mock jury (6)

10230268071?profile=RESIZE_400xLarry Berman, well known photographer of artwork for artists applying to art shows, who also consults with artists and art shows and consultant for ZAPP and Juried Art Services, host of several Facebook pages supporting the careers of artists in the art fair business is hosting an important Zoom meeting in April.

You can't be part of the art fair business unless you get past the jury and accepted to an art fair. Larry's Zoom meeting will share information and insider tips to help you get into the show by holding a mock jury. A mock jury is a jury image presentation where you submit your images as if you were applying to an art show and have them critiqued by experts -- Live on Zoom!

Your work can be part of this meeting. Just send in your images. Deadline is April 5. Read the entry instructions on this web page to see how the images are going to be presented. https://bermangraphics.com/blog/holding-a-mock-jury-on-zoom

Larry hopes to have the jury during the first week in April. Larry is available to help you put your presentation together if needed.  

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My first ZAPP conference

Wow, where do I start? My head is swimming with art business thoughts and to-do lists since returning from the two day conference. Pile on top of that I will teach 120 kids art lessons this week and have my last outdoor art show is this weekend and I am one overwhelmed yet energized artist.  

First off, thank you Connie Mettler and AFI for providing the opportunity for me to attend this event. As a young (career) artist with a very meagre budget, the cost of attending would have been prohibitive for me. I understand this conference is focused on ZAPP's client, the show promoters, and as an artist I appreciate that artists are a part of the mix. Perhaps if ZAPP would like more artist participation at their future conferences they could consider a different price point for artists to make it more feasible? 

So, I will attempt give a little background on me and why I wanted to attend the ZAPP conference in Louisville, KY. I've been participating Louisville region art fairs since 2008 and feel there is a huge learning curve the first few years unless you are fortunate to have a mentor. My mentors have been generous artists at the shows sharing the wealth of experience in those slow hours at shows (and sites like AFI!!). I typically do 3-5 regional shows each year currently. I also sell my work two local galleries, do a great deal of commission work, teach art classes and sell some art online (although I don't have an online cart on my website).

Switching from an engineering career then stay at home mother to a full time artist has been a blessing. Of course creating art is why we are in this field, the business side is where most of us struggle. So I was excited to see where this conference could build my knowledge of fine art fairs by meeting the show promoters and being engaged in the discussions. What I really learned was much much more than that. I just hope I can touch on a few relevant topics for other artists.

I had reviewed the session list online and knew I would get the most out of two: the Artist Track: Reaching Your Intended Audience and Jury Duty: Public Portfolio Critique. The first session actually turned out to be a very compacted session that was both about the intended audience and a discussion on Money 101 for artists. Sheryl Kosovski did a great job covering such broad topics in such a small window of time. I learned if I am to grow my business I need to do a better job of forecasting my expenses, not just throwing receipts in a file for taxes. She shared a great software product called www.moneyminderonline.com which forces you to consider every transaction. For only $60 a year, I think this tool will be very helpful used next to something like Quickbooks.

She also hit a sore spot for me about the mind set of being an under-earner and how to challenge ourselves to push our earning potential and price our artwork based on our goal income. Having an economic evaluator/engineer husband, I know this should have already been set in place but I now have a new perspective on how to approach my potential. Sheryl's second part of the session on intended audience was useful but familiar. I have listened to the radio segments on AFI that have covered how to market to niches and how to target certain demographics. I think hearing it again in this setting while with other artists discussing our experiences is very valuable.

The session on a mock art fair jury was eye opening for me! I noted in my paragraph for the AFI contest for the ZAPP conference that I have tried to get into St. James but I've only been wait listed. My dear husband is encouraging me to apply to shows with fine art as the primary focus, within a 10 hour drive. I have been resisting applying to other "Go big or go home" shows because I have been using St. James as my barometer. First, I am guilty of having a booth shot taken at a fair that I thought looked nice.

I had no idea that jurors primarily want to see three walls with a gallery style hanging with no other distractions. In the back of my mind I knew some shows do not allow reproductions therefore print bins in the photo might be a strike. Items to make sure are not visible: chairs, desks, dolly, tubs peeking under the walls are all a distraction to the juror. Basically consider photographing your booth like you do your artwork: well lit, staged and very sterile. I also learned the sequence of the images can be a distraction. The submitted images need to be sequenced so that they are balanced in design, color and orientation.

Second, and this one caught me by surprise, some shows have open jury sessions! So an artist can attend and learn from the process. I don't yet know how to find which are open but that is on my to-do list. Third, the facilitator was the St. Louis art fair director and she said if you have questions about what a show is looking for in a booth shot or the type of work they focus on in their jury process - call the director and ask! For a painter like myself, I intend to make a list of shows I think suit my work and make some contacts before the application deadlines start rolling around for next year.

Other unexpected benefits to attending: I found a potentially new and cheaper insurance provider that covers artists, even at unpredictable weather outdoor events. I knew it was very important to protect our images by having watermarks or low res images online, but the Symposium- Imitation vs. Inspiration, I learned that the copyright protection laws are not guaranteed to protect us in this digital era. In this same session I gleaned, there are lots of differing opinions from those who make a living on the backs of artists about what is ethically acceptable in arenas of promoting and selling. 

There were many other sessions that were more geared to the show promoters (both for profit and non-profit) yet they had much for an artist to absorb. We, as artists, are a part of a larger community effort in each of these fairs and it is up to us to decide if it fits our goals. Do you want to be at a huge festival where art is a small part of the experience but draws thousands? Maybe you want to focus on shows that where fine art is the focus.

For the seasoned artist who already has figured out their best shows and travels the entire country, maybe this conference would be a yawn for you. For emerging artists, I found there was much to absorb both from business development and the what future may hold for art fairs.

I met so many talented artists and people with a passion for creatives and I hope to stay in contact with them. I learned about new shows that may be a fit for my work. I found new resources to help me research fairs and grow my business. Thank you to all who  put this conference together and thank you again Connie for the opportunity!

All the best,

Amy Welborn

www.paintingsbyamywelborn.com

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February 1 - St. Louis, MO, Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel - 5 pm to 9 pm

Cultural Festivals presents Photographing Art Work Workshop presented by Larry Berman. Learn how to put your art work in images to wow the jurors. Providing professional images of your work is one of the best investment you can make in your career. 

Registration%20Form%20-%20Berman%20Workshop.docx

Cost: $10

For more info: 314-863-0278

February 2 - Jury Image Workshop - 9 am to 5 pm

Artists, take advantage of this great opportunity to improve your jury submissions and have your images critiqued by past SLAF jurors.  Images will be displayed in the same way we do for the yearly SLAF jury.  Jurors will speak openly about submitted artist images.  There is no cost to participate. APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE DEADLINE OF 11:59PM CST, FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013. 

The workshop is limited to the first 150 applications.

Artists can submit images and attend this free workshop and still have 7 weeks before the 2013 Art Fair application deadline to update and submit their applications.

1) Create a FREE user account or login online at www.zapplication.org

2) Upload your artist images

3) Apply NOW to this mock show and join us 2/2/13.

More information will be sent to applicants prior to the workshop. We hope you find this to be helpful as you prepare your application for art fairs.

Whether you are new to the digital application process or looking to improve your jury submissions, all artists are welcome to attend and learn!

Applications for the 2013 Saint Louis Art Fair presented by Sterling Bank are due March 21, 2013. Learn more at www.culturalfestivals.com

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How Do Your Jury Images Stack Up and What is the Purpose of the Booth Shot?

Mock Jury - Rock Financial Showplace, Novi, Michigan - October 17 - 9 am

As a benefit to participating in the Great Lakes Art Fair, Connie Mettler, publisher of ArtFairInsiders.com and ArtFairCalendar.com, will be doing a special presentation for the artists at 9am on Sunday morning October 17 entitled “The Digital Jury Process.”

Connie will speak about the digital jury process, hold a mock jury, view digital images of the participating artists, discuss how to improve your digital images for the jury process, and do a critique of booth images along with a discussion on why booth images are important to the jury process. This presentation is free to exhibiting artists.

This is a great opportunity to see how your work looks to the jury and also to see how other artists present their work.

Connie has been active in the art fair community for over 30 years as an artist's partner, an art event organizer, an art fair consultant and publisher of the nation's most popular art fair related websites, ArtFairInsiders.com (the "Facebook" for art fair artists) and ArtFairCalendar.com - the #1 Google rated site for "art fairs". She has curated many art fair juries and been friends with the nation's top art fair artists, observing their struggles and successes.

Not participating in the Great Lakes Art Fair and would like to attend the seminar? A limited number of seats will be available for $20. Planning on joining us? Click here: http://greatlakesartfair.com/sundayseminar.html

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Chicago Area Art Festival Boot Camp - October 22

At this time of the year I know you are thinking and planning for your 2011 art fairs. In the interest of that and to learn how to make art festivals work better in the current economy read carefully below and consider this excellent Chicago area Art Fest Boot Camp seminar to enhance your chances of success in the new year.



Look what past participants are saying!

"The seminar gets an A+. The mock jury (alone) was worth the fee."--Mike Brown

"This was the most valuable time I have spent in the development of my business. As a new artist, I appreciate the resources you provide."--Judith Foster, Jeweler

"Thanks to all I learned at Boot Camp, I now have a 'killer' set of jury slides!"--Donald R. Boudreau, 3D-wood
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What Does $25 Get an Artist These Days?

Lots!! Give yourself a well-needed break from work. Come to Peoria, IL, on September 24 to attend the NAIA Director/Artist Conference. This is an easy drive for many of you and on the way to the Plaza show in Kansas City. Why? * to network with other artists and art fair directors * to learn what that "booth image" is all about * get tips for preparing digital images for jurying * how to battle imports with a U.S. trade representative * mock jury - see how your images stand up to a jury of your peers. This alone is worth your time. (I sat in on one of these mock juries a few years back. The images projected were from some of the top artists in the business. They critiqued one another's images and I learned a lot. Took that info home and voila! We snagged us some excellent shows.) * Party! Peoria Contemporary Art Center The conference is held in conjunction with the Peoria Fine Art Fair. Have a desire to talk with other artists and art fair organizers when you are not in your booth? This is such a relaxing and hospitable atmosphere. You will be glad you joined us. I'll be there. I'd love to meet you! ALL FOR $25.00!! Sign up now! You don't want to miss this! Visit: www.naia-artists.org or call 810-813-0500.
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