Call for Artists, Making Money at Juried Art Fairs, Craft Shows and Festivals
Got my latest rejection, do you have one to share?
Although I knew it was a long shot at best; I just got my yearly Cherry Creek rejection letter. I had new pictures shot just for this application and actually felt that I had a chance. I know it is an imposible show to get into, but I still feel less than worthy this morning.
Just needed to vent and see if anyone else has more rejection letter stories to share
Just needed to vent and see if anyone else has more rejection letter stories to share
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Greg Heihn on -
I get into about 1 out of 10 shows I apply to so rejections are a part of my life. I try to look at my work photography,booth etc and work on what I can to increase my odds. So many things one just can't control including sales when you do get in. I just keep on trying and hope for a better year ahead.
I've been accepted to good shows and rejected from poor ones I applied to as fillers and vice verse.
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Permalink Reply by Jacqueline Webster on -
Just found my rejection for Downtown Denver on Zapp. My first show app., so disappointing but not entirely unexpected. Just not what I needed today. Oh, well. There's plenty of others to spend that show fee on. Sigh...
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Permalink Reply by Sandra Rathbun on -
Got my rejection from East Lansing, MI. Not really surprised but I thought I had a shot.
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Permalink Reply by 2js Studio LLC / John Powell on -
I have built up quit a collection of rejection letters this spring. But let me say this. Ask the show you applyed for, what your score was and maybe what comments judges had. Shows like Ann Arbor and Cherry Creek were more than Helpful.
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Permalink Reply by BenJamin Stielow on -
Sorry to hear about that, I was rejected last year too. I am excited that I made it in this year.
Last year I called the promoter at the art show and he gave me an honest critique of each of my jury pics. Honestly it hurt a little to hear the truth. My booth shot was terrible and cluttered, my arkwork shots had too many distractions, and I thought they were good. I have grown as a result of his coaching. Give him an email and ask him for the jury comments on your pictures.
Jacqueline Webster said:Just found my rejection for Downtown Denver on Zapp. My first show app., so disappointing but not entirely unexpected. Just not what I needed today. Oh, well. There's plenty of others to spend that show fee on. Sigh...
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Permalink Reply by Karin Neuvirth on -
I actually got some good feed back from one of the jurors of East Lansing when I requested my score and any comments. (It was kind of an aha moment for me after I read it). Send them a note, it's worth the two minutes of your time - you never know. I also responded to a note from another show that hasn't juried yet to ask them to please encourage the jurors to leave comments, and the director seemed receptive to the idea.
Sandra Rathbun said:Got my rejection from East Lansing, MI. Not really surprised but I thought I had a shot.
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Permalink Reply by Jacqueline Webster on
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I spoke with the promoter this AM. I actually came pretty close to making the cut. And he said that my booth shot is good, so that's a relief. The images I selected just weren't cohesive enough. I have three more apps. out there now & a stack to apply to. I will make my adjustments keep trying. And I do feel better that I didn't completely blow it. It was the first festival that I ever I applied to, so I still have plenty to learn.
BenJamin Stielow said:Sorry to hear about that, I was rejected last year too. I am excited that I made it in this year.
Last year I called the promoter at the art show and he gave me an honest critique of each of my jury pics. Honestly it hurt a little to hear the truth. My booth shot was terrible and cluttered, my arkwork shots had too many distractions, and I thought they were good. I have grown as a result of his coaching. Give him an email and ask him for the jury comments on your pictures.
Jacqueline Webster said:Just found my rejection for Downtown Denver on Zapp. My first show app., so disappointing but not entirely unexpected. Just not what I needed today. Oh, well. There's plenty of others to spend that show fee on. Sigh...
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Permalink Reply by Munks on -
"I actually came pretty close to making the cut. And he said that my booth shot is good, so that's a relief. The images I selected just weren't cohesive enough."
Does this bother any artists that read this? I am not criticizing Jacqueline - my concern is with this line of thinking in general - not with this person.
I have a few questions:
Who the hell is this promoter and/or jury to make such subjective statements and evaluations on this artist's (Jacqueline's) work?
Was the criteria for admission to the show clearly laid out by this genius promoter and/or jury (let's face it - sometimes there is no difference, they are one and the same!)? Were the applicants encouraged to show a cohesive body of work or a wider range. Don't knock it, some do prefer a wider range. Were the applicants given a fair chance vis-a-vis clear expectations in exchange for a jury fee?
Oh please! Just where does one get "credentialed" to determine a good booth shot, how about "them thar levels of cohesiveness".
Does anyone want to bet me that no matter what show Jacqueline is referring to, the following will be observed there on the day of the show that everyone is salivating to see all year? :
1. Buy/sell booths that these "experts" allowed into the show.
2. Some "consecutive year veterans" that have been doing the show since before the Great Depression and bitch about the lousy sales every year and customers that complain about the same crap every year.
3. Some "vendors" that are selling something completely different than what they juried in with when they applied.
4. Some last minute changes that allowed one or two unaccepted artists to participate when the pool ran dry the morning of the show and the unwashed came in begging for a spot.
I could name more, but why?
As an aside to Jacqueline (every body else look away - this is none of your business): Please understand that you are the final judge of your work, not some promoter, art teacher, judge, juror, neighbor, or passerby. You are the artist and while it would be wise to accept criticism and learn, it is important to never, never, never let someone else make the decisions that you as an artist are responsible for in the end. I don't know what you make, and I don't care - but no one else is the final authority regarding what you make and how you choose to provide it for your customers. Make the best work you can make and work with your customers. These other guys will come and go - who cares what they think? Good luck to you, but it is 99% hard work and 1% luck - or something like that and there are no magical answers.
Jacqueline Webster said:I spoke with the promoter this AM. I actually came pretty close to making the cut. And he said that my booth shot is good, so that's a relief. The images I selected just weren't cohesive enough. I have three more apps. out there now & a stack to apply to. I will make my adjustments keep trying. And I do feel better that I didn't completely blow it. It was the first festival that I ever I applied to, so I still have plenty to learn.
BenJamin Stielow said:Sorry to hear about that, I was rejected last year too. I am excited that I made it in this year.
Last year I called the promoter at the art show and he gave me an honest critique of each of my jury pics. Honestly it hurt a little to hear the truth. My booth shot was terrible and cluttered, my arkwork shots had too many distractions, and I thought they were good. I have grown as a result of his coaching. Give him an email and ask him for the jury comments on your pictures.
Jacqueline Webster said:Just found my rejection for Downtown Denver on Zapp. My first show app., so disappointing but not entirely unexpected. Just not what I needed today. Oh, well. There's plenty of others to spend that show fee on. Sigh...
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Permalink Reply by Renee Engebretson on -
WHAT? It was really cold. And really windy. I kept running to the van to get more gloves and scarves to hand out to the neighbors. While I was doing that Jim was tying down all the EZ-ups around us. Maybe that's why sales were virtually non-existent for us. That said, there was a huge crowd. That drifted by our booth. Uninterested.
Nancy Keane said:Actually, the weather was GORGEOUS for the Mount Dora show. We had indeed had a lot of cold weather, but the show weekend was beautiful.
Holly Olinger said:Those rejection letters can be such a blessing. I am sooo grateful I am not down in FL this weekend doing Mt Dora. No need to go that far to freeze. I can stay right here and do it.
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Permalink Reply by Larry Berman on -
This is a really interesting post about the Amdur shows. I wish it had been in it's own thread so everyone could read it. Usually when threads last as this one, people loose interest in the subject and stop following them. I did catch Munks reply and thought that was well thought out and to the point.
Larry Berman
Digital Jury Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
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Permalink Reply by BenJamin Stielow on
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I agree that each of us is the final judge of our own work. But I think your wrong about the advice. When we apply to show we have about 5-10 seconds per image to make an impression on a jury and recieve a score. In my opinion if you show a wide body of work it may confuse the jury. I have recieved more wait-list and invites since I started to show a more cohesive body of work in my jury images. -Some of the pieces are the same, just the presentation is slightly different. Juries are flawed and I also believe that a blind jury is almost impossible; I have found that I rarely remember a name, but I remember the work of other artists, and feel that juries do the same.
To do the shows we have to play the jury game; it's wrong and flawed, but we have to put up with it until it can be changed.
-In short the same promoter gave me advice last year and I have grown as an artist because of it, and I also learned how to promote myself in my jury pics. He is a photographer who dosn't so much tour anymore, now he runs the Downtown Denver show. He's been where we are now; and he helps a whole lot of people.
And I really really agree about your comments regarding flawed jury systems, resell pros; I was next to a booth in Scottsdale who had a limited edition pictures..... limited to 12,000 prints. I was also next to the New York Times pushing newspaper sales with 2 seperate promoters! One of which I confronted and they agreed that it brought down the show and vowed to not bring them back; the other... I didn't complain for I get the feeling I shouldn't rock the boat if I would like to continue doing their shows; I want to change it, but I need to make a living too, so for now I will play the game;
Munks said:"I actually came pretty close to making the cut. And he said that my booth shot is good, so that's a relief. The images I selected just weren't cohesive enough."
Does this bother any artists that read this? I am not criticizing Jacqueline - my concern is with this line of thinking in general - not with this person.
I have a few questions:
Who the hell is this promoter and/or jury to make such subjective statements and evaluations on this artist's (Jacqueline's) work?
Was the criteria for admission to the show clearly laid out by this genius promoter and/or jury (let's face it - sometimes there is no difference, they are one and the same!)? Were the applicants encouraged to show a cohesive body of work or a wider range. Don't knock it, some do prefer a wider range. Were the applicants given a fair chance vis-a-vis clear expectations in exchange for a jury fee?
Oh please! Just where does one get "credentialed" to determine a good booth shot, how about "them thar levels of cohesiveness".
Does anyone want to bet me that no matter what show Jacqueline is referring to, the following will be observed there on the day of the show that everyone is salivating to see all year? :
1. Buy/sell booths that these "experts" allowed into the show.
2. Some "consecutive year veterans" that have been doing the show since before the Great Depression and bitch about the lousy sales every year and customers that complain about the same crap every year.
3. Some "vendors" that are selling something completely different than what they juried in with when they applied.
4. Some last minute changes that allowed one or two unaccepted artists to participate when the pool ran dry the morning of the show and the unwashed came in begging for a spot.
I could name more, but why?
As an aside to Jacqueline (every body else look away - this is none of your business): Please understand that you are the final judge of your work, not some promoter, art teacher, judge, juror, neighbor, or passerby. You are the artist and while it would be wise to accept criticism and learn, it is important to never, never, never let someone else make the decisions that you as an artist are responsible for in the end. I don't know what you make, and I don't care - but no one else is the final authority regarding what you make and how you choose to provide it for your customers. Make the best work you can make and work with your customers. These other guys will come and go - who cares what they think? Good luck to you, but it is 99% hard work and 1% luck - or something like that and there are no magical answers.
Jacqueline Webster said:I spoke with the promoter this AM. I actually came pretty close to making the cut. And he said that my booth shot is good, so that's a relief. The images I selected just weren't cohesive enough. I have three more apps. out there now & a stack to apply to. I will make my adjustments keep trying. And I do feel better that I didn't completely blow it. It was the first festival that I ever I applied to, so I still have plenty to learn.
BenJamin Stielow said:Sorry to hear about that, I was rejected last year too. I am excited that I made it in this year.
Last year I called the promoter at the art show and he gave me an honest critique of each of my jury pics. Honestly it hurt a little to hear the truth. My booth shot was terrible and cluttered, my arkwork shots had too many distractions, and I thought they were good. I have grown as a result of his coaching. Give him an email and ask him for the jury comments on your pictures.
Jacqueline Webster said:Just found my rejection for Downtown Denver on Zapp. My first show app., so disappointing but not entirely unexpected. Just not what I needed today. Oh, well. There's plenty of others to spend that show fee on. Sigh...
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Permalink Reply by Sara Youngman on -
The tally so far - yes from Columbus, OH; no from 2 of the Ann Arbor shows; #2 on wait list for Krasl. 3 more to apply to and 10 more to hear from. What a life!
Sara Youngman said:No - didn't figure odds out. Just applied to, I think, 13 shows which are in drivable distance. Applied to all 4 Ann Arbor shows. And to Kalamazoo & Columbus, OH which are the same weekend. And Ada and Birmingham, MI which are both on the same weekend. It was getting too expensive with all the jury fees, so I had to call it quits there. Also just applied to shows which were recommended to me as being popular and good (as good as it gets these days) money makers.
Keeping my fingers crossed. How humiliating if I don't get into any.....
Sara Youngman said:I feel much better now, being a printmaker...
Linnea Lahlum said:Just out of curiosity: Did you know what your odds were, before you applied?
I refigure my odds every year, and have since I started this business over 20 years ago. I know, for example, that I have never once gotten into shows where the odds are 10 to 1 (like Cherry Creek). So now I get to save that hefty jury fee. I used to occasionally get into shows with 8 to 1 odds. Since ZAPP has increased the number of apps, I am usually only predictably successful now for shows with a 5 to 1 odds or less. About once every year or two I may crack a show with 7 to 1. But I may have to throw 5 jury fees into the 7 to 1 hole for that one hit.
What the success ratio is, will, of course, vary from person to person. If you are in a less competitive medium, or routinely get into the top tier of shows, you will know that your acceptance ratio may be much higher. But the only way you can find out is to keep records.
You can target even closer if you can find out the number of apps in your medium for each show. Some shows will provide this info if you ask. Obviously in some very competitive mediums, odds will run worse that the overall booths available over apps received. (Every now and then I think I should go back into printmaking for this reason. But it’s just so darn flat.)
If you are not already, start keeping track. Go back over all you past records too.
Like Larry is always saying, go to an open jury and see what your competition is. I used to belong to an organization that offered this for all its members, and I drove 150 miles one way every year to go look.
Jury fees can be a black hole. At least try to peer down it before throwing yours into the pit.
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