Dear Christine,
Ultimately, I suppose, a blockbuster fee, like any fee, is what the
presumed market will bear, but these fees are usually determined in advance
so that a purely borrowing institution (as opposed to a partner) knows what
they need to commit to the project. (And, too, like most things in life,
fees are to some limited extent negotiable.) As with all exhibitions, the
fee is arrived at by some esoteric logrithim that takes into account
innumerable factors that may or may not encompass staff time. Beyond that
a blockbuster, like any exhibition, might include such real costs as the
following items that spring to mind immediately:
guest curator honoraria
catalogue (which, if you self-publish, could also include editor & indexer
fees, for example, as well as design, etc., in addition to actual printing
costs)
other publications (same costs for brochures, etc., including invitations,
etc.)
intro panels, object labels, & other didactic materials (e.g., maps, photo
murals, etc)
crating
shipping
customs fees
loan fees
insurance (inevitably onorous, especially if you're in an area famous for
seismic activity!)
photography
conservation & framing
installation furniture (cases, pedestals, risers) + other decorative
embellishments for "atmosphere"
couriers
press packages and pr campaign
banner(s)
opening extravaganza
donor relations
In my opinion, however, the "blockbuster" label, I think, really derives
from the material itself-the fame & quality/merit of the subject (Vermeer),
its notoriety (King Tut) or relative popularity (Monet and more Monet) or
provenance (Treasures from the Hermitage) or extravegance (Fabrege), or the
magnitude of the undertaking combined with grand results (Treasures from
Dresden; Rome in the 18th Century). On the other hand and as with movie
hype, the label may simply reflect the hopes/expectations of the organizers
&/or the aspirations their pr firm & the ticketing agency!
Bernard Barryte
Hi all!
>
>Can someone please tell me the range of fees charged for so-called
>"blockbuster" traveling exhibits?
>
>If a "blockbuster" has a proven track records it can justify charging a
>higher fee than one in its first venue, so is the fee usually increased as
>an exhibit becomes more popular?
>
>How is the price set for such an exhibit in it's first venue? Is it what
>the market will bear?
>
>Thanks!
>
>Chris
>
>Christine Mouw
>Assistant Curator
>Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum
>West Branch, Iowa 52358
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------------
Bernard Barryte
Associate Director / Chief Curator
Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-5060
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tel: 650/ 725-0466 fax: 650/ 725-0464
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