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Juried Shows : Profit or Loss?
by Heather Gordon
August 26, 2006In 2006, I have had the great fortune of being accepted into four juried shows. My plan for the year had set a goal for three, so I consider myself lucky. While the artist in me jumps for joy, the business person in me cringes. In this brief musing on juried exhibitions, I offer an assessment of this types of exhibition opportunity from a financial point of view.
Below I offer you my Profit & Loss from the juried shows I've participated in this year. I think this speaks for itself.
January-August 2006 Income Sales (direct or indirect) $0 Prizes $0 Total Income $0 Expense Cost of Materials for the included works $240 Entry Fees to try to gain acceptance $485 Travel Expenses $285 Shipping Costs $270 Postage for Show Related Marketing $39 Total Expense $1319 As you can see, for me there has not been any financial advantage gained from juried exhibitions this year. And in fact, I have never sold any work that was in a juried show or had any post-exhibition sales related to the show.
With this said, there must be a reason I still have not crossed juried shows off the list of artistic activities that I pursue each year. Here's my personal list of why I continue to submit to juried exhibitions that do not include direct financial gain:
Stamp of Approval from a juror of standing within the artistic community
Potential for gallery representation from the host gallery
Opportunity to market other current works to the gallery visitors through the use of printed materials made available at the opening (postcards & business cards)
Opportunity to meet qualified buyers by attending the openings (when possible)
Maintain a consistent exhibition record on my resume
OK. These all seem like good reasons. But I wonder if I could achieve the same end goals by prioritizing other types of activities which are not so deadly to my pocketbook. Here's my current list of favorites:
Attend Openings - Whether or not I'm in the show, I get to meet and greet. Guess what? This one is totally free of charge.
Apply for Publication - With so many publications requesting artwork and most with no entry fees, this seems a good way to get that Stamp of Approval. Print doesn't go away either, so there's always a potential for future contact from a gallery rep or potential buyer. I also like to make sure that my full contact information including website and email are provided with any publication award. I use ArtDeadline.com to keep up with the calls for submission. My $24 per year for a web subscription has been money well-spent. Plus, I get a pretty tear-sheet for my portfolio. Ah, Mom would be proud.
Send Postcards - Throughout the year, I send out postcards to galleries, dealers and brokers. The bulk of my list comes from the August issue of Art in America, "Annual Guide to Museums, Galleries & Artists". This is an affordable way to get my work into the hands of the people who can give me representation. I pay around $115 for 500 postcards with 4 color printing on both sides. This way I can show two works along with my contact info. Add in $120 for 500 postcard stamps. My total investment is $235 to drop 500 hooks in the water. That's .47 cents per hook. Compare that to my average juried show cost of $330. Hmmm....I think I'll go buy more stamps.
Get Tough on Juried Shows
There's just no replacement for having been included into a quality juried show. However, I am becoming more stringent on my criteria for which ones I go after. These shows must have:- A well-known and respected juror
- At least one month duration for the exhibition
- The gallery must have a marketing and promotion plan for the exhibition including a well-advertised opening reception, print materials sent to their mailing list, and press releases
- A prize worth fighting for. Either $$$ awards, purchase awards or future exhibition opportunity.
Heather Gordon {Art with Teeth for a Hungry World} EAT UP!
p: 828.296.0555 e: mail@heather-gordon.com