Juried Art Shows
 Over on the art
forum at A Singular Creation, someone mentioned their
experience trying to enter a juried art show.
First off, what is a juried art show as opposed to an
open show?
- Open means anyone can enter. The
only limitations are many times based on number
of applicants — first come, first served, although
there are media and style, as well as regional criteria,
among a few, which can apply. Fees, of course,
can weed out poor, unsponsored artists.
- Juried means all applications are
reviewed by a committee and must be
pre-approved. Some have no fees an artist must
pay, though others do. Think of “juried”
this way: You are in a contest against other entries. If
you win, what you win is a place in the show, which,
again, depending on the prestige of the show, is good for
your career…if you are going the traditional route
in building yourself a “name.”
All shows, whether juried, open, or invitational, usually will
have rules and regulations which govern them…and you.
They may have more than one show, they may limit by media, style,
artist’s place of residence, or any number of varying
criteria. Read the rules, regulations, and all the fine
print. Some shows take all or some of the money paid by a
buyer for your art, and you, in entering, have agreed to that
stipulation.
So why enter a juried show?
Juried shows carry prestige IF and BECAUSE they choose good
work, which, of course, insinuates to the visitor and prospective
buyer that the work they see is consistently of
higher caliber than what they might find in an open show.
Of course, this isn’t always the case, and, in fact, open
shows often show art which is just as high caliber, and
sometimes much better that what is found in many juried
shows. Depends on the show, who is running it, and who
sits on the juried show’s review committee.
Remember, all you who are trying to work yourselves “up
the ranks” using traditional methods:
- It takes on average three years trying to get into a
juried art show IF your work is good. Exceptions to this
are: if your work is so very far above the competition’s,
if you own a “name,” if you are being sponsored
by “someone,” or if you “know someone.”
- Try every year.
- On the local level, it usually takes getting to know the
who’s who in the sponsoring organization. On the
regional level, it usually takes having developed a
following — a name — that is going to prove a
draw…and/OR knowing someone influential on the
inside. In national and international shows, it
usually takes a track record, sponsorship and/or a
name.
- It is often very political.
What to do before you enter a juried show? RESEARCH:
- KNOW THY JUDGES (Find out who is sitting on the committee
and what they like - style, media, any other pertinent
criteria that consistently demonstrates their taste. If
your work doesn’t key with at least one member of
the review committee, don’t enter.)
- KNOW THE SPONSORING ORGANIZATION
- FIND OUT WHAT “WON” A PLACE AT PREVIOUS
SHOWS (If the same people are running it, you can bet the
same kind of art will be chosen and the same kind of art
and artists will win.)
- BE PERSISTENT
And here’s more: Many artists who work with a brush, a
pen…even their fingers disdain some forms of art (and
especially digital fine art…which many don’t consider
fine art at all). The people sitting on a juried art show’s
review committee are no different. Even if the rules and
criteria allow you to enter, most everyone has a favored media
and style, and members on a review committee will lean
toward awarding higher marks to works in their own media, and
especially works in their own style or preferred style in that
media. Don’t expect to get into a juried show if
your work falls way outside what the review committee likes…unless
you know someone or already have a name.
That’s my take.
Originally posted by DLKeur on her art blog on June 25, 2007.
Copyright inheres.
Copyright 2007 D.L.Keur &/or F.W.Lineberry, http://www.zentao.com . All rights reserved. Reprint rights granted ONLY if linked and credited.
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