DECISION STATEMENT:
2023 SMALL WORKS AT POWELL LANE ARTS
We want to start this email with the lead: Unfortunately, at this time, we cannot accept your artwork. The vast majority of the submissions that we received, merited terrific time and consideration, and like usual almost all of the 115+ submissions we received were strong.
And we know we say this all the time, but we also know some people -- even those who have shown us before -- might be confused or discouraged. Please don't be. We are just one small gallery, and we continue to have to make really tough decisions. Feel free to call, email or visit us to talk things through, but largely what you will hear from us is: you have strong work that we think could fit many of our shows, but when comparing pieces over the entire body of work, we had a few pieces we thought were a better fit.
It is repetitive at this point to say this was a very strong body of submissions -- it very much was. We received 115+ submissions and almost 500 pieces. From these pieces we needed to get down to around 100 (ultimately we chose 128 or 28% of pieces) and around 35 artists (we chose 51 or 44% of submissions).
We'd love to have a team and space to accomodate all of you, but the truth is that we just don't. But it doesn't mean we don't love seeing your work, and really considering the pieces you thoughtfully shared.
If you are concerned that perhaps your artwork could show more strongly in your submission, here's a couple things we can suggest:
Make sure that you are taking clean, clear, non-watermarked images. Make sure we are seeing only the piece. Crop it to exactly it's size -- no visible objects, matting, framing, etc. (unless it is framed to size or the frame is part of the work).
Make sure you have a strong, first-person artist statement that tells us what you want us to see in your work. It doesn't have to be complicated. It doesn't have to be long. Give us the context of why you make the art you make. What drives you to do so? Or for themed shows, tell us how that manifests in your work.
Be complete in explaining your materiality. Instead of mixed media, tell us what you've created the work on (i.e. board, panel, paper, canvas, glass, etc.) and what materials you put on it (i.e. acrylic paint, acrylic marker, stained glass, plaster, glitter, ink, ec.). We are looking at things on the computer, the more you can define what we are seeing (both in explanation and in description), the better.
One good photo of a 2 dimensional piece (hi-res, clear, well-balanced) is more helpful than 5 detail shots -- unless you have a specific materiality we really need to zoom into. For 3 dimensional or other sculptures, a good image of each angle works really well. Again, make is hi-res, clear and well-balanced.
We know these things are sometimes hard to assess, so we also have 3 tools that might help:
Artist Packet Review.
This isn't a money-grab. It's $35, and can assist you in knowing what our genuine feedback is not just to the art, but how to put your best foot forward.
https://www.powelllanearts.com/artist-packet-reviewPhotographing Your Artwork: A Seminar by Jeff Feeny
Jeff Feeny is graphic designer and an artist specializing in photography and mixed media, and will be offering his expertise in this class.
It will take place on Sunday, October 22nd, 2023 from 2:30pm - 4:00pm.
The participation fee for this class will be $15 per person, and reservations will be highly, highly encouraged.
We'll have more details available shortly, but in the meantime, feel free to email with any questions or concerns.Coffee 4 Creatives: A new kind of artist crit. Okay, it's more like a support group.
If you are feeling like you need a support team that understands the realities of being a creative, we offer a free event, Coffee 4 Creatives. It's open to anyone. Just bring a piece of work, an idea or an issue, grab a beverage and a snack on us, and be ready to feel supported by friends.
Our next one is Sunday, October 1st, 2023 from 12pm - 3pm, and our final one of 2023 will be on Sunday, December 3rd, 2023 from 12pm - 3pm.
We'll be announcing more dates for 2024 in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
www.powelllanearts.com/c4c
We know these tools can't solve everything, and this discouraging encouragement email doesn't really dull the disappointment fully, but You are Valuable. We value you, and if you are feeling brave and are up to it, we’d love to have you visit our space during the show or even for the opening party on Saturday, November 11th, 2023 from 3pm-6pm.
Our events are usually pretty fun, and we take no credit – we are not a membership gallery, but all of you have made yourselves a really bright and fun and engaging and thoughtful community.
We continue to wish you all the best. Thank you for your continued support of our space, and -- truly -- we hope to see more of your work in the future.
With gratitude and earnestness,
Carol Taylor-Kearney & Caroline Kearney
Curators and Co-Owners of Powell Lane Arts
