I don't know if they're scam artists, but in my opinion, you definitely did the right thing. It's one thing for a gallery to ask for a commission % based on the final sale price of your work, but a fee for representation and/or exhibition is just not right, in any creative field.

You're taking a HUGE risk, paying to send 50 of your paintings overseas to a gallery you know nothing about without a contract. And who in their right mind would pay all the costs to ship off all their art without some sort of written agreement? (What artist can really afford to pay all the costs and PAY THEM on top of it anyway?! Please.) If you do something like that, you might as well kiss your stuff goodbye.

If they want your art so badly, they should help facilitate you getting it there and should at least be able to put something in writing. The fact that you asked them for a contract to review is SMART and clearly by their response, these are not people you want to be dealing with. If they're going to be rude and accuse you of being unprofessional because you are trying to do the minimum to protect yourself and your work, then RUN! They are the unprofessional ones and you probably wouldn't want to do business with them even if they did waive their fees.

I say, if a deal starts out badly up front, it's going to continue to go badly throughout the process, unless you straighten things up and agree to some basic terms right from the get go. Even when you do that, sometimes you still get screwed. Trust your instincts and protect those terrific paintings of yours! Know that you did the right thing here...

By the way, who is this UK gallery? Can you give us a link to the website?

My thoughts? Scam, scam, scam. What's to stop them from cashing your check, keeping your paintings, and selling nothing?

You're insticts were right on. Many galleries are suspect anyway, without being so obvious about it. Even a "reputable" one may take your work, hang it, sell it above what they tell YOU the price is, and keep the difference - if your work even stays on the walls at all and not locked away in a back room.

Bet bet? The web is your friend - promote on your own, keep a close eye on your originals, build a strong base of fans and patrons...it's been working for me.

You were right to steer clear of Ickenox. I have met Pauline Lionel who is Ickenox, I believe. She has 3 different addresses in London which I suspect are all postal drop zones and not offices.

I saw their site and decided to take a CD of my work direct to their office in Chiswick as I live nearby. The guy on reception had never heard of Ickenox but promised to keep it and see if he could pass it on!!!!! About a month later, I got an excitable Pauline Lionel on the phone telling me she thought my work was wonderful and she wanted to exhibit me as soon as possible. I asked if I should meet her at her office but instead she met me at a Starbucks in Chiswick!!!!! As soon as I got there with my folio ( I do digitized art from photographic images), all she was concerned with was getting me to order an exhibition panel from her for a forthcoming show in Chiswick Town Hall. This consisted of a board 8foot x 4foot, at a knock down price of £200!!!! Alarm bells began to ring now. She was enthusing about certain picture which she wanted to show - a classic scam method to big up the artists self-esteem. I then told her that I wouldn't be buying a panel off her for her first show, but would come along and see exactly what Ickenox do for artists both in physical terms and marketing before the event. I said if it looked good, I'd book a space in her next show. Well...... she couldn't wait to get away from me by then. She said she only dealt with serious artists and I may not get a place in her next show. TBC

Freshie continued..........I said to her, if I was that good, she'd make sure I got a space wouldn't she? That threw her. Anyway, she scurried off and 2 days later I got my CD back with a note saying she would not be taking my enquiries any further. So, I went from being the best thing since David Hockney, to being of no interest. I think that sums up Ickenox, they have no interest in promoting new artists. All they are concerned with is selling shoddy exhibition space with little or no forward promotion of it. Oh and they charge about £95 to have a set of pics on their website. You have been warned. The woman is a cheap parasite and I hope she reads this.