Top Five Artist No-No's for Submitting to Exhibitions

How do you interact with various artist opportunities and calls for entries? How do you think galleries, publications, museums, and other art venues view you, the artist, who has submitted to their opportunity? Many artists assume they are simply a number in a database when it comes to open calls for entries and juried exhibitions. In fact, this is usually not the case, and there are some steps you can take to avoid having a bad reputation associated with your name, or, oppositely, get in good.

"Do you mean that an artist's reputation affects his/her acceptance to the exhibition?" No. Well, not exactly. If the opportunity follows a "blind" juried style, then your reputation and name will have nothing to do with your acceptance. However it may affect your potential for awards and honors, additional opportunities, and extra promotion of your work -- all of which typically happen outside of the jurying once your name is revealed. This is where it's good to know the etiquette of email, phone, and written correspondence with the potential opportunity you plan to submit to.


Here's the top five worst things you can say/do to mar your artist reputation when submitting to an artist opportunity:

1. "Can you just do the application for me? Here's my images and resume." - This is basically like saying, "I don't have time for your silly art opportunity, but I just know you'll like my work so much that you'll want to help me any way you can!" While you truly may too busy to figure out the application yourself, that is not how the opportunity host will view you -- it will come across as laziness. If you really don't have time for preparing the application materials required, then this may not be the right opportunity for you, or at least not the right timing in your life. An alternative could be to hire someone to do it for you.

2. "I just submitted my application, and now I'm emailing to tell you about my great upcoming exhibition somewhere else!" If the call for entry opportunity requested your resume, then put that awesome upcoming exhibition information on the resume. If the opportunity did not ask for a resume, then you probably shouldn't send this kind of information as it can be seen as annoying and irrelevant to the call for entry at hand.

3. Adding their email address to your monthly email newsletter list. This happens so frequently that it seems a daunting task to spread the word to artists everywhere about this big no-no. If the person/museum/gallery/magazine did not sign-up for your list, then at least ask before you add. Sometimes they'll say yes, sometimes they'll say no, but asking permission eliminates the likelihood that your message ends up in the spam box harming your newsletter's reputation further.

4. Not saying "thank you" when accepted. Congrats - you received the acceptance letter, meaning your work was found to be a good fit for this opportunity! Why not say "thank you" to the opportunity host and/or jurors? A simple reply to the acceptance email is sufficient, and words of gratitude go a long way to keeping your name in good standing for potential future opportunities that are not juried. Not saying thank you is actually noticed and makes the opportunity host wonder, "Aren't they excited?" or worse "They seem rude, unappreciative, etc."

5. Being a jerk when not accepted. As disappointing as it is and as much as you believe your work was the best fit for this opportunity, don't be rude to the opportunity host because of your so-called "rejection letter." Trust me, that tiny little email with "@#$%! you!" written in it will definitely get your name remembered, but not in a positive light. Avoiding the temptation to lash out can prove more beneficial in the long run. Instead of relieving your anger by writing that email, try writing your feelings in a journal, creating a new piece of art, or sharing your disappointment with a friend.

Art in Music -- Love Songs for the Artist

Love, one of the greatest emotions known to humanity, is often hailed for its good and its bad in all art forms, including music. In continuing the series of art in music, this week's theme is "Love." The songs listed here bring together an intersection of musical genius, art history knowledge, art appreciation, and experiences of love. Enjoy!

The Weepies -- Painting by Chagall 

This indie rock group combines the musical talents of Deb Talan and Steve Tannen -- together the couple form the band "The Weepies." The song is obviously inspired by the duo's personal love. Talking about the night they first met, Talan says, "...we stayed up all night playing songs for each other, drinking a bottle of wine and trading an acoustic guitar back and forth in a tiny apartment." Tannen adds, "That night has lasted ten years so far." The reference to art is in the chorus as they sing, "We float like two lovers in a painting by Chagall." Marc Chagall was a painter of Jewish descent born in what is now Belarus in 1887. In many of his artworks, figures seem to float in dreamlike landscapes and a common theme of love is prominent in his work.

Teenage Fanclub -- Escher

Comparing a relationship to an M.C. Escher artwork, the songwriter states, "I don't know if I'm going up or down with you." I'm certain we've all experience the uncertainty that sometimes comes in love, either in its early stages or after a bad fight. This beautiful metaphor here with the work of mastermind artist Escher is a perfectly fitting way to describe this feeling of doubt and excitement.

Nick Cave -- Something's Gotten a Hold of My Heart

While this song doesn't directly mention any particular artist or artwork, it does reference the art-making practice of painting. Nick sings, "Painting my sleep with a color so bright, Changing the gray and changing the blue, Scarlet for me and scarlet for you."

Alabama -- You Only Paint the Picture Once 

Country fan or not, give this song a listen as it's sure to put tears in your eyes as you think of the years past and the years to come spent with the love of your life. While the entire song speaks about the act of painting, the chorus puts it best, "While the brush is in your hand, make sure it's just right, before the colors dry, you can't change it once it's done, you only paint the picture once." What a poetic explanation of the commitment required in marriage and the continuing effort involved to make it last.

Carlisle Belinda -- Shades Of Michelangelo

"With a stroke of love, on the canvas of my soul, I'm painting a perfect world, with shades of Michaelangelo" repeats the chorus of this dramatic song of hope and endurance. Of course, the mention of the great master of sculpture and painting Michelangelo is what makes this song an artful one. He's, of course, best known for his David sculpture and the amazing mural of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling.

Semisonic -- Sculpture Garden

When you're in love it seems that time slows down and yet, at the same moment, there is never enough time. All you can think about is spending every second with him/her. This songs speaks to that other-worldly sense of awe and beauty found in each moment of being in love. In reference to art, the singer describes the soft night and aesthetic features of a sculpture garden he's walking in with his love.

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Stay tuned for more "Art in Music" posts...

In researching the musings of various musicians about the topic of visual art, I found songs including mentions of art are somewhat limited in quantity, yet profoundly inspiring and memorable. I chose to sort my findings according to a few common themes and then present a review of each group on the following schedule:

• ODES (Part 1) to specific artworks, artists, or art movements -- June 8 (4 songs)
• LOVE songs, some hopeful and others confused, referencing art -- July 6 (6 songs)
• HUMOROUS songs about art or specific artists -- August 3 (5 songs)
• BIOGRAPHIES of specific artists' lives -- September 7 (3 songs)
• ODES (Part 2) to specific artworks, artists, or art movements -- October 5 (4 songs)
• BALLADS of heartbreak, using art as a metaphor -- November 2 (3 songs)
• REALISTIC narrations of pain, hope, struggle, and life, presented with references to art -- December 7 (5 songs)

Street Art at the MOCA in LA - Review & Photos

With the first major exhibition of street art in the USA, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles is leading the way for the rather ironic movement of placing graffiti in sterile environments (ok, maybe not sterile, but compared to the warehouses and train tracks of traditional graffiti "galleries," the white wall space of museums and art venues is comparably cleaner and hospital-like.)

This brings up the question, does street art belong in a gallery or museum? In some ways it seems to go against everything that makes it what it is -- undercover, for the people, and raw.

But, perhaps the move to bring graffiti indoors is simply a tipping of the hat to an art form long under-recognized for its potential for powerful messages and striking imagery. Of course, the famous UK street artist Banksy has helped in putting this medium on the dinner plate of serious collectors and critics. In fact, he has generously sponsored a free day for visitors to attend the exhibition at MOCA LA. Every Monday during the "Art in the Streets" show, Banksy has paid your way.

And that brings us to my visit yesterday.

Having been sponsored as a free day for anyone to visit, the "Art in the Streets" exhibit was THE most crowded museum exhibit I have ever been to (aside from opening receptions, etc.) There was a constant flow of visitors coming in the door and you often had to wait your turn to view a particular piece of art. (See the YouTube video we filmed while there for an idea of the crowds.)

It was a nicely installed show, with a good assortment of wall art, framed works, installations resembling graffiti studios, sculpture works and objects, and an illustrated timeline. Some of the works are photographed below.

My favorite aspect was that even the women's bathroom had been graffiti-bombed in bubble-gum pink with black outlines spelling the name "Annabelle!" It was striking that the restrooms were so clean, yet had the marks of spray paint. The most humorous part of the exhibit, to me, was the gift store -- it was so popular that a guard had to be placed at the door to keep the numbers of people inside down to fire-code quantities. I guess "exit through the gift shop" took on a very literal meaning for some. ;)

The exhibit will be up until August 8, 2011 with every Monday from now on sponsored with free admission for all (if you're driving, you will still have to pay $8 to park -- hey, it's LA!)

From the Banksy exhibit

Craig R. Stecyk III display

Visual Overture editor Arlissa Vaughn with Kenny Scharf mural

Wall of Shepard Fairey art

Not sure which artist this was, but note the interesting comparison to ancient Grecian pottery

Art in Music -- When Lyrics and Compositions are Inspired by the Visual

Ahhh... art and music -- the two go together so well! Musicians have always found ways to incorporate visual art with their music through disc covers, posters, videos, and merchandise. But what about art in music? Some musicians have more than a passing fancy towards fine art -- some are visual artists themselves, collectors of fine art, or art historians.

Presented today are the first in a series of reviews of music that references the field of visual art in some manner. Today's theme -- "Odes" -- shares a few of the songs that are an homage to specific artworks, artists, or art movements. This is only part one of this theme, and only the first of seven blog posts about the topic of art in music in general!

Nat King Cole -- Mona Lisa

"Do you smile to tempt the lover, Mona Lisa? Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?" coos Nat with his beautiful voice and classic style. This song is a short, but well-done ode to Leonardo da Vinci's mysterious painting of Mona Lisa and to the overall mysteriousness of women.

Peter Gabriel -- Fourteen Black Paintings

This dramatic ode to Mark Rothko's black paintings speaks of the political and internal struggle of humanity. The chilling musical composition, in addition to the simple poetic lyrics are very thought-provoking. "From the pain come the dream, From the dream come the vision, From the vision come the people, From the people come the power, From this power come the change."

The Nields -- Georgia O

With a "Lillith Fair" attitude and folk-rock style, The Nields sing about the songwriter's muse, Georgia O'Keefe. Speaking of a strong emotional connection to an artist long-dead before the songwriter's lifetime, this song reminds me how powerful art is.

King Crimson -- The Night Watch

Opening with a long instrumental intro, the lyrics then provide a detailed description of Rembrandt's style and ideology, perhaps even describing a specific painting (but I haven't yet figured out which one.) Boasting of beautiful violins and guitars, this ode to the artist also gives hopeful to the future through it's lyrics and melodic tune.

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Stay tuned for more "Art in Music" posts...

In researching the musings of various musicians about the topic of visual art, I found songs mentioning including art are somewhat limited in quantity, yet profoundly inspiring and memorable. I chose to sort my findings according to a few common themes and then present a review of each group on the following schedule:

• ODES (Part 1) to specific artworks, artists, or art movements -- June 8 (4 songs)
• LOVE songs, some hopeful and others confused, referencing art -- July 6 (6 songs)
• HUMOROUS songs about art or specific artists -- August 3 (5 songs)
• BIOGRAPHIES of specific artists' lives -- September 7 (3 songs)
• ODES (Part 2) to specific artworks, artists, or art movements -- October 5 (4 songs)
• BALLADS of heartbreak, using art as a metaphor -- November 2 (3 songs)
• REALISTIC narrations of pain, hope, struggle, and life, presented with references to art -- December 7 (5 songs)

Earth Day for Artists, Art Centers, and Galleries -- Top 5 Eco-Friendly Products and Services

Earth Day is one of my favorite holidays, to use the term loosely. The celebration of life, nature, humanity -- all that makes our planet so beautiful and valuable. Like most other holidays, there has been a growing subconscious effort to commercialize the day and profit from it. While today I'm sure you'll be bombarded with various emails advertising earth-friendly products or events, I hope this blog post will provide a slant pertinent to the lives of artists and art professionals -- how to be less wasteful, cleaner, and natural in the studio, at the gallery, and in the classroom. Here's a list of various things you can implement as you consider the earth and our interactions with her.

Top 5 Earth Day Recommends for Art Professionals:

1. Roma Frames - providing earth-conscious framing products made of sustainable and renewable sources

2. Hahnemuhle Bamboo Paper - perfect eco-friendly paper for sketching, watercolor, and fine art prints - request it from your giclee printer, or available in a pad from Dick Blick Art Supplies

3. ProPay - charge your customers' credit/debit card and send them an email receipt instead of printing a paper copy, also offers micro-reader options for easy use at festivals, etc.


4. Entry Thingy - accept online submissions from artists for your art festival, exhibition, annual call for artists, or juried competition (Gallery Thingy, the sister of Entry Thingy, is also a useful tool for displaying/selling art online)

5. Marvelous Marianne's Savvy Soap - comes in both a hand and brush cleaner, available from Daniel Smith Art Supplies (20% discount if clicking this link!)

On-Site at Arte Americas

Miami boasts of large international art fairs, and this weekend the city hosted the Arte Americas fair -- the premier fair of Latin American art. The event's website states that "hundreds of emerging artists and renowned masters" will be shown via participating galleries from Latin America.

Sometimes it's good to have no expectations, therefore you'll be encouraged with even small surprises and have no tower to crumble with disappointments. I thought I went in to Arte Americas with no expectations, but it seems I did have at least one -- I expected crowds.

When I arrived at about 12:30pm on the opening day I expected to have trouble finding parking and to see large masses entering the exhibit hall and browsing the displays, especially since it's free to enter between 12-2pm. With the lack of attendance, I worried if I was in the right place -- where was everyone?? There were only handfuls of people here and there. Was this problem due to lack of advertising or lack of interest? I'm not sure.

Upon entering, I began my journey down the rows of cubicle-like gallery displays, starting in the middle. Just as the website stated, I did find a mix of established and emerging artists, but noticed that a good many of the galleries were from Miami and were not international. How do these galleries choose which artists to display at Arte America? If it's meant to be a fair of Latin American art, I suppose the Miami galleries must have discriminated in some way in order to only show artists of Latin American descent. I'm not entirely sure that's fair. But I'm also not entirely sure that's what they did. ;)

When viewing art at these sort of events, I often feel watched. Gallery owners, art dealers, and even some of the artists are politely stationed in their respective posts, waiting for you to enter and perhaps make a purchase. I found I enjoyed when one of these such people would approach me and discuss the art or give me an informational brochure. I didn't enjoy the ones who just sat and watched my movements, averting their eyes if I glanced their way. I believe it's important to engage potential customers to get him/her excited about the art. Half the fun of art is trying to figure it out, getting inside the maker's head -- much of which can be done with simple visual dialogue between looker and artwork, but sometimes it's helpful to speak to someone too.

Overall I found that the quality of craftsmanship was very good in the artworks presented, but the sort of art that takes risks wasn't much available at Arte America. Here are a few photos from the day:

Fabio Mesa's paintings, with electrical lighting placed behind each canvas to shine through unpainted portions

Ana Ocha with her sculptural wall piece that can be installed according to the lighting per site

Lack of crowds at Arte America on March 25, 2011

Miguel Florido's trompe l'oeil-style painting of a crumpled paper

Visitor inspecting Roberto Picco's miniature displays

Hoax, Ha-ha, or High Art?

Anyone who works in any gallery, art center, museum, art publication, or other art-related service knows the large quantities of unsolicited emails and letters sent by unabashed, self-promoting artists. Usually, they go something like this:

"I'm a [really great or new] artist who is looking for gallery representation. I make [paintings, sculptures, photographs, etc.] that are especially eye-catching and brilliant. If you're interested in seeing my work, please visit my website at [http://artist'swebsite]. [List of resume achievements.] [List of websites or publications.] Have a nice day!"

Just in case you were considering sending such an email, save yourself the time and energy. These sort of emails almost always go directly to the "trash" folder. Why? There are usually obvious phrases that point to the fact that this was a copy and paste letter, often showing the artist didn't even bother to see what kind of business he/she is sending the letter to. For example, why would you send a letter asking for "gallery representation" to a magazine? Well, we get them all the time and they always go to the trash folder.

Today, however, I received the most bizarre of such letters. Without sharing the artist's name or identifying details, here is what it says (all misspellings and grammar faults copied directly from original email):

"Dear: Director
I emailed you a copy of the work but my will has just been finished and I decided to send you a brief idea do what it states I need museum to find out I am looking for a home and I need help showing the work. last page of my web is a link to ovation tv, there is a photo and video of the work I am looking for home in a permanent collection. The work is titled [title of artwork]. It is a sarcophagus.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
[artist's name]
[artist's website]

The work is titled [title of artwork]. It is a sarcophagus and this unique-shaped Glass House covered in jewelry with a wooden base covered in glass flowers will eventually contain the ashes of my husband, our dog, and me. Not only will this be one of my works of art but it will contain the artist.

My will also states that I bequeath the sum of Fifty Thousand Dollars to the museum for maintain it. And if taken, the museum is entitled to all my art work upon my death to auction of to raise money for the museum. (If they wish)"

As I read the email I nearly laughed aloud! First, why send this to Visual Overture Magazine? We're not a museum and we don't publish "news" articles. Second, is this a joke? Is someone seriously trying to sell their future dead body's ashes and that of their husband's and dog's? Third, this artist is offering money for the upkeep of their art and offering all their art for the museum to keep or sale for free?? Wow.

I thought this must be some kind of scam, but turns out the artist's website is legitimate and appears to be operated by a real person. But, at the same time, this email sounds so suspicious for a variety of reason, it definitely makes me question its validity. So, to solve this mystery, let's look at the points that make it fit into one of three categories -- "Hoax," "Ha-ha," or "High-Art."

Hoax

• Terrible English and writing skills (points to the possibility of a "Nigeria Scam")
• Offering a large sum of money ($50,000), also points to a "Nigeria Scam" scenario
• Offering all of entire life's artwork for free (why?)
• Artist said they emailed me a copy of the work, but this is the first time I've heard of or seen this

Ha-ha (joke)

• Terrible English and writing skills (poorly written on purpose for laughs)
• Sale of ashes of three future dead beings
• Artwork isn't particularly interesting or well-crafted (after looking on website)
• Cheesy music on video explaining artwork with just a slideshow of the artwork from different angles over and over again

High Art

• Terrible English and writing skills (may be sincerely written, not to say that artists have bad English or writing skills)
• Unique idea to sell art with actual artist included as part of the art (albeit, a dead artist)
• Lists resume achievements, indicating an artist who is serious about their career

What do you think? Which of the three is it -- hoax, ha-ha, or high art? I'd love some feedback on this one!! :)