Competitions that are juried by well-known artists, critics and curators serve as excellent venues for career advancement. New York artist Barbara Rachko credits juried shows for increasing her income, recognition and confidence in the early stages of her career as a full-time artist. She approached competitions strategically: “I entered shows that offered the largest prize money with the most prestigious jurors. I chose those located within a 250mile radius so I could deliver my work in person and eliminate shipping expenses.”

Juried exhibitions also offer artists a level playing field. M. Stephen Doherty, Editor-in-Chief of American Artist magazine, states, “Ultimately, competitions are based on quality alone. Artists who live in South Africa are offered an equal opportunity to receive recognition with artists from major cities in the U.S.” However, he is quick to add, “Each year, the competitors are tougher, and the number of entries increase. Often, the ultimate decisions by the judges are somewhat arbitrary, and several hundred artists may be thrown out simply because there is not enough space.”

Unfortunately, in the most popular juried exhibitions, each artist has about a one to two percent chance of being selected.

Focus on the Details of the Show
As a juror of numerous exhibitions for Manhattan Arts International and other organizations since 1980, I have learned that if you want to increase your odds of winning, it is essential to pay attention to the details:

1. Carefully read and follow every instruction outlined in the prospectus. Write legibly and complete the form, as requested, in its entirety. Failure to do this may result in immediate disqualification.

2. Submit your best work. Your work may have less than one minute to make an impact. One gallery reported a major art critic took only two hours to view a few hundred entries. In a New York City competition, the judge took less than an eight-hour day to view 1,000 entries.

3. Submit work that best matches the criteria and the theme requested.

4. Research the juror(s) and their affiliation and track record. If the juror has a history of curating installation art shows, and you create traditional still life, you would probably have a better chance elsewhere.

5. For annual competitions, you may want to acquire the previous year’s catalogue, if available, or check the organizer’s Web site for last year’s winners.

6. Make sure your slides, photographs and digital entries are the best quality possible. As judges, we cannot guess that your work looks better than your images, so attaching a note that blames poor photography will not help you. What you send is what is judged. Don’t submit images that are out of focus or have distracting objects in the background. Display the image in the correct orientation. View slides in a projector before submitting them.

7. Adopt technology. Janice Sands is Executive Director of Pen & Brush, (www.penandbrush.org), a 114-year old nonprofit organization for women in the visual, literary and performing arts in New York, New York. In her 10 years with the organization, Janice has administered more than 100 exhibitions. She advises, “Either pay for professional photography or learn how to take good photographs with a digital camera so images may be transferred to a CD or e-mailed. Learn how to burn CD’s and how to e-mail images in the proper format and file size.” If a jpeg is required, send the proper resolution and pixel size. Make sure the CD is viewable on both PC and Mac computers.

8. If you enter more than one work, you should present a cohesive level of quality, style and vision.

9. Label your entries correctly, according to the specifications outlined on the prospectus.

10. If you use a different artist name than your legal name, specify that on your entry form and all materials.

11. Include all materials that are requested, such as your resume and artist statement.

12. Protect your entry. Use a plastic sleeve for slides and a case for your CD. Use protective padding with your envelope.

13. If you want your entries to be returned, supply a return envelope with sufficient postage.

14. Provide easy access to contact you. Janice strongly encourages artists, “Get an e-mail address — it’s free. Don’t be the only artist who has to be notified by regular mail or who has to be called.”

15. When being judged on the artwork itself, don’t ignore the entire presentation, such as proper matting, framing and packaging. Mary Felton, an artist from Massachusetts, has received numerous awards in juried competitions for her charcoal drawings, including the Gold Medal of Honor from the Academic Artists Association. She has learned to pay attention to details. “You don’t have to spend a lot of money for your art work to stand out. Spend time on the total presentation. Keep the frame simple, so that it enhances your work without detracting from it, and well made, so it will survive transportation.”

16. Don’t be late. Janice emphasizes, “Deadlines are deadlines. If the prospectus/guidelines indicate entries must be received by a certain date, that means received, not postmarked.” She adds, “Deliver work on time. Try not to ask for exceptions to the delivery time.”

17. Avoid disqualification. Janice points out, “Work that does not meet basic requirements will not be hung even if juried into an exhibit. Wall hung work must be ready for the hanging system of the gallery and frames must be secure. If unframed, be sure edges are finished. Many galleries will not exhibit work even if it is juried in from images if it arrives in unsatisfactory condition.”

Be Discriminating. Read all the points in the prospectus and be selective:
18. How will this exhibition impact your career? Will it attract buyers? Will it receive media or print coverage?

19. Is the exhibition regional, national or international?

20. How many awards and types of awards will be given? If there is a purchase award will it cover the value of your work?

21. Is your work an appropriate fit for the theme or media requested?

22. How many artists will be chosen?

23. Must works be available for sale? What commission will the sponsor take in sales?

24. Where will the exhibition be held? Is it in a well known venue or an obscure location? Is the exhibition in a brick-and-mortar gallery or on the Internet?

25. How extensive will the promotion and advertising be for the exhibition?

26. When will the exhibition be held? Is it a favorable time of the year?

27. Do they require that artists hand-deliver their work?

28. Do they use an “in house” pre-selection process, or will the official jurors see all of the entries?

29. Is the organization/sponsor a valid organization with a Web site and full details supplied in the prospectus?

Watch for Warning Signs
Not all juried competitions are legitimate.
Here are some warning signs to look for:

30. The prospectus is unprofessionally written and/or poorly printed.

31. The telephone number is not listed.

32. A post office box is supplied for an unknown institution.

33. The names of the jurors are not stated, or they do not have professional credentials.

34. When contacted, the organizers will not supply satisfactory information about previous competition entries, winners and cash prizes.

35. In addition to the entry fee, there are hanging fees, reception costs and other expenses. If the material appears to look professional but the organization is unknown, you should still be prepared to research the organization and ask for references. Check the Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, Attorney General’s Office and regional and national arts organizations. If the sponsor claims to be a foundation, research their name on The Foundation Center Web site at http://foundationcenter.org .

If You Win
36. Try to attend the exhibition press opening/artists’ reception.

37. Add the exhibition and/or award to your resume, including the names and positions of the jurors.

38. Announce it in your e-mail newsletter, Web site and blog.

39. Send out a press release to the media.

40. Frame and display the award in your studio.

41. Obtain any positive quotes by the judges or sponsors, specifically related to the winners’ selections.

42. Give thanks. Barbara urges artists to send a thank you note to the jurors after receiving notice about your award. She includes a package of her presentation materials and recommends, “It is best to mail your package to the judge’s home address, but if you don’t have that information at least send it to their institution.”

43. Rejoice, and relax. Janice suggests, “If you visit the exhibit, try to accept how your work is displayed. Putting together an exhibit is not easy, and it is impossible for every artist to have the most prominent placement. Remember, jury decisions and the placements of work in an exhibit are ultimately subjective.”

44. Don’t change prices. Janice advises, “If the venue allows exhibitors to set their prices, and you provided them on the entry form don’t change (especially increase) the prices at the exhibition.”

What Annoys Me
Envelopes that come partially sealed. Sometimes the envelopes used are so old the glue just isn't effective. Artists who reinforce their prized envelopes with tape earn my respect and appreciation. On the other hand those who go overboard and treat their envelopes like Fort Knox make opening their envelope a dangerous challenge. I have to get out every tool and device for this project. You know who you are if you receive your entries back with blood stains on them!

Entry forms that are incomplete or completed illegibly. I recieved an entry from an artist in Poland whose writing no one here can understand! I googled and yahooed every close proximity to the artist's name to no avail. And, whoops! The artist forgot to enclose the entry fee.

Instructions that are ignored, such as writing the dimensions in centimeters instead of inches, writing mixed media instead of detailed descriptions as requested.

A return envelope much too small to accommodate the CD or slides. Or one with insufficient postage.

Insufficient labeling. CDs containing jpegs without titles of works as requested on the entry form. Slides without the name of the artist on them.

Lack of care. Slides and CDs that have been thrown in the envelope without being placed in plastic holders or any padding.

Last but certainly not least
Poor quality slides, jpegs, and photographs. Pleeeaasse! Take the time and care to do this properly. As judges, we cannot guess that your work looks a lot better than the images portray. What you send is what we judge. Keep trying until you get the best possible representation of your work.

What Brings Me Joy
An entry that is prepared neatly, with attention to the details. An artist who has gone the extra mile will place a printed label on the CD with an image of their work and their name on it. An artist who prints, not scribbles, on the entry form, in a legible manner. An artist who handles their submissions in a way that tells me they are professional and they have total respect for their work. An artist who attaches a note offering to provide any additional information or materials required by the judges. That is an artist who attracts respect from us, the judges.

Renée Phillips is an artist career consultant. Learn more.

Read more articles by Renée Phillips.