Eurofurence's Art Show traditionally supports furry artists by giving them a place to display their original works to the public, and possibly sell art.

The Art Show is not a commercial event for the convention, or a means for Eurofurence to make money. It is an open platform for the benefit of furry art. It is, however, also a major event on Eurofurence for the convention's guests to view furry artwork in its original form with all the detail and all the color that the ubiquitous internet platforms do not show.

Since the Show is a physical place, it is naturally limited and requires signup and registration. Of course you need to bring physical artwork... your laptop and a monitor just won't do.

Eurofurence respects artistic freedom and expression. Since the show is a very visible and representative part of the convention (and also subjected to strict German laws), though, we need to put a few limits on the topics that can be displayed.

The complete guidelines for participation are laid out on this page. These should not be considered enforcable laws, though. The Art Show managers have the final word in all affairs of the Show. While the managers try to establish and maintain a good working relationship with all artists, time constraints at the convention will not allow lengthy discussions. Don't worry, they are not crazy dictators. (Or maybe they are, but you can still talk to them.) Play nice and in an adult manner, and they will do the same.

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Traditionally, Eurofurence sends out invitations to artists who may be interested in participating. However, getting such an invitation is not a requirement - the managers can't know every artists around. If you think your art deserves a space in the Art Show, then by all means register for a panel in the Show.

There are no official minimum quality requirements for artwork (those would be hard to formulate and to maintain, anyway). If you're a newcomer to an art show, we do recommend that you have a good hard look at your art, though, and decide whether it is of suitable quality to be on display in the Show. The Art Show is no actual contest, but you will inevitably be measured up against other artists by the con's patrons.

The emphasis of the Art Show is on art that you created yourself. This is an artist's event. In certain cases, we allow you to display artwork from others, for example if you want to show original art you have commissioned. However, this should be limited to artwork which is rarely seen and would not be available for public viewing otherwise. We may limit the number of panels for this kind of display.

Of course you can act as an agent for artists who are not able to attend, or appoint such an agent who will display your art for you. This is perfectly fine, see below.

If you are in doubt regarding your participation or the suitability of your artwork, don't hesitate to ask the Art Show managers.

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The good news: The EF Art Show is for free. Eurofurence offers the Art Show as a complimentary service to artists. We do not charge a fee for panels, and we do not charge a percentage of the sales. The Art Show is financed by Eurofurence. If you want to support it - become a sponsor!

Of course, that's only half of the story. Eurofurence never acts as the owner of the artwork. It just handles the art for you, and provides the necessary space, panels, and security personnel. That means:

1. There is no insurance involved. Of course there is security present to guard the Art Show, as with any other show, who will immediately intervene in questionable situations. There is a computer system to keep track of exhibits. And of course the managers will help you identifying the perpetrator in any case of damaged artwork. However, the Art Show cannot be held accountable for matters of actual theft, vandalism, or simple accidents. It is up to you to file claims against identified or unidentified offenders.

2. The cost for getting art to and from the Art Show are not covered. If you send artwork by mail, both the postage for sending it and for returning the unsold art has to be paid by you.

3. Eurofurence just arranges sales between artists and buyers. Any financial obligations resulting from those sales (like taxes) have to be managed and fulfilled by you. You do not enter a sales contract with Eurofurence or the Eurofurence Art Show, but with the buyer.

4. The art has to be prepared for display before getting it to the Art Show at your own cost (which should be self-evident, actually). Eurofurence provides panels and hooks for hanging the art, but no further materials (like frames) will be available. If your art needs special arrangements for hanging, you need to clear the requirements with the managers beforehand.

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Write a mail to the Art Show managers under this address. Please include:

• Your full name and snailmail address
• Your registration/badge number (or that of your agent) if available
• Contact information: Email address and/or phone number
• If you represent other artists: Their real names and fan names (if you just bring along art from others that you own yourself, we don't need to know)
• For yourself and every artist you represent: The maximum age rating of your work (nice, nude, naughty, XXX, see below) and the number of "pre-order" panels/tables and "overbooked" panels (see below) each of you would like to have.

(For example, the standard case would be: I am X YZ, alias ABCFox, address ..., phone number ..., email ..., and I would like to reserve 2 panels for myself, and 1 overbooked panel if available, in the Naughty area.)

You will receive a confirmation mail. As soon as the online registration system for artwork has been set up, you will get your password and user name, so you can begin entering artwork online.

The number of panels you would like to request can be viewed and changed later through the online database.

You can include any question about the Art Show with your registration, we will read each and every mail.

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There are some requirements regarding artwork for display, both technical and content related. Since some of these rules are enforced by law, it is necessary to know them.

1. The general topic is "furry". That makes some kind of animal connection mandatory. Art that features just humans is not furry (even if you count the fact that humans are animals too). Art that features brave little toasters is not furry (even if it is "anthropomorphic" in the sense of the word). Your scratchbuilt X-Wing may be very impressive and display-worthy, but it's not on-topic. Wildlife/animal art is permitted. And yes, centaurs are allowed too.

2. Any medium is acceptable (unless it's perishable...): watercolor, oils, pastels, pencils, clay sculptures, glass etchings, plush characters, whatever. If it's large or requires special support/hanging, check with the managers first whether it is physically possible to display. For three-dimensional art, you will need to request tables instead of panels!

3. If you are using photography as your medium, be it as art in itself or to display other works that would be impossible to show otherwise, like fursuits or large self-made plushies, the photo in itself must have artistic quality. We will not display low-resolution snapshots from a sunday at the zoo. Check with the managers whether your photography is displayable. Like all other art, photography must be framed.

4. If you use 2D/3D computer graphics (still rendering / animation), the rendering (including modeling) must have artistic quality. We will not display slightly modified Poser models or Second Life screenshots. Like all other art, computer graphics must be framed.

5. We distinguish between original art, hand-colored prints, limited prints, and unlimited prints (referring to the physical exhibit). Of course, we prefer original artwork for display, and discourage the display of unlimited prints (the Dealers' Den is the proper place for selling unlimited prints). Photography, 3D computer graphics, and pure computer media (drawn by graphics tablet in Photoshop et al.) count as (limited) prints, since there is no physical original.
For all prints a minimum printing quality is required. Washed-out low-resolution copies of artifact-riddled jpg images are not fit for display.

6. Due to German law, absolutely no Nazi symbols are allowed. That means no swastika, no SS runes, no Third Reich flags.

7. No excessive violence and cruelty (even in non-sexual context). Violence in general is allowed on a reasonable level, including blood, gore, killing, or hunting. If you are in doubt about that rule, show the picture to the Art Show managers first.

8. No depictions of rape or other non-consentual violence in combination with sexual content. Bondage or sub/dom depictions are allowed. Consentual sex of any kind, regardless of species and gender, is allowed (unless covered by the rules below).

9. No pedophilia / "cub porn". We are aware that this is a difficult rule since the actual age of drawn characters is hard to guess, especially with furry characters of different species or cartoony, "childlike" designs. Appearances count; characters with a very childlike appearance, underdeveloped genitals, and/or baby face may be considered "children" in the context of this rule.

10. No zoophilia / sodomy / bestiality involving humans or largely human-like characters (e.g. anime catgirls , elfs, or centaurs) with animals or largely non-morphic furries (four-legged) is allowed. Other species-transcending sexual activity is generally allowed.

11. Toilet activities are discouraged. That includes scat, watersports, adult diapers in use, or vomit. We do not exclude that content, but we do appeal to your sensitivity and common sense in showing excretional fetish work, which may not be suitable for a wide and varied public.

12. We like artists to display their own characters and creations. If you use other people's characters, you should ask for the approval of the creator; it's the polite thing to do. Please avoid the use of characters created by large companies. Again, we do not exclude that content, since it is allowed in the context of parodies or derivative artistic work, but you need to make sure that you don't violate any trademark or copyright laws.

Regardless of rules, the Art Show managers have the final say in what is allowed and what's not. Note that despite of all those rules, the Eurofurence Art Show allows a lot of explicit, adult, or even fetish artwork. To avoid conflicts about objectionable and offensive artwork, the managers reserve the right to refuse displaying single pieces of art.

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Since some guests of Eurofurence may not want to look at the more adult part of the show, and some "clean" artists may not feel comfortable to be displayed next to explicit artwork, the show will roughly be divided into "zones", with the most adult zone being farthest away from the entrance. That way, any visitor can decide by him/herself how far to proceed, and artists don't need to worry about what will be displayed on the panels next to his.

To prepare the setup, an artist will be asked at registration for the rating of the most adult content of his or her displayed work. The artist's panels will then be placed in that area. A separation of panel space is possible (but not required) if the artist has some adult and some clean artwork and wants to place the art appropriately. (If the artist wants to keep his/her panels together, all of the artist's work will be placed in the more adult area.)

Since artists may cancel or apply for a panel up to the last moment, we cannot guarantee the mix of panels or the neighborhood an artist will end up in, but we will try our best.

For security reasons, there will be no physical separation between the areas. The panels will be marked as belonging to one of four zones:

1. Nice: no nudity or violence, clean art only, "G-rated", kid-safe
2. Nude: Tasteful nudity, moderate or cartoony violence
3. Naughty: Lewd nudity (male erection, sexual posing), direct sexual activity, violence, death/dying
4. XXX: Hardcore and fetish work, just-barely-permittable violence

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The Eurofurence Art Show provides panels and hooks for hanging art. The panels are sturdy wooden constructs with predrilled pegboard sides where hooks can be inserted. All panels are usable from both sides.

The managers lay out the panels in the room to meet a number of requirements. The artists will not be able to request a certain layout. Panels are assigned.

To hang artwork, it must have a tab at the backside which fits the hooks. Please note that commercially available frames may come with tabs or holders that do not fit these hooks because they are designed for screws or nails. Eurofurence tries to make different hooks and additional clamp holders available; these will be on hand in limited numbers only, though. It is forbidden to paste the artwork to the panel with sticky tape; this will ruin both the panel and the artwork.

Flat art (images, drawings, paintings) for the Art Show must be framed, matted, or mounted by the artist. A piece of low-quality cardboard does not count as a mat. A clear plastic binder is not a frame. Please, show your artwork some respect by giving it the proper framing treatment. The minimum frame is a cheap and simple glass frame; however, we recommend matted art because it is lighter and easier to transport.

For identification purposes, the art must bear a sticker on the reverse side stating the artist's or agent's name and the name of the piece.

Panels may be reserved in 3 sizes:

• A large panel will be 2m by 1m
• a half panel will be 1m by 1m
• Small (Quarter panel): 0.5m by 1m

Please remember that the space you reserve must include any clearance between pieces, including space for their (attached) bid sheets. Your artwork may not extend beyond the edge of any panel (except perhaps the lower edge); it may not interfere with any works displayed by other artists.

If you have never done this before, you can try the layout for your art at home: Arrange your framed and matted pieces on the floor, and try out what looks best. This will give you an idea of how much panel space you need to reserve. Look here for a sketch with example sizes: Panel layout

The panels are sturdy and large enough for most purposes. If you have extremely large pieces of art where a full panel would not suffice to hang it, or extremely heavy framing (wood frame and glass) you need two people to lift, please contact the managers immediately so something can be worked out for that kind of artwork.

If you have three-dimensional artwork to display, you need a table instead of (or in addition to) a panel. The online registration will allow you to request tables. Since the tables are provided by the location, the size of the tables has not yet been determined. We assume a minimum size of 80cm x 120cm, but please be prepared to change your setup according to final measurements.

The Eurofurence Art Show managers will try to fulfill all your needs in displaying your work. However, they cannot read minds, and not all requirements can be met on-site, so if you plan something special, get in contact with them as soon as possible.

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The online system also handles reservations of panels and tables. The panel reservation is complex, so here's a short introduction:

There are two kinds of panel reservations.

• "Pre-order" panels - these have a limit of two per artist, but are "safe" - if we confirm your reservation, no one can take them away from you later.
• "Overbooked" panels - these are additional panels you would like to have. We can not guarantee that we will have those panels available, because naturally the total number of panels is limited.

So, you can request up to two "pre-order" panels up front, for each artist you represent, including yourself. For example, if you bring a friend's art to the con if that friend cannot attend, you can request a maximum of four panels. These panels are guaranteed to be available at the show (disaster excluded).

Since these pre-order panels are limited, please try to get a realistic estimate of how many panels you will need. Once those pre-order panels are gone, this option will no longer be open, and you can order only "overbooked" panels from then on.

But if these "overbooked" panels are not guaranteed, what good are they at all?

That's a good question, but easily answered. "Overbooked" panels serve a triple purpose.

• First, they give us an estimate of how many panels are desired by artists. If we can see that many people want many more panels, we may decide to build new ones, if possible.
• Second, at the deadline for Art Show registration, we will have a look at the remaining panels which have not been reserved as "pre-order" panels, and distribute them among all the artists who have ordered "overbooked" panels. So yes, you can indeed get more than two panels. The number of overbooked panels you ordered will give us a hint how much art you expect to display. No need to assign you surplus panels if you don't need them at all!
• Third, no one knows before the con how things turn out. Artist A may bring less art than expected, and returns panel space to us. Artist B may bring more art. So, "overbooked" panels may be reassigned even at the con!

After the deadline, the "overbooked" pool is most likely gone. You may still decide to register, or to bring more art than your panels can hold, hoping for panels that are freed at the last moment (see why we call it overbooking?) but your chances of success solely depend on how much panels there are in total, and how many artists bring less art than expected. Once the deadline is over, the "overbooked" panels are distributed, and will not be taken away from the artists. You may still get a panel, even if you have not registered, but only if another artist returns a panel, or if there was a huge surplus of panels in the first place.

Please use the overbooking system - just like the pre-order system - with a realistic estimate. This will give us a chance to learn about the actual demand for panel space, and if necessary, to build more panels, as far as the floor space allows.

If you reserve more panels than you need and discover this early on, you can give back reserved panels through the online database. If you know only at the con that you don't need all your space, tell the managers so the panels can be reassigned. It is not possible to give your space to someone else in person, since that may lead to an unfair panel distribution. Panels must be officially redistributed. That includes panels you reserved for friends that you represent at the con - if those friends do not use all of their panel space, you cannot simply take that space for yourself; it must be returned to the Art Show pool.

The Art Show managers will try to give everyone a fair chance at a panel. Therefore, at the registration deadline, overbooked panels will be given first to people who don't yet have a panel at all, and last to candidates who already have two pre-order panels. However, the number of total panels per artist is not limited - if there is a high number of drop-outs and only few overbooking requests, an artist has the chance to get four or five panels.

For tables, there is no overbooking system. Since only a few people need tables instead of panels, tables will be set up as needed. Note that you need to register your tables early, because once the Art Show room layout has been determined, we may not be able to add tables!

We strive to keep artists informed about how many pre-order panels are booked, how many panels are available, and how high the overbooking rate is. This too will be communicated through the online system.

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As soon as the online art database is up, you will receive a mail with your password and account data. Through the online system, you can enter your art data and create and print bidsheets. This data will also help us in the administration of the Art Show: it is the basic information on how many art we have, to whom it belongs, and how it is supposed to be handled.

You will also be able to change personal data and panel reservation data through this database.

Through that system, your receipts will be printed and your revenue will be calculated. Any data that is not entered before the con has to be entered at the con, which takes a lot of time. If you can, please register your art online, and help reduce waiting times at the con. If we have your data on file already, artwork registration can be handled more efficiently.

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The Art Show allows you to sell your art. Please note that the show doesn't buy art, or sell art to bidders. The Art Show acts exclusively as a mediator in a contract between artist/owner and buyer.

Each piece of art will have a bidsheet attached (or have it hanging next to the piece) which provides information on the artwork, the artist, and more. The bidsheet is used for identification of the art, and for purchasing art. A piece of art is marked as "not for sale" by a special no-sale bidsheet that does not provide the purchase-related part.

If you don't want to sell your art, you simply use the no-sale bidsheet. This sheet still gives the visitor all necessary information about the art and the artist, but does not set a price or allow to bid on this piece.

If you want to sell your art, you use the sales bidsheet. Here, you need to state a minimum price, which is essentially the smallest sum you want to sell the piece for.

Bidsheets are available through the online database. If you do not have a printer available, you may print them at the convention; however, it is recommended that you print bidsheets before the con to avoid waiting times.

Visitors of the art show may bid on "for sale" pieces by writing their bid onto the corresponding bidsheet. The bid must meet the minimum price. The piece is sold to the highest bid at the end of the show. If six bids are offered, the piece will be sold in the art show auction, which is a voice auction, and has no bidding limits.

After the auction (at a time to be announced at the convention), the art will be handed out to the customers, the money will be collected and finally given to the artists/owners. This is done for practical reasons: Eurofurence does not act as a buyer or reseller. The artists will receive the data of their buyers to finalize the contract. Eurofurence will try to mediate in cases of problematic purchase, but it is up to the artist to verify and claim their money.

Unsold pieces (having no bid) or "Not for sale" pieces are returned to the owner at the end of the art show.

Please note that any and all additional obligation like sales tax or income tax declarations have to be fulfilled by the artist/owner. Eurofurence assumes that the transactions are handled as private sales. If you are a (commercial) full-time artist, you may be required to file these sales properly, and to hand out receipts to the customers.

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The choice of a good minimum price is crucial for the sales. If your minimum is too low, you will be disappointed if the art sells for just that sum. If your minimum is too high, you may need to take it back because no one is willing to pay that price.

Some artists have tried to get their art into the auction by choosing very low minimum bids, since art in the auction may yield a higher price than in the regular bidding. However, in many cases that art still does not get the necessary number of bids to send it to the auction, and is sold for a low bid.

The Art Show managers cannot offer advice in choosing the minimum bid, since the buying behavior of the Eurofurence patrons often varies. Generally, you should ask yourself whether you really want to part with this piece for that minimum price, and still be comfortable with it. This depends largely on how you see your art: as a source to make prints from, as lovingly created unicates, as advertising for your commissions, as leisurely hobby, or as additional income.

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There are essentially three ways to get the art to Eurofurence. The first and most simple is: you get to the con yourself, and bring the art along. You can handle and hang the artwork yourself, so you are in control of the whole process.

The second is: Give the art to an agent. The agent is someone who will handle the whole process for you, if you cannot attend. He or she will hang the art, and receive the money for it. (Alternatively, the agent can just hand over the art to the Art Show managers, who will hang the art and transfer the money after the con, so the agent doesn't need to be involved with the process.)

The third and most complicated way is to mail the artwork to the Art Show managers beforehand. You need to bear the costs of the mailing yourself; since the Art Show is a free service, it cannot pay for you. You should consider that you may not sell your art, and that all of it may need to be shipped back in the worst case, which will generate additional postage cost. In addition, you should think about an insured shipping, since Eurofurence offers no insurance at all.

In that case, please contact the managers as early as possible to make sure that the artwork is shipped on time.

If you bring along artwork for others, this does not impair your own standing at the con. You still get the full number of panels; the panels of the artists you act as an agent for are added to your own. (You cannot, however, distribute that summed-up panel space as you like; if any of those artists does not require his or her full space, this surplus needs to be reassigned by the Art Show managers.)

If you bring along artwork from a lot of people who each have only one or two pictures, you can lump them all together and ask for a single panel set for them, which is subsequently treated as one request.

You can also bring art that you own, display and/or sell it, even if you are not the artist (under the caveats stated above). Since you are the owner, you can handle the art as you see fit, unless you have bought that art under different conditions.

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