You have to remember, the reason the Product Showcase was created in the first place. Members were not happy with the amount of promotional images that were filling up the galleries and pushing the art to the back. I think it's valid to be concern that the line between what is art and what is promotion will be taken advantage of.

I have a lot of respect for you and Rebekah, Les. I certainly understand what you are saying. It seems to me that when you reach a pinacle of talent as you have, you don't need to say "Such and Such created by me"...people already know. When you have a reputation and recognizable talent like yours, some things don't need to be said. Meerly putting your name on your image is enough.

For many of us we are selling our ART in order to create in income that allows us to creat more ART. For a working artist, and all of the merchants here are exactly that, the act of selling your art is tantamount to your success and, IMO, cannot be seperated from the state of being an artist.

I think it's fantastic that you are able to generate an income from something you enjoy doing, and it's even better if you can be a success at it. The galleries are geared to those that want to display their creations, not market them, and the galleries existed long before merchants did. It would be unfair to change the character of the galleries into another marketing tool for merchants.

Selling your art is tantamount to your success and that's why you have a personal website with a store and forums, and a store in the marketplace, and a Product Showcase and Product Showcase Gallery and a Home Page that has links to your store on this site. People know where to find your products when they want to buy them and people know where to look when they want to see what new products you have to offer.

The galleries should be a place of ART for ART's sake, not another commercialized arena.