American Art Today Exhibit

Green was accepted into the juried exhibit American Art Today: Juried Works at The Bascom in Highlands, NC.

Green
20" x 16"
Oil on Linen

The exhibit opens with a free, public reception on Saturday, October 24, 2009, from 5-7 p.m. Ms. Blaugrund will speak at 6 p.m. about her selections. The exhibit remains on display through December 18, 2009, and is open during The Bascom's regular hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"The exhibit juror was Annette Blaugrund, former director of the National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, New York, New York, who has organized major exhibitions and published and lectured widely on diverse subjects in American art. Blaugrund holds a Ph.D. in art history from Columbia University and is author of major books, among them John James Audubon: The Watercolors for The Birds of America (October 1993, Villard Books, Random House, with Theodore E. Stebbins, Jr.). One of Dr. Blaugrund’s projects was an exhibition and catalogue called The Tenth Street Studio Building: Artist-Entrepreneurs from the Hudson River School to the American Impressionists, organized for The New York Historical Society where she was the Andrew W. Mellon Senior Curator of paintings, drawings and sculpture from 1989 to 1995, and Director of Institutional Planning in her last year there. As an accreditation reviewer for the American Association of Museums, Dr. Blaugrund consults privately with museums and foundations across the country." (Bio taken from exhibit prospectus.)

Entering Juried Exhibits

artshow.com is my favorite resource to check for upcoming juried art exhibits.

Where do you look?

Some key things I check before entering a juried exhibit:

1. Who is the judge?
What type of work does the judge like, as evidenced by their own work (if an artist) work they collect (if a collector), or work they exhibit (if a gallery owner). What type of work has the judge selected for acceptance and awards in previous juried exhibits? Do a Google search to find out more.

2. What type of prizes will be awarded?
Will it benefit me to enter? In what ways...if I win and if I don't?

3. Will my work fit in with the style preferred by the show organizers?

4. What are the additional costs of entering?
Aside from the entry fee, are there shipping costs or booth fees? Do I think that my income will outweigh the expenses?

5. What are my chances for increasing exposure to my art?
What type of press coverage does the event receive? How respected is it in the art community? Is this a local exhibit, regional exhibit, or will it attract national attention?

I entered art exhibits for many years without paying attention to most of these details, just assuming that my work would speak for itself. It's not going to make much impact if you are speaking to the wrong audience. Once I started researching and only entering exhibits that matched my goals and interests, my acceptance and award percentage went up significantly. I encourage you to do the same.