Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Tips on navigating Collage Mania 2009

Collage Mania 2009, the Fiberart for a Cause fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, starts today! Since I've had some friends say they had a hard time finding information and art/artists on that website, here's some advice.

1) Be sure to scroll down each page to see the page-specific content. Many of the pages have some general graphics and links at the top that hide the content below.

2) Use Google's Advanced Search to find a specific artist or keyword. Enter "virginiaspiegel.com" in the box titled "Search within this domain or site" and "Collage Mania 2009 Collages" in the "phrase" box. Or just type it out in the Google search box with appropriate quotes and search syntax. For example,a search for submissions with "cat" in the title would be worded
cat "Collage Mania 2009 Collages" site:virginiaspiegel.com
The list of participating artists is here.

3) Read all the directions carefully because the process is somewhat convoluted. Behind the e-mailing and on-line donation, this is a non-automated system carried out by volunteers. You e-mail Virginia Spiegel telling her what you want to buy, and she e-mails you back to confirm that you were the first person to request that piece (or not). Then you make an on-line donation as directed. When the donation has been confirmed, your e-mail address is given to the artist whose piece you purchased so he or she can ship directly to you. This contact may not occur immediately. I was told I would be informed who (if anyone) purchased my piece after the fundraiser had ended (and presumably the dust had settled).

To quote Virginia Spiegel:
I choose the personal touch for both artists and patrons over computer efficiency. Collage Mania is not automated in any way and all transactions are handled by me personally. While this may not be the height of efficiency, it does ensure that 100% of the proceeds are donated to the American Cancer Society.

And all that artwork will remain on-line for future reference!

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