Juried Art Shows: the Few, the Proud, the Chosen
Now that's just a play on a title so don't go throwing a tube of paint at me. It was that or the theme to The Sopranos "Woke Up this Morning" and the part "Mama always said you'd be the chosen one..."
I am very sure that nearly every artist out there and upcoming will have had some anxiety over submitting their art for an art show, a juried show, or an art "competition" at some point.
So you took the leap and clicked "Submit" to an art show. FANTASTIC, congratulations! Just remember...
You do your art for many reasons, and I suspect that for the most part, you do it for YOU. You love being creative, you like what you create. You find it relaxing and maybe there will come a point when you want to show it to someone else and not just be forever hanging on your mom's refrigerator (so to speak). I know, often our mom's ARE our biggest fans, though and God Bless them for it!
What Matters Most When Entering an Art Show?
- Don't assume that if chosen to be in an art show that it means automatic artistic success.
- Don't assume that if NOT chosen to be in an art show means that your artwork isn't good.
- If your artwork fails to be chosen to be in an art show, scratch that, if your artwork is not accepted to be in an art show, brush it off. Do not take it as a rejection of you or your artwork.
Whether it is a single judge or a group of artists that are the jurors for that show, it is THEIR choice. We cannot get in their heads to know why they chose an art piece and don't let their decision get in your head. They may have reviewed hundreds of other pieces of art work from artists from everywhere and they chose what appealed to their personal choice, the show criteria, lots of things.
The single most important thing about getting your art entered in a show, whether it is chosen to hang, wins an award, or even if it is NOT juried into that art show, is the NETWORKING AT THE SHOW, the connections that you can make. Whether you get in the show or not, GO to the SHOW. Mingle with the other artists and talk, talk, talk. Ask questions. LEARN.
And if feedback IS offered, LISTEN. True, you do you but if that feedback works for you, take it and run with it.
Let's Go to the Art Videos
Don't believe me? Well here are some great videos with some artists telling you the same thing and offering important tips.
"Hot Tips for Entering Juried Shows" by Create Painting You Love with Mike Svob
"Are Juried Art Shows Good for Artists? Pros and Cons of Entering Your Art in Competitions" by Angela Fehr Watercolour
More Blog Posts About Juried Art Shows
Here at the Prince William Art Society and our blog, we thrive on helping new artists learn more about getting into the art world and getting their artwork "out there". Here are a couple more posts about juried art shows.
What is a JotForm? What is a Call for Art?
Most of all with this blog post, I just wanted to offer that many artists, even those painting for YEARS, can tell stories of artwork that was not accepted in an art show. But that did not ever stop them from trying to enter the next show.
AND there WILL be more art shows.
Stonebridge Open Space Arts will have more Calls for Art going forward. And if you are an artist living in Prince William County or an Art Group in PWC, there is no fee to enter the shows. Hopefully, we see you the next time!
Do you have an art show story to tell?
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.
Local Art: Visit us at Stonebridge Open Space Arts at 15000 Potomac Town Center, Woodbridge, VA - Open Wed to Sat 12-7 and Sun 12-5
Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership
Great information. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOtis