Whoops! I never gave an update on my ArtPrize experience! Yikes! The summer totally got away from me. Well, this year I entered an installation that I planned on fitting to the space I would be given. This basically meant that I entered an idea and photos of past work. I was really afraid no one would understand my concept. Apparently I didn’t need to worry, for those of you who do not follow me on any social media (my Instagram account is SewCaralou), I did get accepted to be a part of ArtPrize! It was an amazing experience and I am so happy that I entered, but the process was scary and nerve wracking.
Entering ArtPrize is a bit like online dating, except it is for your career and a product you put your heart and soul into. You’re getting judged not only on who you are, but your thoughts and concepts as well. You reach out to venues you are interested in and wait to see if they are interested in you. If you are a match you work out all the logistics and sign a hosting agreement.
The process begins with registering and three simple steps: sign up for an account, enter your artwork and pay registration fee, and complete your entry profile.
Once registration was complete I moved on to the process of securing a venue, which is where things got real. During this connections period I browsed venues on the ArtPrize website for spaces I thought I would like to display my artwork. This part was kind of fun, I read profiles, looked at photos of buildings, and dreamed of all the artistic and networking possibilities of each venue. On the website I was to click the “Request to Connect” button on their profiles if I wanted to work with them. Then I waited…
Venues would be notified of my interest and would look at my online profile to determine if they thought my Artwork was a good fit for their exhibit. Then I waited some more…
When a venue I requested to connect with was also interested in me, I received an e-mail and the listing would move from “Requested” to “Pending” in my account. This “Pending” column became everything! I checked it constantly and was so nervous the entire time that no one would want my work! I was wrong to worry! The first day I received a couple of requests, not just from venues I had notified, but from other venues as well!
In the end, I chose (106) Gallery and Studio to display my work. It is a venue I always make a point to visit so I was truly honored to be chosen by them. They were wonderful to work with and the other artists shown in the gallery were amazing! The artwork on the wall right next to mine was in the Jurors Shortlist Pick!
I had a couple HUGE shocks during the weeks of ArtPrize. The first surprise was that my piece was highlighted in the official ArtPrize video! Totally did not expect that! The biggest surprise though was that my installation was in the Public Top 100! This is out of over 1,400 artists! I am still in shock that that happened. I am so thankful for all the support and for all the people who voted and went to check out my piece. I truly feel #blessed (this is the first time I can use this # un-ironically). It was so encouraging to see how many people liked my work and it has given me a boost to keep going!
I realize this experience is unique and if I enter next year there is a possibility I might not even get chosen by anyone. There are plenty of amazing artists that do not get chosen for various reasons. But that is something to worry about next year...