What is the Torcon 3 Art Show?

First, we serve as a gallery of the best science fiction and fantasy artwork. People from across Canada and the United States as well as visitors from Europe and Asia will see your work. So will art directors seeking new talent for cover art and inside illustrations.

Second, we are an auction house. You can offer your work for sale through a system of written bids and a voice auction. A 10% commission on sales will be charged in addition to the panel fee. Eight (8) written bids will take a piece to the voice auction held Sunday afternoon. Pieces may also be offered for Quick Sale and After Auction prices.

When will the Torcon 3 Art Show take place?

Where will the Torcon 3 Art Show be held?

Hall A - 3rd (Exhibit) Level, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Art Show 
The Art Show will have approximately 400 panels and 30 tables (6ft long by 3 ft wide) for display space. We will be using two sizes of pegboard panels: approximately 270 4 ft by 4 ft panels and 130 4ft x 6 ft panels. The panels will be set up in bays that, from above, resemble a series of interlocking "H"s. One side of the double-sided panel equals one unit.

We recommend buying all your panels in the same size to ensure that your art is displayed together. To have a wide representation of artists from North America and around the world, and since demand for space will be high, reservable space is restricted to a maximum of eight (8 units) per artist.

Flat art must be matted, mounted, framed or otherwise suitable for display. Remember that another artist is using the other side of the panel - if unprotected, artwork could be damaged by a peghook.

Artwork entered for display only, not-for-sale, is welcomed in the art show and is eligible for awards voted by the convention delegates. However, we would encourage you to offer for sale at least half of the art you display.

If you cannot attend the convention, take care in choosing an agent to enter and check-out your art. Artist check-out will take place on Monday, September 1 between noon and 4pm. Any work still remaining in the art show after 4pm will be considered abandoned. Although we will call you to arrange to have it shipped back to you, we will not take responsibility for it after 4pm.

Artists Alley

Professional artists who are a full member of the convention may rent one table in the Artists Alley. Electrical access can be arranged for a fee.

Artists may sell art at their table provided it is not for sale or display within the Art Show proper. The artist must have a temporary vendor's license for the duration of the convention and display the license at their table.

The Torcon 3 Art Show will not be responsible for items left on or stored under these tables during the absence of an artist from the artist's table in Artist Alley.

Print Shop

The Art Show will accept a single copy of a signed, limited edition print for display and sale through the written bid/auction system within the Torcon 3 Art Show. However this print must be the only copy of the print available for sale at Torcon 3. In other words, additional copies of the print cannot be available for sale in either the dealer's room or print shop (or by private sale in the hallway, for that matter).

You may sell multiple copies of a print at a fixed price through the Torcon 3 Print Shop. There will be a charge of $1.50 Canadian for each title offered through the Print Shop; a 10% commission will be charged on all sales. There will be a limit of 25 copies per print title with a 12 title maximum.

Mail-in Art

A mail-in fee of $60.00 Canadian/$40.00 US - equivalent to a supporting membership in Torcon 3 - will be charged for all mail-in art. Artists sending mail-in art from outside Canada must arrange for a customs broker to post a bond and process the paperwork for the shipment

If you plan on mailing in your art, a shipping advance equivalent to the amount you will pay to ship your work to Toronto must be included with your completed reservation form. Details for where, when and how to ship your art to Toronto will be explained in the artist instruction package accompanying your paperwork for check-in.

Insurance

Insurance while the artwork is in the Torcon 3 Art Show, as well as in transit to and from the art show, is the responsibility of the artist or agent. Security for the art show will be handled by volunteer internal security staff during viewing and uniformed professional security guards when the room is closed.

What should I know about bringing or sending my art across the border?

The government requires a Goods & Services Tax (GST) deposit equal to 7% on the value of art brought into Canada. On the Canada Customs form, an artist must list the "wholesale" value of the goods being brought into the country. A suggested guideline is a value equal to the minimum bids for the art, but this is only a guideline. The value listed should not be so low as to be questioned, but it need not be the same value quoted for insurance purposes. At the conclusion of the art show, Canada Customs will ask the artist to identify all art that was sold. The 7% GST assessed on the listed value of the sold art will be deducted from the deposit paid at the time of entry and a refund processed for the balance.

Artists attending Torcon 3 can choose to pay the 7% GST deposit and complete the customs paperwork at the border. The process is straightforward - filling out a Canada Customs "commercial invoice", similar to a comprehensive list of the art you are bringing to the convention i.e. piece title, value in Canadian dollars, venue of potential sales, etc. and then paying the 7% deposit on the value of those pieces. For more info you can visit the Canada Customs web site at
http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/customs/business/importing/accountingintro-e.html#P270_23349

We recommend that artists displaying higher-priced pieces use Schenker, the official Torcon 3 customs broker, to post a bond and process the paperwork on their behalf. Their web site can be visited at http://www.schenker.ca or call Gerrit Watson at 1-800-461-3686 ext. 5263.

Schenker's customs brokerage fees are calculated on the shipment value and will range from $100 to a maximum of $400.00 US. A one-time export document charge of $70.00 will also be required. A shipment valued at $2000 US can be handled for one charge of $220.00 US.

Artists residing in one city or region can minimize their brokerage and shipping costs by forming a "collective". A group of artists can send or bring their art to Torcon in a single shipment and share the customs costs (a maximum of $470 US) among all artists of the collective. Example: if 5 artists send their work to Torcon in a single shipment from one shipping point, then the customs brokerage cost for each artist would be a maximum of $94.00 if split equally among the five artists.

Artists shipping their art must use a customs broker. The Torcon 3 art show will help artists bring or send their artwork to Toronto but we cannot take responsibility for art crossing the border.

Art Show - How the System Works 
What key details should non-Canadian artists be aware of?

All transactions in the art show will be conducted in Canadian currency. When pricing your art, (both for the art show and Canadian Customs) please remember that the figures must be listed in Canadian dollars. Example: on April 1, 2003 the exchange rate was $1US = $1.475 CDN; however please keep in mind this rate can and does fluctuate.

The Canadian government requires a 7% Goods and Services Tax (GST) be charged on all transactions (see below for details). This also has implications for the pricing of art at the Torcon 3 art show.

Example: If you want to set a minimum bid of $60.00 US for a piece, the equivalent minimum bid in Canadian dollars would be in the $90.00 range. For the typical art show, the calculation is a piece that sells for $100.00 Canadian minus 10% commission ($10) will net the artist $90.00 Canadian. To arrive at a similar return at Torcon 3, taking into consideration the impact of the GST on sales, the minimum bid for this same piece must be priced at $110.00 Canadian.

See also: Currency Exchange FAQ

Canadian Taxes 

Buyers who purchase art at the Torcon 3 art show will be required to pay a 8% provincial sales tax on their purchase.

The Canadian federal government requires that a 7% Goods and Services tax (popularly known as the GST) be charged on all transactions. This has several implications for artists participating at Torcon 3: 
a. Panel Fees: Torcon 3 is required to charge 7% GST on panel and display fees. 
b. Commission: The Torcon art show will be charging the standard Worldcon commission of 10% on art and print shop sales. The government, in its infinite wisdom, considers a commission fee as a service fee that artists are paying to Torcon 3 and consequently the 7% GST is applicable. Therefore the total commission deducted from sales will be 10.7% (10% to the art show and 0.7% to the government). Example: if your sales are $1,000.00 the total commission charged will be $107.00 of which $7 represents the GST paid to the government.
c. Customs: The government requires a deposit equal to 7% GST on the value of goods brought into Canada (see above).

Check-In 

We believe it is important not to re-invent the wheel but go with a proven, stable system. We will be using the software developed for the ConJosé art show. We anticipate being able to offer artists the option to pre-register artwork online which proved popular with artists last year and, from the administrative perspective, was very effective.

Bidding

A piece that receives 8 written bids will be sent to the voice auction on Sunday afternoon. In addition to setting a minimum bid, artists may also offer a higher Quick Sale and/or After Auction price for all or some pieces.

How To Reserve Space

First, read this information carefully.

Next, complete the space reservation form (PDF). Make a copy for your records.

Then 1. Make out your cheque or money order (in Canadian dollars or US equivalent) payable to Torcon 3. Mail your cheque, signed reservation form and stamped, self-addressed #10 (letter size) envelope to: 

Torcon 3 Art Show 
c/o Suzanne Robinson 
760 Lawrence Avenue West, TH#96 
Toronto, ON  M6A 3E7

Or

2. Use our online reservation form to reserve by credit card (VISA or Mastercard). Note that if you reserve space online, payment will be processed in Canadian dollars only (with the US dollar equivalent showing on your account).

Reservations will be processed on a first-come, first reserved basis. A confirmation notice will be sent to you immediately. The artist package, containing control and bid sheets and more detailed info (including the online advance check-in process) will be sent out in June.

Fee Schedule

Who are the Team Eh?

The Torcon 3 Art Show is brought to you by the Team Eh, a team of dedicated volunteers. Some of us are artists, all are art lovers. Our goal is to organize a first-class showcase for the science fiction and fantasy art of professionals and amateurs alike.

Suzanne Robinson and Sandi Campney, Co-Directors of the Torcon 3 Art Show, began working art shows in 1982 and 1988 respectively. They have organized, or volunteered in a senior staff capacity at five Worldcons and 2 World Fantasy Cons.

We are excited by the caliber of people who have offered to help run the Torcon 3 Art Show. If you wish to join us, send Suzanne an email at teameh@hotmail.com or leave a message at 416-781-1051.

Last updated: 16 August 2003

Send comments or suggestions to ArtShow@torcon3.on.ca