Submit, submit, submit! And then forget. And then when the de Young moniker shows up in your inbox, open your email slowly. So much easier to do when mail came in envelopes.
Of course, a big smile overtakes my face when I see that one of my two pieces was accepted to be highlighted with other contemporary Bay Area artists on these prestigious walls. I am honored and humbled when I read that only 8% of submissions were accepted. Can you imagine what it would be like for the jurors to process over 10,000 works? The jury process for announced shows can seem so arbitrary, and it is hard to muster the courage sometimes to apply to galleries for representation. Art is so personal to the artist that it is hard not to take rejection personally. Sometimes it feels like an exercise in putting your hand out and expecting it to get slapped. And then there is the agony of picking the pieces to submit. You try to glean clues from the bios of jurors, the brief description of the show’s theme, and it all swirls in your head. But if you don’t submit, you definitely won’t get picked.
I AM SO EXCITED TO BE one of the artists hanging in the UP COMING "DE YOUNG OPEN" at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park sometime this fall (actual show dates TBA, of course, because of Covid 19)!!!
This show will be virtual and when deemed safe, can be visited in person. I will post links from time to time here so you can join me in the festivities and events as the show comes together online and in the museum. This is a wonderful opportunity for Bay Area Artists. When Covid 19 lockdown hit the Bay area, I had pieces hanging for two months in dark rooms in three places. I am sure many of my fellow artists were in the same boat.
So when you see a post beginning with ART SPOTTING #ThedeYougOpen follow the link to meet my fellow Bay Area artists being highlighted from time to time. We are all bound to see some great art. Here is the first one: https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/de-young-open-to-showcase-works-of-hundreds-of-artists-at-critical-time-for-creativity?mc_cid=48624508bd&mc_eid=1b95286e31
And you can be sure that when I see another show that I think captures the spirit of whatever art I am working on, when I feel the fear of rejection creeping into my head, I will remember this moment, and the yes moment form others and submit, submit, submit.