Some time back, I saw a message on Facebook from World Art Federation, 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 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.


I do know that WAF have put up a page showing artists that received $500 and it has my name on it. It looks on that page like we received $500 CASH which is blatantly untrue!

I have also now found a lot of threads from other artists saying they were ripped off by the WAF.

If any other artist that also answered this call for artists from WAF would like to come here, or onto my thread at my site on the post 1stangel.co.uk/art/statement-about-association-with-waf and say what happened to them I would be grateful.

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