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Rejection Stinks- Here’s What You Can Do About It

Amy Guidry with her work at the Acadiana Center for the ArtsYes, rejection from a gallery stinks. So I thought I’d post some ideas on what to do about it that don’t involve burning down the gallery or hate mail. I should preface this by saying I got the idea for this post from Art Calendar magazine. Jack White wrote an article called “Rejection Hurts” for the May issue. While I sometimes disagree with Mr. White’s ideas, I did find this article to be “spot on.” I would like to give my own two cents, though, so that’s the great thing about having one’s own blog. 😉

Okay, so you get a rejection from a gallery or a museum. Now what? Well, as Mr. White stated, it’s best to build a thick skin. True, but also look at this as an opportunity to get a referral. If a gallery rejects you, fine. Ask them if they can recommend a gallery that would suit your work. They may know of a new space opening up that is looking for artists. Or they may just give your name to another gallery themselves. (Yes, hard to believe, but that has happened for me.) It’s no skin off their nose to give you another name. In addition, you can then contact said gallery and use the name game to your advantage by saying ‘so and so from Gallery XYZ recommended your space to me and thought my work would fit your gallery.’

As far as reasons behind the rejection go, one of the more common reasons that Mr. White does not mention is that gallery’s have, in general, 12 exhibits a year. So that usually boils down to only 12 of their artists being shown in one year (except in a group show, of course). So it is not surprising that galleries, museums, and art centers usually have a full calendar for two years in advance. Sometimes 3 years. Just because a gallery isn’t interested at the time, doesn’t mean they won’t in the future. Perhaps they will keep your information on file. Perhaps they would like to stay in touch with you. It would be wise to maintain some type of relationship with these people. If you truly love the space, then it’s worth the time and effort. Not that you should do this anyway, but if you are randomly sending your work to any and every gallery, then it’s impossible to maintain relationships with all of these people. But if there are a few spaces you would give your left arm to be in, it would be in your best interest to stay in touch. And I don’t mean in a looking-to-get-a-restraining-order sort of way, either. Just get to know everyone on a personal basis. Learn their names. Go to their exhibits. Show a true interest in their artists’ work. THEN you can fill them in on what you’ve been doing.

I liked that Mr. White ended with saying to use rejection as a motivation to move forward. Aside from moving on, though, look for ways to turn rejection around into something positive. There may be another opportunity there, you just have to dig a little.

www.AmyGuidry.com

Here’s a Summary…

"Metamorphosis" by Amy Guidry; Copyright Amy Guidry 2009.

Current Shows:

My work is currently showing in the “Hope” exhibit at R. Coury Fine Art Gallery in Savage, MD as part of Pinkapalooza. This event benefits the Blossoms of Hope Foundation which helps families coping with cancer. Half of the proceeds are donated to the Blossoms of Hope Foundation.

Upcoming Shows:

My “New Realm” series will be featured at the Schepis Museum in Columbia, LA in the Spring of 2009. The solo exhibition will open after museum renovations are complete. Details to follow soon.

The Oak Street Gallery in Hammond, LA will feature my work in a solo exhibition this August. I will be showing the “New Realm” series, featuring many pieces that are new to the exhibition.

I will also serve as a representing artist for the Oak Street Gallery in the Louisiana Public Broadcasting Art & Travel Exhibit. The exhibit will take place at the Louisiana State Museum in Baton Rouge, LA from April 25th to May 18th, with an opening reception May on 2nd. The auction will air June 7th on LPB.

Also showing later this month is the GreenScape exhibit at the Cotton Shed Gallery in Savage, MD. I will be a featured artist as part of the R. Coury Fine Art Gallery. The exhibit will open April 15th and close with a reception on May 3rd.

I will be showing at Galerie Lafayette in Lafayette, LA for a second solo exhibit. I will show the “New Realm” series for the first time in this venue. The show is scheduled for the month of October in 2009.

The Alexandria Museum of Art in Alexandria, LA has recently invited me to have a solo exhibition. I will exhibit my “New Realm” series at the museum in 2010.

Also scheduled for 2010, I will also be showing in downtown Lafayette, LA at Gallery 549. The exhibit will feature six local women artists. More details to follow soon.

Gallery Representation:

I am now represented by the Oak Street Gallery in Hammond, LA. I have also recently attained representation at the R. Coury Fine Art Gallery in Savage, MD.

Lectures:

I will be teaching my course, Art Marketing and Self-Promotion, at Frederick l’Ecole des Arts in Arnaudville, LA again this May. The class will be May 2nd (a Saturday) from 10AM-12Noon. Go to http://frederickarts.homestead.com/Registrationforms/GuidryAmyartmarketingregistrationform.html to register for Art Marketing and Self-Promotion. Sign up early to ensure your spot in the class. Registration is $30. The only supplies needed are a legal pad or notebook and pen for note-taking.

Video:

The first video of my work is now online. This preview video features my “New Realm” series and spotlights some of the paintings, providing commentary about each piece. You can view the video on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uL3H_rKW1k or at www.AmyGuidry.com. The video can also be found at Daily Motion, Veoh, and BlipTv.

Publications:

The next edition of Studio Visit Magazine will feature my work in early 2009. My paintings were selected by Michael Klein, curator and private art dealer. He is also the former Director of the International Sculpture Center and former Curator of the Microsoft Collection. The magazine is scheduled for shipment April 15th, and should be in stores by April 30th.

I have been recently selected for the 2010 publication in Marquis Who’s Who in America. The next edition will be published in October of 2009.

A Few Announcements

"Was It a Dream?" by Amy Guidry; From the New Realm series. Copyright Amy Guidry 2008

Okay, if you are a regular reader of this blog, you may recall me mentioning a great review of my work in Las Vegas CityLife magazine. Well, you can now finally read it on my website. The article was written by Jarret Keene and covers my New Realm solo exhibition that I recently had in Las Vegas, NV. You can read the article at www.AmyGuidry.com/press02.html.

For all my local readers, and maybe those so in love with my work they are willing to travel to Lafayette, LA to see it, I will be having another solo exhibit at Galerie Lafayette in October of 2009! The previous solo show I had there was packed with people, no kidding, and the work was very well-received. It’s a great space- huge, too, so I will be putting a lot of work in there- so this exhibit will not disappoint! You can view photos of that last exhibit under the Events section of my website- www.AmyGuidry.com.

Another Studio Visit

"Metamorphosis" by Amy Guidry; From the New Realm series. Copyright Amy Guidry 2008

Well, I must be on a roll- I received another acceptance letter for Studio Visit Magazine! This will be the third installment in the new publication, due out early 2009. And this will be the third (!) time I’ve been featured in it. Maybe this is some type of delayed karmic action taking place decades after always being picked last for everything in P.E. class. I don’t know…but I like it.

The juror is Michael Klein. Mr. Klein was the curator of the Microsoft Collection and is now an independent curator and private dealer, and he was the director of the International Sculpture Center.

Another plus to being in this magazine is the fact that they send it out to thousands of people- galleries, museums, collectors, etc. Anyone who’s anyone is on their mailing list. So it’s always nice to know that these people will be perusing the magazine. Unless, of course, they just stick it under an unbalanced table leg or line their hamster cage with it. Again, I hope not.

So if this has piqued your interest in my work, you can see more on my website. www.AmyGuidry.com. And be on the lookout for me in Studio Visit…