STOP! Look BACKWARDS!

Looking Backwards for Inspiration

So many times when we think of things that are inspiring, we have that feeling we need to be looking forward to something off in the future. Maybe we think we should re-examine our goals that we have set, or our “5 year Plan,” or just check in with our “to-do list.” All of those things are good and necessary to do so that we can stay focused. They all help to keep us on our path that we have laid out – reminders of where we want to go and what we want to be.

But, today, I want to talk about 

the value of “Looking Backwards.”

I started looking backwards after the first of the year. It has taken me on an amazing journey into my own history!

I began to work on my archives, as an artist. I was wondering just how many exhibitions I had done since I started my art career in 1976. That was the year when I first picked up the artist’s paint brush, and learned how to mix a “palette” and how to make a painting. Within the next three years, I had worked diligently at making art, painting.  In only three years, I began to exhibit my work in my local area when there were opportunities.

To my utter disbelief, I immediately began getting the paintings juried into exhibition, and I also began winning awards at nearly every show I entered.

It was not long until my work was juried into a prestigious art exhibition in New York City – the Audubon Art Exhibition! How exciting that was for me.

For the first time ever, I went by myself on a plane to NYC, and I attended the opening of  that show. There was my work – on view – and it felt so “normal” for me to be there and see that work. I can still remember exactly what painting it was. It was a picture of an old western Pennsylvania house that I saw often when I was out driving. It was located on a two lane road  on a hillside; trees surrounded it and cast soft blue/violet shadows on the white house. One day I had stopped to capture that scene with a photograph and then I had taken the photo into my studio to do the painting, “View from New Castle Road.” I still love that painting!

This special painting hangs in my home, and reminds me that I have accomplished something good in my past. It also is a marker that it was the beginning of my public career on a national level.

Once I started painting, I did it just about every day. The first few years I painted on the kitchen table after the children left for school. Sometimes, I had an easel set up in the dining room, and I painted there from objects I had set up for a still life.

Eventually, my art took me off in a new direction. I entered a fine arts program at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.  I majored in painting, and I began doing tapestry weavings. My weavings were like paintings, in my mind.

After I received the BFA degree, I was honored to receive a scholarship and fellowship to go to West Virginia University, in Morgantown, WV. There, I work diligently on the MFA degree. I continued to paint, as that was my focus there, too. In addition to painting, I also discovered a piece of plywood one day, and that inspired me to try to make a woodcut print.

For my MFA Thesis exhibition, the large gallery was filled with immense paintings and large wood cut prints. I had created a world for the visitors to walk into – it was my world, created in my studio.

As the years went on, I continued to show my work everywhere I had an opportunity or invitation. One of my woodcut prints went to the Osaka Triennale in 1991, the year I graduated from WVU. Other woodcut prints were selected for the Ambassador’s residence in Paupau, New Guinea as part of the “Artists in Embassies” Program by the US Dept. of State.

Presently, I have been making art seriously for thirty-seven years. I decided it was time I “LOOKED BACKWARDS” to see where I have been and how I got to where I am today.

I found this job to be enormous. I had to sort through every program, newspaper and magazine article, and documentation I had gathered over the years. Fortunately, I am a highly organized person, and I had everything in order, chronologically. The job took me two months of intensive work though.

I found so much to be proud of along the way on this journey to the past, to my artistic beginnings. It encouraged me and gave me so much information about myself and the works I have created over the years. This was a very inspiring thing to do, and I finished it with renewed enthusiasm for my present work, and for the work that will still be created in my future.

Looking Backwards at my Art Works is so satisfying. It gives me a feeling of being where I am supposed to be - at this time. It gives me a better sense of where I came from, and pushes me forwards to think about where I am going in the future. These paintings from my PAST are my friends, like ANGELS looking over me, whispering to me,

           "Keep on going. 

                    You are not alone.

                           I am with you." 

I was amazed to discover that I had been in over 300 exhibitions and had won over 100 awards in those exhibitions!

With this task brought up-to-date, I can now send off my records on CDs to the galleries and museums that have my work in their permanent collection. This is a good thing to do for your archives so that there will be records that will go with your art works for future scholars to investigate. I will be preparing the CDs soon, after I gather some photographs of myself and my art works and add them to the CDs too.

Next up on my horizon, now, is to begin the task of organizing all my poetry and writing and putting them all into order chronologically.

Once this is done, it will be an easy task to keep them updated periodically. All the hard work will be finished.

Sometimes we need to give ourselves a little pat on the back for a job well done! Looking Backwards can be the place to begin to realize just what you have accomplished in your creative life.  I was able to realize all the nuances and details of my creative journey by “Looking Backwards.”

How to ENTER a JURIED ART EXHIBITION

How to Enter

a Juried Art Exhibition

Enter your art work in a JURIED EXHIBITION

contact the gallery and ask for an “Entry Form.”

     The gallery creates an “entry form” for each exhibition.  This entry form is your road map for entering an exhibition. The form will give you all the details that you need to enter the show. Be sure to look over this form very carefully before you begin to fill in the blanks. Read it over first to give yourself an overview of  the information you will need to have as you begin the process.

Each exhibition has a title. The front page of the brochure will give you the name of a particular show you will be entering.

Example: Art of the State…Pennsylvania 2012. 45^th Annual Juried Art Exhibition

Below the title of the exhibition you will find the dates that the show will be on display at the museum. In the example I have given you, the dates for that show will be June 16 – September 9, 2012.

The final thing that is on the front of the brochure is the hosting organization that is sponsoring the exhibition and the name and address of the gallery or museum where the show will be on display.

You get a lot of information about the show when you look at the front cover of the brochure. You now know the name of the show; the sponsor; the museum; the dates of display; and the address.

After you have noted this information, you are now ready to open the brochure and look over the DETAILS you will need to know about HOW you will ENTER the show.

Look for the ENTRY DEADLINE

The show will have either a “Hand Deliver Only” policy, or it will have an “Enter by MAIL policy” or BOTH!  How does the museum want to receive your entry? And, when?

Look for the final date for you to get your entry form and pictures of your work to the museum. Your entry must arrive by that date if you want to be considered for the show. Entries arriving AFTER the deadline date are NEVER considered.

What do you need to send?

Most shows want you to send them slides of your work, or a CD with photos of your work. Many venues will not return these to you so be sure you have duplicates.  If they are returned to you, then you will be instructed to send a SASE along with your entry fee. The SASE is a “Self Addressed Stamped Envelope.”

There will be an “ENTRY FEE”

The form will give you the amount that you need to send along with your completed form, and photos of your work. This fee will not be returned to you if you are not selected for the show.

The brochure will give you the information on who the juror is, and who the juror of awards will be. Often the juror of the show entries will be the same person who selects the awards, too. Sometimes it is one person, and other times it can be a group of people who will be selecting the show and the awards.

          The brochure will give you the EXACT INFORMATION DETAILS that you need to have to send in your entry. You’ll need to know the exact SIZE of your work.  For a 2-Dimensional work, you will measure the HEIGHT and the WIDTH of the art work, and then the depth of it, too. If the painting, for example, is framed, then you need to give the dimensions of the work PLUS the outside edge of the frame.

For a 3-Dimensional art work, such as a sculpture, you can usually send in three views of that work. You need to measure the Height of it, the width of it, the depth of it, AND the WEIGHT of it.

For each work

fill in the blank for each of these questions:

1.) Title of the art work

2) Medium (Painting, print, sculpture, ceramics, etc.)

3) Dimensions (the size measurements)

4) For Sale? You will be asked to fill in the PRICE you want to sell the    work for, if it will be for sale.

5) Not for Sale?

Some shows will not show a work that is NOT for SALE!  For those shows who will show a work that is NOT FOR SALE

6)  INSURANCE VALUE of the work. 

When will you know

if YOU ARE SELECTED

 for this show?

The brochure will give you the date that you will be notified.

You will be given instructions for the delivery of the work after you are notified that you are IN.  You will receive a card that you had filled out when you sent in your entry. 

There will be a little box on it and one of the boxes will be CHECKED. You will be IN; or, you will be OUT.

GOOD LUCK!

How to Begin Your Art Career

How will YOU  Plan Your Art Career?

Part I

Juried Exhibitions and

Your  Resume’

_

By Lynda J. Lambert

Pennsylvania Artist

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

What is an art career?

Do I even have an art career?

Do I want to have an art career and exhibit my art in public shows?

Am I happy just playing “artist” or do I want more?

How serious am I anyway?

What does it take for me to move from a hobby artist to an artist who is recognized as a professional?

Would I like to see my art hanging in galleries, museums, or exhibitions?

Lynda Lambert at her opening reception for _Primal Garden...la vida luminiscentes_ 

September 9th, 2011 at Merrick Art Gallery, New Brighton, PA

Lynda is shown with her daughter Heidi Lambert McClure, also an artist

Lynda has been in over 200 juried exhibitions and exhibited nationally and internationally.

STEP ONE:

This is an important FIRST STEP: 

You may be saying, “What IS a JURIED EXHIBITON?

You will  need to know about this before you can move on to the next step in your exhibition career.

The first step towards a serious commitment to your art requires that you begin to enter juried exhibitions. In this way, you get a feel for how your work stacks up when in competition with your fellow artists. 

Be prepared for some rejections.  Even artists who have been exhibiting their work for many years get rejected by a juror.  This is just part of the world of art exhibitions.  Sooner or later, you WILL get into a juried show and you will be so proud of your achievement. It will be a big step in your career when you begin to get into juried shows and even win some recognition for them.

How does it work?

A JURIED exhibition is a show that has been selected by one judge or a small panel of judges who view your work along with lots of other entries from other artists.  The juror will select the art works that he/she decides will best suit the kind of show that will be exhibited in the end.   You want to begin putting your art work out among the crowd of other art works through the jury process.

Before this, you may have entered your art in shows that are non-juried. This means that all work entered in a show will be hung or displayed.  This could be the first step for the novice, and one that is non-threatening nor intimidating.  This type of show is usually uneven, with work by seasoned artists appearing beside art works that are made by beginners.  After you have done just a few of these, you are now ready to move UP to put your work before a jury.  You will definitely want to do this and you will need to do this to gain professional experience in showing your art works.

As you begin to participate in juried exhibitions you will need to begin listing them on an artist’s resume. It is an important step and it reflects that you are a serious artist. It also reflects that an doing work that is notable in your field because experts have chosen your work for public display in their shows

Hand Beaded Jewelry on display at Merrick Art Gallery

5th Avenue and 11th Street, New Brighton, PA

Sept 9 - October 2, 2011

Bead Weaving by Lynda Lambert

Create a good Resume:

Now is the time to begin working on a good resume, or a one page Vita.

Begin doing this as soon as you begin getting into juried exhibitions.


After listing your name, address, contact information website or blog address, then you will divide you resume' into some important categories. It will be in those catagories that you will begin to list your exhhibitions and honors and awards. Do it chronologically. Begin with your latest one, and then go backwards.

Create a category titled:  “Juried Exhibitions.”

Later on, you will need to create a category for “Invitational Exhibitions.” That usually comes after you have been doing some juried exhibitions for a while. Eventually  you will be  invited to participate in a gallery, museum, or art center’s show. This is also decided by a gallery owner, a selected juror or a committee, so it is also prestigious  because you have been asked or invited  to participate in the show.

Awards and Honors on your RESUME:

On your resume, create a THIRD category listing for “Awards and Honors.” 

When you need to send your Vita' or Resume' to another show or to a gallery, they will be looking to see what shows your work has appeared in and any awards or honors you have won.  List them chronologically by placing the most recent ones at the top of your list.

Review of Step ONE:

1.)     Begin to look for “juried” art exhibition and enter them

2.)     Create your Resume' or a short one-page Vita’

Here is what you need to put on your resume’ or one-page  vita’:

Your Name

Your Address

Phone Number/ E-mail

Your Blog or Website (IF you have one)

Categories:

          1.)  Juried Exhibitions:

                        List name of show; the juror’s name;

 the place where it was on exhibit,

                        and the dates of show

            2.) Invitational Exhibitions

                        List name of show, 

the juror or group who invited you, 

place when the exhibition was on display; 

date of show

            3.) Awards and Honors:   

List any awards you received in a show, 

date of Award 

Later on, we'll be adding a couple more categories. But for a start, this is all you'll need to put on your artist's resume' or one-page vita'. Remember this: An artist's resume' is very different than a business person's resume'.


The steps are small ones, but very important ones. It is the little things that make your art career work. It is the ability to pay attention to the small details and be careful about them.

One of the biggest failures for an artist is to spend tons of time in the studio creating work, and then failing to develop a business PLAN for marketing that work.  We have to be in BALANCE.  Work + Exhibitions are important to us. Exhibitions give us an audience for our work AND  it brings us recognition and collectors who will be buying our work. We want to begin to develop our exhibition opportunities AND our clients.

To BEGIN:  

Step it UP

Find some Juried Shows

Begin your Artist  Resume'

You can begin by doing a search on-line for juried shows in your local area. I strongly suggest that you begin with a show that is very close to where you live.  You'll probably be surprised at how many juried exhibitons and opportunities you will find within a 30 mile radius of where you live.  Check out  any galleries or museums, art centers, universities, colleges, or local educational programs in the arts to find out when their next juried show will be held.

The Prospectus:
Ask the gallery  for a prospectus. The prospectus is a program flyer that gives you all the information you need to enter the juried show. They will probably email it to you. You can read the prospectus and you will know all the rules and regulations for that particular show. The prospectus will tell you exactly HOW to enter the show. It will give the dates of the show;  the juror's name and credentials;  the day to deliver your art for the jury process; the day to deliver your accepted art work; the day of the opening reception and awards ceremony; the FEE you need to send with your application, size limitations; and the kinds of art forms that are permitted  for entry in this show. Your Prospectus is your ROAD MAP for that particular exhibition. 

Autumn Reflection Vessel:  Grape Leaves, Snakes, and Sanils

by Lynda Lambert

In the solo exhibition:  Primal Garden...la vida illuminscentes

Merrick Art Gallery,  5th Avenue and 11th Street,

New Brighton, PA

Sept 9 - October 2, 2011

Our next conversation will be to explore the different kinds of JURIED EXHIBITIONS  that you will encounter once you begin your SEARCH for a show to enter.

Autumn is a GREAT TIME to begin looking for some shows to enter.  I would love to hear from you on this topic and hear about your experiences as you begin to enter some juried shows. I willbe celebrating with you when you get IN your FIRST JURIED SHOW. Be sure to let me know about it.