Last week I saw on a friend’s facebook post that the Freyberger Gallery at Penn State Berks was taking art submissions for a gallery exhibit. They took submissions that Saturday, and were open for one more day, the following Monday, to take in art.
It was a juried show, which means, they don’t hang all the art that is submitted. A jury looks at all the art and they decide what they will show and what they won’t show.
The last time I took a painting to a juried show was in 2002. When it was my turn to drop off my art one of the judges said, “Why are you even bothering to drop that off?”
That piece didn’t get accepted, and for the next fifteen years, I never entered another juried show.
I kept thinking of excuses of why I shouldn’t try to enter the show at the Freyberger gallery. The gallery was so far away. What if the roads were bad? I wasn’t sure how to get there. But, what was really bothering me was, Could I deal with the rejection if they said no?
Let people see your art
I asked my friend, a painter, about entering work in juried shows, He said, “One year I got best in show, and they next year they didn’t accept any of my paintings. My art didn’t change, they had different people judging.”
Create the art you want to create and not the art you think people want.
It’s important to believe in yourself.
I took two paintings to the Freyberger gallery, one of my pieces was accepted to hang in the show, and one of them wasn’t. The show will be juried for prizes.
Believe in your art, even if it doesn’t get accepted in a juried show. Believe in your art even if it doesn’t win a prize. Keep painting, singing, baking, writing, even if you get a one-star review.
Create art because it gives you joy. Create art because it helps you breathe. Create art because it is who you are.
Believe in yourself.
xo
Pamela
