MSN versus The Fraser Gallery

Our gallery is suddenly battling Microsoft for our survival, and I am at a loss as to what to do next.

Yesterday, out of the blue, and in the middle of responding to emails, our computer screen suddenly declared that our Hotmail account had been closed and access was denied.

"So why are you still using Hotmail," some of you technogeeks must be asking?

When we first opened The Fraser Gallery in 1996, we literally funded it through our credit cards, and yet, one of the first things that we did was to create a website (a free one back then via Geocities) and used Hotmail as a free email account service.

As the gallery did better and better, the website grew larger and larger and we migrated from a free online website service to a paid one (it's one of the largest gallery online sites in the world now by the way... nearly 3,000 pages).

And as the website grew larger and larger, the Hotmail email address became so closely attached to our business, that it became impractical to replace it with a more formal one. So we continued to use frasergallery@hotmail.com as our main email address, while trying to "switch" slowly to "info@thefrasergallery.com"

When Microsoft bought Hotmail a few years ago, we immediately upgraded to their paid service (Hotmail Plus), which costs $19.95 a year.

Since 1996 the business has grown tremendously, and now we probably do about a third of our business strictly online. We receive anywhere from 100 to 200 emails a day, as well as a few hundred spams, which the Hotmail filter is pretty adept at catching.

So that's why, in 2006 we are still using Hotmail. Too many people, too many collectors, too many webpages, etc. already have it listed as our email address. A couple of years ago we began developing the use of info@thefrasegallery.com, but the vast bulk of email stuff still comes to frasergallery@hotmail.com

Also, since 1996 we've been using email to send out our press releases and also invitations to our openings to people who have signed up and given us their email address for that specific purpose.

We've also kept a pretty good record of electronic correspondence with museums, collectors, etc. online through the use of Hotmail folders, etc.

Again...So that's why, in 2006 we are still using Hotmail.

And then yesterday, our account was unilaterally and without warning closed! And then people started calling us telling us that emails to us were being bounced back as "undeliverable."

Now, even though this is a paid service to MSN, there's no phone support to Hotmail, and so I sent them an email asking them "what's the problem?"

About 30 hours later I received a message back from their Technical Support people (clearly in India) with the following:

From : MSN Hotmail Technical Support
Sent : Thursday, April 27, 2006 8:03 PM
To : frasergallery@hotmail.com
CC : lennycampello@hotmail.com
Subject : RE: SRX1013082496ID - MSN Hotmail Plus:I need something fixed:My Mail:Others

Hello Fraser,

Thank you for writing to MSN Hotmail Technical Support.

I apologize for the delay in answering your e-mail. We appreciate your patience as we handle every customer request as quickly as possible.

This is Shamy and I gather that you have been having issues accessing your frasergallery@hotmail.com account and getting the message that it has been closed.

I realize how important this account is to you since you are using it in business purposes. I appreciate that you have written to us regarding this.

Fraser, I have verified that your frasergallery@hotmail.com account was closed in accordance with the Hotmail Terms of Use (TOU). It is a strict violation of the TOU for our members to send objectionable material of any kind or nature using our service.

To read our Terms of Use, visit http://privacy2.msn.com/tou/en-us/default.aspx

Additional information about MSN Hotmail's anti-spam policy can be found here: http://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/anti-spam.aspx

We appreciate your understanding and continued support of MSN Hotmail.

Sincerely,

Shamy B.
MSN Hotmail Technical Support

"Objectionable material of any kind or nature" Come again? (And by the way, the next person who calls me "Fraser" is getting his ass kicked!)

And so I began to frantically try to call and contact every possible telephone number and email associated with Microsoft, only to be told that Hotmail only deals with any issues via email.

Several emails to managers@microsoft.com nonetheless have resulted in this one response:

From : Customer Feedback for PSS Customers managers@microsoft.com
Sent : Thursday, April 27, 2006 5:18 AM
To : "F. Lennox Campello"
Subject : RE:'RTCProd=011-770-387' Why is my account closed? I can't get any answers! 1013078543

Hello Lenny,

Thank you for contacting Microsoft Online Customer Service.

I understand from your message that you are unable to log on to your Hotmail account. I realize the importance of your issue.

As your issue persists to Hotmail, I request you to contact Hotmail support team. They will be able to assist you better in this regard. You may contact them at;
http://www.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/dasp/ua_info.asp

Lenny, I hope the above information can help you. If you have further questions or concerns regarding Microsoft Products and Services, please write back to us. We will be glad to assist you.

Thank you for using Microsoft products and services.

Arun
Microsoft Online Customer Service Representative

If you have any feedback about your Online Customer Service experience, please send an e-mail to my manager, Biji Balan, at: managers@microsoft.com

So I am taking deep breaths, and realizing that this is not Shamy B's or Arun's or even Biji Balan's fault... and yet.

We are losing business everyday, as online inquiries about our art and artists get returned as "undeliverable." This can really hurt the gallery, as we have just laid out a ton of money to pay for the various art fairs that we're doing this year.

What can we do? How does a small, independently owned business get heard from a giant like Microsoft?

Here's what I think happened:

1. I doubt that it is any "objectionable materials," unless email invites to the Bethesda Literary Festival talks are deemed objectionable by MSN.

2. I think that Hotmail has recently implemented some sort of fuzzy logic threshold to catch spammers; they probably did this a few days ago.

3. This "catch" is probably simply based on the number of emails sent over a certain time period. It doesn't take into account (a) that we've been doing business with them for over 10 years (most spammers I suspect get a free account, send out a ton of spams and then go away) and (b) Our "usual" email pattern has these monthly hikes, when we pump out a few hundred emails all in one day for invites to openings, etc. But on a daily basis, we just respond and/or send 30-50 emails a day.

4. When we sent the Literary Festival invites to our subscription list, it tripped that arbitrary number, and without even checking with their customer (us), their software killed our account.

5. And now I cannot get Shamy B or Arun or even Biji Balan to understand that they may be killing an independently owned small business' online presence and a lot of its business.

I am at a loss as to what to do, immensely pissed off and in dire need of some advice.

Microsoft started in a garage somewhere near Seattle; even in its current incarnation, I am hoping that a human being will still be able to do something to fix this issue.

Help!!!!

He who owns the walls

Decides what goes up and when it comes down.

The CP's Rachel Beckman has an interesting story about Jefferson Pinder and an early take-down. Read it here

Pandas Cows on Parade

Cows on Parade is the international traveling version of the concept that gave birth to our own Pandamania, Donkeys and Elephants and those giant Testudos all over the University of Maryland's campus.

And now Vach'Art has landed in Paris, where local artists have obviously not heard that it may hurt their career if they decorate a silly plastic cow with artsy motiffs. Among the French artists participating are Thierry des Ouches, Marika de Moro Giafferi, Yanne Kintgen, and Hubert Le Gall.

Congratulations

To our own Samantha Wolov (who will be soon moving to the Left Coast), as one of her photographs will be on the cover of "Best Women's Erotica 2007" from Cleis Press.

Connie Imboden at Heineman Myers

As most of you know, over in hard-to-find Bethesda, a new independent fine arts commercial gallery opened last month, Heineman Myers Contemporary Art, directed by the energetic Zoe Myers, who chose well-known Baltimore photographer Connie Imboden’s photographs for her grand opening exhibition.


And Zoe Myers definitely stacked the deck for the grand opening, for Imboden’s photographs are absolutely spectacular.

In addition to the breath-taking photographs, there’s also a video that shows Imboden at work, and before any critic or writer pens a word, this video is a "must watch." In the video we discover Imboden, working the pool, the cameras, the models and the mood; we also listen as she describes and discusses what she is trying to achieve.

"These images are seen through the camera, they are not manipulated in the darkroom or computer. I am often amazed at the shapes and forms that have appeared in my work.

My intention has always been to explore the body, not to alter it. I want to find the camera angle from which the forms can be the most that they can be-whatever that is. If it is a grace to the limbs, then I want the angle from which that grace becomes the absolute most it can be at that moment.

And so it leads me on, to explore angles, space, reflections, and light. I strive to make forms make sense visually, and trust that the metaphor, the poetry will follow."

Why is the video a must-watch? Because unless one watches Imboden at work (the photographs are all taken around, in or under water), and listens to Imboden discussing her work, it would be easy for less-than-patient jaded critics to fall under the trap that these are photographs that use water to deliver a gimmicky visual image.

They are not.

These are photographs that celebrate the human body, in all its imperfect and yet sensual bits and pieces. And this celebration of sensuality and Eros and moisture is highlighted by the immense ability of water to distort, redirect and sexualize any and everything that it caresses, especially a nude body.

And in that moment in time, when Imboden presses the shutter and captures an image of light and flesh, she also captures the moment when a seed of sensuality will be place inside the mind of a future viewer, who will admire the photographs behind the safe glass of a solid frame and in the white cube of a shiny new gallery.

If you enjoy the many beautiful thoughts that viewing the human body can create, do not miss this show. The exhibition runs through May 13, 2006.

Stats Brag

In April of 2003, DC Art News averaged around 1,000 hits a month, a year later, in April of 2004, we averaged around 2,000 hits a month. In April of 2005 we averaged around 10,000 hits a month, and now in 2006 we're well on our way to average over 30,000 hits a month.

And this is just for a website focused generally upon the Greater Washington DC visual arts scene.

What does this say? I believe that it re-affirms that we have one of the healthiest and most vibrant art scenes in the nation, and also one that thirsts for some media attention; any attention! And for information, and ideas, and healthy feedback about the visual arts.

Keep coming back, and I'll keep writing.

Thank you!

Express has a Blog

Readexpress.com, the online web companion to the Express, the popular freebie newspaper for the Washington D.C. metropolitan area that is owned by The Washington Post Company has a new site that offers "frequently updated features and a variety of interactive tools including locally-oriented blogs, real-time polling on hot issues and a lively classifieds marketplace. The site will also feature a dynamic map centered on local classifieds, and extensive restaurant and entertainment listings drawn from Express and washingtonpost.com."

The Express has done a pretty good job, considering its size, in covering the visual arts, and we sincerely hope that the re-vamped online presence will also expand the newspaper's look at our galleries, museums and artists.

Update: Just saw this, which answers my above plea, as now we know that Kriston will be policing the DC area art scene for the Express' blog, in addition to his Eyelevel blog duties, his CP writing assignments and his own G.Police work. You better get a car Texan!

Reminder: Women's Caucus for Art's 2006 Annual Networking Day

This coming Saturday, the Women’s Caucus for Art of Greater Washington DC will be having their 2006 Annual Networking Day, focusing on exhibiting and marketing your art.

I will be presenting a focused talk covering marketing. This presentation has been derived from our Bootcamp for Artists seminar. This event is free and open to the public.

When: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Saturday, April 29, 2006
Where: Goodwin House
3440 South Jefferson Street
Falls Church, VA 22041
1.703.820.1488

The Women’s Caucus for Art, a major national non-profit member organization, was founded in 1972 and is an affiliated society of the College Art Association. It is unique in its multi-disciplinary, multicultural membership. WCA members are artists, art historians, arts administrators, museum and gallery professionals, teachers, students, curators, critics, collectors, and others who are committed to WCA’s goals.

For more info call 301.910.1231 or email Authentic_Art@att.net.

See ya there!

Small Grants Seminar

Co-hosted by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the folks at Artomatic.

When: Monday, May 8th at 6:00 PM at the Warehouse Café.

As most of you know, there will be an Artomatic later this year, and all DC artists considering participation in Artomatic 2006 this fall should consider this seminar.

The Small Projects Program offers grants up to $1,000 for individual artists and arts organizations. The program seeks to make grant funds more accessible for small scale arts projects with budgets under $3,000 and gives priority to individuals and organizations new to the Commission's grant program.

Projects may include but are not limited to the following: arts presentations; technical assistance services to aid fundraising, marketing, and managerial efforts; documentation of activities and artistic product through photography, brochures, portfolios, "demo" tapes, or slides; or art related conferences, workshops and seminars which enhance and strengthen artistic and professional development.

The deadline for the Small Projects Program is June 2, 2006 at 7pm. Program Officer for the grant is Tania Tam, who can be reached at 202-724-1400.

If you are planning to participate in AOM 2006, then plan ahead and apply for a project grant to expand your AOM 2006 participation!

Job in the Arts

Exhibits Administrative Assistant, Smithsonian Institution.

Announcement Number: 06AM 6054. Administrative Assistant in the Department of Exhibitions and Special Projects, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution. GS-7, salary $35,671 - $47,669 + benefits.

The incumbent provides administrative support to departmental staff in a fast paced creative environment. Establishes procedures for ordering supplies and equipment, generates purchase orders and purchase card transactions, maintains long-term exhibition and special projects calendars, establishes and maintains filing systems, makes travel arrangements, assists designers with the layout and production of labels and exhibition graphics, organizes the office's electronic data.

Experience in PeopleSoft, Excel, Word, and graphic production software is preferred. Position closes April 28, 2006. Salary: $35,671.00 +.

Please see Announcement Number 06AM-6054 at www.sihr.si.edu for application instructions.

Bethesda Literary Festival

The Bethesda Literary Festival takes place in various venues throughout Bethesda April 28-30 April.

We will be hosting three authors this year:

On Saturday, April 29, 2006 the Fraser Gallery hosts Frank Warren, sole founder, curator of the PostSecret Project and editor of the best-selling book of the same title. Commencing at 7PM, Warren will be discussing the project and the book and signing copies of the book.

On Sunday, April 30, commencing at noon, we will be hosting author Barbara Kline as she discusses her behind-the-scenes memoir: White House Nannies, which reveals the nation's capital as you've never known it before.

Also on Sunday, commencing at 1:30PM, talented area photographer Grace Taylor will speak and answer questions about her book, A Tibetian Odyssey. Taylor spent a month in Tibet and her book contains many images and comments from her journal. When Taylor had a show of her Tibet images in Baltimore, Glenn McNatt, art critic of the Baltimore Sun, wrote that "the art of photojournalism lives in the strong, black and white works of Grace Taylor" and also "Taylor has a wonderful sense of light and shadow and a natural empathy for people that allows her to suggest something of her subjects' personalities through the smallest gestures and most fleeting expressions."

Bring your own book or they will be available for sale from the authors. To reserve a copy of any of the books ahead of time, call 301/718-9651 or email us at info@thefrasergallery.com.

Opportunity for Photographers: Slideluck Comes to DC

Deadline: April 28, 2006

Slideluck Potshow I: Washington, DC.

Born in the tiny living room of a NYC photographer who is fond of food, drink, friends, and photos, Slideluck Potshow is a slideshow and a potluck all at once.

This has grown into an inspiring and spirited event that regularly brings hundreds of creative folk to interesting New York City venues.

To get a better sense of what this event is about, then visit this website for photo galleries from past events, archived slideshows, feedback, or even recipes.

And now Slideluck comes to DC in a surprising venue!

They are looking for submissions and this is your invitation! Show them anything you like, but keep in mind, you are allowed a maximum of five minutes. There is no theme, so feel free to submit portraits, stories, outtakes from a job, personal work, it's up to you.

The submission guidelines can be found at this website.

Ignore the dates on the site, and keep in mind these two:

Submission Deadline: Friday, April 28th, 2006.

Show Date: Saturday, May 6th, 2006 at the Numark Gallery.

After you have prepared your submissions, email Karine Aiger for FTP instructions.

Then, bring a tasty dish (you MUST bring some kind of dish/food), and something good to drink, and join them for a fantastic slideshow!

More on Google and Miro

Theory Now's Mark Cameron Boyd, in response to Cindy Engquist's previous points on the subject:

Your "understanding" of the issue is absolutely correct, in that "for visual arts, an image was protected but not an idea or concept... so no one can copy Dali's melting watches, but anyone can paint a melting watch of their own." This is one of the risks that artists take, in addition to the "risk" of even making "art," that their work is no longer "their own" once it enters the "public arena."

In addition to the "meaning" of their work being misinterpreted, misunderstood or misrepresented, artists have to realize that it can be appropriated and even "misused" for other purposes than their own. However, Ms. Engquist is correct in her assumption that Google does not have "the right to exploit any artist’s work for its own marketing purposes," but they are already more than questionable in their "marketing" procedures, as the information about possible Chinese "dissidents" that Google has reportedly released to the Chinese government approaches nothing less than criminal negligence.

Ms. Engquist states: "Even if misuse of an idea of an image or concept is not legally enforceable, the damage to the artist and the impact on the artist’s future income can be significant." True, but only those who have the time and money to engage in extensive litigation over the "misuse" of their images, or the supposed misuse of an "idea," will be able to determine these "intellectual property issues" for the rest of us.

Call for Artists

I'll be jurying our 10th Annual Juried Competition, and now is the time to start preparing as entries are due May 19, 2006.

All the details, entry forms and prospectus are at this website.

More on Google and Miro

Reader Cindy Engquist offers a different point of view in my issue with Google and Miro posted here. Cindy writes:

This is not pettiness at all. This is an intellectual property issue, a marketing issue, and a legal issue.

Google’s "party line" is that they are "honoring" artists by doing interpreted renditions symbolizing the the artists’ work in their Google logo, but the fact of the matter is, Google is using the artists’ concepts and ideas for Google’s own profit. From a marketing standpoint it is very creative, timely, and differentiating that Google does an ever-changing representative logo. It helps to make them distinctive as a search engine and a company. But Google does not have the right to exploit any artist’s work for its own marketing purposes without paying for the right to use the artist’s work, not to mention without even asking permission for temporary rights.

This is a legal as well as an ethical issue.

The team at Google is either: a) creative and exploiting; or b) creative and uniformed about the legal and ethical ramifications of what they are doing. I would hope it’s merely the latter, because some people might be willing to forgive them for being uniformed as long as they make reparations. However, there’s really no excuse for a business of Google’s stature to be uninformed.

The team at Google is not doing this out of goodwill (by so-called "honoring" the artists). Anything like this is always about money.

Best regards,

Cindy

I responded to Cindy that as far as intellectual property, it was my understanding that for visual arts, an image was protected but not an idea or concept... so no one can copy Dali's melting watches, but anyone can paint a melting watch of their own. Cindy responded that she "believe[s] that there is a rather large gray area between misuse of an image and misuse of an idea or concept. Even if misuse of an idea of an image or concept is not legally enforceable, the damage to the artist and the impact on the artist’s future income can be significant. I am aware of this through my own work, my research and work in the art licensing world, and my work and interactions with artists and graphic designers."

PostSecret Talk and Booksigning

On Saturday, April 29, 2006 the Fraser Gallery is honored to host Frank Warren, sole founder, curator of the PostSecret Project and editor of the best-selling book of the same title. Commencing at 7PM, and as part of the Bethesda Literary Festival, Warren will be discussing the project and the book and signing copies of the book (bring your own or available for sale at the gallery).

Frank Warren is the sole founder and curator of the PostSecret Project, a collection of over 30,000 highly personal and artfully decorated postcards mailed anonymously from around the world, displaying the soulful secrets we never voice.

A New York Times best seller, PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives (ReganBooks) is Warren’s first book. In 2006, his PostSecret website (which receives over 3,000,000 visitors every month) was awarded six weblog awards including "Best American Blog" and "Blog of the Year."

His WPA/C exhibition of PostSecret cards was called by the Washington Post "One of the five best art shows in 2005."

Warren has appeared on the Today Show, 20/20, CNN, MSNBC, CBC, NPR and Fox News. USA Today called Warren: "An award winning Blogger, a first-time author, an artist with a traveling exhibit, a possible documentary subject, the inspiration for a music video and the all-around media ‘it’ boy of the moment."

In 2005 The All American Rejects approached Warren about using images of actual PostSecret images in their "Dirty Little Secret" music video. They offered Warren $1,000 but instead he asked them to donate $2,000 to 1(800)SUICIDE where Warren is a volunteer. The donation was made and the music video became one of the most requested on MTV. The National Mental Health Association will be presenting Warren with an award later this year for his work in raising public awareness about suicide.

Warren continues to receive between 100 and 200 postcards everyday. He updates his website on Sundays and is working to produce four more PostSecret books.

Germantown, Maryland is where Warren, his wife and 11 year-old daughter call home. He continues to call himself an "accidental artist" because he has no artist background or training. "I have been asked many times why I started this. It still feels to me as though this project found me. All I try to do is make the right decisions every day to protect the integrity of the project – and learn to trust the journey."

The discussion and book-signing is free and open to the public and will start promptly at 7PM. To reserve a copy of the book call the gallery at 301/718-9651 or email us at info@thefrasergallery.com.

Affordable Studio Space

From 190 square feet for $206 month to 970 square feet for $1053 month, utilities included.

Shown Wednesdays 6-8PM at 6925 Willow NW in DC or call 202/882-0740 or visit this website and then click on A. Salon.

This is why we need more voices

Three critics look at the same show, in this case Connie Imboden at the new Heineman Myers Gallery in Bethesda. Two offer intelligent views and one dismisses it without a second thought.

Glenn McNatt in the Baltimore Sun.

Jessica Dawson in the Washington Post (scroll down).

Kriston Capps in the Washington City Paper.

One more opening

In addition to all the openings listed here, there's one more opening taking place tomorrow, Sunday April 23: Harvardwood, DC launches itself at Project 4 Gallery on U Street this Sunday, April 23, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. as they are hosting a special viewing of Terrie Pipa's oil and watercolor exhibit "Small Gestures." The launch party is free.

Petty

This is a new high in pettiness.