I’ve just received a swift introduction to the ups, downs, and vagueries of submitting art to be judged. In June, I sent work to open calls for the first time. Three pieces went to the 2023 Marin County Fair for possible selection in the juried fine art exhibit, and I submitted two works to an online show.
The first results to come back were for the fair. The judges accepted all three pieces into the exhibit — Avian Magnetism, Golden, and Always On Time. Of course, I hoped to win a ribbon, too, but I wasn’t expecting it. Unlike when I used to enter my preserves and bring home more ribbons than I knew what to do with, I’m a new artist in a county brimming with excellent work. I’m eager to put in my time and pay my dues.
The only thing that bummed me out for a minute was that they seemed to ignore Avian Magnetism (Valentino) altogether. By that, I mean that the judges had the discretion to award 1st through 3rd place ribbons plus a couple of honorable mentions for his class, but they stopped at second place.
That stung until I got to the fair and saw they hadn’t recognized at least two dozen other pieces in the same class. I immediately understood that the judges didn’t think Valentino was a good fit for the class; they hung him on the other side of the gallery from the other “Electrifying” class entries, even though I created him from a vintage electronics textbook. This year’s fair theme was “Electrifying,” and I’d guess the judges wanted the future, not the past. I enjoyed attending the fair, seeing the exhibits, eating some fair food, and avoiding all the rides.
Thank you, Wild Heart Gallery!
Meanwhile, I forgot I’d submitted two pieces to the MOOD. Animals with Attitude international juried online exhibition at Wild Heart Gallery. I was managing my hopes while scrolling through the posted results. Imagine my surprise and delight when I saw Valentino had achieved an opposite result. The piece received a Special Merit Award, and is in great company, too. I hope you’ll click through to see the full show. As the jurors said: The amount of sass, side eye, mirth, and MOOD in these works is outstanding.
My learnings this week: Choose wisely. Don’t take things personally. Keep going.
