Young artists left in limbo after gallery goes into ‘liquidation’
Aspiring artists say they haven’t been paid by a Wellington store owner and that they have been waiting for more than a year after selling works during a string of exhibitions.
Francine Besas said she was one of many artists repeatedly ignored by business owner Cherry Holahan of Matchbox Studios over payment for their exhibited and sold items.
When Stuff paid a visit to the shop, it was empty. Holahan said yesterday that the business – Matchbox Studios Ltd – was in liquidation. According to the Companies Office, the company was not in liquidation as of last night.
Holahan would not comment on the amount of money owed, nor the number of people affected by her closing the business, saying: ‘‘That’s between the liquidator and, it’s not public.’’
The studio was on upper Cuba St before its owner downsized, scrapping the adjoining gallery, and then relocated to the Left Bank off Cuba St at the end of last year.
When asked if Matchbox clients had been contacted about the store’s closure, Holahan said a ‘‘liquidator’’ would be in touch ‘‘in due course’’.
She was asked if she had received emails from artists which repeatedly asked her to finalise payments. She said ‘‘I get lots of emails. I do speak to people’’, before adding, ‘‘no comment’’.
In the six months leading up to the store’s closure, Holahan said 90 per cent of those who were owed had been paid but she acknowledged there were others who hadn’t received their money.
Closing the store was ‘‘more ethical’’ than continuing on and she had tried ‘‘everything’’. ‘‘We’ve closed due to overheads, rent, GST. We have fought over the last year or so to get back on top. I know it’s an unfortunate situation.’’
Besas’ show, Pigment, was held at the Cuba St shop’s adjoining gallery over March and April last year. Her watercolour paintings were works dedicated to her late grandmother and the Philippines, where Besas grew up.
She sold 18 pieces and had given up fighting for the money owed to her when she came across at least a dozen other artists whom she says were not paid or who got late or partial payments after their shows.
Besas did not know Matchbox Studios had gone into liquidation and had not received any response from Holahan since last October.
She said she lost money as a result of holding her first exhibition at Matchbox, having initially chosen the studio for its visibility and community feel.
Besas paid a $190 fee for the space, agreed to a 25 per cent commission and 15 per cent tax deduction on pieces sold during the show. Less than half of the $448.87 owed was paid following the exhibition’s closure.
‘‘It’s just been too difficult to get a hold of Cherry. It’s happened to so many people. I just didn’t know what else to do,’’ Besas added.
Ell Violet and Louise Beryl were both ‘‘graduate artists’’ when they exhibited at Matchbox. They said the lack of communication, and lack of or late payments by Holahan was ‘‘unprofessional’’.
Beryl said she was paid in December but the 10-month delay was not acceptable.
Violet has still not been paid after her January 2017 exhibition. Despite being owed less than $100, she wanted to speak out on principle because she said the business had advertised itself to struggling students.
Matchbox Studios’ terms and conditions said it would pay artists the amounts owed within 31 days of an exhibition closing.
The business opened in 2012.