This man is operating an advance fee scam as defined on the FBI web page for fraud. He contacts artists to tell them about an art event he's hosting in their area, usually at a prestigious venue. It is supposed to be a juried show, but he actually will take any artist who applies. After he's collected as many entry fees as he can, he either cancels the show or changes the venue to a high school gym that he can rent at negligible cost or for free. He of course offers no refunds to artists. He also operates under the names Palmetto Art Shows, South Florida Art Shows and has been known to go by the alias Troy Marsh according to the attached website http://julietchapman.com/blog/2009/04/02/the-latest-on-mr-gervais/ . He runs an online magazine at www.WesternWildlifeMag.com in which he illegally uses copyrighted images he can obtain off the internet or through set up for one of his shows noted above. If you have been defrauded by Mr. Gervais please contact the Better Business Bureau www.bbb.org , The Federal Trade Commission www.ftc.gov , The Attorney General of Pennsylvania www.attorneygeneral.gov and www.ripoffreport.com . If he is using any of your images illegally, contact dmca@peer1.com for the magazine and copyrightclaims@godaddy.com for the www.wildlifeartshows.com site.

If this isn't enough, he also claims to represent and collect for charities that have no working relationship with him.

Hopefully if enough complaints get filed one of the regulatory bodies responsible for fraud will finally charge this man.

As always, be sure to Google anyone you're thinking of doing business with and check the Better Business Bureau for complaints.