Welcome to this month’s Art Industry Insider, where we bring you tips and tricks within the art world and how to run your business as a creative artist. This issue I’m going to focus on the exciting topic of entering your work into various juried art shows. Whether you’re a beginning artist ready to show your work for the first time or a seasoned fine art professional, entering art shows, both online and live, are an important part of being an artist. There are so many great opportunities to exhibit and sell your work to collectors from around the world.
So, you’ve created some great art that you are excited about, and you are ready to show it! Let’s get you started with some important information on what you need to prepare to enter your work into juried art shows.
Choose Wisely
There are literally thousands of shows out there to enter, so what will be important is matching your work and style with the correct show. If you’re an oil painter, you, of course, wouldn’t enter a pastel show. But other shows are much more specific, and you need to read all of the prospectus (overview) and regulations to be sure your work, theme and style fit well with the show. There are shows about everything: wildlife, figures, seascapes and marine art, photography, watercolors, comic book illustrations and many more exciting competitions that offer prize money. Be sure to choose wisely as there are costs associated with entering shows that typically run $35 to $75, so you don’t want to waste money by entering a show your work does not fit.
So where can you find the shows? Some of the main websites that list these shows to enter are:
- onlinejuriedshows.com
- showsubmit.com
- callforentry.org (Café)
- callforentries.com
- artworkarchive.com/call-for-entry (This one has its own sub search engine).
An online search using the keywords “art shows call for entries” will lead you to more individual sites, including fine art organizations such as the Art Renewal Center (ARC) annual salon and other larger art club sites that have call for entries.
Art clubs are a great choice as they have their own shows each year, and as a paid member you have a good chance of having your work accepted. They also often advertise, which can bring additional exposure to your work. To enter into a show for an art club, such as the Portrait Society of America, Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, Pastel Society of America, etc., you will need to first join the club and pay your dues. Annual art club dues usually run $40 to $100. At this point, you’ll be considered a member in good standing and can then apply for the juried shows. Oil Painters of America has three to four shows a year, for example, and accepts a range of styles—all painted in oils of course. You can also search by medium, as there are many juried shows and clubs online for mediums like pastel, watercolor, acrylic and more. Remember that joining and paying dues is separate from applying for a juried show, and the fees are different as well.
Preparing Your Imagery and Bio
Before you enter, there are a few things you need to prepare. You will need to first photograph your work. It is very important that your images look professional, which means no glare, good contrast, realistic color and saturation. This would be the time to hire a professional photographer or consult a friend who really knows iPhone or Photoshop. If you are going to go it alone, first make sure your camera is set on the highest resolution. Then make sure you photograph the work in even lighting with no glare. Be sure to shoot the work up close with the edges close to the camera frame so the image will come out clear and high resolution. Crop the edges with the straighten and crop tool, save and send to your computer. Once you have a clear shot, save the image as a high-resolution image with all of the following information within the title, separated with a period or dash: name, title of the work, medium and size. And it goes without saying, be sure to enter your best work possible.
Each show will need your website, Instagram information (if applicable), a short biography and an artist’s statement. You will need to have an abbreviated biography and a separate statement about your work, each about 200 to 250 words ready to go in a text document that you can copy and paste into the online application. (If you need help with these elements of the application process, take a look at our two last installments of Art Industry Insider on writing an artist bio and statement). You will also need a fairly close-up headshot of yourself ready to go.
Follow Instructions Carefully
It’s important to follow the instructions for each application explicitly. I like to read everything well ahead of time to make sure I’m complying with the organization’s rules and parameters, have the images saved properly and all necessary information ready. If one thing is missing, it may disqualify you, so you want to read and prepare. Look at the number of works requested. Is there a minimum? A maximum? Do you meet all of the theme, medium and level of artist requirements? Also be sure you know who is shipping the work there and back. Or is the show online only? Are you able to afford it if a special shipping box is needed? What percentage of the sale do artists get? Is the company doing additional advertising? In addition, be sure not to double submit the same work to two shows.
If you are prepared in advance, the applications are fairly easy. First you upload your images, then add in the details and parameters, filling out each question as you go down the list. Add your bio, artist’s statement if needed, website and other information. You will be able to view all of it before you begin in most cases, so you can prepare. Don’t forget there are often online tutorials on how to do this as well on the sites themselves. —
About Vanessa Rothe
In addition to her curatorial, editorial and lecturing, Vanessa Rothe is a fine artist exhibiting the last 20 years alongside the nation’s top artists in galleries, art clubs, as well as museums. After majoring in business at USD and French literature at UCI, Rothe received classical fine art training at Laguna College of Art + Design and received honors throughout. Rothe has been working as an editor, graphic designer and artist in the publishing industry for 35 years.
Contact at
vanessarothefineart.com