Art Collecting & Maintenence: Do you appraise art? Can you recommend an appraiser? What’s the difference between an original and a reproduction? How should I dust my painting? Is it ok to hang my art in a sunny room? All my grandmother’s photographs are glued to her album—how do I safely remove them? My grandfather left me a Frank Peers lithograph—how can I find out more about the artist? I accidently tore the surface of a painting—what should I do? Is it ok for artwork to sit in unheated storage during the winter? My drawings are all warped—what’s causing this? I just bought a lithograph and it says “acid-free” paper—what does that mean? What’s foxing? Where can I buy local art that’s affordable? Do you have a list of African-American artists in our community? Are there any local art fairs in the area? Is the work in this exhibit for sale? Can cigarette smoke damage art?

Art Research & Education: What’s a curator? Can you recommend an artist for my term paper on figurative masters of the 20th century? I really want to work in a museum—what classes should I take? Do you have a list of hazardous art materials? What’s a JPEG and a TIF? Can you teach me Photoshop? I’m bringing in a group of Kindergarteners tomorrow—can you tailor the current show to their needs? What was the Arts and Crafts Movement? Someone told me I’m an “outsider artist”—should I be offended? I’m getting my Bachelor’s degree in painting—can you recommend a good graduate school? Where can I take art classes in Topeka? When scanning objects for my dissertation, a professor told me they need to be larger dpi—what does that mean? Is Wikipedia a good source for information about Jackson Pollack? What are the white gloves for? What are the top most respected art publications in print? I have to write an “artist’s statement” for class—what’s that? How do you make tempera paint? I just bought a piece of pottery and the artist said it was not intended for food use—what does that mean?

Art Portfolio & Presentation: Do you have an exhibition policy? How do I get my work in the Gallery? I’m a book artist and I know you collect them—who do I speak with about getting my art into the permanent collection? All my friends use MySpace and Etsy to sell and promote their work—how can I get started doing the same thing? How do I make a portfolio? I didn’t get into a show and I’m really upset—am I a good artist? Do you know the number to Utrecht in Kansas City? Where can I get my work professionally framed? This exhibition says I have to submit my work in a CD-Rom format—what does that mean? My professor carries his portfolio on a flash drive—what’s a flash drive? What happens if my art is damaged in your gallery?

What’s your question? Leave us a comment or call (785-580-4515), e-mail (webmaster@mail.tscpl.org), walk in or make an appointment. We’d love to help.