Advocacy Report_ Gallery at 530 Main Exhibition Agreement - August 23 2016

​ dvocacy​​Report:​​Gallery​​at​​530​​Main​ A ​Exhibition​​Agreement​ ​ repared​​by:​​The​​Forwardian​​Arts​​Advocacy​​Group​​(an​​initiative​​of​​The​​Forwardian​​Arts​ P ​Society)​ ​Date:​​August​​23,​​2026​ ​Subject:​​Investigation​​into​​Gallery​​Exhibition​​Agreement​​Liability​​Waiver​

​1.​​Executive​​Summary​ ​ his​​report​​summarizes​​the​​concluded​​investigation​​and​​subsequent​​correspondence​​regarding​ T ​the​​exhibition​​agreement​​at​​the​​Gallery​​at​​530​​Main​​in​​Stroudsburg,​​PA.​​The​​Gallery​​operates​ ​under​​the​​joint​​management​​of​​The​​Sherman​​Theater,​​Fine​​Arts​​Discovery,​​Inc.,​​and​​the​​Pocono​ ​Mountains​​Visitors​​Bureau.​​The​​Forwardian​​Arts​​Advocacy​​Group​​initiated​​this​​inquiry​​after​ ​receiving​​concerns​​from​​local​​artists​​regarding​​a​​mandatory​​personal​​injury​​and​​accidental​​death​ ​liability​​waiver.​​While​​management​​has​​resisted​​adjustments​​to​​these​​terms,​​our​​group​​remains​ ​committed​​to​​advocating​​for​​fair,​​equitable,​​and​​transparent​​environments​​for​​all​​creators.​

​2.​​Background​​and​​Parties​​Involved​ ​●​ ​The​​Gallery​​at​​530​​Main:​​A​​successful​​local​​art​​gallery​​located​​in​​Stroudsburg,​​PA,​

s​ erving​​over​​350​​artists​​through​​its​​prospectus.​ ​●​ ​Management​​Entities:​ ​○​ ​The​​Sherman​​Theater​​(gallery@shermantheater.com)​ ​○​ ​Fine​​Arts​​Discovery,​​Inc.​​(cbarrett@poconos.org)​ ​○​ ​The​​Pocono​​Mountains​​Visitors​​Bureau​​(pocomts@poconos.org)​ ​●​ ​Key​​Personnel:​ ​○​ ​Chris​​Barrett:​​President/CEO​​&​​Executive​​in​​Charge​​of​​Production-PTN​ ​○​ ​Jack​​Swersie:​​Gallery​​Representative​​/​​Manager​ ​●​ ​The​​Forwardian​​Arts​​Advocacy​​Group:​​An​​initiative​​of​​the​​Forwardian​​Arts​​Society​ ​focused​​on​​venue​​transparency​​and​​fair​​treatment​​of​​artists.​​The​​group​​grew​​from​​190​ ​members​​in​​July​​2026​​to​​191​​in​​August​​2026.​​The​​parent​​organization,​​The​​Forwardian​ ​Arts​​Society,​​consists​​of​​480​​members.​

​3.​​The​​Core​​Issue:​​The​​Liability​​Waiver​ ​ articipating​​artists​​at​​the​​Gallery​​at​​530​​Main​​are​​required​​to​​sign​​a​​liability​​waiver​​releasing​​the​ P ​gallery​​from​​all​​liability​​regarding​​personal​​injury​​or​​accidental​​death.​​The​​Advocacy​​Group​ ​identifies​​several​​major​​concerns​​with​​this​​requirement:​ ​●​ ​Relinquishment​​of​​Legal​​Rights:​​Requiring​​artists​​to​​surrender​​their​​legal​​rights​

r​ egarding​​personal​​injury​​is​​standard​​for​​physical​​artwork​​damage,​​but​​unusual​​for​ ​personal​​injury​​and​​safety.​ ​●​ ​Lack​​of​​Reciprocity:​​This​​waiver​​applies​​exclusively​​to​​exhibiting​​artists​​entering​​the​ ​premises​​but​​does​​not​​apply​​to​​general​​visitors​​or​​patrons.​ ​●​ ​Barriers​​to​​Participation:​​Such​​stringent​​requirements​​create​​unnecessary​​barriers​​to​ ​participation​​for​​local​​creators​​who​​may​​not​​have​​independent​​liability​​insurance.​

​4.​​Timeline​​of​​Correspondence​​&​​Positions​ ​Phase​​1:​​Initial​​Inquiries​​(July​​2026)​ ​●​ ​Formal​​Inquiry​​Sent:​​The​​Forwardian​​Arts​​Advocacy​​Group​​sent​​two​​separate​​inquiries​

​to​​the​​joint​​management​​requesting​​clarification​​on:​ ​a.​ ​The​​specific​​policy​​rationale​​for​​requiring​​artists​​to​​sign​​a​​personal​​injury​​waiver.​ ​b.​ ​The​​consistency​​of​​this​​waiver​​across​​other​​managed​​venues.​ ​c.​ ​The​​flexibility​​of​​modifying​​the​​language​​to​​target​​installation-specific​​risks.​ ​●​ ​Legal​​Review​​Acknowledgment​​(July​​21,​​2026):​​Chris​​Barrett​​replied,​​noting​​that​​the​ ​issue​​was​​under​​review​​with​​their​​legal​​counsel.​

​Phase​​2:​​Management​​Opposition​ ​●​ ​Response​​from​​'Jack​​Swersie'​​(Gallery​​Management):​​Jack​​Swersie​​expressed​

​frustration​​and​​anger​​regarding​​the​​advocacy​​efforts​​in​​an​​email​​message:​ ​○​ ​Over​​350​​artists​​have​​received​​the​​prospectus​​without​​objecting.​ ​○​ ​The​​waiver​​is​​a​​'pretty​​standard'​​disclaimer.​ ​○​ ​Artists​​who​​object​​'can​​choose​​to​​not​​show​​in​​our​​gallery.'​ ​○​ ​He​​characterized​​the​​advocacy​​work​​as​​an​​'insignificant'​​issue​​and​​a​​'waste​​of​ ​time'​​meant​​to​​'add​​relevancy'​​to​​the​​Advocacy​​Group.​

​5.​​Current​​Status​​&​​Strategic​​Next​​Steps​ ​●​ ​Status:​​The​​investigation​​is​​officially​​concluded​​as​​of​​August​​23,​​2026.​ ​●​ ​Confidentiality:​​The​​Forwardian​​Arts​​Advocacy​​Group​​continues​​to​​protect​​the​

i​dentities​​of​​affected​​artists​​who​​have​​raised​​concerns​​and​​will​​maintain​​strict​ ​confidentiality.​ ​●​ ​Dialogue:​​The​​group​​remains​​open​​to​​constructive​​discussions​​with​​the​​Pocono​ ​Mountains​​Visitors​​Bureau,​​the​​Sherman​​Theater,​​and​​Fine​​Arts​​Discovery,​​Inc.​ ​●​ ​Newsletter​​and​​Directory​​Updates:​​To​​keep​​local​​creatives​​informed,​​the​​group​​will​ ​summarize​​the​​participation​​requirements,​​fees,​​and​​other​​pertinent​​terms​​in​​the​ ​'Opportunity​​to​​Share'​​listing​​of​​all​​venues​​(including​​The​​Gallery​​at​​530​​Main)​​in​​future​ ​newsletters,​​including​​a​​direct​​link​​to​​the​​requirements​​document.​ ​●​ ​Community​​Engagement:​​Members​​are​​encouraged​​to​​share​​their​​experiences​​and​ ​thoughts​​via​​artlover@forwardianarts.org​​or​​through​​the​​official​​Facebook​​Group.​