Following the submission process, exactly, when you send your
portfolio to a gallery is crucial, be it emailing your website or sending off a package for consideration. The same attention
to detail applies when you enter an art show or group oil painting exhibition.
 |
|
When there are a lot
of boats in the harbor, it helps when everyone pays attention to what they're
doing and maintains some sense of order. In any juried art show accepting
submissions, there are a lot of boats
in the harbor. Harbor Faire by Steve Henderson. Courtesy Steve
Henderson Fine Art.
|
|
If the show that you
are entering requires you to go through a designated application site, like
Juried Art Services, for example, the software program itself will stop you if
you download the wrong size of image or neglect to fill out the required Artist
Statement section or use too many words to describe your work. As irritating as
it is to argue with the computer over entry issues, it's a relief to know that,
once you've completed the entry process to the application site's satisfaction,
you're done, and you haven't forgotten anything.
If you are not using
an application site, then it's important to read the show's prospectus carefully
and, one by one, check off what is asked for and what you have provided.
I generally enclose
a cover letter with all submissions that we mail in, and one of the positive
by-products of this is that I double confirm that I have completely fulfilled
the requirements.
"Dear Selection
Committee:" I write, or something to that effect, "Enclosed please find the
following:
1) The signed and completed entry form
2) A CD disc with 3 images of artwork
3) A check for a specified amount (don't forget
this one)
And so on, checking and re-checking that I've
included what I say I do, reconfirming with the prospectus that every requirement
listed is met.
As with galleries,
exhibition staff are swamped with entries, and while they may not outright
reject your submission because you forget an artist statement, they will no
doubt feel a moment of irritation toward you, and that's something that is
good to avoid.
--Carolyn