GALLERY SITTER RESPONSIBILITIES

GALLERY HOURS: Thursday and Friday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm; Sunday, 1:00 to 4:00 pm.

SECURITY: The Gallery is under 24-hour live video surveillance by the Belmont Police Department

WEEKDAY OPENING

If you are the first gallery attendant of a day when the Homer Building is open for Town business, please:

  • Retrieve the gallery keys from inside the wall-mounted ‘Master Lock” box immediately to the right as you face the gallery entrance. The front panel slides down to reveal a dial. Enter the code given to you and press down the release button to open.
  • Unlock the Gallery entry, if it has not already been opened,
  • Use a doorstop to prop the entry door in a full open position,
  • If you can reach it, there is a switch on the side of the mechanism at the top of the door that separates the third floor hall from the stairwell and elevator. The switch will automatically hold open that door for a more welcoming appearance.
  • Turn on the lights throughout the Gallery, (Note that the lights have motion detectors and a timer, so that may go out after a time, if things are slow. Simply moving about will cause them to go on again.)
  • Retrieve the cash box and donation box from the storage room at the end of the hall, next to the break room (BGA supplies are usually stored behind the storage room door. The cash and donation boxes are kept in a black tote bag.)
  • Display the donation box in a prominent location on the table at the front of the Gallery.

WEEKEND OPENING

On weekends, the building is not open for Town business. The main entry to the Homer Building, opposite the Belmont Schools Administration Building and Town Hall, unlocks automatically (exactly on time) for scheduled Gallery hours. To open the Gallery on a weekend, first, turn on the lights in the first floor entryway and stairwell, proceed to the third floor to turn on the lights for the landing and hallway (the switches for all these lights are located in plain sight,) then follow the procedures for Weekday Opening.

GREETING VISITORS

  • Please welcome all visitors to the Gallery.
  • Offer to answer any questions they may have to the best of your ability
  • Point out any show materials on the table or in a holder at the door, such as a price list, artist bios and statements, etc.
  • Encourage all visitors to sign the BGA guest book and add their Emails to our list. (We do not share this information.)
  • Thank them for visiting, as they leave, and encourage them to tell their friends about the show.

SALES

Prices are on the label or in a separate price list at door (NFS = Not For Sale, Red Dot = SOLD.)

Ifsomeone would like to purchase a piece, please complete a receipt in duplicate (a receipts book is kept in the cashbox.) Record customer’s name, address and phone number (to contact the purchaser to pick up after the show closes,) your initials (sold by), Artist’s name, title of work, price, sales tax and total amount. We are required to collect 6.25 % sales tax. The tax is added to the sales price. There should be a calculator stored with the cashbox for that purpose. (you may inform the purchaser, if asked, that all sales are subject to a 25% sales commission, which is included in the sales price.) Give the customer the yellow copy. Leave the white copy of the sales receipt, together with the cash or check, in the cash box.

The only acceptable method of payment is cash or a personal check imprinted with the account holders name and address. As a matter of Town policy, we are not able to accept debit or credit cards of any type. Checks should be made payable to: TOWN OF BELMONT. Please add either “Gallery of Art” or “BGA” on memo line. Although it should be discouraged, if a purchaser promises to return at a later date with payment, “ PAYMENT DUE must be noted on the sales receipt. When payment is received please enter “PAID IN FULL” on the Gallery’s copy of the receipt.

Stick a red dot onthe wall label of sold work (a sheet of red dots is under the cash tray in the cashbox.) Works sold must remain installed until the close of the show. BGA Committee members will notify the artist of the sale when the show closes.

IF PROBLEMS ARISE

There is no public telephone in the gallery. Gallery Attendants should plan to bring their cell phones. If any building issues arise which you feel require immediate action, call Building Services: at 617-993-2640 or go downstairs to the Building Services office located in the basement.

CLOSING

If you are the last Gallery Attendant of the day, please:

  • Return the cash box and donation box to the storage room
  • Turn off all the lights,
  • Lock the Gallery entry, return keys to the lock box, close and scramble the combination.

On weekends, the Building automatically locks at closing time. Once you leave, you cannot re-enter.