Getting
Into the
Art Shows
Art Shows
Getting into art shows. The five simple facts about entering.
1. Rejection.
This is an important and often misunderstood part of the process. Having been rejected and accepted into art shows, I have come to understand not take rejection as a failure, and to identify it as an important piece in the learning process of my artistic growth.
If you consider the hardships the Impressionists were subjected to—they might be considered the poster boys of rejection. Unable to be voted into the traditional Paris salon exhibit (a tenacious jury with an eye for Realism), they set up their own “rejects” exhibit.
Many critics and the public ridiculed the refusés, which included such now-famous paintings as Edouard Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l’herbe) and James McNeill Whistler’s Girl in White. They would relentlessly mock Renoir—accusing him of “sign painting” and Cèzanne for presenting “bad color sketches”.
These particular struggles might help you to understand why your unique vision might take time for public acceptance. All artists will be rejected at one time or another since art shows are like Sting albums–no two are exactly alike.
I had one student tell me that he was no longer entering a certain show because of being rejected so many times. This is definitely the wrong angle.
Think about it—with a new show you get new jurors with their own new set of personal likes and dislikes. That’s a brand-new game with new referees!
2. Quality Reproductions Are Key.
In the juries I’ve helped, works were simply rejected because of image quality. If your piece looks like it was shot underwater you are pressing your luck with the juror. For the love of God, take action to get your work represented as close as humanly possible to your original artwork. Slide entries are long gone, and the digital environment is the prevailing one.
You need to either learn to use a digital camera or hire (even better barter) with a photographer friend to accurately portray your work in digital form. These days your work will almost inevitably be viewed by a juror on the computer screen. I advise viewing your work on a couple different monitors. Works with painterly texture will lose their impact just as a large piece will lose its the scale on a 17 inch monitor.
A step by step guide to photographing your work is on the first art show blog - http:/kevinmyersdesign.com/
3. Understand Your Jurors.
Just as you would prepare for a job interview by finding out as much as possible about your potential employer, do a little CSI work on your juror. Do they have any written material or opinions that you could research? However, be careful when making assumptions.
Don’t assume that because a juror is a realist he or she might not be sympathetic to abstraction. Actually this juror might be harder on works that are created within his or her category since it’s closer to the heart of these artists.
4. Consistency is Key.
If you are entering multiple entries to one show, make certain that your entries are of equal quality. A high-level piece of work submitted with one that isn’t equal in quality will actually reduce the impact of your best submission. Signature style is good only if that effort is consistent. Entering a show is not where one shows his or her versatility. If the submissions are very different in approach, the maturity of the your work may be questionable and you might be perceived as an artist in a stage of development.
5. Understand the Process.
As a juror my initial method of selection consists of a first overview of all the submissions. Inevitably at this stage there are standouts.
Of course the look of the show is determined by the art that is submitted, but I also have to keep in mind that on some level the show put together is a reflection of the jury. But the standouts—for whatever reason—are first impressions that usually make it into the show.
In most instances technical virtuosity is a given and what most jurors look for in repeating subjects are those that the artist has given a “new life” through their personal vision. The still-life, portrait or landscape needs your individualistic angle—just technically good won’t standout in a plethora of digital entries that are already expected to be professional in method.
Create an Art Exhibition of Your Own With a Group
If you're like most students starting out, you're still living off that Starbucks gift card you got from your grandmother last Christmas. Organizing a group exhibit has the added benefit of gaining experience on the workings behind galleries and as the number of fellow artist exhibitors increases–so will the guests at the opening event. Increased attendee numbers creates valuable word of mouth about all involved–and dare I say–Facebook and Twitter promotional value as well?
First things first- You'll need to work out a plan that is preferably 10 to 12 months in advance. Organize a few meetings to make certain that the group’s members are clear of what the action plan is and what their obligations are. As in any group, it's best to distribute responsibilities based on one's talent for accomplishing them.
Who is a people person who would work best in the group at organizing different angles of publicity for your art show? Is anyone with the muscle or carpentry skills in your group able to handle installing and dismantling the show? How about is anyone involved in this art exhibit a graphic designer as well? Their talents on the invitation design would be put to best use there.
Publicity- Is there an event occurring in your community that the exhibit could be modeled around? For instance a marathon run for cancer that could end in the vicinity of the art space being used? Is there a fund-raising event of this nature that the art show can become part of?
Timing the Event- Most gallery entrepreneurs know that the timing of an art exhibition is
key. October to December offer great buying opportunities for the Christmas shopping crowd. Springtime also has potential buying interest when people are moving outside and enjoying
a break in weather. No surprise to you that Thursday and Friday evenings work well for most people when the work week is coming to an end. All of these situations create great upbeat buying moods.
Art Event Spaces to Consider- There may great spaces that artists with a little bit of creative thinking have come up with. Those open to hosting your group show -- especially if it's linked to a socially conscious event -- are churches, coffee houses (and cafeterias of any kind), nursing homes (or hospital lobbies), bookstores, theaters, and don't forget your own studio or grandmother's beach house.
The Checklist- Before you make a final group decision, asks the key questions about the accessibility of the space you are considering. Is her adequate wall space? Is parking available within a reasonable distance? Are restroom facilities on the premise? And can that handy person within the group of exhibitors easily install lighting?
Final Plans- Within six months of the actual event you'll need to create the action plan for the details of the opening. This gets tricky because it might get into some actual funds being spent. Make an assessment within the group of what is realistic and where corners can be cut to save on expenses.
Is there any bartering that can be done with a photographer friend to record the event? Can you piggyback on some advertising if the event is related to a fundraiser? Can invitations be output on a quality home printer to avoid actual printing costs? Who’s the Twitter tracker in the group? Get the word out early in the week and close to the event to create that valuable social media buzz.
When all is said and done, there will be some money spent on mailing, etc. and pieces that still have yet to be framed. But when you look back at the actual costs after the exhibit is over, think of what you've gained. It's not just your first art show but it's a growth in the knowledge of how galleries work. Most probably it was relatively inexpensive and your growth as a leader was probably even of greater benefit as you tackle future art shows. Good Luck and see you at your next show!
1. Rejection.
This is an important and often misunderstood part of the process. Having been rejected and accepted into art shows, I have come to understand not take rejection as a failure, and to identify it as an important piece in the learning process of my artistic growth.
If you consider the hardships the Impressionists were subjected to—they might be considered the poster boys of rejection. Unable to be voted into the traditional Paris salon exhibit (a tenacious jury with an eye for Realism), they set up their own “rejects” exhibit.
Many critics and the public ridiculed the refusés, which included such now-famous paintings as Edouard Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l’herbe) and James McNeill Whistler’s Girl in White. They would relentlessly mock Renoir—accusing him of “sign painting” and Cèzanne for presenting “bad color sketches”.
These particular struggles might help you to understand why your unique vision might take time for public acceptance. All artists will be rejected at one time or another since art shows are like Sting albums–no two are exactly alike.
I had one student tell me that he was no longer entering a certain show because of being rejected so many times. This is definitely the wrong angle.
Think about it—with a new show you get new jurors with their own new set of personal likes and dislikes. That’s a brand-new game with new referees!
2. Quality Reproductions Are Key.
In the juries I’ve helped, works were simply rejected because of image quality. If your piece looks like it was shot underwater you are pressing your luck with the juror. For the love of God, take action to get your work represented as close as humanly possible to your original artwork. Slide entries are long gone, and the digital environment is the prevailing one.
You need to either learn to use a digital camera or hire (even better barter) with a photographer friend to accurately portray your work in digital form. These days your work will almost inevitably be viewed by a juror on the computer screen. I advise viewing your work on a couple different monitors. Works with painterly texture will lose their impact just as a large piece will lose its the scale on a 17 inch monitor.
A step by step guide to photographing your work is on the first art show blog - http:/kevinmyersdesign.com/
3. Understand Your Jurors.
Just as you would prepare for a job interview by finding out as much as possible about your potential employer, do a little CSI work on your juror. Do they have any written material or opinions that you could research? However, be careful when making assumptions.
Don’t assume that because a juror is a realist he or she might not be sympathetic to abstraction. Actually this juror might be harder on works that are created within his or her category since it’s closer to the heart of these artists.
4. Consistency is Key.
If you are entering multiple entries to one show, make certain that your entries are of equal quality. A high-level piece of work submitted with one that isn’t equal in quality will actually reduce the impact of your best submission. Signature style is good only if that effort is consistent. Entering a show is not where one shows his or her versatility. If the submissions are very different in approach, the maturity of the your work may be questionable and you might be perceived as an artist in a stage of development.
5. Understand the Process.
As a juror my initial method of selection consists of a first overview of all the submissions. Inevitably at this stage there are standouts.
Of course the look of the show is determined by the art that is submitted, but I also have to keep in mind that on some level the show put together is a reflection of the jury. But the standouts—for whatever reason—are first impressions that usually make it into the show.
In most instances technical virtuosity is a given and what most jurors look for in repeating subjects are those that the artist has given a “new life” through their personal vision. The still-life, portrait or landscape needs your individualistic angle—just technically good won’t standout in a plethora of digital entries that are already expected to be professional in method.
Create an Art Exhibition of Your Own With a Group
If you're like most students starting out, you're still living off that Starbucks gift card you got from your grandmother last Christmas. Organizing a group exhibit has the added benefit of gaining experience on the workings behind galleries and as the number of fellow artist exhibitors increases–so will the guests at the opening event. Increased attendee numbers creates valuable word of mouth about all involved–and dare I say–Facebook and Twitter promotional value as well?
First things first- You'll need to work out a plan that is preferably 10 to 12 months in advance. Organize a few meetings to make certain that the group’s members are clear of what the action plan is and what their obligations are. As in any group, it's best to distribute responsibilities based on one's talent for accomplishing them.
Who is a people person who would work best in the group at organizing different angles of publicity for your art show? Is anyone with the muscle or carpentry skills in your group able to handle installing and dismantling the show? How about is anyone involved in this art exhibit a graphic designer as well? Their talents on the invitation design would be put to best use there.
Publicity- Is there an event occurring in your community that the exhibit could be modeled around? For instance a marathon run for cancer that could end in the vicinity of the art space being used? Is there a fund-raising event of this nature that the art show can become part of?
Timing the Event- Most gallery entrepreneurs know that the timing of an art exhibition is
key. October to December offer great buying opportunities for the Christmas shopping crowd. Springtime also has potential buying interest when people are moving outside and enjoying
a break in weather. No surprise to you that Thursday and Friday evenings work well for most people when the work week is coming to an end. All of these situations create great upbeat buying moods.
Art Event Spaces to Consider- There may great spaces that artists with a little bit of creative thinking have come up with. Those open to hosting your group show -- especially if it's linked to a socially conscious event -- are churches, coffee houses (and cafeterias of any kind), nursing homes (or hospital lobbies), bookstores, theaters, and don't forget your own studio or grandmother's beach house.
The Checklist- Before you make a final group decision, asks the key questions about the accessibility of the space you are considering. Is her adequate wall space? Is parking available within a reasonable distance? Are restroom facilities on the premise? And can that handy person within the group of exhibitors easily install lighting?
Final Plans- Within six months of the actual event you'll need to create the action plan for the details of the opening. This gets tricky because it might get into some actual funds being spent. Make an assessment within the group of what is realistic and where corners can be cut to save on expenses.
Is there any bartering that can be done with a photographer friend to record the event? Can you piggyback on some advertising if the event is related to a fundraiser? Can invitations be output on a quality home printer to avoid actual printing costs? Who’s the Twitter tracker in the group? Get the word out early in the week and close to the event to create that valuable social media buzz.
When all is said and done, there will be some money spent on mailing, etc. and pieces that still have yet to be framed. But when you look back at the actual costs after the exhibit is over, think of what you've gained. It's not just your first art show but it's a growth in the knowledge of how galleries work. Most probably it was relatively inexpensive and your growth as a leader was probably even of greater benefit as you tackle future art shows. Good Luck and see you at your next show!
