Borrowing client paintings for exhibit

[Michele Rushworth]

Have any of you had experience borrowing a painting back from a client to show in a competition or other exhibit?

I'm wondering if most clients would be willing to part with their family treasure (your portrait) for a few weeks and have it shipped across the country to be in a national competition, for example.

I'm happy enough with some of my recent paintings to want to submit them into various competitions but I don't know if I'd be asking for the moon to request that a client loan them to me if one of them was selected as a finalist.

[Kimberly Dow]

I have a book of legal forms for artists - and in one of the contracts for a sale there is a part about loaning the painting back to the artist for this purpose. It states one month out of the year for the first 3 years I believe. I tell my clients that it increases the worth of the painting if it wins an award.

I've done this with one portrait, but only had it a couple of weeks. My large Hometown Heroes that was donated to the library had this in the contract, I found a competition in Houston that took them that large. I did not receive my acceptance letter until after the due date - so they apologized and are returning the entry fee - but it would have gone there for a month.

I can scan it and email this contract to you if you'd like.