Art Galleries?
JillJilyJabadoo-PGO
Posts: 1,082 ✭✭✭✭✭
Has there ever been guidance on art galleries? (Buildings selling the art instead of only displaying it.) I came across one in review and wasn't sure, so I skipped it.
Has there ever been guidance on art galleries? (Buildings selling the art instead of only displaying it.) I came across one in review and wasn't sure, so I skipped it.
Comments
They are eligible. Galleries are specifically listed as one of the examples under the "A great place to explore" on the criteria page.
Thanks! My brain just read that as museums and ignored the "and galleries" part.
Public Art Galleries - museum type / come in and see the art - fine.
Commercial Art Galleries - come in and buy the painting - generic business - needs a good reason to be accepted.
So in this case, galleries is an example of "has to pass the rejection criteria, not just meet acceptance criteria"? This one looked more like a store, with the art presented as commodities rather than art, which is why I was unsure.
While I agree that the submitter should provide as much support as possible, I can't really think of many actual "commercial art galleries" that wouldn't be acceptable. Note that I say "actual" to cover those cases where a so-called "art gallery" is really just selling decorations or souvenirs--I wouldn't consider such places to be "art galleries" in the first place. But if it's displaying and selling original art, it should be acceptable in my opinion.
The problem arises from the fact that most commercial "come in and buy a painting" type businesses normally call their shop or showroom a "Gallery". It's one of those magic "Niantic Waypoint Trigger Words", things that are mentioned in the various criteria that can actually cover a range of very different circumstances. The presence of one of these words (eg Gallery, Gym, Park, Trail Marker) are taken by some people to mean that anything with one of these words in the title or description must automatically be given a 5* acceptance rating, without any need to be run past the various acceptance and rejection criteria.
Maybe I just haven't been to enough art "galleries" then, but I'm still having trouble imagining the type of "come in and buy a painting" establishment that I wouldn't say is generally acceptable under the exploration criteria.
@flatmatt-PGO This is the one that prompted my question: https://www.nativevisions.com/
Ar first, I was definitely going to reject it because it just looked like a home decor store from the submission. I googled the gallery and found that it actually did sell original art, so then I decided to skip and come ask here.
A very commercial shop and website. Do people organise coach trips to go to this "gallery". I very much doubt it. For me - generic business.
My local charity shop / thrift shop has a lot of paintings for sale - in this case could this be called a "Gallery" because it sells paintings too.
See, the store posted by @JillJilyJabadoo-PGO looks like an easy accept to me. Sells original art, and by doing so showcases cultural works. "Tells the unique story about a place, its history, its cultural meaning, or teaches us about the community we live in" (even if that place in this case happens to be across the ocean).
A thrift store that happens to sell random donated works of art is hardly what I'd classify as a "gallery," which is why I tried to make a distinction above. If there were a thrift store that *only* sold art, then perhaps that would be okay (it would probably depend on the particulars of the store in that case).
For those curious, I just reviewed the nomination the nomination that spawned this thread:
PS: @JillJilyJabadoo-PGO, if you are local to FL and are on Discord, we have a Discord group for Florida submitters and reviewers that you may be interested in joining. Let me know and we can work that out.
They host social events, meet up with Artist, host charity events and more. Not a generic business, a great place to socialize and has been open for 35+ years and at their current location since 2015. Also I believe I read somewhere that art would be considered culturally relevant? (I know call me crazy😝) so this is a very poor description of what an art gallery is. Comparing this to a thrift shop that has some hand me down paintings for sale on the wall is a terrible analogy.
10/10 should be accepted.
That is exactly the one. :-)
I'm just in the area visiting family, but thanks for the invite to the Discord.
I would like to join
Pretty much every commercial art gallery I have ever been to just lets you walk around and look at the art even if you are obviously not going to buy anything. Still not much different from an art museum except the gallery doesn't charge you admission.
I’m curious if this line of thinking could apply to pet stores. Over the years I have used pet stores like a free zoo: I take my kids there to see the fish, birds, lizards, mice, etc.
At some point you are going to hit "Generic Business". Taken to the extreme, the addition of any singnage saying "Gallery" would make any Waypoint eligible. Either Niantic give clarification on this point, or once again, it is "left up to the community" - Reviewing Wayspot nominations involves your good judgement. There is no single set of rules or person who can tell a community in black and white what places are important where others are not.
I'll echo what @sogNinjaman-ING says.
For me: I'd say Art Gallery is eligible under explore and find art. But a pet store is not under explore and find animals.
Art is more directly tied to the Explore Criteria then seeing Animals are, and that makes it tip over the "Grey Line" between Yes / No.
Restaurants are a clear example of "Grey Line" existing. Judgement calls happen all the time on them between Yes (Explore/Gather worthy) and No (Generic Business)
I'll even go a step further and say we sometimes have clarifications and Niantic posts that further reinforce the idea of a line. There was a thread talking about how even a chain coffee shop might be eligible in a small town where it is important gather point to that community.
Art itself is often nominated and accepted. Murals outside and inside of buildings are often considered high quality submissions. I've had people on this forum suggest submitting unique artwork inside restaurant, instead of the restaurant itself as they think it would make a better candidate. So the question is why would a well established business dedicated to showcasing art make a for a less effective POI then art itself?
Also I think it depends on the Pet store. For example we have a Pet Store in town that specializes in exotic pets and fish. During the summer they have an alligator on premise that you can actually pay to feed. (I live in the Northeast so an alligator is not an everyday event). I think that pet store would make a fine nomination. My local PetSmart.... not so much.