email etiquette, opinions please
 

A friend of mine ;) is having a three day exhibition of his sculpture, along with another artist who is showing photographs.

Some of the anouncements are being emailed. I happen to get a lot of emails from local galleries who do not supress their recipient lists.

How scummy, if at all, is it to gather these names and include them in *my friend's* email invite?

It seems a little sketchy to me, but then it isn't prawn, or viagra etc.

Just wondering.

Are these emails more likely to be other artists, or people with money who have signed up to receive information from the galleries about upcoming shows?

You're not going to be sending this stuff out every single goddamn day are you? Didn't think so.

G'head. Doing it just once won't make you addicted.

You're not a spammer.

Mass mailing has an unjustifiabily bad name. It's just mail, really.

(any of these making you feel better about it yet?)

Oh, and suppress your recipient list. Leave the campsite tidier than when you arrive. Also, that will help as far as those other gallery owners that you're inevitably sending to don't find out where you got your list ... art people are stupid and don't respond well to "it's your fault, you gave it to me" as an explanation.

I say don't do it. You're taking advantage of someone else's bad email etiquette. I've have my email address go out before on a wide broadcast receipt list for music union stuff, and have been deluged with people sending out an email "just once" to promote their band to a bunch of us industry folk.

I think it's rude.

you or your friend ought to get on myspace.com.. it's a really good venue for that sort of thing. if'n ya want a link I can send you one to a group that does some art stuff, then again it is Kansas

I think in this neck of the woods it is probably everyone who I (as in the gallery owner) knows. Most of the names I don't recognize, some of them I do, as in "oh yeah, that guy writes for the local rag, or that is the comissioner of the arts council etc." I presume some of the folks have coin, but most people who have coin seem to buy art as in investment and are too stupid to really know what they are looking at; they defer their judgement to a gallery owner they trust, or they make "safe" choices that no one will question.

more later, duty calls.

OK I'm back. We had an unauthorized mommy–biting–while–nursing followed by a peeing on the comforter incident. The susppect has been apprehended and is now drumming on a selection of stainless steel kitchen bowls chanting "bye bye" A sort of toddler gamelon, if you will.

The first paragraph sounded a little bitter, it was probably the result of too much tonic, not enough gin, in my G&T.

As usual, Wolf is the professional Voice of Reason® I especially like the last bit, a bit of boy scout wisdom paired with just a dash of John le Carre and a smidegeon of Zoolander.

ok more later, supper is on.

mmm. I forgot to mention the fragrant hint of sarcasm.

Yeah, that shit pisses me off too. Especially when your mother in law is completely computer illerate, is a Mary Kay zombie who forwards endless virus encrusted emails to everyone and his brother Joe, to the point where you start getting emails purportedly from yourself trying to sell yourself nigerian fee scam free viagra tablets to make you last all night.

Perhaps then I should send them out anyway with a little note at the top saying something like: "If you wish to stop receiveing these emails tell everyone you know to supress their recipient list and get a clue." This was brought to you courtesy of x, who does not supress, etc.

Ahh, but then I'd seem like a real asshole. hmm. back to the drawing board.

Leave out the disclaimer.

I stand by "you're not sending one out every week are you?"

The arts community in a particular community tends to be a fairly closed circle.

Now, you might include an "if you are not interested in notices of this type, please inform me" as well as an "if you are aquainted with anyone else who might enjoy this gallery show, feel free to forward."

Yo!

NOT scummy. Go ahead. Right on with all wolf's comments. Look, how many are we talking about here? hundredreds, thousands? it is conceivable that you'd've (is that a word? I know I say it...) been in contact with these people other wise? You know, like they're in your six degrees of separation raduis? Which they obviously ARE since you possess the email addressess in the first place.

Everybody get some level of unsolicited email. Yours is in their stream, if you choose to send. i say send the email and give them credit for being able ot manage their own inbox.

I have collected emails in this same way. I have used the emails too, for my own messages, but not in a bulk way like you're describing. I have had no qualms or bad reactions to the messages. Fire away.

No problem. Wolf is right on.

OK
I, errr ummm, my friend, will email with impugnity!

Maybe even you cellarites who weighed in positively. Not you Smooth.

Thanks

so, what's this friend's sculpture look like, eh?