5 Mistakes Artist Make When Applying to Outdoor Shows

I've applied to a lot of shows over the years…and I’ve made a ton of mistakes through the process. I’ve also been on the jury of lots of shows and have seen the same mistakes made by artists. Here are the top mistakes, and some tips on how to avoid them.

MISTAKE 1: Not Understanding the Importance of a Good Booth Shot

Your booth shot is the MOST important thing you send in when you are applying to outdoor art shows. Your booth shot shows your work hanging all together, it shows how you display your work, and it shows the organizers and jury what they can expect to see at their show if you are accepted. 

Pro Tips When Taking a Booth Shot:

➡️ Do take everything out of your booth other than the artwork. Signs, tables, chairs, decorations, people, yourself, etc

➡️ Do give your artwork some room to breathe. Think about your booth as a traveling art gallery. Less is more.

➡️ Don’t prop artwork on the ground. 

➡️ Don’t forget how important lighting is. Take your booth shot on a bright but overcast day with minimal shadows.

➡️ Do crop in close on your booth shot. The organizers don’t need to see your tent, just the 2 side walls and back wall.

➡️ Don’t submit blurry or low quality images.

➡️ Don’t submit the photo without first using a photo editor to crop, straighten, and adjust the color, brightness, etc.

➡️ Do include pieces in your booth shot that are consistent in style and quality to those that you submit in the application. They don’t have to be exactly the same, but they should relate easily.

MISTAKE 2: Not Following Directions

Make sure to take the time to read through the entire application and follow the rules outlined before submitting it. 

Things to be on the lookout for:

➡️ Dates and Deadlines: most high-end shows have very firm deadlines for submissions

➡️ Submissions Guidelines: read and follow the application's specific requirements regarding format, size, and type of images, artist statements, and any other requested documentation. Failure to comply can result in disqualification.

➡️ Many juries are blind. Meaning, they aren’t supposed to be able to identify any of the submissions when making their selections. If asked, remember to remove any identification marks on your work such as signatures or signs in your booth

MISTAKE 3: Sharing a Wide Range of Work Instead of a Cohesive Body of Work

Submit work that is consistent in style, medium, and quality. Art shows look for cohesiveness…not range…in work that artists plan on exhibiting.  Watch out for the pitfall of wanting to show a range of work.

Examples of this may be:

➡️ Submitting an image of a painting in one image and sculpture in another image.

➡️ Submitting an abstract in one image, and a highly representational still life in another image.

MISTAKE 4 - Trying to Guess what the Jury will Like to See

Don’t try and guess what the jury wants to see. You'll never be able to guess the right work, so instead...make the work that lights you up the right work.  

Pro Tips:

➡️ Submit your best work that looks best together.

➡️ Arrange the order of the image submissions so they flow. Jurors usually view the work 1 image at a time and arrow through. Think about which image you want them to see first, second, third, fourth…. Consider color, story, size, theme…etc.

➡️ Don’t overthink this.

MISTAKE 5 - Not Taking Full Responsibility

There will be shows that you won't get accepted into.  And when that happens here are some dos and don'ts that will help you for future show applications:

➡️ Don’t make excuses or play the blame game. It wasn’t politics. It wasn’t that the jury didn’t know what they were doing. It wasn’t that the people running the show don’t know what they are doing. The more energy you spend looking for someone to blame, the less time you spend learning and growing from the experience.

➡️ Don’t email the show asking them to explain themselves and their decision. Sometimes it is your submission…and if you are doing honest reflection (see the next tip), you’ll be able to see where you can improve on your own. Sometimes, your work and your submission are 10/10, and you still don’t get in. Even the most well established and seasoned artists get rejected from shows.

➡️ Do evaluate your submission. Did you follow the rules, did you send in a top notch booth shot, was your work cohesive and the highest quality, did your images look professional? What did you do well, what didn’t you do well, what will you do differently the next time you apply to a show?

➡️ Do tell yourself how awesome you are for applying to shows and learning the process. Celebrate your effort and know that the more nos you get…the more yesses you’ll get.