We thank you for your application…

Recently I got the dreaded thank you for your application email. You know, the one where there were a record number of applicants, thanks for a thoughtful submission, and we hope you’ll apply again next year…

For artists of all stripes—writers, dancers, poets, painters—these letters from juried shows or granting bodies are a fact of life. Experienced artists are always quick to let you know that jury results are NOT a verdict on your work. Juries are incredibly subjective, made of people with tastes, preferences, and experiences, who on a given day have reached a certain conclusion.

I believed this, sort of. Mostly, I figured those experienced artists were just trying to make the new kid (me) feel better.

Read the comments

Recently the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair posted a video on Instagram about handling failure, specifically not getting into shows. The post itself was nothing new. But the comments were fascinating. Some established artists told their stories.

One person was Best in Show one year and couldn’t get in the next. Another artist with an impressive CV of shows and residencies said he was going to stop applying after years of rejection. Another could find no rhyme or reason for why her application was successful one year and denied the next. Reading their stories was a real eye-opener for me as an emerging artist just starting to apply to bigger shows.

These were people with reputations. Far bigger fish than me, with long exhibition histories, and sales records. I figured they got into every show they applied to. Not so! Turns out I was in pretty good company getting my “thanks, but no” email.

Nathan Phillips Square (site of the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair) by Mochimoshi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

I thought my application to the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair was strong—my best submission to any show so far—both the paintings and my writing about them. And when I wasn’t accepted I let it ruin my day. I’d had another “no thanks” the week before and the cumulative effect got me down. I questioned the value of my work.

But those Instagram comments have turned things around for me.

Now I get it

Now I really get it. When people tell you not getting into a show isn’t a verdict on your art—believe them! It’s a roll of the dice. Yes, the quality of your work matters. Yes, you need to follow the application instructions to the letter. But after that it’s a crapshoot. Even once you’re established, acceptance is not a given, particularly in the ultra-competitive painting category.

So, if you got in, congratulations! Make the most of the opportunity. If you didn’t, or you notice your favourite artist isn’t in an important show—know that while quality matters, there’s an element of luck, cycles of taste, and who knows what, in these decisions.

But one thing remains certain. I want/need to share my work, preferably in person. Maybe I’ll write about why that’s so important to me next month?!

Top image: “Everything is Going to be Alright” artwork by Martin Creed, Christchurch Art Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand; photo by Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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