Museum-Quality Reproductions and Membership Discounts Taken from the Artist

[Harriete E Berman]

In a daily experience filled with political pretense and lies, the suggestion that a renown museum sells "museum-quality reproductions" "starting at $30" is mind blowing fake. Imagine the museum advertisement testifies that this is "custom Art on Demand reproduction from the exhibition" when in fact it is another piece of trash not even worth what you pay for it.

Anyone ever wonder about this and all the other junk in the Gift shop?

I can't seem to recover from the misrepresentation. It seems more egregious in this political turmoil of Circular Logic, Alternative Facts and Web of Lies.

Here is another one. Even more sensitive.

Many of the nationally known museums in my area have featured sales that offer membership discounts for the artist made work being sold, yet the "membership discount" is taken from the artist's half of the retail price.

It seems like a misrepresentation to the member. Do they realize that the museum is not offering a discount to the retail price?  Instead the discount is given the by artist/maker. 

Thoughts?

[2Roses]

Discounts commoditize the product being offered. Completely inappropriate and counter-productive (for the artist) for artwork being sold in a retail environment.  That said, why on earth would the artist agree to pay the museum an additional fee to discount their work and pay them less for it? ALL of the benefits of this sales tactic accrue to the museum, and the artist is left paying the bill. This is simply another example of how art institutions are exploiting artist's lack of business sense for self-serving purposes. Demand that institutions and shops that carry your work act as the responsible business partners they are supposed to be. This is why artists should use contracts with well thought out terms and conditions - one of which should cover discounts offered by the venue. 

[Brigitte Martin]

Exactly what you just said, Harriete!! Totally agree.

Also, to clarify my comment from earlier: I am generally NOT a fan of discounts, especially not across-the-board ones without any discrimination. It gives customers the impression that the prices were wrong to begin with and they feel empowered to haggle with people who usually have no room to haggle.

If any discounts are ever considered at all, I believe that should be done on a case-by-case basis and with the artist's approval. In those cases (and those cases alone) the 50/50 split is fair.

[Harriete E Berman]

I wonder why the "membership discount" in this example comes out of the artists' pocket at all as it is promoted as a benefit of membership to the museum. In other words, this is supposed to be a perk to the member, not a discount from the artist.

[Brigitte Martin]

Imho any discounts offered should be split 50/50, but apparently that's not how it works in real life. Appalling.