WWWWWW Sincerely,
WWWWWW Bob Business
Dear Mark
WWI hope you can advise me. I would really appreciate it.
WW Here is my problem:
WWI have been working freelance at my home office for one year and a half for a company which runs some local newspapers that come out monthly. I create ads for all the papers in InDesign2 and provide a finalized .pdf for layout and then to press. I only had a verbal agreement with the manager at the time. He is gone and his replacement wants me to send all my final InDesign files with the pdfs every month. I did tell the replacement "no" in a nice way but the response in an email was that they own the rights to them being that I build ads for their paper.
WW I get paid by the hour and only once, no matter if they use the same ad in three papers or repeated. Can you advise me on my right to hold on to my original work?
WW I really want to make this work without giving away a year and a half of my work for free.
WWWWWW Signed,
WWWWWW Claré Fication
Dear Mark,
WWOver the last several years, I designed hundreds of different cover designs for an international music publisher and was paid very well. In the last year or so, they have down-sized and most of the people I worked with are gone and I no longer do much work for them. One of the new employees just contacted me to "get a copy of the agreements we have with you about the cover designs that you've done for us..."
WWI have all of the cover designs archived, and although I would love to continue to do work with them, it seems they would like to proceed with a new firm.
WW So, I'm stumped as to how to proceed if they contact me again. Am I protected by just having the original files? Or, if they can get copies of files I have sent to their printers in the past, can they use these files without properly compensating me?
WW Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated.
WWWWWW Sincerely,
WWWWWW Ima Wantintono
Dear Bob and Claré, and Ima,
WW Graphic designers, illustrators, photographers and other creative professionals make their income through the licensing of their creative efforts. This licensing is determined by such factors Geographic Region (ex. North America) Media (ex. collateral) Medium (ex. paper, brochure) Quantity (ex. print run of 5,000) and Time (ex. one year). The only licensing rights a client has are those which are granted IN WRITING.
WW The reason why the granting of license must be in writing is due to copyright law. The moment a creative lays pen to paper, his or her efforts are copyrightable. Indeed, the 1976 copyright act declares that a copyright is in existence upon physical conception and does not require a ©. However, it is strongly advised. Copyright law states that all rights of the work belong to the artist unless those rights are extended in writing.
WW Please understand that licensing is a service and is not considered retail. An artist could paint a picture and sell the physical painting in a gallery as a retail transaction. However, the licensing right of the painting still belongs to the artist.
WW Before computers, graphic designers did their layouts on storyboards. Often, clients of the designers would go to the printers and ask for reprints, or for the layout boards. In all cases the printers would refuse. The layout boards are the property of the designer, as are any further licensing rights. If the printer did hand over the layout board, or reprint the brochure, it would constitute copyright infringement and they would be held liable, as well as the client. The computer files of today are held under the same protection as the storyboards of yesteryear.
WW A business might think they can take an example of an existing brochure to another designer and ask them to recreate it with new content. Doing so would constitute a copyright infringement. Derivative use is when something is derived or created from an original. Unless placed in writing, derivative use is not transferred. Again, unless placed in writing, no rights are transferred. This is especially important to graphic artists as it protects the integrity of the design. A graphic artist is known and sought out for his or her design. Should others in the marketplace see something they recognizable as a designer's work, and should it be a shabby derivative, that designer's reputation and income would be negatively affected.
WW Since any granting of rights is required to be in writing, a contract is in order. Such a contract can be found in The Graphic Artists Guild's Pricing and Ethical Guideline Handbook. It speaks to usage, first right of refusal and other terms of agreement. Again, a contract protects the client as well as the artist because it is proof of rights granted by the artist. Without a written contract, there is no proof that rights were granted.
WW Negotiation over terms of agreement will provide both the client and artist with a clear knowledge of their working relationship. The result is a decrease in later disputes and misunderstandings. And that in turn leads to a longer and profitable partnership.
WW While some artists price their work based on an hourly figure, my advice is to base compensation on the project description. This allows for a clear description of rights granted to each project, with the projects that receive higher exposure also generating a higher value and profit for the artist.
WW If a business truly desires to have the computer files, they can ask the graphic artist to grant a copyright transfer. But, the business should be prepared to pay heavily for the transfer. Transfer of copyright cannot be done with a handshake. It requires the appropriate transfer of copyright form, and there is a filing fee, both of which can be found at http://www.copyright.gov along with answers to other copyright questions you might have.
WW I hope this helps.
WWWWWW – Mark Monlux
WWWWWWW Ethics Chair, SPGA Seattle Chapter, Graphic Artists Guild
If you have a question for the Ethics Chair, please email them with the Subject Line "Dear Mark" here.
DISCLAIMER: Mark Monlux's advice is a self-indulgent pontification which may or may not cover general principles of law in response to issues of concern to the illustration community. Nothing in this article should be construed to be a substitute for advice of counsel regarding the specific facts and circumstances of an individual case. Laws and their interpretation differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Legal advice addressing a specific situation should be sought from an attorney duly licensed in the appropriate jurisdiction.
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From the Membership
Within the last few months the Northwest has lost highly prized creative professionals. These individuals deserve recognition by us for their contribution to our organization and for positive effect they had on the graphic design community.
Fred Hilliard at ArtJam 2000, Irwin Caplan at 1972 Seattle Times Interview, and Jerry Nelson
Irwin "Cap" Caplan
1919-2007
In 1956 a group of creative professionals branched off from the Seattle Art Directors Society (SADS) to form The Art Studio Association of Seattle. The new group was dubbed the "Underground Artists" by local agency art directors. Irwin Caplan joined the founders after about one year to sign the group's official charter. The name of the group would change to become the Society of Professional Graphic Artists. Cap also served on the chapter's board in 1962 as a secretary. He went on to join and participate in a number of other professional organizations throughout his well-known career. Here are some things Cap did:
· He won the National Cartoonists Society Award for Best Advertising Cartoonist in the U.S. in both 1972 and 1981.
· He was one of the nation's top-selling magazine cartoonists in the 1940s and 1950s, and his work was published in such national periodicals as Time, LIFE, Look, The New Yorker and Collier's.
· His panel cartoon named "Famous Last Words" appeared regularly in The Saturday Evening Post.
· He was Advertising Art Director for the "Expo '74" World's Fair in Spokane.
· He taught graphic design at the University of Washington and Seattle Central Community College for almost two decades.
To learn more about Cap, check out this great Seattle Times article.
Jerry Nelson
1938-2007
Jerry Nelson was once a member of the SPGA. His early career was design-oriented, featuring clients like K2 Skis, Sheraton Hotel and Skyway Luggage. His later career focused on illustration, including scratchboard. Jerry was an excellent teacher and he loved how the School of Visual Concepts used working professionals as its faculty. The School, co-founded by SPGA charter members Dick and Cherry Brown, provides the advantage of real world knowledge which other institutions often lacked. A memorial featuring his personal and professional work will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2007 at 2pm at the School of Visual Concepts.
Fred Hilliard
-2007
In 1993 our group had Fred do a luncheon presentation, It was at the height of his national acclaim as an illustrator, and it helped to restart the Chapter's local reputation and momentum that year. Our group, formerly known as the Society of Professional Graphic Artists (SPGA), had recently voted to become the SPGA/Seattle Chapter of the Graphic Artists Guild. Undergoing the turmoil of a name change is never easy. The high attendence of Fred's presentation helped to bring the Guild back on the social calendar of the creative professionals in the Pacific Northwest. Fred also was a featured panelist in our 1998 "Vision 30/30" Guild Anniversary Event which was held at the Century Ballroom. See his work here. His online shop here.
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The SPGA/Seattle Chapter seeking a Chapter Administrator.
The Graphic Artists Guild promotes and protects the economic interests of its members. It is committed to improving conditions for all creators of graphic art and raising standards for the entire industry. The Guild is a national union that embraces creators at all level of skill and expertise who produce graphic art intended for presentation as originals or reproduction.
This is an excellent opportunity for those who want to be involved is the Pacific Northwest Graphic Arts community, and those who are seeking experience with union organization.
This is a part-time position of 15hours a month, ($187.50 a month)
A detailed job description can be found at: http://seattleguild.org/cajob.html
Send resumes to:
Graphic Artists Guild
C/O Mark Monlux
P.O. Box 12072
Tacoma, WA 98408-5315
Or
info@seattleguild.org
If you are using email, please use the subject header “Chapter Administrator Post”.
Attachments should be either in Word or pdf format and be no larger than 200k.
Deadline for submissions is April 20th 2007
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New Digs for the National Guild Office
As of March 1st, the new address for the Guild office in New York is:
Graphic Artists Guild
32 Broadway, Suite 1114
New York, NY 10004
Tel: 212-791-3400
Fax: 212-791-0333
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Your Ad Goes Here
A 50-word ad for $20 is a sweet deal. Members get 2 free ads a year. Check out ad and sponsorship rates. >>here [>>here is hotlink to advertising and sponsorship page]
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