[[category:Art Show]]
 
[[category:Art Show]]
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[[category:Finance]]
    
=Art Show Financial Arrangements=
 
=Art Show Financial Arrangements=
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==Separate accounting & money==
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==Separate accounting & money==
 
Money taken for art must be paid to the artists, and not diverted for other convention expenses.  The convention takes its cut after the artists are paid and money taken on behalf of artists may not be diverted.
 
Money taken for art must be paid to the artists, and not diverted for other convention expenses.  The convention takes its cut after the artists are paid and money taken on behalf of artists may not be diverted.
    
Most conventions are run by amateurs – sometimes badly.  Giving the art show a separate checking account will prevent the convention from accidentally spending money that should have gone to artists.  This is only a problem when the convention is going broke - money is fungible (fungible: one dollar looks like another.  Registration and art show dollars are interchangeable until you run out of them).  It will not stop the convention from ''deliberately'' raiding the artists’ money.  Only honesty and common sense can prevent that.
 
Most conventions are run by amateurs – sometimes badly.  Giving the art show a separate checking account will prevent the convention from accidentally spending money that should have gone to artists.  This is only a problem when the convention is going broke - money is fungible (fungible: one dollar looks like another.  Registration and art show dollars are interchangeable until you run out of them).  It will not stop the convention from ''deliberately'' raiding the artists’ money.  Only honesty and common sense can prevent that.
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Despite what [[ASFA]]'s art show guidelines may state, a well-run convention with decent accounting procedures usually has no need for a separate account.  On the other hand, it doesn’t cost much.
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Despite what [[ASFA]]'s art show guidelines may state, a well-run convention with decent accounting procedures usually has no need for a separate account.  On the other hand, it doesn’t cost much and it's better than bad accounting with no separation.  One size doesn't fit all. Some cons should definitely have only one account and some should definitely have two, but most could go either way.
    
===Advantages of a separate account:===
 
===Advantages of a separate account:===
* Easier to separate art show expenses from other expenses.  If you have good accounting practices you shouldn't need this; if you don't...
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* Easier to separate art show expenses from other expenses.  If you have good accounting practices you shouldn't need this; if you don't, it may help.
 
* It may satisfy legal requirements in some jurisdictions (e.g., VAT problems in England, possible escrow account requirements in some states).
 
* It may satisfy legal requirements in some jurisdictions (e.g., VAT problems in England, possible escrow account requirements in some states).
 
* Can't accidentally spend artists' money on other expenses (this is only a problem when the convention is in financial trouble).
 
* Can't accidentally spend artists' money on other expenses (this is only a problem when the convention is in financial trouble).
 
===Disadvantages:===
 
===Disadvantages:===
 
* It allows cons to hide bad accounting practices, rather than fix them.  "We've fixed it so that when the con collapses, the artists still get paid" is a start, but it would be better to fix the accounting so the con won't collapse.
 
* It allows cons to hide bad accounting practices, rather than fix them.  "We've fixed it so that when the con collapses, the artists still get paid" is a start, but it would be better to fix the accounting so the con won't collapse.