Artist Etiquette: How to Submit Your Art
Insider Tips on the Expectations That Accompany Artwok Submissions.
Jan 29, 2009
When an artist is ready to submit their artwork to museums, galleries, art spaces or juried shows, these tips are not to be ignored.
- Go to Art Shows. Seeing how artwork is being displayed is a great way to find your footing. Research what appeals to you as presentation by attending art shows and taking note of different approaches to artwork framing, mounting and display. Sketch the ideas in your artist sketchbook to have a visual for remembering later. Sign up for email updates from museums, galleries and art centers to be connected to events.
- Submitting online. Websites like Artistsregister.com, Artdeadline.com and Collegeart.org list artist opportunities including juried art shows and artist residencies. Check in local newspapers and in the back of art publications for Calls for Entries. The library is a great place to look through these publications for free.
- Submitting to Galleries. Galleries, Art Centers and Artist Co-ops will often have instructions available on their website on how they would like you to submit your artwork. Follow these carefully and if you have any questions about what they prefer to see in the submission packet make a polite phone call. Be sure not to hound them with repeated follow-up calls. Always include a S.A.S.E. for your submission packet. Never simply walk into a gallery, portfolio in hand and assume that the gallery director or assistant is interested. It is acceptable, however, to propose a viewing of your work for critique. Note that a critique is different than having your work being accepted into a gallery, but many art professionals are happy to lend you their energy in order to help you advance in your skill.
- Submitting to Museums. Art museum staff are very busy people and have little time for perusing CD's, reading large submission packets or searching out websites. Send in a sample of work that takes little time to view, like postcard-sized prints. If sending a CD, include an image of your work on the label. Always abide by the guidelines provided on websites or described in the prospectus for submitting artwork. Extra information is often unnecessary and annoying. Again, any questions can be cleared up with a succinct phone call or email to the museum. Email is probably the most polite and unobtrusive method of communication for this purpose. When your work is acquired into a collection by a museum it is good etiquette to keep them abreast of your activity by mailing them with articles and updates.
- Present yourself professionally. Create a letterhead for your name and personal contact information that appears the same at the top of all your documents, business cards and cd labels. If you are handling the presentation (hanging, mounting or otherwise arranging) of your artwork, be sure to be prepared with hammers, hanging wire (many venues do not accept saw tooth hangers), hanging hooks, eye screws (for the hanging wire), nails and a measuring tape. Most galleries hang the artwork so the center of each piece is level with the average line of eyesight of the viewer. Provide a gallery book including images of other work not on display.
- Be Polite. Last but definitely not least, be polite. Let the institution get back to you with the acceptance or rejection of your work. Do not fret over rejection! Do not hound the place you have applied to with repeated phone calls lest you be blacklisted. Be sure to send thank you notes to anyone who has purchased a piece from you, critiqued or in any other way spent energy in the interest of your work. Good luck!
Sources:
- Senior Seminar Lectures, Angie Buckley, Artist and Professor University of Colorado at Denver, Colorado. August 2007 - December 2007.
- Advanced Painting I & II Lectures, Mary Connelly, Artist and Professor University of Colorado at Denver, Colorado. August 2007 - May 2008.
- B.F.A. Thesis Lectures, Mary Connelly, Artist and Professor University of Colorado at Denver, Colorado. January 2008- May 2008.
The copyright of the article Artist Etiquette: How to Submit Your Art in Art Galleries/Museums is owned by Veronica Franklin. Permission to republish Artist Etiquette: How to Submit Your Art in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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