Showing posts with label Call for Art. Show all posts

Monday, July 14, 2025

Post 390: How to Apply to a Call for Art

How to Apply to a Call for Art

Some artists are content to simply create their art in their studio at home and letting the canvases pile up, and that is fine. Other artists create their art in order to show the world and hopefully, make a few bucks while they do it. Fine too. Let's take a look at answering a Call for Art for an art exhibit, which often means there is a Juror - a person that selects what will actually be up on the walls at their show.

It's for you...

Finding Art Shows

Finding Art Shows may circle around art organizational groups near you; they are also known as art leagues, an art society, art council, art guild, artisans, etc. These groups are pretty good places to start to get to knowing the art process for an art show.

There are popup shows which are often not juried, there are art festivals and many other options out there when you start looking so that you can try selling your artwork.

Facebook is a great place to look as well and there are websites that will give you lists of shows in your city, state. Here are a few:

ArtCall.org

Onlinejuriedshows.com

Callforentry.org (aka CaFE)

Artdeadline.com

Gallery submissions are a whole different monster. Some of your local art orgs may help you to get into local galleries with a group show which will certainly help to get you started. Building your name is part of that process. See How to Art Show

Art shows come in every shape and size and form. Some are juried, some are first come first served to get in. Many have a fee for a specific number of entries, some are a fee per entry. Some will categorize your artwork by media, some will offer prizes and/or ribbons. Start out wherever you are comfortable. (psst...remember the old motto "you have to play to win"?)

Is it the Right Art Show for Your Art Style?

Decide if the Call for Art is a correct fit for your art style, your budget, and the audience that would be interested in your price points.

Do the research also to ensure the Call for Art is from a legitimate, reliable, a known and well-run organization.

Some Calls may or may not ask for your artwork to be shipped to them making it pretty important to know if shipping costs are involved, if you have to drive it there, AND will you get your art back if it doesn't sell? Do the research! This is also when being a part of your local art scene and group(s) will help in knowing which shows are legit.

Art Shows, Art Galleries - Showing Your Art - different types of art shows

Art Scammers are Everywhere - a must-read

Address Your Call for Art Registration

Every art show is different in their registration process and in their requirements, and you must follow their directions explicitly. Their requirements at a glance may seem similar, but... oh yes, they can vary slightly, if not tremendously.

Read through the entire registration and take note of the fees to enter, the commission if something sells, the show's exhibiting requirements (they are not suggestions!) and any other significant requests. Is there a theme? Are there things that they do NOT want? Give yourself a fighting chance by reading and following the directions!

In a recent art show our art group did, the organization did NOT want a specific animal even though said animal was in their name. They had HAD IT with artworks of that animal!

Note if you have any questions not addressed in the Call. Also take note of when checks are mailed out if you sell your work, it could be the next month or in a couple of months.

The art show coordinator(s) are NOT going to teach you how to manage your art submission, its up to YOU to learn how to do it and do it correctly. If you don't know how to do something, look it up on the internet, and check a couple of sources to round out your knowledge.

Rules are not meant to be broken in a Call for Art. Your submission can be at risk if you do not follow their stated requirements. And if you are paying a fee to enter, that fee will not be returned - they have a show to run.

As a matter of fact, print out the application and highlight those very important pieces like deadlines, important dates, file formats, etc. You can also check off the items as you do them.

Some Calls for Art Want an Artist Bio or Statement

The artist bio or a statement, even a "What inspired this artwork" is sometimes asked for in the Call. This could be used by the juror, the show organizers, and even printed out and placed next to your artwork if you are accepted.

Have an artist bio AND an artist statement written up already and have them in a blurb, a short and longer versions. The Call may give you the character minimum or character maximum, so knowing this in advance saves you time.

We occasionally see the artwork inspiration requirement at some galleries. If you write something up SAVE it with your images in case you can use them again.

Get help if you need to write these documents. There are plenty of articles online that give advice on these topics or if you have a friend with those skills - ask for help!

The Size of Your Artwork

Size Requirements - take note if there is a maximum or minimum size. Every gallery and art space is different. They may have lots of normal size walls and they may not have doors big enough for your life-sized Godzilla rendition. Or they may not have a place to put a miniature of a bee butt.

There may also be size restrictions so that the art space can hang as many artworks as they can inside that space to allow for more artists and pieces to be shown.

Art at the Mill at the Burwell Morgan Mill in Clark, Virginia, Spring 2025

Number of Artworks You Can Submit

I rather agree with submitting the maximum number that you can. If they ask for up to 3, submit 3. If they ask for 5, give them 5. Why tickle their toes with only submitting 1...and if that one doesn't get expected, no soup for you!

Read this from Artbusiness.com - great tips on this article!

"Submit more than one work of art if you are allowed to do so, and make sure they're related in some way-- by composition, series, theme or other criteria. Multiple related artworks give jurors a better idea of the bigger picture, what you're up to and where you're going with it. I tend to be more favorable toward works of art when I can experience them more in depth and see that they're part of larger narratives I can understand and appreciate." - Alan Bamberger

'Nuff said?

Your Artwork Images

A couple questions for you:

1. What is the most important part of the submission of to an art show?

Correct, the art.

2. What's the next most important thing about submitting art to a show?

An absolutely great picture of your art.

That said, you'd be surprised that artists will mess this up time and again. Probably most Calls for Art these days are submitted on the internet. That means there are some (usually easy) skill sets you need to get to know to get those Calls off to the show. OR get someone to do the work for you.

You'll need and need to know how to:

Take quality photos - this is imperative. If they can't clearly see how great your artwork is because of a poor photo, your chances of being accepted could very well be shot. An iPhone CAN do it just fine, it you take your time and learn to do it correctly.

Use a tripod
Take pictures of your artwork before you varnish to help with glare.

Edit your photos, crop out ALL background, all non-artwork including the frame (unless asked for).

Do NOT include any watermarks

SAVE your image files - the same artwork image photos in multiple ways.

Pay attention to the Call for Art requested format, which can and will vary. Sample Request: "Digital image files should be in JPG format, not larger than 1200 pixels or 4.2 MB and named as follows: Lastname-Firstname-TitleOfArtwork-Size-Price.jpg."
Typical saved file formats requested vary so have multiple saved images of the same artwork in your document and image folders so you can grab the correct one. I recently saw one that requested the last four digits in your phone number with the title!:

Liguria_Donna-My Dream Landscape.jpeg
Liguria_D-My Dream Landscape.jpeg
Liguria-Donna-MyDreamLandscape-18x24-450.jpeg

Saving your image files no matter HOW the Call asks for it helps the people managing the art show KNOW which image is which on their computers and software and WHO it belongs too. Only give them which format that they ask for.
Actually, its good practice to save your images as .jpg as a standard so there are no issues.

Uploading your photos on a computer requires that you know where your image files are on your computer or phone. Great management and naming of your files and folder library is essential so you can find the correct image you need.

I have a Folder for "Juried Artwork" so I can go select the best quality photo I have, already cropped and select which file format I need. That helps with knowing which ones I need for printing too.
A sidenote: use a lesser quality image for posting on social media, or an over-cropped photo.

Attach photos to your submission if sending by email. There is a BIG difference between embedded on an email and attached to an email. Look that up for the type of email that you use.

Embedded images - are inserted into the body of the emails and the file formatting is lost. Embedded images are compressed in an email and the image quality can be reduced. Hence, it is more work for the email recipient and NOT recommended to use when submitting via email.

Attachments - the recipient must download the image but the artwork does keep its formatting as requested in the Call. Attachments keep their original quality better than embedded images. Learn to do attachments!!

Also, some Calls may only want recent artwork from the last 2-3 years and/or you cannot submit the same artwork more than once.

Wouldn't it be awesome for us all to have an art apprentice or sidekick that takes care of the business side of art?

Mark Your Calendars

Pay close attention to your deadlines, due dates, drop off and pickup dates, notification dates, art reception dates by marking your calendars. Be it paper or on your cell phone with alerts, get your dates straight so you don't miss out on the art opportunity and create calendar alerts if you need to.

Deadlines Not Optional

In reading the Call requirements, take note of the date and time to enter down to the no later than time. Many shows ask for a specific date by 11:59 pm. Midnight 12 am is the next day, right? Too late. But a few shows have an earlier time, say 5:30 pm. so submitting at 7 pm is too late.

Also of note is to not wait until the last minute. We don't know what is happening behind the scenes at any particular show.

Whew, you made the deadline! Now what?

Art Notification Time

So now its time to sit and wait. Wait! What are you doing sitting around? Go paint something new!

One of two things can happen when the email notification arrives, of course...

Your Artwork Was Accepted, Now What?

Congratulations are in order to you, well done! Now, your calendar of dates about the show are imperative. Your drop off dates and times, the art reception date (hopefully they are having one!), and also getting on social media and letting all your friends, family, neighbors, long lost cousins, high school friends, potential buyers - let everyone know your art will be in THAT show on those dates, at that location, and please be there! YOU have to help spread the word.

And a jolly good time if they have a URL to the Artwork! Send that out too!

We may have entered 5 to a show and only one or two were accepted, and we may even be surprised at their choice. Getting in is awesome in itself, good work. As in the suggestions in the next section below, review your process and what was selected so you can hopefully improve your odds next time.

Some art shows are using SignUpGenius.com to arrange their drop off dates and times as well as their pickups at the end of the show. This is an easy to use tool that helps art shows, art galleries and other businesses to setup sign up sheets, schedules and even volunteer times and dates. This is a tremendous help so that not every artist arrives at the same time. It may even send you a reminder too.

Especially important next steps are to absolutely ensure your artwork is ready to get to the show and hang the way the Call asks for it to be hung. Do you need to apply a specific label to the back AND to the front, or are they printing the front ones for you?

See Art Display for Prince William Art Society Display Requirements

I shouldn't have to type these, but I do...

Only take the artwork that was accepted into their show AND be on time.

You could be turned away if you show up too late. Yes, I've gotten a call from someone at a gallery at 3 to drop off art and had to remind them that drop off time was between 12 and 2. The volunteers had already gone home.

Ensure your artwork is wired (in the correct way as per the art show requirements) BEFORE you leave the house/studio. Yes, we have seen artwork with no way to hang it.
And ensure your artwork is DRY. Yes, we have seen artwork still wet.

Your Artwork Was Not Accepted, Now What?

No, it is not the end of the world and don't jump out a window or bash your artwork. Artwork not being accepted into an art show happens ALL the time to EVERY artist sometimes even after they have been showing for awhile. It hurts, yes. Does it get you angry? Honestly...It really isn't worth the emotion.

I've had it happen and I had paid a fee to enter too. Sure, I growled and grumbled. But we all have to remember that not all artwork is accepted and it could be for a TON of reasons...

There are some things we have control over - our selection of our artwork to submit, the quality of our own entries and photos, and how we interpreted their theme; and
There some things we do not have control over - the juror or art organizers that made their selections, the quality of ALL the artwork submitted, the space they have, and the amount of art they had to select from. Imagine having 1000 art pieces entered and having space for about 300! Believe me, that judge/juror is slicing and dicing on the entries!
AND on top of that, artists are basically at the "mercy" of the juror and their tastes in art.

See my blog post on Artwork Rejection

My suggestion would be to still go to the art show, perhaps the art reception and have a look at what was accepted to get a better feel for the next time you enter. Take note of what is selling. Keep your cool of course but remember, often the selection process is put in an outside person's hands (an art juror) so it is based on what he or she likes. It is just a part of the art world. And the next time it could be a different juror and its based again, on what he or she likes.

We just keep making more art. We keep improving. We acknowledge if we made a mistake on our end. We try again. As the sayings go, "Don't cut off your nose to spite your face" and "Don't burn your bridges".

Additional Art Notes

You surely didn't think I was done yet?

Keep track of your art inventory. Also see Art Documents.

You'll need to devise an art management system of your own for a lot of great reasons. You will need to know where your art is, where it was, and when various pieces will need to be at various art shows.

I've seen these OOPS moments happen a couple of times:

an artist NEVER came to pick up their art. (Appalling!)
an artist asks what happened to their artwork and thought it had gotten stolen, then later found out it was elsewhere. (oopsies!)

Many shows do not want to have the same pieces submitted again. You certainly do not want to forget that you put a piece in one show and its still at another show you entered.

Well, I hope this blog post was helpful to you in some way. Do you have anything you could add? Drop a comment below. Thanks for reading!

This blog post was originally posted on the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog on March 3, 2025

BLOG ECHO: Find the very famous quote from a popular TV series and post the quote and Series Name in the comments below! Let's see who finds it first.

Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

__________________________________________________________________________________

*Thank you for visiting! I would appreciate if you Share, Comment, a please Follow My Blog! *I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.

Let me know if you like my paintings and if you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member. If you want to commission me to do a painting for you, please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.

BLOG ECHO: A new feature on some blog posts. I'm looking for a specific reference to a movie, a TV show or series, a quote, or common saying 'hidden' in the blog post. Find it and pop it in the comments below with the show or item it is referencing to see who gets it first!

The Soup Nazi catchphrase from a Seinfield episode, "No soup for you!"

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Post 382: Art Shows, Art Galleries - Showing Your Art

Art Shows, Art Galleries - Showing Your Art

The type of art show that an artist might enter is a consideration for any artist in the progression of their art career - or art hobby as the case may be. Is the artist in it for the recognition, the awards, the glory, or the art sales? Is the artist in it to showcase their vision, to make a statement, and to share a message to the world? Let's have a look at some art show basics before we get started on the research to what might be a good fit for you.

Photo by Otis Stanley from Best of the Region June 2025 sponsored by the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) at the ARTfactory in Manassas, VA

Art Show Basics

As a solo individual artist or as a member of an art group there are some art biz basics that are the base elements of who, what, when, where, how and why to show art.

Should I join my local art group? Many art groups will sponsor their own art shows throughout the year and some are annual events in their communities. You may need to be a member of the art group in order to be considered for having your art on display at their shows. Sometimes there is a lesser fee to enter as a member and a higher fee for nonmembers. Being in an art group may help to get your artwork into some art spaces that as an individual artist you may not be able to - or it could be more difficult to. Join the Prince William Art Society here

See if you can attend a meeting or two to see if the group would be a good fit for you and have a look at their website to see what is on their agenda to make that decision.

As a member of an art group, the equipment and "man power" is often available. The costs are shared within the group and the art sales will have a commission percentage applied. Art groups pool from their own resources from volunteering to help in an art show to voting on the President of their art group, with the expectation that everyone pitches in to help with something.

As an individual, all of the show logistics including equipment - tent, gridwalls, POS system etc along with the help to load, unload, setup, work the show, take down, load, unload are totally up to the artist. A rental fee for the art space is paid by the artist but art sales go to that artist.

Getting Involved in Your Local Art Group

What is an unjuried art show? Anyone (or member) can enter this art show regardless of experience level. There still may be Display Requirements and space limitations of the number of artists that can enter, as well as number of pieces that can be entered. The information about the show should cover all of the specifics about the entry process.

What is a juried art show? A person or group of people are responsible for art selection, or to "jury in", the artwork to show from the body of artworks submitted to them. Each artwork is reviewed, evaluated and the juror(s) selects the art pieces that will be accepted to be on display which should be based on specific criteria: artistic merit, quality of the work, and the adherence to the theme of the show (if there is a theme). Notifications are sent out to the artists with acceptance or the not accepted status. Often, just being selected to show is an accomplishment in itself!

See Here Come the Judge

What is a judged art show? A competition or contest art show in which a person(s) decides the placement of ribbons and/or awards in a competition or art contest. Not all art shows are competitions.

What is curating art? This is the process of choosing, arranging, and presenting artworks for a cohesive exhibition. The art exhibit can be in a museum, in a gallery, or other art space. Gallery staff are made up of gallery owners and directors, curators, art handlers and installers, art sales staff and art advisors, and marketing and public relations persons - at a minimum.

Is there a fee to enter? You know the saying "No free lunch" I presume? More often than not there is a nonrefundable fee to submit or enter an art show. A call for art might ask for 3-5 artworks to be submitted for consideration for $35 or there may be a fee per submission like $20 each for up to 4 pieces. Fees help offset the costs of hiring a juror, judge, awards, rental of the space, promotion, etc.

What is a Commission? The organization, gallery, group, the show hosts will charge a set percentage of any art sold to raise funds to offset costs for their group, or for a cause. This commission is taken out of the artwork's set price and the remainder is given to the artist. The percentage will vary depending on where you are displaying your art. We've seen as little as 10% but galleries in large cities can be 50% or more.

Learn more about Commissions here.

Temporary Exhibition - short-term art displays that may focus on specific artists, themes, or other criteria and may last up to a few months.

Collective Exhibition - a group of artists on display, living or not. The display may be based on a theme, a movement, or a historical or cultural cross-section.

Itinerant Exhibition - a touring or traveling exhibit featured at multiple venues - sort of "take it to the masses" approach.

Thematic Exhibition - a show of common theme or style, throughout the show experience. The exhibit title will convey the show's intention of a specific theme.

For more info:

Judge and Jury: What to Expect When Entering Art Shows

Art Exhibition: A New Way of Understanding the Anatomy of an Art Display

Calls for Art Shows

A call for entries is the starting point for an artist. The call itself informs the artist what the art exhibition expectations are and must be read carefully to understand that if you enter this show you have the best shot at being featured in it. An announce of an upcoming art show or call can be juried or not juried. Nonetheless....

Calls for art, calls for entry - they are not a list of suggestions that the artist might adhere to. The artist must follow the directions - the requirements - the checklist to be followed - down to the size of the artwork, the mediums requested - that will be considered for entry.

It is suggested to start off small and work your way up, locally to you - to grow as you go. Entering some non-juried art shows is the best way to begin, then move into local and regional juried shows, before moving up to any of the national juried events just plain makes sense.

Art Calls are all over the place depending on where you live and how far you wish to travel. And what your art show budget is. Facebook is a great place to find whatever is near to you, so that when an art group, art storefront or art gallery puts out a call, you can get notified.

Check out your local Arts Council, your local art groups (art society, art guild, art alliance, art league, art council, art club) in your town or city. Read the entire call for art and see if you can meet all of the criteria asked for. Print it out and highlight the important details - dates, times, deadlines, sizes, theme (?), etc and MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Gather all of the requested details before the deadline including any requested info on you, the details about your art, if there is a description needed for your art (what inspired you), and good golly have cropped and quality images ready to upload.

By being ready before the deadline, for some art calls online there is time to review and change or update your entry. If you wait until the deadline, you run the risk of being rushed and making mistakes. (The times we have seen this happen!) Online art call software will shut down on the deadline date and time and NO further updates or entries can happen.

It is also possible to be accepted into a juried art show yet be turned away on art drop off day for a very poorly prepared artwork or for ignoring the Display Requirements as stated on the call for entries. We have a local art gallery that MUST have D-Rings or NO hanging will happen.

I'll repeat it again - at EVERY art show my art group has been a part of, there is at least one if not several artists (no matter how long they have been an artist) that arrives and their artwork is NOT prepared for hanging for that show.

Types of Art Shows and Spaces

Popup Art Shows

Popup art shows are temporary, less formal settings to display art for as little as a day or two, or a few weeks. The natural traffic to the art event, the store, the temporary event will benefit from the cultural aspect of the art on display and that is why so many locations offer temporary popup art shows. Artwork catered to that specific event or location is usually accepted well. Examples are wine/grape paintings at a winery event or bee/honey artworks at a bee festival.

Popup Art Shows are the types of art displays that are very often unjuried, are set as a first come, first served as far as space availability for the number of artists, can be indoor or outdoor, even under a tent. There could be a fee charged to enter or not, and there is often an art commission percentage taken on sales (especially in an art group).

The popup unjuried art show can be good events for hobby artists, for beginners and emerging artists, new to the art world to get their feet wet in the art business. Popup shows can give the artists that attend a certain visibility, but will certainly give the artists the opportunity to learn the nuances of being in a show.

The art sales at your typical popup art shows lean more toward sales of smaller artworks, priced inexpensively, and art prints (although occasionally a more expensive piece has sold - that's the exception, not the rule). You probably would not bring your most expensive paintings to a popup show except as a particular focal point. I'd include that statement as especially in a popup group art show.

Prince William Art Society at the 2024 Bee Festival

Art Festivals

Art festivals, artist markets, street festivals and art fairs can be great places for single or a groups of artists to show their art. Space is allocated for all the vendors and a fee is charged for that space or "booth". Very often held outside under a 10x10 foot white tent is the norm. Absolutely, a lot of preparation goes into an outdoor art event and being able to quickly resolve changing situations because of the weather, ease of access for setup and take down, etc. are all considerations. If flying solo, the artist will need to beg, borrow, or buy his/her own equipment.

Art fests are very often annual events held in a town and city near you. Again, reading and reviewing the application to be a part of the event will let you know what is acceptable and what is not and if any of those requirements or restrictions work with what you do.

Many art fests are well attended with potentially thousands of visitors over the day or weekend event. If you've attended a fair, you've probably seen an individual artist booth or multiple artists in a tent. Take note of their setups to gather an idea or two for yourself including the art equipment needed and the price points offered.

Sometimes nonprofit art groups (vendors) have a price break on the fee charged to attend, but they may be designated to a certain area of the event. Art festivals and fairs are not usually juried in most art groups. Art sales could again be smaller works, art prints, and less expensive pieces or merchandise. I do recommend that artists ASK the show coordinators about previous show sales to consider what to display.

Prince William Art Society at the Occoquan Festival 2023

Request to Exhibit Art

Many libraries have wall space to feature art. Look for opportunities to apply for displaying your art, typically on an online form. Your name, number, email, website, a description of your artwork including medium and sizes are requested as well as an artist statement. Examples of your artwork and an inventory sheet will be requested as well. The powers that be will notify you if your artwork is a good fit for their space.

Many coffee shops, some stores and restaurants love to feature artworks especially by local artists and are worth contacting as well. You may need to have your contact info on the label and your own point of sale system and a written contract with the location to feature your work. Some locations may make the art sale then send you a check less their commission.

Also have a look at hospitals and clinics which always seem to have art and art murals on display.

Prince William Art Society at Stonebridge in 2021 - art delivered and ready to go up

Artist- Run Spaces

These spaces are managed by a group of artists and work as nonprofits or collectives and run according to their own vision - rules, memberships, etc.

Artist Co-ops

"An artist cooperative (also co-operative or co-op) is an autonomous visual arts organization, enterprise, or association jointly owned and democratically controlled by its members. Artist cooperatives are legal entities organized as non-capital stock corporations, non-profit organizations, or unincorporated associations. Such cooperatives typically provide professional facilities and services for its artist-members, including studios, workshops, equipment, exhibition galleries, and educational resources. By design, all economic and non-economic benefits and liabilities of the cooperative are shared equally among its members. Cooperative members elect their board of directors from within the membership." - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist_cooperative

Artist Collectives

"An artist collective or art group or artist group is an initiative that is the result of a group of artists working together, usually under their own management, towards shared aims. The aims of an artist collective can include almost anything that is relevant to the needs of the artist; this can range from purchasing bulk materials, sharing equipment, space or materials, to following shared ideologies, aesthetic and political views or even living and working together as an extended family. Sharing of ownership, risk, benefits, and status is implied, as opposed to other, more common business structures with an explicit hierarchy of ownership such as an association or a company." - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist_collective

Your Art Group's Website Gallery and/or Online Art Store

Many of your local art groups have a website and may include a section for their artist member's bio along with an online art gallery to showcase their featured art. There may be a fee to be included or not. Some of their websites may include an online art store for the sale of artworks, and they may have their own rules or shows featured there.

The Prince William Art Society's website offers both features.

Prince William Art Society Website with Art Store 2025 currently displaying the member art at Bull Run Library June/July 2025

Online Exhibition

Held on the internet, online art exhibitions, online gallery, or cyber exhibitions are easy access from anywhere in the world and offer a wide ranging variety of art styles. Artwork could be purchased through the website but the fine print is imperative for this type of gallery. Who pays for shipping? Are you shipping your art somewhere?? If you see red flags...don't go this route.

Proceed or not to proceed - with caution - is the question although there are a few situations where this type of exhibition is legitimate. Thoroughly do the research on the venue's reputation, history, and the type of audience that may be attracted to see if this is the right fit for you.

Art Scammers Are Everywhere

Protect Yourself and Your Art

Art Galleries

Getting your artwork into a gallery means a LOT of work upfront before even making the attempt to contact said gallery, walk in to talk to the owner, and for which gallery might work best for your art style. Thus, research and a plan should be put into place BEFORE making a call, sending mail (or email) or knocking on their door and asking to speak to whomever is in charge.

Commercial Art Gallery. An art gallery is a place that not only displays artwork that they deem worthy of being seen but a place for the sale of the art on display.

Mega Art Gallery. Mega Galleries are very large commercial galleries that represent the biggest names in the current art world.

Open-Ended: The Exhibition Space. This type of gallery is a space available for hire (rent) for the purpose of an art exhibition by a solo or group of artists.

Non-Profit Art Gallery. This type of gallery is meant to serve the public interest in the arts more than a commercial gallery, to generate a profit. The non-profit gallery is built upon grants, donations, and foundation support to provide functional and maintenance funding and promotes art education, community arts programming, and art exhibitions for the community culture.

Vanity Gallery. This type of gallery charges the artist a fee, or a membership fee. The money for the gallery's expenses comes mainly from the artists themselves and is basically a "pay-to-play" exhibit. Proceed or not to proceed - with caution - is the question. The fees involved and benefits must be considered before signing your name.

Do NOT cold-call or submit a portfolio with unsolicited submissions.
Do Participate, look professional and go to gallery openings, art receptions, and as many art events around you as possible.

Volunteer to help at the events!
Become a familiar face in the art community around you without shoving your art up their nose.
Observe and watch - who they represent, types of art, etc.
Engage. You must meet the gallery owners, the curators, the gallery directors, the art groups and artists. Get your name, your face out there. It is a process and a long-game tactic, gently building your contact base and art friends over time.
Realize that at an art reception, that event is FOR the artists showing at that event and that is not the place to be advertising YOU.

Don't be art pushy. I can't tell you how many artists walk into a gallery and start the art scrolling on their phones to show you what they do.
Work on your artist portfolio with your artist profile, artist statement (vision and art themes), your CV (education, exhibitions, awards), your body of work which should include 10-15 art pieces of the same style, theme, or concept. Included also is your contact info and social media links.
Build and get online exposure, social media - you need the 'get noticed' presence online and in front of many people. Build your followers, your likes, an audience. Instagram is a good choice for artists.
Do enter plenty of art opportunities - outside of an art gallery to build the eyeballs on your work, get your sales up, build your confidence and experience.
Begin your networking in a targeted manner. Engage, get on their radar.
Be authentic. Be unique. You must know your style and be able to articulate it.
Time - some galleries are booked for at least a year or two out if not more.
Realize upfront and foremost that art rejections are a part of the process. See Rejection.
Also realize that one person's success in an art space does not equate to your success - for so very many reasons. Art is subjective which translates to its interpretation, its very value can vary from person to person. Everyone interprets the art they are viewing based on what they feel, what they believe, and what they know.
More on that remark above is to realize that just because you got in for that one show that time and you didn't sell anything during that show, one-and-done is really not how art happens. You are not going to become Monet famous overnight.
The aim is to basically have the art gallery come to you, over you contacting the gallery up to a point. Getting your art into a gallery is mixed media - preparation, persistence, and presence. But when the time comes and the gallery looks for your online presence, they can find you and learn more about you.

Do the research on an art gallery, or art storefront before you start waving that portfolio around.

Do you understand that gallery's submission process?
Is there a monthly fee, perhaps based on wall space or sections available?
Do they have a set changeover art date?
What is their commission percentage?
Do they have staff or do you need to volunteer to help work the desk?
How many shifts will you need to volunteer per month?
Do they do the promotion of an art event, and how well?
Do they do the art reception or will you need to?
Is there great foot traffic and are there times of year when that traffic may be affected? (for better or worse)
Does the art gallery accept emerging artists or do they only represent a stable of specific artists?
Does what YOU do fit into what THEY do (or prefer to show)?
Does the type of clientele that is drawn to this gallery agree with who you want to sell to?
Do they currently have space available, or are you on a waiting list?

Do have confidence in what you do but don't think you are going to rock that gallery's artistic agent's vision of the world. Remember, there are a LOT of artists in the world trying to get in the same door the same as you.

Solo Artist Exhibition

The pinnacle of artistic achievement, this opportunity is a platform to exhibit an individual artist's series of works, or a period of his or her artistic career. A solo artist exhibition can be in a private or public space and the artist often features more recent works.

Obviously, a solo artist exhibit means that the artist has the necessary high-quality and cohesive inventory to support the event and its wall space. The artist has built a following, has a good sales record, and a good reputation in their local if not regional art culture.

Duo or Dual Artists Exhibition

A two-person art show is a collaboration between two artists to show art in a specific location for a set period of time. The artists merge and collaborate on their artistic vision. The artists may use any number of contrasts and/or harmonies in the placement of art around the space, bringing attention, focus, and narratives for the visitors to enjoy.

Art Group Exhibition

At least three artists participate in the group exhibition in an art space and often combine art from established and emerging artists. The artists may be completely different from each other - in every way, or have an element that brings all the works together, like medium or subject matter. The show curators will compose artistic expressions for the public to view as a theme, a philosophy, perhaps sociopolitical messages, or historical narratives.

Art Groups are great resources to getting your foot in the door and building your reputation. It is often easier to approach art venues as a group, even a nonprofit group than as an individual artist.

The Prince William Art Society (PWAS) is a nonprofit art group in Prince William County, Virginia. There are shows that an art group similar to ours may apply for or to sponsor themselves, but there must be at least 3 or more artists to showcase their art.

Institutional Exhibition

This type of art exhibition are about the venue with different objectives - such as in a museum, a foundation, a mega-gallery, an auction house, artist estates, curatorial, or in private collections. The artist is recognized in both art worlds - commercial and critical and benefits that artist's profile with credibility and excitement.

Anthological Exhibition

This type of exhibition is a study on selected works on an artistic movement or evolution, a theme, or a period across and from one or more different artists.

Retrospective Exhibition

Typically a retrospective exhibition encompasses a single artist's chronological career in art, showcasing his or her creative evolution in their body of work. This type of exhibit often comes later in the artist's life - their entire oeuvre.

Museum Exhibition

Art exhibits taking place in a museum (dah). Some museums will curate programs for temporary exhibits - do the research for these types of events.

National Gallery of Art 2024

For further reading:

What are the Different Types of Art Exhibitions?

Types of Art Exhibitions: A Comprehensive Guide

Be Ready, Follow the Guidelines

A good part of which art show to enter boils down to reading what is in the "about the show" documents or call for art to know if it is the right show for you and fits your goals. The call for art guidelines are presented for you and to give you the best shot at being accepted. In other words Follow the Submission Guidelines.

Your Art and Inventory

Keep up the artistic growth. Build up your artist inventory and keep improving.
Depending on your goals, have a variety of options available in your inventory to cater to your potential buyers - perhaps in size options and price points, art merchandise, prints, or perhaps in theme and art series.
As most artwork is submitted online, do the photographs of your artwork present your work to its very best advantage? If the jurors are looking at digital presentations of the artwork, a poorly taken photo can quite easily be rejected art.
Have your art documentation ready - profile, statements, artist photos, business cards, art cards, etc.

Submitting to the Show

Realize that the bigger the show, the bigger the pool of artists, and the harder it is to get into.
Pay attention if the artwork must be for sale - and do not overprice the artwork so that it doesn't sell. That is not fair to the sponsors of the show.
Know your dates. Note the deadline date, the drop off date, the pickup date - ensure that the show works well with your schedule and any other art show you may have entered around it.
Pay attention that some spaces do not want repeated entries.
Understand what has the best potential to sell (if that is your goal) for the inventory that you have.
Understand if you have artwork that works well with the theme of the show, if indeed there is a theme to the show. A summer themed art show isn't looking for a fall or winter snow painting.
Do you have the art inventory that is acceptable in medium or size? Are there size requirements that the show or gallery requested? Is the show a watercolor show?

Hands On

Don't think that the marketing of the show you are in is only the responsibility of the venue, the art group, or art event. You must absolutely help with promoting a show you are in (and your art group) by using your friends and family, social media connections, networking, and using any flyers provided.
Get your butt to as many art events as you can, remembering that it is about building relationships with your art community. Just because your art work was not accepted into a show means you stay home. If you have the time, go to the art reception anyway.

This may sound bad but realistically...

Realize that we artists are at the mercy of the whomever is curating, juroring, judging, and making any of the selections of what is shown or what is awarded at the art space. Once we attempt to enter an art show or gallery and have done all the proper procedures it is OUT of our hands. Someone is making decisions and the variables for success - or not - for this particular attempt is up to someone else. And that is just the way the art world is here and I imagine, where you are as well.

Congratulations if you are accepted and Keep on Creating if you are not.

Remember, preparation, persistence, and presence.

Let me know what you think of this blog post by clicking "Comments" below and letting me know your thoughts about art exhibits! Happy Creating!

This post was originally published on the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog on June 25, 2025.

Photography/Video Credits: PWAS Member Otis Stanley and Donna Liguria