Bountiful Davis Art Center (Utah) Statewide Competition

Today I took my painting to the BDAC (Bountiful-Davis Art Center) that got into their annual statewide competition. To say I was surprised is an understatement. The woman at the desk told me she wasn’t sure of the number of pieces submitted but that there were 200 artists (with a maximum of 3 entries) who entered with only 65 pieces accepted. My piece “Prayer of the Heart” was the one out of the three I submitted that was accepted.

Competitions are very difficult. There are so many factors that have to be met to make it into a show. Some of them include: Quality of the photograph, in what way the juror sees the piece, what the juror saw before your piece, juror’s personal taste, how the juror feels that day, and even how many other pieces were submitted that are similar to yours. Competitions are a complete personal judgement call, so it is very difficult to ascertain if your work will make it, or not. I entered a competition earlier this year and it didn’t make it in. I was so confident with my pieces and was then so disappointed. While it is fine to feel those emotions, it does become more difficult to find the confidence to continue to enter.

I took that rejection personally and it is not personal. It made me feel like my work was not good enough yet. And that happens to many artists, limiting the amount of things they enter into. They then wait for a day that their work will never be rejected.

The only thing I can control is how many things I try to participate in, not how many things I get accepted into. And I hadn’t entered this Statewide Competition because I had that desire to be ‘perfect’ within my work.

Moral of this stream of thought is that competitions are never quite what they seem, and when an artist gets in be sure to go celebrate. And eat a slice of cake for me.

And come to the opening of the show if you are local to Utah! It is on August 2nd, 6-8 pm at the BDAC (90 N Main St, Bountiful, UT 84010). Prizes are announced around 7 pm (and as a self-proclaimed judge I already have my favorites from the list that I hope get awards!)

300 Plates Show at Art Access

This past May I participated for the second year in Art Access’ 300 Plates show. Art Access is a nonprofit local to Salt Lake City. Art Access embraces the idea that the arts provides a way for people to tell their stories, articulate identities, and educate for the common good. They provide creative opportunities for people with disabilities and other marginalized communities, as well as encouraging public engagement in the arts.

Last year I got to participate for the first time in their yearly fundraiser, 300 Plates. Though originally closer to having 300 plate (pieces of artwork all the same size) this last fundraiser had many more than 300 plates. The jurors of the show arrange the plates and price them in $1 increments starting at $88. This year I participated with two plates painted from photos I took last year as part of my Women in Nature series.

The event was high energy and full of artists and art lovers. I got the lucky draw to be a part of the first group to enter the purchasing area. I also had the neatest opportunity to see one of my plates being the first one sold. The woman who purchased it recognized me afterwards and told me she already has another of my pieces. I know, amazing!

To find out more information about Art Access and their 300 plates show visit their website.