As a working artist you have to pay to play. Many galleries these days hold open submissions for ‘themed’ shows and charge an entry fee, usually anywhere from 30-45 bones. You toss the dice, see what comes up. Unless they stumble across your work and love it, there’s little chance of gaining a broader audience. (Very similar to hocking your songs for TeeVee and film work)
I wanted to shove my proverbial foot in the door to a certain gallery in Los Angeles and what I thought was the perfect match-up presented itself 5 months or so ago to make some pieces that fit both my criteria and theirs. The directions were simple: All artworks need to be 12 x 12 inches (including frame size) will be accepted. 3D work must be 12″ or smaller in its longest direction.
So starting in late January I made/created/assembled/whipped-into-shape the three pieces below:
“I regret to inform you that your artwork was not selected for this year's edition. The gallery had over 900+ artists with 2,300 image submissions, and selecting paintings and sculptures was challenging, given the strength of all the artist's portfolios.“ I know rent is high in LA but they did bring in over $40,000 in entry fees. Hmmm, I think I’ll open a gallery…
On the bright side…
…over the weekend I got mailbox money, a check from my gallery in Pittsburgh, and was hired through SoundBetter to record a couple accordion parts for a client.
Speaking of accordion parts, it’s time to do a bit of woodshedding for the Morpholinos gig this Thursday at Monterey Court. Hit at 6:30, y’all!
And now…