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Statement about association with WAF
Some time back, I saw a message on Facebook offering a certain number of artists a showing at the World Art Exhibition in California. Called the World Art Expo 2009.
We, the artists, were told that the place at the exhibition was to cost $500 but, for a certain number of artists (500 I believe), this cost would be paid for by sponsors, and as such would be free for the chosen artists.
I sent a link to my work and was contacted almost immediately with the news that I had been chosen. Well, you can imagine how happy I was !! I think I went bragging on every site I belonged to 
So, a free place in an International exhibition with my work ‘Garden Well’.
Unfortunately I had to pay to have the work printed, framed, and shipped out there as the sponsorship didnt cover it, and I had no money at the time so sent a tiny, and I mean tiny framed print over.
An artist I knew, from another site, was curating as he lived nearby and had been asked, and he looked out for the work for me but didnt see it but, as he said, there were a great many paintings there and mine was very small.
When the expo was over I was quite upset as I never saw my work up but there were plenty of photos of some of the work up and of the party held.
I was slightly annoyed when asked to pay over $20 admin for someone to find my work to ship back to me (the shipping which I also had to pay for) and I refused to pay. They said I could GIVE my work to the WAF or to charity. I said charity although I never found out which charity my work went for.
I also paid $30 to have a page on their website to show off my art. We were also invited to join their groups on FB and elsewhere as exhibited members.
That is the full extent of my involvement with WAF. I never saw any money, that was just an exhibit space I received for the $500 sponsorship, and we were told this at the start, and I paid out money for the work itself to be printed and framed, and to ship there. I lost the work as I couldnt afford to get it back.
Now to the present.
A group of people are accusing the artists involved in the expo (including myself) of receiving $500 each and of being part of a giant fraud.
I can categorically state that the above post is the full extent of any dealing held with WAF and that any legal entities wishing to check this out are welcome.
This is a statement if you like, as I do not like being accused by faceless people of falsehoods. As most of the members who have known me a long time can testify, I have always been up front about any dealings I have had, sometimes to my detriment.
I, nor this site, are in any way affiliated with WAF. We HAVE however been members of a site that showed me at the Expo.
Now I am being told there was no Expo at all and that I was ripped off.
To be honest I know not who is telling the truth, WAF or the people saying it never happened. I may never find out but I wanted you, my friends, members and readers to know my side of the story.
If any other artist that also answered this call for artists would like to come here and say what happened to them I would be grateful.
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Thank you for the heads up 1st Angel.
I have always passed Call’s for Art that cost large amounts of money or I would have to pay to have prints made via their vender. I can’t afford either and I have a feeling most Artist also have this issue.
I have no idea if the allegations are true or not. I do know that I have been accused of being involved when, if anything, I lost money. I did receive the webpage though so there is that in WAF’s favour. A friend also said they were AT the Expo so am unsure how that means there wasnt one.
I know the people involved in slagging me off just got my name off the ARTISTS list by Googling me, and that WAF themselves had stated we received $500 which is blatantly untrue. We received $500 worth of space at the exhibit.
These people only had to ask the artists and I am sure we would all have told them this. They didnt contact us however, they have just put my name everywhere as being part of a fraud I knew nothing about.
Anyone interested may wish to read the other side, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50797513402
I just don’t know what is wrong with people now a days? They don’t read what is in front of them or do any kind of research, before writting or opening their mouths.
Sadly,, I have had people in the past when I bred sheep do this to me. So I kind’a know how you feel.
It took a lawyers letter to shut them up. Of course that same person was good at harassing other people in the past I found out, so I wasn’t the only one.
Can you contact the web sites where they are posting the slander and get it removed?
Well, I would like to thank the people that started by slagging me off so badly. Firstly they have removed the offending post, and secondly they apologised stating that they were just really upset (as I am quite aware of LOL)
The did bring my attention to this and I thank them for that. I DO wish they had contacted me direct instead of just accusing, I could have told them immediately what the score was. I really hope that no damage has been done to my reputation as that obviously is very important to me.
I must also add that I am VERY upset over all of this especially finding out just how many artists are saying they have been ripped off, and if true, this means my art never went to a charity but helped line someone elses pockets!! I also paid out good money for my art that seems to have gone into a room where only members of WAF were drinking wine and there never was in fact an exhbition in this room at all!
So if a member of WAF is reading this, I would like to know the charity my artwork went to please. It must be a registered one obviously. Thank you.
I am just now learning about this in the first place, I was shocked by the initial Slam Posting yesterday, and can see that apparently clear heads have prevailed, and with considerable dignity. Beth, I think that any damage (if any) to your enviable reputation should be nullified by your thorough explanation of an unfortunate occurance. And I’m sad that artists were ripped off, being a struggling artist myself.
Elizabeth, there were those of us that had spoken out about this scam since early spring. We had exposed it ad infinitum. You were an eartly supporter of the WAF, and like many, you did not believe in our warnings. I am glad however that you finally seen what this is all about. One of the greatest supporters of the WAF, renown Turkish-Canadian Artist Eser Afacan had what I called an “epiphany”, following the Expo 2009. He had several pieces in there, but now claims he lost nearly $ 20,000.– to this scam in expenses. He described it as “the greatest art scandal the world has ever seen”. This is the very same Eser Afacan that had written glowing statements about the WAF on their websites testimonial page. The same that was also the group creator for WAF Turkey, and the one they talked about after the Expo that “all eyes are now on Istanbul” – the supposed venue for Expo 2010. Needless to say, this is not happening anymore. Now they are saying WAF France is going to host, but I have it on insider info, that the supposed organizer of WAF FRance has jumped ship as well. The scam is unraveling fast. However, it doesn’t seem to matter to the Marengos, since they are still raking in money as we speak, from wide-eyed hopefuls that had since joined one of their many 160 secret fb groups (secret and underground, because they could no longer stand the heat we were putting on their open groups).
As for the $ 500.– claim: this is what the WAF themselves said each artist participating received in sponsorship. Its just another one of their nefarious claims to sucker in artists for their supposedly upcoming Expo 2010. Not to mention the “All America Tour”: if you really want to loose serious cash, then get involved with that one!
Cheers
Otto
I have not lost a ton of money but I have lost an image, shipping costs, time and trust, so I have to say it sounds as though I am one of the lucky ones if the claims are true. I am not going to jump on the bandwagon of saying it is a scam as I personally do not know that. However, I never saw an image of my work at the show, and I have never seen it in the images they did put up. I have heard nothing from anyone interested in my work because of the show, but that may be because my work was not liked. I can not say for sure that my work did not go to the charity as I have no information from the charity nor WAF to support a yay or nay.
I will say that I am NEVER going to have dealings with WAF again as the lack of organisation, the now secrecy of the groups, the amount of money they are asking off each artist AND me personal history with the company….well all are not at all my cup of tea and seem very strange. I would have thought if they were that successful as claimed they may have used a commission type structure on sales rather than what they are doing, but again I may be out of touch.
Anyway, I thank everyone for their support in this matter and if I get any valid, actual proof of any misdeeds I will place them here.
I will also add to all my own personal take. Please do not have dealings with any association that you are unsure of. If you feel you have been ripped off by WAF there are several places that you can go for help, and I would be grateful to hear from you also.
There are two FB groups you may like to know about if you need more knowledge of what this association is accused of…. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50797513402 and http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=146185657860
You were not there, so you cannot know for sure, but here is a quote from someone who was there:
“They said there was 3 place to make expo. Hotel was no expo because they hang some pictures on the ewall but we had to remove them every day because Hotel was makling another activity and we had to remove the pictures all from the wall to one room . There was no sign on the wall that we had exhibition thyere at akll . No one heart it and no one come either .
90 percent picture was hanged so call ed a Gallery WAF . But that was never oipened . It was always closed . Only after 11 pm we were going there to drink wime . Never open no exhibition there.”
From this, you can draw your own conclusion as to what happened to your artwork.
As Artists, we are very vulnerable to such scams, more so than the general public.
Much has been written about art scams in the past, and they all follow a similar pattern.
Please check the “resources” page on this website:
http://www.artscams.com/
Cheers
Otto