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I hate to be that guy, but this sounds crazy. Let me get this straight: You want 20,000 people to send you $20 each, and a postcard. You'll have an exhibition

I hate to be that guy, but this sounds crazy. Let me get this straight: You want 20,000 people to send you $20 each, and a postcard. You'll have an exhibition of these 20,000 postcards, and send the "artists" 60% of the sales price of whatever postcards you happen to sell. So, if someone picks my postcard out of the 20,000 and then decides to pay $33 for it, I break even. Huh? So, that's how I react. I would expect response to be close to nil. What would I recommend instead? Well, first of all, I would continue to work banks/foundations/investors. If you have a viable business plan, and a piece of property with some value, you should be able to raise some money (and leave a gap significantly less than $400K). If you are going to crowdsource the remainder, I'd either a) go with straight donations-- it's simpler, and more honest, or b) raise the "donation" amount to $100/$200, and use it as an "entry fee" in a skill-based contest (not a game of chance-- you'll want to talk to a lawyer about gaming laws) with a big enough payout to raise interest (i.e., a slice of the company, or a piece of the property, etc.).

synnik 17y ago
No worries, It is good to be "that guy" -- I think your reaction is how most people would react. Thanks, though -- that is exactly why I posted it here... so I could see what people really had to say. One piece of context to add is that the structure I described is exactly how some art shows work today. Artists don't participate in shows to make a profit. They participate because they like the concept and want to be part of it. But I guess this does confirm that the thought processes that take place in the actual art world aren't going to translate over into how people think about things online.
- michael_dorfman 17y ago
  I do understand that most art shows work this way. I also know that most art shows I've been to don't display 20,000 postcards, nor are most patrons willing to spend $33 to buy a postcard. However: using your "art world" connections might not be a bad idea. Why not speak to some (financially) successful artists/gallery owners that you know and ask them how they'd raise money in your situation?

synnik 17y ago

No worries, It is good to be "that guy" -- I think your reaction is how most people would react. Thanks, though -- that is exactly why I posted it here... so I could see what people really had to say. One piece of context to add is that the structure I described is exactly how some art shows work today. Artists don't participate in shows to make a profit. They participate because they like the concept and want to be part of it. But I guess this does confirm that the thought processes that take place in the actual art world aren't going to translate over into how people think about things online.

michael_dorfman 17y ago
I do understand that most art shows work this way. I also know that most art shows I've been to don't display 20,000 postcards, nor are most patrons willing to spend $33 to buy a postcard. However: using your "art world" connections might not be a bad idea. Why not speak to some (financially) successful artists/gallery owners that you know and ask them how they'd raise money in your situation?