Juried exhibitions - what's the point?

Exhibition on computer screens in Canadian transit stations seen daily by 1 million people

I used to think I couldn't afford to enter national juried art shows. Now I think I can't afford NOT to enter them. Partly, it's a resumé thing:  you need new entries on your resumé every year so you have to show somewhere. Partly, it's a way of building a reputation as an artist. And partly it's about critical acclaim. Artists aren't ranked like tennis players or medical students, but the exhibition system effectively ranks artists according to where they show their work.

Juried art shows are not all the same. They have different purposes and uses. They're not intrinsically good or bad, but each one is more or less useful to each artist. I think of them in grade levels:  A, B, C, D and F. Within each grade, a plus can be added for an important juror or a very prestigious location; a minus can be given for a not very prestigious juror or location.

F level shows are local, and are either unjuried or are judged by jurors with a purely local reputation. These shows don't accept shipped work, and many only accept entries in person, not by digital photo.

D level shows are local with regional jurors. Some of these accept shipped work and entries by digital photos.

C are regional with regional jurors. Accept shipped work; entries online or by digital photo.

B are national with national jurors. Accept shipped work; entries online or by digital photo.

A are the most elite national shows or international shows with national or international jurors. Accept shipped work; entries online or by digital photo.

All of these shows have their uses.  The D and F level shows are always worth entering if you want to support the venue, help with fundraising or build your local audience. The people running these shows usually care quite a lot about their organization and can be supportive of you if you're supportive of their organization. Many art associations have shows that are open only to its members. Check them out; join as many art organizations as you can afford.

The advice usually given to art students about to graduate is to start out at the bottom and work your way up, from local to national shows. I disagree. Try them all and find your level. Research the jurors. Research the venue. If you hate the work of a juror, he/she will probably hate yours. Don't submit your work unless you have a decent chance of acceptance. If the venue only exhibits contemporary art, don't submit traditional work; if a venue only exhibits representational work, don't submit abstract work, etc. Decide how much money you can spend every year on exhibiting and stick to that:  it will help you decide which shows to enter and which to skip.

New technology has made new types of shows possible that can be worth doing. Exhibitions on computer screens, private or public, can be legitimate and effective. They can expose your work to a larger audience than would be possible in most exhibitions.

Entering shows inevitably means not being accepted into at least one somewhere along the line. If your work is not accepted into a show, look at an exhibition catalog (check online) so you can see what the exhibition looked like.  It's very often illuminating.

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