Another Proposal

Today I'm working on getting out a couple of proposals for my "Beyond the Scrapbook" show. I'm happy that it was shown earlier this year, but I'd like to expand it and get it into a couple of more venues.

This time I included my resume, the proposal, 10 photos, an image list that corresponds to the photos, and a postcard from the previous show. This particular venue asked specifically for slides or photos. Otherwise I would have sent a CD.

I'm working on getting one out to another venue, but they want lots of really specific information like budgets for printing, shipping, catering, etc. It's stuff that I don't really want to think about, but I know it would be good practice to do.

As I mentioned above, I'm trying to expand the show since a couple of the original artists dropped out (one of them has even disappeared!). All of the artists are people that I know and went to school with, so I'd like to find some new people from different areas, especially from different cultural backgrounds.

So if you or anyone you know has some artist's books lying around that fit the definition of the show, please let me know. I don't actually need the book until we schedule a show, and then you can send the book directly to the venue.

Here's a brief summary of the show:
Beyond the Scrapbook features artists that remember, examine, and present family histories through the medium of book arts. The artists have each presented their family histories in very different ways. Some celebrate their past while others delve into the dark side of family memories. But each has used the medium of book arts to preserve the past and create a work of art that transcends the traditional scrapbook.

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Now playing: Natalie Merchant - River
via FoxyTunes

Productive!

I had a very productive day today. I worked on putting proposals together for the Waxy Buildup exhibit.
I made a few minor changes after I shot these images, but it's basically how it looks. I included our resumes, a CD, an image list that corresponds to the images on the CD, and a statement. This image shows a postcard, but I ended up not printing them because the prints off my computer scratch too easily. I want to get some professionally printed postcards to include in future proposals.

Each packet also includes a cover letter and a SASE.

There's one packet that I had to customize because the venue had really specific proposal guidelines. You have to do that sometimes, so it helps to be flexible.

I'm sending out 8 proposals tomorrow. Wish us luck!

I also entered my work in a couple of juried shows and put together a packet of my work to send to a curator.

I like days like this.

I've got some new stuff going on in my studio but I'll talk about that later. I'm still trying to figure out what's going on with it.

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Now playing: Building On Fire' - open on FoxyTunes Planet">Talking Heads - Love -> Building On Fire
via FoxyTunes

New Body of Work

Deanna Wood - Poise, 12" x 12", collage, wax transfer, and encaustic

I finally completed the series of "Waxy Buildup" paintings that Trayc Claybrook and I collaborated on.

I'm working on a proposal now and we're going to send it out to art centers and galleries. Hopefully we'll get to show it somewhere.

Alyson Stanfield mentioned SlideShare on her blog the other day, so I thought I'd check it out. It's kind of like YouTube but for PowerPoint presentations. Normally, I try to avoid PowerPoint, but I did one for the proposal CD and thought I'd upload it. Check it out:



Despite my aversion to PowerPoint, I actually liked SlideShare. There are some examples of really well-designed presentations. You can also see some really atrocious ones, which is helpful in showing you what not to do. In fact, after looking at some presentations on the site, I redesigned mine to make it be more readable.

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Now playing: Patty Griffin - Getting Ready
via FoxyTunes

I'm off, again...

Installation view, Seeking Shelter

Tomorrow morning (way too early), I'm going to be heading out to Douglasville, Georgia (outside Atlanta). My aunt and cousins live there (and my mom was born there). When my aunt was visiting here a year ago or so, she mentioned that there was an art center in Douglasville and I should send them a proposal. I did and they offered me a show!

It'll be fun to see my aunt and cousins and all the cousins' kids. We're hoping to visit the aquarium in Atlanta, too. I'm hauling my work out there and will help install it a few days before the opening on Sunday.

If you're in the area, please stop by!

The Tornado Show: Seeking Shelter
Multi-media installation by Deanna Wood
Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville
Douglasville, Georgia

July 8 - August 17, 2007

Opening reception and ice cream social
Sunday, July 8
2 - 4 pm

For more information, call 770-949-ARTS

Rejection Letters

I use statcounter.com to track the traffic on my website and blogs. I'm a bit OCD about it - I check it several times a day. I'm mostly interested in where people come from - how they get to me. Often people will do Google searches for some combination of "artist's or gallery rejection letters."

I wonder who is searching and what exactly they're looking for? Is it artists trying to find solace and kinship with other rejected artists? Or is it someone at a gallery trying to find a template for a form rejection letter to deal with the towering pile of artist's submissions on their desks?

So I looked through my pile of rejection letters and thought I'd share the best and worst. So if anyone happens to come here looking for the perfect rejection letter to send to an artist, maybe I can persuade him or her to make that rejection a bit less painful...

The best rejection letters (that sounds like an oxymoron, no?) are handwritten notes that include something personal. These are rare, but very much appreciated. I'm happy to get any kind of response, even a form letter, but I'm especially grateful for a gallery owner or director who takes the time to write a personal note. I know that they took the time to read my letter, look at my brochure, and perhaps check out my website, and that they carefully considered whether or not my work would be right for their gallery.

One of the best ones:
Deanna,
Thanks for sending images of your work. Very interesting and as you said, "shares an affinity" with work we represent.
We are a very small gallery, already overloaded with artists, so, I'm afraid we cannot at this time add to our dilemma.
I will, however, share what you have sent with other galleries - there's always a chance to exhibit somewhere in the area. It's just a matter of timing and some luck.
Best wishes...

This one was especially kind in that he said he would show my information to other galleries.

Not hand-written, but another good one:
Dear Deanna,
Thank you for sending us recent images of your work. Your work is beautiful and we enjoyed looking at images of your mixed media canvases. We appreciate your enthusiasm and interest in our gallery, unfortunately we are not in a position to add new artists.

We encourage you to send your work to other galleries in the area. You may want to visit the Chamber of Commerce website to aid your pursuit of a local gallery.

Good luck with your work!

I will occasionally receive email rejection letters - also a good opportunity for the gallery owner or director to add a personal touch.

Here's one that I liked:
Dear Deanna,
Thank you so very much for your interest in our gallery. Your submission was wonderfully designed. Elusive is probably my favorite of the series you sent. The colors and composition are great. Unfortunately your work does not meet our needs at this time. I want to thank you for thinking of us, and I do wish you the very best of luck.
Best regards...

Another good email:
Dear Deanna,
Thank you for sending information about your artwork to the gallery. I took the opportunity to visit your website (nice, by the way) and I can see why you felt there is a commonality in your and our aesthetic. Unfortunately, we aren't currently looking to take on new artists at this time. I would like to keep your brochure on file for possibilities in the future.

Thank you again, and good luck in your artistic endeavors.

These personal letters usually include a note about something that they liked about the work (which is nice to hear). Sometimes they will say that they think the imagery is not right for the gallery but not go into any detail as to what that might mean. I understand that gallery people look at a lot of submissions and can't possibly critique everything that crosses their desk, but it would be helpful to know why my "imagery is not right for the gallery." Maybe that's just a way to say they don't like it.

I think I've only received one letter that offered constructive criticism:
We enjoyed viewing your work and though it is visually intriguing, we suggest you compose larger pieces.

And there was another one that said:
Our client base really responds to more representational artwork.

I also like the letters that say something like:
Please do resubmit in the future as the work progresses or changes. We would love another opportunity to take a look.

or

I hope you will keep us updated on developments in your work.

I know that they are open to looking at my work again in the future. Maybe they see potential in my work or maybe they want someone with more shows or that is more established. Who knows?

Here's what sounds like a standard form rejection letter (in case that's what you're looking for):
Thank you for bringing your work to our attention. Unfortunately we are not in the position to take on any new artists at this time, as we are committed to the artists represented by the gallery and to our current exhibition schedule.

Thank you for your interest in X Gallery. We wish you the best of luck in finding representation.

When I started sending out my brochure to galleries, I would occasionally receive a letter or email back, but most of the time I wouldn't hear anything at all. So I started sending a SASE. That helped - often I would receive a letter but mostly I would get a note sent back on my cover letter. Most of them were nice but one gallery simply wrote, "This is not for us," on the cover letter and sent it back. A couple just shoved everthing in the SASE and sent it back without any note or acknowledgement at all. I understand that people are busy, but come on. That's just rude.

When I got those, I had intended to post something about the galleries in question and warn other artists to avoid them because they were rude and insensitive to artists. But I got over it. Everybody's entitled to a bad day... My good experiences have far outnumbered my bad, so I have faith that the art world is not such a horrible place.

Have you gotten any particularly great or horribly awful rejection letters?

To commiserate with other artists about rejection, check out:
Rejection Letters of an Emerging Artist
Rejection Collection

Images on CD

Sofia asked about my process for putting images of my artwork on a CD when I send out proposals.

Unless there are specific guidelines, this is what I put on my CD:
- a PowerPoint presentation (saved as both PowerPoint and slide show)
- a pdf version of the presentation
- a folder of jpgs of the images in the presentation
- resume (pdf and Word)
- artist's statement (pdf and Word)

I think that most people have PowerPoint on their computers. If they don't, then hopefully the slide show will play. If not, then hopefully they have Acrobat Reader and the pdf file will work. If not, then they will at least have some sort of image reader that will read the jpg files. If not, then I guess I've sent them a frisbee.

Here's how I create the PowerPoint presentation:
The first slide is a large background image (a painting detail) with my name reversed out in white.
The next few slides (12-20, depending on the situation) include images of my work and installation shots. The images are good quality and they fill up most of the page. I made the background black and reverse out the title and media information.
I then include a slide with my artist's statement.
Lastly, I include several slides with my resume and contact information.

I save the file as PowerPoint and then do a Save As and in the Save dialog box, where it says Save as Type, I choose PowerPoint Show. This creates a file that will run in PowerPoint viewer if you don't have PowerPoint.

I also save a pdf version by either selecting Convert to Adobe PDF (if you have this capability, you will see an Acrobat icon in the toolbar), or by printing to Adobe PDF (it will be an option under printer name in the print dialog box). I have the full version of Acrobat, so I open it up and crop the excess white border that it sometimes creates and I make sure that it opens the way I want it to.

I then also put each jpg image into a folder. I name the files so that they will appear in the same order as the images in the slide show -
01.dwood_title.jpg
02.dwood_title.jpg
etc.

I include my name in case the files or the CD somehow get lost, they'll at least know whose images they are. I also name them 01, 02, 03, etc, so that they will be in the correct order in the list.

I do the same to the title of my resume and artist's statement:
dwood_resume
dwood_statement

I also create a color print out "slide list" or "image script" that includes thumbnails and titles of all of the images on the CD - so someone can see the images at a glance without even putting the CD in the computer.

Also, I can't stress enough how important it is to read submission guidelines, if there are any. You don't want to spend all your time putting together a CD when they only want slides. And if they do accept images on CD, be sure to note if they have guidelines for image resolution, file sizes and formats (jpg, tiff, etc).

Thanks for the question, Sofia. Good luck!

Writing

Back in 2004, I was lucky to be able to attend the annual College Art Association (CAA) conference in Seattle. Most people go to the conference to present papers or to interview for jobs. I just went to see what it was all about. I attended many of the sessions, hung out with friends, did a little sight-seeing, and saw some art while I was there.

In a cleaning frenzy yesterday, I came across some information that I had saved from the conference. At my professor's request, I had typed up my notes and presented them to my fellow grad students. I found the CD with the notes, so I thought I'd share some of the info with you, too.

Below are my notes from a session titled "Harnessing the Power of the Pen: Professional Writing Strategies for Future Artists, Art Historians, and Museum Professionals." I've previously posted my opinions and tips on writing an artist's statement, but the panelists also talked specifically about writing grants and writing as a curator and as a freelancer. I've listed the panelists and their specific advice:

Artist’s Statements
Madeline Djerejian, photographer
Stressed the importance of voice and consideration of audience.
There are no real rules for artist’s statements, but there are certain things that people want to read.
Introduces the reader to your work and to you
Supplement to visual information
Not so much a description but it should make people want to look at your work
Crystallizes your thoughts about the work
Should stand on its own and be clear

There are different kinds of statements for different situations
· Specific body of work
· Body of work as a whole (philosophy)
· 1 page - may accompany a show or a grant application
· 1 or 2 paragraph statement for a portfolio or application
· 25-word statement – central idea for a cover letter or bio

Keep notes while you’re working
Consider your audience – assume that the reader has never seen your work
Don’t be defensive – consider that the reader is interested
Use plain and direct language
4 or 5 points might be enough

Consider:
1. What kind of materials are you using and why?
2. Where did the initial inspiration for the work come from?
3. What is the central or guiding image in the work?
4. Are there elements such as sound or installation?
5. Any notable collaborators?
6. Where does the piece fit into your overall work or career?
7. Is the work a limited edition?
8. Is there a specific venue that the work is geared for?

People don’t want to struggle to read it – avoid flowery or pretentious language
Develop a strong first sentence and opening
Keep it as short as possible
Don’t explain everything
Don’t announce what you’re trying to do, just say what you’ve accomplished
Don’t use catch-phrases
Be specific
Not just a list of things you like and don’t like; tell us why
Use first person
Don’t use “we”
Don’t be ashamed of your obsessions or interests if it’s directly related to the work
Don’t be wishy-washy
Don’t brag
Be careful with poetic language
OK to be personable and fun
Remember that it’s your statement
Use 12-point font
If you are given guidelines for a specific application, follow them
Ask a non-artist to read it
Spell check
Be honest with yourself
It’s never finished for very long (revise it periodically)
Review your statement alongside the work
Be true to yourself and true to your work
Suggested looking at http://www.nyfa.org/ to see successful artist’s statements (ones that have received grants)

Curatorial Writing
Bruce Robertson, Center for American Art, LA
From object label to catalog essay:
· The voice is coming from inside the museum, heavily institutional
· There is a heavy editing process (editors, PR, education, marketing)
· Give up ownership – just something that is there to be used
· It’s more important for it to be out than to be perfect
· Audience is the public; consider that you’re writing for an educated public (college freshmen, not educated in art, no need for dumbing down; you’re just extending their knowledge base)
· You can’t tell the whole story
· Most is rhetorical – public speech aimed at a community
· You want to convince an audience of some point and that it’s important
· There’s a pressure in institutions for blandness
· Don’t use abstract or passive language; vary your sentence structure

Grant Writing:
· The audience is usually someone with a non-art degree
· Get their attention in the first paragraph
· Aimed generally
· Object and question first, theory second
· Say what it is first, in simple language
· Follow the guidelines
· Don’t parade your genius
· Foucault is not going to read it – nobody cares about your academic theories

Freelance Writing
Lorraine Karafel, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and Metropolitan Museum of Art
She is a writer trained as an art historian
Freelance writing is sometimes scholarly writing, sometimes exhibit reviews, articles, proposals, exhibition materials, audio guides, of film strips.
The structure, language, and length are specific to the type of material and different information is included
Consider that a book is read privately and a label is read publicly
You’re often reshaping long into short and re conceiving it and how it is used
Use words to make the subject compelling
Might need to bring a different viewpoint to the writing
Reveals the writer’s personal relationship to the work
Include the history and why it is a work of art
Choose what conveys understanding of the work
Audience may be peers
Determine audience and gear the writing to them
Thoughtful and intimate
Research and knowledge presented in a passionate form
Look at examples of similar items or publications, look at format, style
Read your text out loud; read it to someone who is not in the field
Must be clear to a wide audience
Reveal your love for the subject
Help the reader experience art in a new way

Packing and shipping artwork

Packing artwork has been on my mind lately. I’ve spent the last couple of weekends packing up most of my work (10 boxes!) to ship off to a solo show at the Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada. And I'm helping to make the boat payment for my local UPS Store owner...

I’m not an expert on packing and shipping artwork, but I have worked as a gallery assistant and I’ve unpacked artwork for a couple of national juried shows. So I do consider myself an expert on how NOT to pack and ship artwork. I have seen some amazingly stupidly packed boxes!

So I thought I would share some observations, tips, and techniques for packing and shipping that I’ve picked up over the years.

Reusable packing materials
First of all, if you’re shipping work that you know will be returned to you (a juried show, for example), then be sure to use easily reusable packing materials. Think about what it must be like at a juried show – there’s work coming in from all over the country, the people unpacking and repacking your work could be volunteers with little or no experience handling artwork – you want to make it as clear as possible for them to unpack your work and repack it after the show.

Avoid using packing peanuts. They’re not good protection because they can settle during shipping. They’re also a complete pain in the ass and gallery assistants hate them with a passion (at least my coworker and I did).

Clear instructions
It’s helpful to mark the spot on the box where you want it opened. As a gallery assistant, I LOVED the anal-retentive artists who sent unpacking and packing instructions (if you’re unpacking 50 boxes, you don’t want to have to think too hard about any of them). Just make it as easy as you possibly can. You don’t want the person who will be handling your artwork to be hating on you because you made her spend 20 minutes picking up peanuts or you wrapped something really tightly in so much bubble wrap that it won’t go back in the box later or realize that she opened the wrong end of the box and will have to spend extra time fixing it when she re-packs. Oh. Sorry. Flashbacks…

So when I pack something that is fairly complicated, I will include instructions. Pictures are also helpful, especially if the instructions are complicated.

Here’s an example of some instructions I wrote up for a fairly complicated package. I had 3 artist’s books in one box, and they had to be put back “just so” in order for them to fit. pdf file (120 KB)

Padding
Basically, you want to have as much protection between your artwork and the cold, cruel world as possible.

I pack my paintings in foam core boxes that I make myself. I then stack a few of those boxes inside a cardboard box. I line a larger box with foam and include the smaller box inside. So I basically have the paintings triple-boxed.

a recent batch of foam core (and a few cardboard) inner boxes

Airfloat boxes
http://www.airfloatsys.com/
I’ve never used them myself, but I have unpacked quite a few. I think they’re fairly expensive, but they might be worth it for you.

The boxes are reinforced, easy to open, and re-usable. The boxes include 3 sheets of foam – one sheet protects your artwork on the bottom, one on the top, and you create a hole in the center piece of foam so that your piece fits snugly into it.

Crates
If you have tools and carpentry skills, you can make your own wooden crates. You can also have them made for you. Crates are expensive to ship because they’re usually heavy, but they can be good protection for your artwork, especially sculpture.

If you use a crate, be sure to mark very clearly which screws should be removed to open the crate.

To sum up, here is a basic list of packing tips that I created for local juried show participants:
Protect the artwork from dust and moisture:
- Wrap the artwork with protective, acid-free paper such as glassine or tissue paper
- Cover the artwork with white cotton fabric (recommended for textiles, ceramics, and wood)
- Wrap the artwork loosely in plastic
Protect the artwork from damage:
- If possible, use two containers; a smaller box cushioned on all sides inside a larger box can protect your artwork from bumps and sharp objects
- Insulate the artwork with padding such as bubble wrap, upholstery foam, or Styrofoam. NOT recommended: loose material such as any type of Styrofoam peanuts.
Identify your artwork:

- Include the artist’s name and the title on the back or bottom of the artwork
- Write your name on all exterior sides of all shipping containers using permanent marker
- Cover any paper labels with clear tape
- Identify your container as “FRAGILE” (ask your shipping company for labels)
- Identify where you would like the container to be opened by writing “OPEN THIS SIDE,” or “OPEN HERE”
- Include detailed unpacking and packing instructions

Resources:
http://www.airfloatsys.com/ - inexpensive, re-usable packaging solutions for shipping fine art
http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/ - archival materials
http://www.uline.com/ - boxes and plastic bags

Update:

For textile artists, check out Lisa Call's post where she explains how she ships large quilts.

Alternative exhibition spaces

Most artists strive for commercial acceptance and success. There are several paths to achieving those (often elusive) goals, commercial galleries being one of them. But if you’re having difficulty breaking into a commercial gallery or if you feel you might not be ready for one yet, there are many alternative spaces that you may want to consider.

I have to admit that I live in a town with two universities and a thriving art scene, so you can hardly go anywhere around here without seeing artwork from local artists and art students. But I’m sure you can find similar venues in your town.

I'm not going to cover rental galleries, vanity galleries, and community art centers. I'm going to focus on free spaces that might not currently exhibit art.

Some of these alternative spaces include:
Libraries
Cafes/restaurants
Coffee shops
Wine shops
Hair salons/spas
Fitness clubs/dojos
Dance studios
Record stores
Bank lobbies
Churches

Basically, any wall is a potential exhibition space.

Do some research. Visit different businesses in your town and notice if they have artwork hanging in their space. If they have changing exhibits, ask to speak to the person in charge of the artwork. Ask him or her about submission guidelines – would they like to see slides or a CD, view your website, or see actual work?

Carry a packet of information (or brochure or business card or CD) around with you to leave behind if the opportunity arises.

Approach businesses or spaces that relate to your work.
If you paint floral still lifes, you might approach a flower shop, garden shop, or a botanical garden. Figurative work might lend itself to a day spa. Landscapes from your trip to Italy would look great in that little Italian restaurant. Asian-inspired work might appeal to the owners of a dojo or karate school. Photographs of dancers in a dance studio. Watercolors of historic missions in your local Catholic church. You get the idea…

Some businesses that currently exhibit artwork from local artists might also already do receptions. If they don’t, you might brainstorm about how to do your own reception. They might be open to live music, jugglers, dancers, etc. Try to find something that would be mutually beneficial to both of you – getting your work seen and bringing in customers to the restaurant or shop.

Unused and empty retail spaces
Consider approaching the owner of a vacant space that would lend itself to your work. Maybe there’s an empty store on your town square that you could borrow or rent fairly cheaply for a couple of weeks. You would need to consider how to staff the space – posting specific gallery hours and having someone work as a gallery sitter.

Houses
A couple of years ago I went to a show at a gallery space that was actually a house. A couple of art students were renting a house and realized that they had a room that they weren’t using. They emptied out that room as well as their living room. Then they invited artists to have short (usually one or two-day) shows. They also knew music students and invited them to provide music for the reception/parties.

Things to consider
Trust your instincts.
If a restaurant owner seems shady or untrustworthy, tell them thanks anyway. Work out the details of sales – if they handle sales then usually they will take a commission. If they don’t want to deal with sales, they might have interested patrons contact you directly.

Find out what the venue will provide.
Some restaurants or shops might already have receptions and PR in place. You can just hang your show and show up for the reception. But others might leave that all up to you. If so, then you'll need to decide how you want to market the show. Consider writing a press release and sending out postcards to promote the show.

Be sure to have contact info available during your show.
Frame and hang an artist’s statement. Leave a stack of business cards or brochures.

It may be a great opportunity to show, but not sell.
If you look at it as a way to show your work to people who wouldn’t normally see it, then you’ll have a good experience. If you expect to sell every piece, then you might be disappointed.

Strength in numbers.
Enlist a group of artists to have a show with you. Find artists who do work in a similar theme, similar format, similar medium, etc. Having a group and assigning tasks helps to alleviate the work load associated with mounting a show.

What are some other alternative spaces that you’ve exhibited in? Were they successful? What did you do to make them successful?

Postcards

Postcards are a great way to advertise an upcoming show. They’re also great to have later, to tuck into your packets that you send to galleries. If you’re having a show in a commercial gallery, art center or university gallery, most likely they will design the postcards and have them printed. They will probably give you a small number that you can mail to select people on your mailing list.

But if you’re organizing your own show (in an alternative space, rental gallery, student gallery, etc.), then you’ll probably be on your own to design and print your postcards.

Steps to creating an effective postcard

1. Put a striking image on the front
Start with a great photograph or slide of your work. Pick the best piece from your show and get a great shot of it. An intriguing detail shot can be interesting and mysterious. If you don’t have a good camera or you lack photography skills, hire a professional photographer to shoot it for you.

It’s important to start with a good quality, high-resolution photograph (slide or digital). If you attempt to print from a 72 dpi jpg, you’ll get jagged, fuzzy, ugly results.

It's also a good idea to put your name on the front.

2. Include all important information on the back
I can’t count the occasions where I’ve gotten postcards for art shows that left out something crucial – like the artist’s name, the dates of the show, location, etc.

What you should include:
Your name (preferably on both sides)
Title of the show
Location
Date (including the year)
Gallery hours
Reception date, if there is one
Information about the work you featured on the front of the card (title, medium, size)
Return address (the post office will return any with bad addresses – important to be able to keep your mailing list current)
Your website url

All of this information should be clean and easy to read. Don’t use funky fonts here. The title and your name can be in a larger size and bold, and possibly in a different (but not too different) font. Try to limit yourself to 2 or 3 sizes and no more than 2 different fonts. Don’t use any sizes below 8 point.

I don’t think there’s any reason to use color on the back of a postcard. Seems like a waste of money to me. Black ink is effective and readable.

Here’s an example:

3. Follow postal guidelines
The post office won’t mail anything below a certain size (3.5” x 5”) and there’s a maximum size for mailing at the postcard rate (4.25” x 6”).

Size guidelines: http://pe.usps.gov/text/qsg300/Q201.htm

There are also certain areas that the post office designates for printing their own barcodes, etc. In the example above, the grey areas are off-limits for text or graphics. The white area is free.

Printing your own
If you’re having a smaller show, or just want to limit your mailing, it’s possible to create your own postcards on your computer and print them yourself at your local copy shop.

The easiest way to do this is to lay out your postcards 4-up on a page, copy them, and have the copy shop cut them for you.

The resulting postcards will be 4.25” x 5.5” – a little under the standard postcard size (4.25” x 6”), but still within the accepted size for the post office.

You’ll need a decent illustration or page layout program such as Illustrator, FreeHand, InDesign, or Quark – even Photoshop, in a pinch. I wouldn’t recommend designing them in Microsoft Word (shudder) or PowerPoint (cringe) unless that was your absolute only choice.

Enlist the help of a graphic designer if you don’t feel that you can do it yourself. Your local copy shop probably offers this service.

Professional printing
For slick, colorful, glossy, professional results, get your cards printed by a commercial printer. If you know and trust a local print shop, then use them.

Most artists use a company called Modern Postcard. They’re great quality and pretty quick. You can get 500 4.25” x 6” postcards for $129 plus shipping.

You can design your own and send it to them or send them all your info and they’ll do it for you (but I think it costs a little bit more).

If you don’t need 500 postcards, check out Overnight Prints. I recently discovered them and they’re my new favorite. Their shortest run is 250 (a much more manageable quantity - for me, at least). I recently got 250 postcards for around $50 (including shipping).

They work the same as Modern Postcard – send them a file or have them create the postcard for you.

Both companies have templates in different programs that you can download. They also offer design advice and will show you examples of good and bad postcards. If you intend to design your postcards yourself, be sure to follow their guidelines (file formats, software programs, dpi, cmyk, bleeds, etc).

The postcards are printed in big batches (they’ll gang 20 or so different postcards onto one sheet), so it’s possible that the quality (especially color) can suffer. I’ve always gotten good results, though.

I would recommend getting your postcards professionally printed as opposed to running copies. The main advantage is that they look much more professional. A disadvantage is that you will be stuck with a bunch of leftover cards.

You can extend the life of a card by leaving the back blank. You can print your specific show information on a sticker and adhere it to the back before you send it. As long as the image on the front is not too specific and will represent your work for a couple of years, this is a good strategy. You can even use them as regular postcards, thank you notes, etc.

Useful beyond the show
I have quite a few postcards left over from past shows. I send them out with my marketing packets, leave them out for people to pick up at shows and at my studio, and hand them out to people every now and then. They’re a great marketing tool.

Writing an Artist’s Statement

If you’re an artist, chances are someone has said, “What is your painting about?” or, “Explain this photograph to me,” or, “What the hell is that brown thing?”

It’s human nature to try to make sense of what we see. Writing an artist’s statement is a great way to help your viewers understand what they’re seeing. Even if you never share your written statement with anyone, just taking the time to sit down and write it out will help you talk about your work more easily.

Keep it (fairly) short
Write enough so that you can get your ideas across, but keep it to one page or less. Nobody wants to read a multi-paged artist’s statement. That’s what manifestos are for. Conversely, you might think your one-sentence artist’s statement (“I paint landscapes that are pretty”) is funny and ironic, but you might also come across as a gi-normous smart-ass.

Keep it simple
Avoid academic or flowery language. Even if you’re in grad school, your viewers will most likely include some non-artists and non-academics, so you don’t want to alienate them with sentences like, “I find this work menacing because of the way the subaqueous qualities of the figurative-narrative line-space matrix threatens to penetrate the essentially transitional quality.”*

I know. I read New American Paintings. That’s the way everybody in grad school (or who’s been to grad school) writes artist’s statements. Well, it’s just wrong. Don’t do it. Save all those big words for your prospectus or the paper you're going to present at CAA. They live for that.

Where to start
Think about a painting, photograph, or exhibit that you’ve seen that you loved, hated, or didn’t understand. What did you want to know about it? Did you wonder what materials the artist used? Why did she paint clowns? Why were the clowns so scary? Was the artist traumatized by a clown? How did she decide to combine photographs and painting? What is her process? Etc…

Then think about a time when someone was viewing your work and asking you questions. What did they want to know? What were they most curious about?

When I wrote my very first artist’s statement, I sat down and just imagined that I was talking to a non-artist friend about my work.

It's also really helpful to collect artist's statements when you go to shows. Or surf the internet and read the statements on artists' websites. You'll see examples of both good and bad statements. Be inspired by the good ones and know that you can do much better than the bad ones.

Start with the “Why?”
Why did you choose your particular subject matter or imagery? You can mention influences (artistic or otherwise), inspirations, and past experiences that led you to your subject. Some artists often refer to the work of other artists that inspired them. Others might be influenced by media or popular culture. Still others might have been traumatized by clowns… It doesn’t really matter how you came to your subject matter, but the viewer will be interested in knowing why you chose it.

Then talk about the “How?”
Most viewers will want to know something about your materials or your process, especially if the materials or processes are unusual. It’s not necessary to write a step-by-step guide to the watercolor process, or list every chemical that you used to process your photographs. You might just mention that you use watercolors and that you were drawn to them for their unpredictable nature and their transparency. Or you could briefly describe the process used to create cyanotypes and what made you love it. And if there’s an unusual technique or material, mention that. And seriously, what is that brown thing?

Act like you know what you’re doing
Avoid phrases like, “I want to…” or, “I’m trying to…” or, “My intention is…” Just say what you’re doing: “I expose the gritty underbelly of urban life…” or, “These paintings explore the wonders of nature and the beauty of our world…” Don't be wishy-washy about it.

Not so much “me,” “my,” and “I”
It’s hard to do, but try to avoid using the words “me, my, and I,” repeatedly. It’s annoying to read a whole page of sentences that start with “I.”

Update it
If you’re a working artist (creating new work often) then you’ll need to look at your statement every now and then to make sure that it still reflects your current work. A good rule of thumb is to update it every time you ship work off to a show. This keeps the statement fresh and helps you to prepare to talk about your work.

Multiple statements
Most artists only have one statement that they update every few months or as their work changes. You might have multiple bodies of work that require different statements, especially if you work in different mediums.

It’s so useful
Once you have a good artist’s statement, it will come in so handy in so many different ways:
1. Writing it will prepare you to talk about your work in formal or informal settings.
2. Frame it and hang it on the wall near your artwork to explain the work when you’re not there.
3. Use it as a basis for a press release when you’re promoting your show.
4. A reporter might use it to write a story about your show (if that’s all they have to go by).
5. Send it along with slides when you approach galleries.
6. Post it on your website along with images of your work.
7. Make your mom read it so she will finally understand.

* generated using the CRAP Generator – a grad school “must-have”

Juried Shows

Being in juried shows is a great way to get more exhibitions on your resume.

What is a juried show?
Usually an art group, gallery, art center, or museum will sponsor the show (by recruiting volunteers, raising money for prizes, and securing a venue for the exhibition). Some will use their own "expert," (or panel of experts) but most will hire a juror (or jurors) from outside of their organization. This ensures that the juror will be fair and impartial. The juror is usually an artist, curator, or art educator.

How it works
The organization will send out a prospectus or call for entries, usually a small brochure that is mailed to members, former show participants, etc. Many calls for entries are posted on websites such as the Art Deadlines List or printed in magazines such as Art Calendar or Art in America.

The prospectus
It is very important to read everything in the prospectus before you enter the show. These are the rules and regulations and if you don't follow them, you can ruin your chances of getting in the show.

Important things to note on the prospectus:
deadline for entries - sometimes they will list the postmark date and sometimes the date that items must be in their possession (an important distinction)

entry fee - obviously, they won't accept your entry without the fee

slide or file requirements - more shows are taking digital entries now, but regardless of the format you submit, follow their guidelines to the letter. If they want slides and you enter a CD, your entry will be thrown out, and vice versa. Also, if they indicate that digital files should be 72 dpi jpgs, don't send them 11 x 17 TIFFs. They won't like you.

Some smaller organizations will sponsor local or regional shows where the artists are required to submit actual artwork instead of slides or digital files. The juror will select work and give prizes from the actual artwork.

exhibition dates - I mention this because some organizations require the entries months in advance of the show. You need to decide if you want to have your work unavailable for that period of time. Also, you must make sure that your work is available if it is accepted - don't enter the same piece in multiple shows if the dates overlap.

handling fees - I've noticed that some organizations are requiring artists who are accepted into the show must pay an additional handling fee.

How do you choose which shows to enter?
There are many things to consider when entering shows. Here are just a few:
cost - personally, I don't enter shows that charge more than $25 for their entry fees. The benefit of having a line on your resume is weighed with the cost of the entry fee, framing, shipping, and insurance. Entering shows is expensive, and getting into shows is even more pricey...

juror - the status and reputation of the juror is important. I tend to look for an artist that I know of and admire or a curator of an institution that I respect. But sometimes I will also enter a show that just sounds interesting, regardless of who the juror is.

location - is the exhibition being held at a major museum or a respected art center? If the show is local, you can save on shipping costs.

Congratulations! You got into the show!
Now what? The organization will send you instructions on shipping your work to them. Usually, they will require that you use a particular shipping agent and that the work will need to arrive within a particular time frame. Most organizations will require that you pay for return shipping also. I need to do a whole post on shipping artwork in the future.

If you're lucky, they will post images of the installed work on their website. If you're super lucky, they'll also print a catalog of the exhibited work. If there is any press on the show, they will probably send you copies of the newspaper clippings, too. And if you're extra-super lucky, the reporter will mention your work (in a good way). All of this is great stuff to add to your "brag book" or whatever you call that binder full of show catalogs, press clippings, and invitations.

Prizes
Many juried shows will entice artists to join by offering prizes. They'll usually list the major prizes - $500 best of show, three $100 awards, merchandise awards, etc. Sometimes the best of show will receive a solo show in the gallery in the future. Prizes are great, but don't enter a show expecting to win.

We regret to inform you...
Bummer. It sucks to get rejected. Don't worry about it, though. Try again next year. Art is subjective and every juror will have a different opinion on the same work. One particular painting can win best of show in one show and be rejected from another. Every juror brings his or her own aesthetic background, artistis criteria, taste, etc. But I don't need to tell you that.

The more shows you enter, the more you increase your chances of getting into one. But it does get expensive, so decide what's important to you before you enter a whole bunch of shows.

Good luck!

Writing an Artist's Resume

Being an artist means not only making your art but of course promoting your art. But some would argue that you’re really promoting yourself. Regardless, you need to have a good resume.
Edward Winkleman’s blog recently had a great post about resumes/bios with some really valuable information (be sure to read the comments, too). I’ll just add to it by telling you how I deal with my resume.

I created a Word document titled, “current resume,” that I update frequently. This resume includes everything. I probably wouldn’t show this resume to anyone, but it’s nice to have it all documented in case it’s needed someday. I can edit this all inclusive resume and create an alternate resume for any given situation – applying for a teaching position, submitting a proposal to a gallery, applying for a job, etc.

The all inclusive resume is divided into categories and formatted appropriately. The categories include:
Name and contact information (I put this in the header and footer so it shows up on each page)
Forthcoming Exhibitions
Exhibitions (separated by year and then into categories - solo, juried, and group)
Publications (in which I’m mentioned or my work is reviewed)
Collections (public and private)
Teaching Experience
Lectures
Education
Employment
Related Experience (volunteer positions, committees, boards, serving as a juror, etc.)
Awards

I edit down this information to create a resume to send to a gallery.

In the gallery resume, I will include:

Name and Contact Information

Forthcoming Solo Exhibitions
Venue, Location, Date

Example:
Shelbyville Community College, Shelbyville, Missouri, 2007

Selected Exhibitions
I edit the exhibitions and title it, “Selected Exhibitions.” I don’t usually include open shows or member shows, as they aren’t all that impressive (everybody usually gets in, so it’s not considered prestigious). There’s a local exhibition that I enter frequently, so I won’t usually list that unless there was a particularly well-known juror or I won an award in the show. And I do usually include the juror. Some are more well-known than others, but I think it’s good to be consistent (if you list one, you should list them all).

Example:
2005
Solo
"Freezing," Springfield Center for the Arts, Springfield, ME
Group
"Big Time Invitational," The Palomino Gallery, Arlington, CA
"Super Cool Art Exhibition," Johnstown University, Johnstown, TX
Juried
"Simple Things 2005," Sprightly Art Center, Baltimore, OK
(Juror: Stacy Smith, Executive Director, Eagle Mountain Art Center, Chicago, IL)

Public Collections

Private Collections

Publications
Use a consistent, standard formatting method (such as MLA or APA).

Example:
Johnson, John. "Paintings fill art center with life." The Springfield Times 15 Oct. 2005: 7.

Education
Example:
MFA, Studio Painting - Springfield University, Springfield, TX, 2005
Minor: Art History

This gallery resume focuses on exhibitions, collections, and education. If I were to apply for a teaching job, I would probably have a much longer resume, as more and varied activity is important for that type of position.

I don’t usually include a bio unless it is requested. I do have a short bio that I wrote myself, but I’m considering having a writer friend do a more extensive one for me.

Here are a few resources for writing an artist’s bio (some music and dance-related, but still relevant):
Durable Goods
Music Biz Academy

And some resources for resumes:
The Artist's Trust
NYFA Interactive

“Professional Practices” classes

In my grad school, the MFA students were required to take a professional practices class. It was technically a photography class, titled “Portfolio Photography,” but it was really professional practices, with a strong emphasis on photography. The class was intended for students who were about to graduate and who were going to apply for teaching jobs or send packets to galleries. Some undergrads would take the class to work on their application packets for grad school.

I think more schools are incorporating this type of class into the studio art curriculum. It’s important for art students to have at least some idea of how to promote themselves when they get out in the “real world.”

My painting professors would include some of this real world advice every now and then, too, by requiring reading (such as Taking the Leap) and discussions. We would often watch art-related videos during our class lunch breaks. I remember one in particular that was about the business of art (I think it was one of those Art City videos).

Someone in the video was talking about how he tells his art students that they should just drop out of school, take the $40,000 they would have spent on school, and spend $1000 each on 40 parties. His point was that if you want to make it in the art world, the MFA isn’t important, but who you know is.

Depressing, no?

Anyway, I wanted to talk about the class I took and what I learned.

Photographing Artwork
Since it was a photography class, we spent some time on basic photography, how a camera works, lighting, developing slides, etc. How to use a light meter and set up lights in the studio to shoot 2-D and 3-D work.

20 slides of 2-D work shot in the studio (including artwork shot from books), 20 slides of 3-D work shot in the studio, and 20 slides of 3-D sculpture shot outdoors.

Self portraits (for promotional purposes).

Artist’s Statement
Elements of artist’s statements, writing exercises, and submit examples of good statements from other artists.

Resume or Curriculum Vitae
What to include, formatting, editing, etc.

Presentation Techniques
How to work a slide projector. How to give a successful slide presentation. Attend and review artist’s lectures.

Power Point
How to scan in slides, adjust them in Photoshop, and import them into a PowerPoint presentation along with resume and artist’s statement.

There were two final projects:
1. Create an attractively designed packet to promote yourself that includes 20 slides, resume, artist’s statement, self portrait, printed image of one piece of artwork, and CD with PowerPoint presentation (also to include 20 images, artist’s statement, and resume).

2. Present a 20-minute slide lecture on your work, using no more than 40 slides.

The class was very beneficial. I used much of what I learned to create my proposal packets that I sent to art centers and galleries. The practice giving presentations was also very valuable.

Have you taken a similar class? What do you think of these types of classes? Should they be required in university art programs?

Brochure

When I graduated, a friend gave me a copy of How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist by Caroll Michels. I read it from cover to cover and still reference it often. She goes into detail about a lot of really important topics - starting a career, pricing your work, creating presentation packets, dealing with galleries, working another job to support your art, etc.

One of the main things that I got out of this book was the way she suggests approaching galleries. Traditionally, you would visit a gallery, talk to the owner or director, and then send them slides of your work later. They would review your slides and then contact you to either say, "No, thanks," or to get more information and possibly represent you.

Michels' approach is a bit different. She suggests creating a brochure that includes information about you and some images of your work. You send this brochure, along with a cover letter, to galleries that you think your work fits into.

I was attracted to this approach because I have a background in graphic design and creating a brochure myself was fairly easy. A brochure is small and easy to mail. The main reason, though is that slides are expensive to duplicate and often galleries will hold your information for months before reviewing and returning it. I didn't want my slides to be damaged or lost or buried under a pile on someone's desk for 6 months.

So I created a small brochure. Folded, it measures 3.5" x 3.5". My work is mostly square, so I wanted to carry the square format through to the brochure. I included my name on the front, over a detail from one of my paintings. Inside, I included images of five more paintings, an exceprt from my artist's statement, my email address and website. On the back, I included an exceprt from my resume that includes my education and a few exhibitions.


I had 2,000 copies professionally printed a little over a year ago. In hindsight, I probably should have only done 1,000, but I think they're general enough to last for another year or so.


So what do I do with them? First of all, I give them to practically everyone I meet. But mostly I send them to galleries.

I mentioned in my post on calls for proposals that I use the Art in America museum and gallery guide issue to find university galleries and art centers to which I send proposals. It's also a great resource for finding galleries.

I started at the beginning (they're listed alphabetically by state and city) - I read the description and if it sounds like they exhibit contemporary art, I'll check to see if they have a website. If so, I'll visit the website and look at the work of the artists that the gallery represents. If I can picture my artwork there, I'll then look for any submission guidelines.

Sometimes galleries will post their submission guidelines on their websites. Sometimes they'll say,"We're not taking on any new artists at this time, please don't send us anything." Sometimes they'll have very specific guidelines, "Send 20 slides, resume, and statement. Do not send additional information. Submissions without SASE will be immediately discarded." Seriously. They can get picky.

Follow the guidelines. Galleries get hundreds of submissions and if you don't follow their rules, they won't even consider you.

So I look for galleries that will accept CDs or allow you to email them jpg images of your work or a link to your website.

And if they don't have any guidelines, I'll send them a cover letter and my brochure.

Often I wouldn't hear back, so I started to include a SASE as well. I don't know why, but I'd rather get a rejection letter than not hear from them at all. (I'll rant about rejection letters another time.)

I've gotten a few positive responses from the brochure mailings. I need to count how many I've mailed out and the responses I've gotten back and do some analysis... Anyway, I'm sure there are some old school, traditional gallery types that get my brochure and think, "Why, she's not following the rules!" or "This is stupid." Well, I don't want to deal with those snobby people, anyway, do I?

Calls for Proposals

In the previous post, I described how I put together my packet for my exhibition proposals. So how do I find calls for proposals?

By the way, a "call for proposal" is a term used for a listing by a museum, gallery, art center, or art organization that is essentially "calling" or inviting artists to send them proposals for exhibitions. They will usually list pertinent details such as the deadline for the proposal, the location of the venue, requirements (open to all artists or maybe only artists from a specific geographic area), type of artwork they're looking for, time period of the exhibition, size of the venue, the materials that they will consider (slides, CD, etc), if insurance is provided, if there is a commission taken, fees or stipends paid to artists (sometimes they will pay for shipping if you're very lucky), address and contact information. Most do not charge a fee to review proposals but every now and then you'll see one that will (usually $20 or so).

Here's a sample call for proposal:
Deadline July 15, 2006
Community College of Shelbyville is reviewing proposals for solo or group (2 or 3 artists) exhibitions for the 2006-2007 season. Honorarium for lecture/workshop. Open to US artists. 2-D and 3-D work. No sales commission. Insurance. Send 20 labeled slides (or CD), resume, statement, contact info, and SASE to Community College of Shelbyville...

Art Calendar is a great resource for calls for proposals and calls for entries. It's a monthly publication that deals with the business of art, with great articles about photographing your artwork, marketing, and finding inspiration. The last 10 pages or so are listings of awards, conferences and trade shows, fairs and festivals, galleries and nonprofit spaces reviewing portfolios, grants, and juried shows.

The Art Deadlines list is another great resource. It's a monthly email that lists lots of calls for entries and calls for proposals. You can subscribe and receive a comprehensive list or just sign up for the smaller free list.

There's also Art Deadline, which I don't think has a free list...

You can also find a lot of great information on your state's art commission website. The one in Texas is called TCANet. They list lots of opportunities for artists, among other things.

I've also used the annual gallery guide from Art in America. It comes out every summer and it lists hundreds of galleries, museums, and art centers all over the country. It's organized alphabetically by state and then by city. It's fairly comprehensive, but I think the galleries/museums have to submit their information to be included.

I happened to find a great book at my local library called Art Guide Texas by Rebecca S. Cohen. She travelled around Texas and collected information on museums, art centers, and non-profit art exhibition spaces. It had a lot of great information in it. I'm not sure if there are equivalent publications for other states.

When I find a listing for a university gallery or art center that I'm curious about, I will look at their website (if I can find one) and if I'm interested in showing there, I'll look for submission guidelines. If I can't find any on their website, I will email the gallery director and ask if they accept exhibition proposals from artists and if so, do they accept proposals on CD (I personally don't like to send slides and would rather send my images on CD). Most will accept proposals from artists and on CD, but every now and then I'll find one that only deals with slides or only accepts proposals from curators.

Most art centers and university galleries have exhibition committees that meet periodically to review proposals. They could have your proposal for quite a while before you hear from them, so be patient.

Of the 49 proposals that I've sent out starting in February of 2005, I've received 2 "we like your work but we'll get back to you" responses, 18 rejections, and 6 shows. Persistence pays off!

Proposals

My work deals with a definite theme - tornadoes. I've had dreams about tornadoes since I was little and we lived in Kansas. I've never been in one or seen one, but I guess living there during that time made a big impression on me.

When I had my MFA exhibition, one of my professors suggested that I document it and send out proposals to art centers and university galleries all over tornado alley. I think it was a great idea.

Here's what my packet looks like:


I bought some standard black pocket folders and cut a little slit in the right pocket for my CD. I tuck my little brochure into the business card slit on the left side. In the left pocket, I put copies of press clippings, my resume, and some postcards from shows (the cards that feature images of my work). In the right pocket, I put a sheet that has thumbnail images of what's on the CD (the equivalent of a slide list) and my artist's statement.

I print some nice labels to adhere to the CD and I also print out a little label to put on the front of the folder. I have a coordinating envelope (mine happens to be red) that everything goes into. I usually put the cover letter on top of the folder and put a piece of cardboard behind the folder.


I also include a large SASE for the return of my materials. I used to not include that - it's more expensive to mail it than to just make a new one and I figured they could throw it away if they weren't interested. But some people would send it back anyway at their expense and I felt bad about that. Some gallery submission guidelines indicate that they will throw away anything that they get without an SASE. So I started including one, just in case...

I also print my resume, artist's statement, and the cover letter on the same paper (I use French Speckletone in Kraft). I come from a graphic design background, so packaging is really important to me. I think having a professional, cohesive, well-designed packet will help you stand out in the crowd. I have been warned not to make it look "too designed." Whatever that means. I guess you don't want the packaging to overwhelm the work.

Tomorrow I'll talk more about the process of finding the places to send the proposals to.