I would love to talk with artists that have been accepted to the annual art festivl. Two years running i have buffed up my booth, taken what i believed to be amazing photos, wrote precise descriptions, and bam, rejected. In the body of the rejection email KRASL made it clear that people are rejected often several years running, and please try again. It baffles me. Granted i work in wearable fiber and wonder often if that is a limiting factor.
They do invite artists to attend the jury process, which is refreshing and rare... sadly i live 5 hours drive from there, and could not break away to be there for the jury. I also wonder if that is a limiting factor.
If you have done the event, can we chat either on this blog or via email?
Comments
First time applying last year and was called off the waitlist. It ended up being a top 5 show for me in 2015.
I applied this year but was rejected.
This will be my 2nd year for doing this show. I too had applied for 4-5 years before being accepted for the first time in 2015. Wonderful show to do and good crowds with good sales. This business can be very frustrating with trying to have consistent sales let along getting into top notch shows consistently. AS mentioned above, 960 applicants for very few spots is a hard nut to crack. Best of luck!
Congrats Kendra.....4 years- 4 no's and I just can't seem to break through on this one either. Some just are like that....
The chances of getting in the show are slim due to the high numbers of top quality applicants. Overall, I think it's around 1 out of 8. When you're ranked as high as they are, you'll draw the best applicants. I will attend next year's open jury if I expect to find out what the competition looks like. All I know so far is that my stuff doesn't even come close.
Barbara, in year's past this show has had over 900 applications. They reinvite about 20% of the show, not sure exactly, but you can find that info is you "search" on this site, because it has been discussed. This is one of those very competitive events, with top numbers of applicants. The quality is very fine. I know your work is good too. A good friend of mine was the show director until just recently and I have been a juror at the show, as well as have attended it several times as I live a little closer (2 1/2 hours).
Just keep upping your game, making great work, do all you can do to get into the best shows.
On another note, the time I was on the jury panel, another one of the jurors who has very interesting, good one of a kind ceramics, after looking at the entries asked my friend Sara Shambarger (the art fair director), if there was a place for him in the show. Amazingly (as I'd love to have him in any show I was running) she said the rules prohibited that as he had not gone through the jury. This is a very legit operation. Do not be thinking there is anything nefarious going on. No favoritism.
Thanks Larry and Sher. Two years of rejection frustrated me, but then i got to thinking that it is either some behind the scenes arrangement such as the grandfathering issue, or more sinister : a way of raising revenue by collecting jury fees with no intention of accepting artists. yes, i think this one is off my list. Thanks again.
The first year I applied I was waitlisted #5 and never called. The next two years were straight rejects. Frustrating.
If I'm wrong, someone correct me, but word on the circuit is that it's "grandfathered". Very few spaces per medium are actually open for new artists.
Larry Berman