Russian Visual Arts Project

TITLE: [Statute of the Association of Itinerant Art Exhibitions] (1)

AUTHOR: Association of Itinerant Art Exhibitions

Aim of the Association

1. The aim of the Association is: the organization, with appropriate permission, of itinerant art exhibitions in all the cities of the Empire, in forms which will: a) provide inhabitants of the provinces with an opportunity to acquaint themselves with Russian art and to follow its progress; b) develop a love of art in society; and c) facilitate the sale of artists' works.

2. To this end the Association may organize exhibitions and undertake the sale at them of both works of art and artistic publications, as well as photographs.

Membership of the Association

3. Only practising artists may be members of the Association.

4. Admission as member of the Association is carried out by a ballot on the candidate at the general assembly.

5. Members of the Association are obliged to put forward their paintings for exhibition to meet the deadlines set by the executive committee; furthermore, these paintings must not have been exhibited to the public previously.

Note: Works which have been exhibited anywhere previously may be accepted by the Association only in exceptional circumstances; that is, when such a work may significantly reinforce the quality of the exhibition and increase its proceeds.

6. The affairs of the Association are conducted by the general assembly of its members and the executive committee.

7. A general assembly takes place once a year at a time determined by the executive committee. A general assembly will additionally be called in all cases when demanded by 1/3 of the available number of members of the Association.

8. The general assembly a) reviews the annual budget presented by the executive committee; b) determines the number of members of the executive committee and their election; c) determines the time and place for the opening of exhibitions; d) selects staff to accompany exhibitions and sets their pay; e) checks the Association's books (incomings and outgoings); f) certifies its box receipts; g) conducts a general review of all activities of the executive committee.

9. All issues at the general assembly will be resolved by a majority of votes, conducted by ballot.

10. Members of the executive committee are selected from the membership of the Association for an annual term. The executive committee consists of two branches: the Petersburg branch and the Moscow branch. The location of the executive committee is that capital in which the greater number of members of the Association resides. In the event of an equal number of members in both capitals the general assembly decides the location of the executive committee.

11. Members of the Association who live in another city, and who cannot attend a meeting in person may vote by post, or may appoint another member of the Association to attend as proxy, having given notice of this beforehand.

12. The duties of the executive committee are: to set the exhibition itinerary; to locate premises for it; to supply instructions to those accompanying the exhibition; to provide a valuation of pictures as the basis for allocating profits between exhibitors; to acquire various objects needed for the exhibition; to set the price for entry to the exhibition; to set and issue grants to members of the Association; to keep the books; to provide storage for the cash-boxes and in general the administrative side of the organization and travel arrangements of the exhibition.

13. When an exhibition opens, the executive committee will determine which of the paintings it comprises may be released immediately to purchasers and which may be released only upon the exhibition's return to its place of departure.

14. The executive committee is permitted to issue grants to Association members in accordance with the recommendation of either of its branches.

15. Each branch has the right to accept works of art for exhibition, independently of the other.

16. In the executive committee, as in its separate branches, all matters are to be decided by a majority of votes conducted by ballot.

The Association Fund

17. The Association fund is formed from a) payments made for public entry to the exhibition; and b) a deduction of 5% from works and publications sold at its exhibitions.

18. A cashier is elected from the immediate milieu for the short-term maintenance of the Association fund and for the issuing of grants permitted by the executive committee.

19. At the close of an exhibition any profit remaining after expenditure on travel and organization, and after 5% has been deducted from the sale of goods, will be distributed amongst exhibitors in accordance with the valuation of their works as conducted by the executive committee. The sum provided for by the 5% deduction is set aside for grants to those members of the Association who do not have the opportunity to complete their works to deadline because of insufficiency of means.

20. During the exhibition's period of travel all works of art must be insured for a sum determined by the artists themselves.

21. A person appointed by the general assembly will accompany the exhibition for the period of travel, at the Association's expense. An assistant may be appointed to him where necessary, whom he himself will select. Both are fully answerable for the security of the finances and of the works of art, and must follow precisely all instructions given.

22. The sale price of a work of art accepted at an exhibition is set by the artist himself.

23. If experience indicates that any sort of alteration or addition to this statute is necessary, then, given the approval of the general assembly, confirmation of these will be sought in the established order.

24. In the event of the liquidation of the Association's activities, and of the fulfillment of all financial obligations on the part of the Association, the fund will be allocated amongst present and former members of the Association in accordance with the amount received from each of them of the 5% payment to the fund.

Publication permitted. St Petersburg 23 November 1870. Typography, lithography by A. Munster, Vasilevskii ostrov, 2 L., No. 7.