Has your art ever been rejected in a juried art competition? Were you confused because after seeing the exhibition you asked yourself, my work is just as good, if not better, so why was it rejected?
Hopefully from this article you will gain insight about the many considerations jurors think about when choosing art and help you avoid getting rejected in art competitions. If you’re like everyone else on this planet that experiences rejection, at least you may have more answers to your question.
This article is based on my 30 years experience as a juror and art program director as well as what I’ve learned from speaking to other jurors. What I know is, there may be many different reasons for being rejected, many of which are totally outside your control. Some reasons are within your control which you can eliminate if you know what they are. It’s good to know the difference and what you can do to increase your chances of having your art be among those accepted.
I also recommend that you read my article “Why Artists Win Juried Competitions”.
A few of the Factors Outside of Your Control
1. Your artwork is excellent in person, however it doesn’t appear as well on a computer monitor. If you enter an online exhibition the colors, tones and subtle details are either invisible, and/or inaccurately represented in this digital medium. Either select other works or look for another better suited opportunity.
2. The panel of jurors has been instructed to choose a limited number of pieces and they are required to feature diversity in styles and mediums. Unfortunately, some equal and excellent art has to be rejected for the sake of showing a broad range of artistic directions.
3. The organization has received many very similar entries in the same subjects. They have to avoid appearing to be a one note show. Some pieces have to be eliminated. Sad but true.
4. The jurors have their own tastes and preferences and are not as objective as they could be. It happens. That’s why you should do some research about them before you enter. If they continuously favor abstracts and you’re a realist artist it would be wise to look for different competitions and different jurors.
5. Sometimes the juror named in the promotions and advertisements does not see all of the entries. The organizers may conduct a pre-selection process and eliminate a substantial number of entries to save them time. Then, they hand over the remaining entries for the juror to make the final selections.
Mistakes You Can Avoid
Here are some common mistakes
1. You fail to follow all of the requirements asked for on the submission form. Take time to read them thoroughly If you have trouble focusing on the guidelines on their website, print out the page so you can the steps more easily.
2. Your jpeg images were the wrong pixel size. Learn how to do it properly or get help from someone who knows how. If you don’t know how, google this: “how to resize jpegs” and you’ll find several step-by-step solutions for different photo imaging software programs.
3. Your art was not photographed properly to begin with. By now, you must know this is the first important step! If it is 2-D art, do not include the frame or the wall. To avoid glare, make sure the artwork is evenly lit.
4. You omitted or mistakenly typed some important information on the submission form. Lesson: Proofread the entry form before you click enter or submit.
5. If having your own website is required (which is a requirement I normally enforce in my curated exhibitions) and you typed your IG or Facebook page as your website or other alternative that is cause for rejection. You failed to read or follow the rules.
6. The written materials that you submitted had grammatical errors or were incomplete or incoherent.
7. Your art may be extraordinary but was rejected because it simply didn’t fit the theme of the exhibition as well as other artists who entered.
8. You entered only one image even though you could have submitted more at the same cost. This is a mistake. It tells the juror you have one good work that fits the theme, or you are a beginner. You will be passed over in favor of an artist who submits three or more images that fit the theme.
9. You submitted different styles and/or mediums that lacked a cohesive signature style. This is a mistake. Most of the time the jurors are looking for focused, fully developed talent.
10. Your statement was not as convincing or authentic as other entrants. You didn’t take time putting the words together that reflected your artistic purpose and it shows.
11. You don’t have a resume or CV on your website so the judges cannot evaluate your career experience. Or, your “About the Artist” page contains personal, not professional information.
12. You did not label your jpegs properly with necessary details such as including your name and title of art so they could not be processed.
13. You paid the entry fee under a different name and did not inform the organizers so it was submitted as unpaid.
14. You neglected to provide the medium and/or dimensions. For example, you wrote mixed media instead of providing full details. This can be unclear especially when so much art today is new media, digital art, collage, created on different surfaces, etc. Don’t expect the jurors to guess what they are looking at.
15. You entered at the last minute when mistakes most often occur. Take the time to select your images and examine every detail of the submission form. Don’t do this task right before the deadline or when you are tired and hungry.
16. You failed to add the competition sponsor’s email address to your database. When they tried to contact you via email for vital information their email bounced back.
Most Important – About The Art
17. Your entry may not have been your best work.
This often happens because many artists cannot be objective about their own art work. I will visit the artist’s website and ask myself, why didn’t he/she choose other works that are so much better and would have won? If you are unsure of which images to enter, ask for other professional opinions of those you respect before you submit them.
18. Your entries don’t stand out as being unique.
Consider this: How many landscape paintings or photographs do you think the jurors will receive? How are your entries superior and unique? What story are you telling about what you captured in your chosen subject and medium? What does your art communicate to the viewer that is different than any other artist you know?
19. You submitted an incomplete, unfinished or underdeveloped work.
It may not match the level of complexity of other entries. The jurors can see at first glance the artist does not take his/her work seriously and unwilling to invest necessary effort. Every inch is judged with scrutiny. I recommend you don’t enter any new works until you’ve had time to let them rest and consider fixing any flaws.
20. Your art has technical issues.
Your portrait or figures have crucial, obvious mistakes in the anatomy which distract us from the otherwise beautiful piece. This recently happened to me. An artist entered an otherwise wonderful, poignant drawing of a man, but I couldn’t help but see the proportions in one area were wrong which ruined the artwork for me.
21. The artwork submitted was entered previously in the same competition.
I encourage you to keep records from year to year. I have a strong visual memory. When I recognize art that I saw 2-3 years ago I have to wonder if the artist has created anything new.
My Preferences as a Curator
If you ever enter a competition that I am a part of, you should know this about me: I look for technical competence, a signature style, a developed articulate vision… Most of all, if the art captures my attention and retains my interest for more than 5 minutes and is memorable an hour later, it’s an award-winner. And, I admit that jurying exhibitions is no easy feat. There is a limited numbe of spaces and the final decisions boil down to very minor differences.
How does your website reflect your professional status?
When it comes down to selecting the finalists, I also visit entrants’ websites to gauge how professional and dedicated they are. Immediately, the factors that can eliminate an artist include such things as: no resume or one that is out of date; inconsistent styles; poorly written biographies and artist’s statements; poor website design/difficult to navigate; among other things.
You may also want to read
The Joys of Being An Art Curator
Why Artists Win Juried Art Competitions
This is really helpful. I’m new to entering shows and see a couple things I can improve in the future. I’m also in the process of updating my website and have a better idea of what to include (or not!).
Ellen, I’m delighted to know this article was useful for you. It is a pleasure to inform you that your artwork has been selected for inclusion in “The Healing Power of ART: Resilience” exhibition that opens on Sept 30 on The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS website. 🙂
Thanks for the article. A lot of times, these things can be More about connections/politics than whether a person has actual skills. I recently submitted a piece to be local show and was rejected. I made sure to choose what I believed to be one of my best pieces.
It’s just one of those things all artists face.
Dear Ryan, I agree. In most professions the reality is often success is influenced by who you are friends with, tribes, politics, and favoritism. Don’t let that stop you from trying. Also be an active networker and build relationships. I highly recommend you read “Successful Artists Know Relationships Are Key to Growing Your Art Career”.
Thank you for the article. I found it very interesting. I recently was rejected from an local exhibition as I do understand that the main fact was that my artwork did not fit in. However I asked if I can know who is on the jury because it would help me understand where they coming from and be better prepared in the future however I was told that all jury members want to remain anonymous except one. What is your opinion should art jury be anonymous or not?
Alicja, that’s a great question. In my vast professional experience I think it is important for an organization to identify the names and credentials of the jurors. If vital information such as that is not available in the call for artists’ prospectus I would suggest that you decline from entering it. You may find some useful information in this article “Not All Calls for Artists Are Equal”. I wish you much success and creative bliss, Renee
Renee, As a gallery owner and frequent guest juror, I recognize many of these mistakes artists make and I agree with the advice you offer. Your points are crucial for any artist who wants to be a successful professional in the very competitive art business world. I will be sharing this article with emerging artists I know. Another wonderful article you wrote which I often share is “What is an Artist’s Signature Style and Why is it Important?” https://renee-phillips.com/what-is-an-artists-signature-style-and-why-is-it-important/ I was reminded of the article after reading Florin’s comment. I look forward to seeing you in my next trip to NYC.
Hello Ms. Phillips. I was reading some articles regarding your opinion about what an artist should do not to get rejected. One of the comment was :” inconsistent style” on their website.
While I appreciate a lot of you comments, one thing that I find disturbing in the “art world” and people with “authority” is this incarcerated thought that artists should have consistent style and show ” a consistent body of work”. As an artist I find it offensive, and non creative; in fact this kind of recommendation is stifling creativity, in my opinion.
One should look through the artwork of Picasso and see that his work life represents just the rejection of that precise thought.
For me, as an artist, the “consistent style” is my biggest nightmare. Style comes from within, it evolves and its changing. And by the way ” Impressionist artists” were the quintessence of rejection; see “Le salon des refusés.”
Respectfully.
Dear Florin, Thank you for reading the article. I totally understand how you feel about not wanting to adhere to the concept of “consistent style”. It is a complex issue. I agree with your own unique authentic “style comes from within and evolves…” It’s important to give it time and not rush. Wishing you creative bliss, Renee
Renee, Great article as always. About the importance of developing “consistency of style”… Picasso was definitely an exception to the rule. He may not have been “PICASSO” without having several mistresses in addition to his wives. Many women in his life served as muses and these relationships have been considered essential to his artistic process. They also provided him with much needed emotional support. I think these women should be given credit for his creative ability to develop and flourish. Food for thought…
Florin, I couldn’t help but notice your reference to Picasso, which is a popular argument I’ve seen made against developing a definitive style. Artists like Picasso are rare indeed. He lived in a different time period than today, in which there were far fewer artists competing for fame and fortune and we are living in a different type of art market. Picasso demonstrated exceptional talent at the age of 7. He had the good fortune of being influenced by Braque, Matisse, training under his father, etc. and early artistic education to accelerate his artistic development. He also had the luxury of time to independently pursue his versatile creative sources of inspiration and develop a prolific body of artwork throughout his long lifetime. What an exceptional artist he was and what an incredible set of life’s circumstances he had. I wonder, how many Picasso-like artists have the resources, talent and time to achieve all that he did, to be an artist fluent in many styles? 🙂
i have seen an artist enter the same distinct painting in 2 or more competitions and won awards in each one, how common is this? is there anything wrong with this?
i also know that some work received acceptance because the artist brought the pastries.
do you judge work blindly or does your panel review the artists’ story and credentials at the same time as judging the work?
Hi Donna,
Thank you for your comment and great questions.
Yes, many artists submit the same work that won previous awards. However, when I select art for an exhibition, I prefer to see artists submit new work and do my best to avoid repetition.
I do not look at the artists’ names until after I have decided to include their artwork. Then, I read their statements and visit their websites to make my final selections.
I do not use a preliminary panel although I know many competitions do. I handle all steps of the jurying process because I thoroughly enjoy doing it and I think the artists deserve my personal attention.
All the best to you!
I think I suffer from point 13. as I paint under a pseudonym, I usually use this in the first name of the form as generally speaking there is rarely a dedicated box for ‘artists name’ I then go on to use my full name in the surname and hope that this is picked up on. I think in future I will make sure I email my details once the payment has been made
Thank you, Renee, for these articles I have printed them out for future reference
best ashar
Hi Ashar, Yes, it’s important to take care of those details and notify the exhibition sponsors so that you get credit for your submissions and avoid confusion. I’m glad the articles are helpful to you. Thank you for visiting! In case you’re not a subscriber here’s a link.
I’m interested in your thoughts on size.
I paint large and will often submit work that is within the restraints of the requirements, but takes up the wall space where they could possibly have four paintings. Do you think that ever comes into consideration?
Great article, thanks!
Great question Jane! I can understand your concern as judges have different reasons for selecting art including having to consider their overall statement and desired impact. You didn’t say whether the submission would be based on seeing the art in person (size would be memorable) or submitting jpegs. If your artwork meets the required size and you feel confident that it will impress the judges based on their criteria, theme of the show, etc., then it might be selected as a focal point to hang on the wall, surrounded by smaller works of art. Of course the safe route would be to enter different sizes if more than one is allowed. Always submit your best work and proceed with the confidence that you will, — pardon the pun — “nail it”.
In 20016 I had work accepted into 19 juried shows, (and won two awards), more than doubling the accepted pieces of previous year. In 2015 I’d read an article similar to yours but, extrapolating on it, I took it one step further and began only entering my work into shows with very specific focus. No “general calls,” no “watercolor artists,” no “Best of Whatever,” I picked only shows that had a specific, defined topic: “Hope,” “The State of the Nation,” “Fighting Back,” “Surrender,”
With the right slant, and some well chosen words, even a landscape can convey quite a bit.
Thank you Renee for your expertise and years of being a juror. I learned from your article now, the importance of describing the “mixed media”…. which I never did before. Thanks a lot!
Very interesting advice Renee, thanks.
Although I do agree with the points that you’ve suggested, I would dearly love to see a future system where the artworks are totally anonymous. A process where you are judged only on the quality of your work but I supposed that would be a big ask. It would be too much of a risk to the status quo that protects the elite and makes it near impossible for newcomers to compete on an even footing.
Best regards
Maria
So helpful. Thank you for sharing this.
Hi Lynette, Thank you for letting me know. I’m delighted you found the article helpful. Best wishes, Renee
This is an invaluable article. Thank you for being so concise! I am going to print it out and keep it in my “submissions” file for reference!
Carol that is so awesome. I hope that you attract many juried exhibitions and awards. Thank you for reading the article and your comment.
Renee, for myself I have had great luck entering only one piece when the prospectus says enter three or four My thoughts have always been enter not the best but the very best, Also, having been on the other side of exhibiting a lot of times at least in my field art works entered receive random numbers so what you enter is never together.and jurors are never told who entered what work.
I know that is not always the case and I have been involved in a lot of exhibits where they do know and cherry pick just for the names and not the artwork as they want to promote friends etc… Those exhibits are easy to pick out and unfortunately you can always tell when the juror has been looking for certain names and then I just pass on those exhibits in the future. So many times I have felt bad for some as I knew they would never get work accepted as they did not know the juror etc., like I said I just pass on those exhibits.
I have also learned to contact the show directly and find out how many will be accepted, if it is just a show to put money in the curators pocket they will reach out far and wide and then receive hundreds of entry’s or maybe thousands and then only pick 30 pieces of art, good to watch out for those type of exhibits.
Hi Bonnie, Thank you for sharing such valuable information from your perspective based on your experience. Looks like you’ve figured out what works best for you. Good advice about asking how many artists will be selected. Like you say, so many competitions only reward a few artists. In that case the odds are better playing the lottery 🙂 I wish you continued success!
Renee this is very helpful information! I read it completely, and as a juror for your upcoming exhibition I can only hope everyone who enters will read this.
Thank you Nancy! I wish the same as you do. It should be required reading before entering! 🙂
Excellent information. I need to condense all your vital suggestions and pass them on to my fellow artists.
Thank you so much. Really helpful.
Susan Jones
Mt. Dora Art League
Mt. Dora Florida
Thanks Renee! I really appreciate the breadth and clarity of your suggestions, especially the link to sizing jpegs, which continues to vex me after many years of exhibiting.
Dear Mimi, I’m so glad you found this information helpful! Wishing you a peaceful and inspiring holiday season, Renee