Art show advice

[TNcasual]

The local arts group organizes public art at the Knoxville airport (TYS.) They change out the artworks on display every six months, with the new works being chosen by a new "Juror" each time. I have submitted pieces to be displayed for the last two years, but have never had one chosen. It has either been bad luck, or I have been picking the wrong pieces to submit.

Since it is a wide open space and being available to the general public, I tend to submit more traditional pieces. I don't really think it is a good space for my abstract work.

I was thinking of submitting versions of the following three shots:

Each printed rather large - 24x36 inches.

This time I wanted to go for a more 'Fine Art' photography feel.

Any opinions on my selections? Has anyone done similar submissions? What has worked, what hasn't?

Or maybe I should try other images?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Richard]

The first image is the one which immediately appealed, if that's any help.

-R

 

[lightcapture]

I see others on your Flickr I'd choose, but of these three, I like the first w/ a bit more contrast w/o out loosing the fog.

 

[Irene McC]

Do the organisers issue any guidelines? Of the ones displayed in previous years, did you notice a trend?
Were the majority colour or B&W? What subject matter was common? Do they have a theme or is it wide open?

For your images to be selected, you'd have a better chance by 'playing the game' by giving them what's popular, I think

 

[TNcasual]

Do the organisers issue any guidelines? Of the ones displayed in previous years, did you notice a trend?
Were the majority colour or B&W? What subject matter was common? Do they have a theme or is it wide open?

For your images to be selected, you'd have a better chance by 'playing the game' by giving them what's popular, I think

There really isn't any guidelines other than size of the work. The times I have seen the works presented, it has been pretty wide ranging. Which makes sense, being that it is displayed in a very public sphere, available to anyone in the terminal. I should note that the show is for all types of work, both 2D and 3D. So any type of artistic medium, of which photography is a smaller part.

It really is hard to "play the game." As I have found for other similar shows. Or at least I have found it hard to do so. I try to look up the Juror and see what type of artisitc creations they do. But that doesn't really say anything about what they like to view.

I will also say that I am a pretty harsh critic. I see lots of photography chosen to be in group shows (sometimes over my work) that I would simply never show to anyone. Bad technique, poor composition, terrible printing choices, but still included to show.

 

[Irene McC]

I see lots of photography chosen to be in group shows (sometimes over my work) that I would simply never show to anyone. Bad technique, poor composition, terrible printing choices, but still included to show

Isn't that just always the case !!! My sister-in-law and I viewed the current exhibits at a very upmarket local art museum and she said to me that she way prefers my photos over what was shown.
I'm not saying that to brag at all - that was her assessment and she's not one to say things just to flatter. Put a frame around anything and suddenly it's 'art' apparently? well, that's how it seems to go.

 

[TNcasual]

Isn't that just always the case !!! My sister-in-law and I viewed the current exhibits at a very upmarket local art museum and she said to me that she way prefers my photos over what was shown.
I'm not saying that to brag at all - that was her assessment and she's not one to say things just to flatter. Put a frame around anything and suddenly it's 'art' apparently? well, that's how it seems to go.

There was this one image at a show. It was a landscape, lake scene. The horizon was not level, there was nothing in focus - there really wasn't any subject. The processing was the typical blown out saturation. Then it was printed large ~20x30inches on super glossy metal. The printing alone was probably close to $200. I turned to my wife and said that that image would have gone straight into the trash after import if I took it. I felt a little bad, as the artist felt it was worth the time and effort to print. It was just a terrible piece.

 

[bluzcity]

There was this one image at a show. It was a landscape, lake scene. The horizon was not level, there was nothing in focus - there really wasn't any subject. The processing was the typical blown out saturation. Then it was printed large ~20x30inches on super glossy metal. The printing alone was probably close to $200. I turned to my wife and said that that image would have gone straight into the trash after import if I took it. I felt a little bad, as the artist felt it was worth the time and effort to print. It was just a terrible piece.

It makes one wonder if there is an element of ‘who you know’ attached to the selections.

FWIW, I like the 3rd photo!

 

[IanE]

FWIW, I like the 3rd photo!

Me too

 

[DM Larson]

First thing I want to say, and this is me being as objective as I can, is that your work has merit and should be exhibited. #3 is pretty glorious, and each of them could be shown if the right juror saw them.

I have a BFA in art I earned in the 90s. I took a break from making art for several years, then in 2009 I got back into painting and for 4-5 years made a hard push to try get representation in a gallery. I got really close with a gallery in Ketchum, Idaho, but couldn't quite close the deal. I submitted my portfolio to several galleries in Boise; Salt Lake City; Sun Valley, Idaho; Park City, Utah; Jackson, Wyoming; St. George, Utah; and Scottsdale, Arizona. What a maddening and demoralizing experience.

As part of my portfolio I included a list of shows that I'd exhibited in and it was pretty long. I'd shown in 18 different states and a couple of those shows had been international competitions. One of the shows I'd gotten into was juried by a professor from The Art Institute of Chicago. I would occasionally sell a painting, but over a year would spend more on shipping than I would earn in sales and finally had to stop painting because I had too much inventory in my home and couldn't store more. I also did a couple of solo exhibits and some small group exhibits. I write all this to just give some background.

It is a crap shoot to figure out what a juror may like. Sometimes there just is no accounting for taste. There have been several juried exhibits that I've been in and I had to scratch my head as to why the juror gave awards to the winning pieces. I did win prizes sometimes. The process can be a hit on the artist's ego and even mental health.

Here are a few bits of advice.

Grow as thick of a skin as possible, the rejections are tough to take.

Look for more venues to show in. I've had shows from time to time in businesses looking for art, such as a brewery and a wine seller. Eventually you may find a business owner who just clicks with your work.

Some shows prefer small works due to limited display space. Small works exhibits are fun as they made me think in smaller dimensions and still make paintings or sculptures that were compelling.

There are websites that post upcoming art shows and links to the exhibition's website. It's been several years since I last submitted work, but I think that this is one of the websites I used to peruse

Art Competitions, Contests, and Juried Exhibitions

Art Competitions, Art Contests, Juried Exhibitions, Art Exhibitions, Art Deadlines, Call to Artists, Call for Entries

artshow.com

Good luck. Your work is great. Don't let the process beat you down.

 

[John King]

IME, such as it is, I would never bother.
I've been a steward at a photography "competition", so got to see the marks awarded at previous competitions on the back of the works.
These bore absolutely no resemblance from one competition to the next ... i.e. zero merit in the judging system itself.

The Australian photographic society would be better off ditching their system, and adopting (say) the judging criteria for Siamese cats! At least it is considerably more objective!

And, BTW, I personally very much like #1 and #3, much as I like froggies. #2 is a bit gloomy, and doesn't really show froggy at his/her best. Just FWIW.

The above is a very brief summary of why I have never bothered with photography competitions. OTOH, I bred and competed Siamese cats, winning all sorts of top honours with cats of my own breeding. Cat breeding competitions have some semblance of objective judging criteria.

 

[wee-pics]

The local arts group organizes public art at the Knoxville airport (TYS.) They change out the artworks on display every six months, with the new works being chosen by a new "Juror" each time. I have submitted pieces to be displayed for the last two years, but have never had one chosen. It has either been bad luck, or I have been picking the wrong pieces to submit.

Since it is a wide open space and being available to the general public, I tend to submit more traditional pieces. I don't really think it is a good space for my abstract work.

I was thinking of submitting versions of the following three shots:

View attachment 452759

View attachment 452760

View attachment 452761

Each printed rather large - 24x36 inches.

This time I wanted to go for a more 'Fine Art' photography feel.

Any opinions on my selections? Has anyone done similar submissions? What has worked, what hasn't?

Or maybe I should try other images?

Thanks for any help!

The third one is my favourite, a real stunner. Wonderful atmosphere, great reflections, perfect composition.
That would be a great decoration in the living room in double the size you printed it.

I like the first one too with its soft tones and haziness. The right half of the photo is rather empty, a crop to 16:9 (with the tree in the thirds) or 3:2 (tree in thirds or centered) has a completely different effect on me ... though the latter might have a bit too little tension. If there were trees visible in the right half like in the left of the photo I would favour the full format. But that's just my very own personal impression, no criticism, no judgement.

I'm not a 'frog man', so I can say nothing about the second photo.

I'll attach the crops just to show what I mean ... not that they are better, no judging at all, just to show the difference in effect each format has on the viewer (click to enlarge).

 

[TNcasual]

First thing I want to say, and this is me being as objective as I can, is that your work has merit and should be exhibited. #3 is pretty glorious, and each of them could be shown if the right juror saw them.

I have a BFA in art I earned in the 90s. I took a break from making art for several years, then in 2009 I got back into painting and for 4-5 years made a hard push to try get representation in a gallery. I got really close with a gallery in Ketchum, Idaho, but couldn't quite close the deal. I submitted my portfolio to several galleries in Boise; Salt Lake City; Sun Valley, Idaho; Park City, Utah; Jackson, Wyoming; St. George, Utah; and Scottsdale, Arizona. What a maddening and demoralizing experience.

As part of my portfolio I included a list of shows that I'd exhibited in and it was pretty long. I'd shown in 18 different states and a couple of those shows had been international competitions. One of the shows I'd gotten into was juried by a professor from The Art Institute of Chicago. I would occasionally sell a painting, but over a year would spend more on shipping than I would earn in sales and finally had to stop painting because I had too much inventory in my home and couldn't store more. I also did a couple of solo exhibits and some small group exhibits. I write all this to just give some background.

It is a crap shoot to figure out what a juror may like. Sometimes there just is no accounting for taste. There have been several juried exhibits that I've been in and I had to scratch my head as to why the juror gave awards to the winning pieces. I did win prizes sometimes. The process can be a hit on the artist's ego and even mental health.

Here are a few bits of advice.

Grow as thick of a skin as possible, the rejections are tough to take.

Look for more venues to show in. I've had shows from time to time in businesses looking for art, such as a brewery and a wine seller. Eventually you may find a business owner who just clicks with your work.

Some shows prefer small works due to limited display space. Small works exhibits are fun as they made me think in smaller dimensions and still make paintings or sculptures that were compelling.

There are websites that post upcoming art shows and links to the exhibition's website. It's been several years since I last submitted work, but I think that this is one of the websites I used to peruse

Art Competitions, Contests, and Juried Exhibitions

Art Competitions, Art Contests, Juried Exhibitions, Art Exhibitions, Art Deadlines, Call to Artists, Call for Entries

artshow.com

Good luck. Your work is great. Don't let the process beat you down.

Thanks!

I have shown at a few places in Knoxville, including my own joint show last year with my abstract work. Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck getting picked up at exhibitions for awhile. I do realize it is really a crapshoot. You never know what people are looking for to display. I will probably start branching out to regional opportunities soon.

 

[TNcasual]

IME, such as it is, I would never bother.
I've been a steward at a photography "competition", so got to see the marks awarded at previous competitions on the back of the works.
These bore absolutely no resemblance from one competition to the next ... i.e. zero merit in the judging system itself.

The Australian photographic society would be better off ditching their system, and adopting (say) the judging criteria for Siamese cats! At least it is considerably more objective!

And, BTW, I personally very much like #1 and #3, much as I like froggies. #2 is a bit gloomy, and doesn't really show froggy at his/her best. Just FWIW.

The above is a very brief summary of why I have never bothered with photography competitions. OTOH, I bred and competed Siamese cats, winning all sorts of top honours with cats of my own breeding. Cat breeding competitions have some semblance of objective judging criteria.

This really isn't a competition. It's more a proposal to be included in the exhibition. I have never submitted to competitions. Much of my work isn't what wins competitions.

 

[TNcasual]

The third one is my favourite, a real stunner. Wonderful atmosphere, great reflections, perfect composition.
That would be a great decoration in the living room in double the size you printed it.

I like the first one too with its soft tones and haziness. The right half of the photo is rather empty, a crop to 16:9 (with the tree in the thirds) or 3:2 (tree in thirds or centered) has a completely different effect on me ... though the latter might have a bit too little tension. If there were trees visible in the right half like in the left of the photo I would favour the full format. But that's just my very own personal impression, no criticism, no judgement.

I'm not a 'frog man', so I can say nothing about the second photo.

I'll attach the crops just to show what I mean ... not that they are better, no judging at all, just to show the difference in effect each format has on the viewer (click to enlarge).

Thanks!

I plan to make a specific crop for this entry. Once I decide that that is the image I want to go with, I will go back and crop to a specific size. I really want to submit these as large prints - at least 24x36. I think the size would really work well in the space at the airport.

It looks like I will have to find another image other than the salamander. I really, really like that shot and want to have a print made. I have submitted it to a couple other exhibitions and it hasn't been picked up. Hoping that getting it made for an exhibition is a good excuse for a high quality print. Oh well, I guess I will get it made for myself, instead.

 

[MountainMan79]

FWIW, I think all 3 are great photos. I used to travel pretty frequently for work, and I’m not sure however that I’d think any of them would feel at home hanging in an airport terminal. When was the last time you’ve wandered in that airport? What do they have on display in terms of photos?

I feel most airports have pictures of local scenery, so I think you’re on to it with photos #1 and #3, but I’m just struggling to recall B&W hanging at any airport I’ve passed through. Everything is usually very colorful and bright. I would hazard a guess that the color version of either would be more quickly picked than the B&W, even if you, me, and most others personally prefer the B&W.

But otherwise, think of a photo in your portfolio that really just says, “Welcome to Knoxville”.

 

[TNcasual]

FWIW, I think all 3 are great photos. I used to travel pretty frequently for work, and I’m not sure however that I’d think any of them would feel at home hanging in an airport terminal. When was the last time you’ve wandered in that airport? What do they have on display in terms of photos?

I feel most airports have pictures of local scenery, so I think you’re on to it with photos #1 and #3, but I’m just struggling to recall B&W hanging at any airport I’ve passed through. Everything is usually very colorful and bright. I would hazard a guess that the color version of either would be more quickly picked than the B&W, even if you, me, and most others personally prefer the B&W.

But otherwise, think of a photo in your portfolio that really just says, “Welcome to Knoxville”.

There is actually a dedicated gallery space inside the main terminal. Well, TYS only has one terminal, and it's pretty small at that. When I have flown out, I always walk through the space. It usually contains a variety of artworks, paintings, textiles, ceramics, photography, etc.

I thought about a Knoxville centric work. But my most Knoxville centric piece is actually already on display outside the City mayor's office.

Also, 1 and 3 above were both shot in and around Knoxville. 2 was shot in the GSMNP, and is an example of one of its greatest attributes - salamander diversity.

 

[TNcasual]

I appreciate everyone who offered their suggestions and/or advice in this thread. It was helpful to me, hopefully it might be helpful for others as well.

I went to submit my images last night and realized that I could submit up to 5 images. So I ended up sending versions of all three in the OP as well as versions of these two additional ones:

- in Black and white

and

Now it is just up to the Juror and their divining rod/tea leaves/ouji board to decide if I make the cut.

 

[Irene McC]

When does the selection and judging take place? Good luck and please follow up and let us know the decisions

 

[TNcasual]

When does the selection and judging take place? Good luck and please follow up and let us know the decisions

I find out if one of my pieces was chosen in a couple of weeks. The art goes on display by the end of April.