I have a question for those that have been around the biz a bit... I applied for a show in mid June, and the notification date for the artists was for mid-July.
I read on the show's website that the notification date was switched to July 30th, even though it wasn't changed on the jurying site's listing. But I didn't worry about it. Now, however, on the jurying site they've pushed the notification date back twice in two days...
Is this normal? This is the first show I've EVER applied for electronically, and I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it... Is this just the nature of the jurying process, simply being the norm?
I ask because it would have been nice to know in mid-July if I had been accepted (as I thought I would be when I applied) so I could apply to another show around the same time with a later application deadline... I simply couldn't because I can only afford to do one or the other and they were back-to-back weekends (and the second show would have automatically charged my card if I had passed the jurying process, causing me to lose money if I had to back out of it). Is this something I need to be aware of in this business? Does this happen often?
Since they have all the applications due to their hard deadline cutoff, it can't be a problem with the applicants--it must be a problem getting the jurying done. And that makes me wonder a bit--isn't on-line jurying supposed to facilitate a juror's convenience by enabling the process to happen on their compute? Making a notification deadline theoretically easier to accomplish?
It's now almost 3 weeks since the applicants were supposed to be told if they made it into the show or not, and since this is my first show I've ever applied to I don't have a context to determine if this is the norm... Umm, how does anyone make plans for anything if this happens regularly? Just curious... It worries me that this is a bad sign of unprofessionalism for the show itself, but I also think I may be making a mountain out of a molehill... I would be grateful for some context from you seasoned pros. : )
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So, what reality do you want to hear? Yes, for some shows it's the norm, for other shows it is kind of weird. Unfortunately as promoters try to make sure all spaces are filled, it's becoming more of the "norm" for lower rated, less attended shows, IMO. Shows that do not have problems with filling space? Not an issue.
So what show is giving you this issue? Is it a small local show or one with a larger following?
I needed to know if this was common, out of the ordinary, or dependent upon various factors, Ruth, that's all. Knowing that it isn't unheard of and that it can/does happen is all I needed to know. It informs me a bit more about the nature of the application process for any future shows I may apply to, the potential qualities of this particular show this year, and how to organize my professional endeavors in the future.
I wasn't looking to "dish" about this particular show's process by sharing the name of the event--the show itself isn't important. I was wondering if pushing back notification dates was an industry norm, what circumstances might necessitate it, and if it was any indication of the potential quality of the show or its organization. You've helped me understand that it just might be. Thank-you.
You might just have to bite the bullet and pay an application fee for another show that weekend. Fortunately online applications don't have us paying non refundable booth fees in advance. Once we get the jury results, we can decide whether or not to accept their acceptance without further penalty. Knowing that, a great many artists treat additional jury fees like insurance.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com