Too Many Options

It’s overwhelming isn’t it, the variety and number of juried events available to the South Coast artist right now is staggering.

What to do? Do your rush an entry or carefully sort through the prospectus to see if you have anything that qualifies.

You don’t need to. You don’t have anything.

What? You’re an artist and the time is now. Oh sure you’ve all ready missed the CAM Biennial, but what about the Fish/Fishing show coming up, the deadline is October 9, you still have time. And then there’s Celebrate the Arts in Florence. Their deadline is October 15. Also October 15, Art 101 hosts the juried show Masks From Found Objects, there are shows everywhere.

And don’t forget even if you haven’t entered a piece you should get out and support the artists who have. The reception for the CAM Biennial is Friday October 1 and a week later The Southern Coos Hospital opens The Artist and Writer’s Exchange; Food for Thought, Sunday October 10. And what about the artists in the CAM Biennial who are counting for you to get out and vote for their work so that they can get a private show? Are you going to let them down?

You don’t have anything.

The best kindling for an artist is the work of other artists. Every time you see someone else’s work it makes you think about why you didn’t see that first and if you did why didn’t you take the idea and turn it into a piece for the next show?

Shows are uncertain beasts. They come out of the woodwork willy-nilly moving at their own pace and not giving a care that you must take weeks if not months to ready a piece for exhibition. You have to get ahead of the silly things. You have to take all of those pieces you crafted for a bygone show and keep them ready to jump into the fray. And remember most shows are time sensitive, they limit the range a piece can be created in, three years often, so if you hoard your work it may drop out of contention by becoming too old. Find it, dust it off and be ready.

We have more shows right now than anyone could wish for and if you have kept your stock up to date then you do have something. And even if you don’t you can support those who do.