I made the decision to apply for some of the largest and most competitive art fairs this year in our area this year. I am please to say that I have been selected for all of the top art fairs that I applied for. Unfortunately this means that I will need to decline some of the other offers that have come my way. It is always difficult to decline but I want to have plenty of quality inventory and I need to make room for family, friends and other activities in my life.
So you might ask, “what is the jury process”. Calls for summer art fairs are usually released between December and March. Each art fair has it’s own requirements but they typically require 3-4 high quality photographs of current work and a photo of your booth as it will appear at the fair. A description of your process is required as well. In addition some will require an artist’s statement describing your work, your inspiration, and your process. All of this information is compiled and submitted with a jury fee and then you wait.
The various art fairs hire jurors to select artists that will participate in their part fairs. They judge the quality of work and weigh the artists’s application against others in the same category. The most competitive art fairs may select only 25-30% of applicants. Besides quality and composition, another factor considered is consistency of a body of work. If my work was dropped on the floor, for example, could you identify it by style, colors, composition, technique? I have learned that the quality of my photos is incredibly important.
After you submit your applications you sit back and hope that your work is selected. I try to keep a couple back up options just in case. I have received my share of “so sorry–we have received so many wonderful applications and you are not one one of them… etc” letters. Being rejected is simply part of the process and so it is very exciting for me to be accepted for all of my first choices this year.
The real judges, however, are all of you. Ultimately, just having you all stop in to see me and check my newest art is incredibly important to me. It is what keeps me going. Looking forward to seeing all of you this summer!
