Can't Sell Art Works (Page 2): The OP already said there was no contract. I would go ahead and sell the paintings and let them try to enforce an unwritten rule.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

cahale wrote:

If there is pre-agreement not to sell anything produced during and at the training session(s), then the participants may not sell those. Anything they produce later at their own expense is theirs to do with as they please.

The OP already said there was no contract. I would go ahead and sell the paintings and let them try to enforce an unwritten rule.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

jerryc41 wrote:

Does this make sense? Our local painting group has an Art Sale every year. During the past year, the town gave the group some money for supplies and to pay instructors to come to the group. Because the town gave the group money, it says that they cannot sell artwork produced by skills learned at the expense of the town. Does that mean they can never sell their artwork - anywhere?

According to your town council anyone graduating from any local Schools cannot make money by selling their skills.
But wait , doesn't the money that the town is using to educate any and all come from taxes paid by some of these same people?

ELNikkor

"the town GAVE" - no restrictions, no contract! "The town says" - (probably NOT the town, just someone on the town management came up with a bad idea which no one shot down at the time. Go ahead and sell the art, hope you all get a good return on your talents and efforts! (Not that it will happen, but I can see possibly someone in the town management getting miffed and forbidding or demanding outrageous permit requirements for art shows/selling events out of spite, depending on the maturity/lack thereof of the town management.) Keep us posted on this interesting drama. Seems artists often have trouble with those with non-artistic, need-to-be-in-control, cerebral hemispheres.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

cahale wrote:

If there is pre-agreement not to sell anything produced during and at the training session(s), then the participants may not sell those. Anything they produce later at their own expense is theirs to do with as they please.

There was never any discussion of selling anything. Will the artists be able to use the knowledge that the town "bought" for them to sell what they created with that knowledge. The town gave some money to an art group. It wasn't a loan. I think this is an absolutely ridiculous situation, and I would decline any money for the coming year. It's not up to me, though.

How about this?
If the town gave the group lumber and tools, and they built a shed, I can understand the group not being able to sell it - maybe. Still, the town gave them the material. It didn't say, "Here's some stuff. Build a shed for the town."

Tax money goes to educating the local kids. Does that mean they can't use that education to make money when they graduate?

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

The county undoubtedly paid for many kids to attend public schools. Do they advise them that after graduation they are not allowed to make a living with knowledge and/or skills they learned at the county's expense? Someone wasn't thinking when they came up with this idea!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

sb wrote:

The county undoubtedly paid for many kids to attend public schools. Do they advise them that after graduation they are not allowed to make a living with knowledge and/or skills they learned at the county's expense? Someone wasn't thinking when they came up with this idea!

I think they are working on a plan to garnish 10% of future graduates' salaries.

Peter Simon Loc: Near Portland Oregon

Sounds like another group of people or individual with a authority problem. Trying to control others makes them feel superior. Like life long politicians.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Peter Simon wrote:

Sounds like another group of people or individual with a authority problem. Trying to control others makes them feel superior. Like life long politicians.

Yep! "Let's see if we can find a way to make life less enjoyable for these people."

xt2 Loc: British Columbia, Canada

jerryc41 wrote:

Does this make sense? Our local painting group has an Art Sale every year. During the past year, the town gave the group some money for supplies and to pay instructors to come to the group. Because the town gave the group money, it says that they cannot sell artwork produced by skills learned at the expense of the town. Does that mean they can never sell their artwork - anywhere?

Just a small town council that needs some legal advice. Just sell your artwork as you wish...it is your domain.

twowindsbear

Did the city make that clear as a condition of the grant. Contact the best attorney in town, ask them to look into this pro bono. Good luck!

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Actually, works done under the direct tutelage of an instructor are considered "student work" and are prohibited by many sales venues. However, future works following the principles learned from that instructor are not considered student work and are sellable. I think the city is either misunderstanding something or the art group is.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

jerryc41 wrote:

Does this make sense? Our local painting group has an Art Sale every year. During the past year, the town gave the group some money for supplies and to pay instructors to come to the group. Because the town gave the group money, it says that they cannot sell artwork produced by skills learned at the expense of the town. Does that mean they can never sell their artwork - anywhere?

Totally laughable. The City might as well say the artwork belongs to them. Go ahead and sell whatever you can. Let 'em sue. For whatever pennies they think they might get.

One Rude Dawg Loc: Athol, ID

jerryc41 wrote:

Does this make sense? Our local painting group has an Art Sale every year. During the past year, the town gave the group some money for supplies and to pay instructors to come to the group. Because the town gave the group money, it says that they cannot sell artwork produced by skills learned at the expense of the town. Does that mean they can never sell their artwork - anywhere?

I would paint some large xs across all of the paintings and deposit them at the next council meeting and tell them they can't sell them either. Then mention where they could deposit them, " sideways and on fire ", as my wife tells me sometimes.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

One Rude Dawg wrote:

I would paint some large xs across all of the paintings and deposit them at the next council meeting and tell them they can't sell them either. Then mention where they could deposit them, " sideways and on fire ", as my wife tells me sometimes.

goofybruce

I would tell the town council to go to the municipal salt storage shed with a hammer and make the rock salt into table-salt size....