A what?
I had never heard of an art coach so I did what everyone does when they want the ultimate clarification on something mysterious.... I Googled it. The definition is pretty self explanatory - an art coach acts like a manager/representative/consultant and can apparently be very helpful. I found some great articles on the NYFA website (see previous posts) about the subject. If you are interested on information about art coaches, click on:
http://www.nyfa.org/level4.asp?id=164&fid=1&sid=51&tid=200
Back to my conversation with the artist. He told me his art coach advised him to build up his resume by submitting his work to open call exhibitions/competitions. In fact, the group show opening I attended was the result of an open call. I wanted confirmation on this advice so I asked some of my drawing/painting professors if they had ever entered an open call. They all said yes, one even said, "You have to." I shared with him my fear of the following scenario: assume my work is accepted to an open call and the show turns out to be full of seriously hideous work, I'm talking embarrassingly hideous work. He told me that is the chance you take when submitting to an open call and to make sure to carefully look into the particulars of the show before deciding to enter.
Back to Google.
There are many, MANY websites that offer open call deadlines/dates/information for artists. Through my research, I found the data provided varies as widely as the fees some sites charge for the information. Out of all the sites I checked out, the following four seem most credible:
https://www.callforentry.org/index.php
You will find some repetition in the shows listed on each site. Many of the open calls have very specific requirements. Some call for a certain medium or subject matter. Others may have restrictions such as "Bay Area artists only" or "established artists only."
All of the above websites provide free listings, however some of them will supply additional listings but you have to pay or "subscribe" to get that information. I have signed up (given my name and email address) for these sites but have not paid any money. I have found the free listings are more than enough to sort through.
To enter an open call, most require jpegs of the work, an application and an entry fee. The expenses involved can range from $25 to $80 for entry fees, depending on how many images you choose to submit. For example, they may charge "$30 for the first 2 images and $10 for each additional image, up to a total of 5 images." Each individual open call will state jpeg size requirements for submission purposes and dimension/weight restrictions on actual artwork. Some open call shows are for "online galleries", others are for "brick and mortar" galleries. You will want to carefully look through the rules and regulations for additional information as well as to ensure you are not signing away the rights to your work.
On a personal note, I recently submitted four paintings to an open call submission at a gallery in New York. I was very excited when they accepted one of my paintings to be included in their show! What I failed to realize was the expense and hassle involved in shipping a 30"x 40" oil painting across the country to arrive within a three-day time frame.
The estimates I was given just to pack the painting for shipment ranged from $30 to $100. The shipping costs varied between $120 to $340. Needless to say, time was ticking down and the tight deadline for the painting's arrival in New York was rapidly approaching. After all was said and done, I bought a 36"x45" art box from UPS for $12 and a box of bubble wrap from FedEx for $20. I packed the painting myself which required, in addition to the box of bubble wrap, any and all spare packaging material I could find in my house which included sheets of cardboard and paper grocery bags from Trader Joe's. I chose to use FedEx to ship the painting. Three-day shipping fees were $150 and, from what I was told, they will only insure artwork up to $500. Off it went! If the painting sells, I won't have to worry about covering the costs to ship it back but if the painting doesn't sell (which, sadly I am expecting) seven-day shipping will cost $85.
That is an expensive resume builder!
If I had to do it again, I would not have waited until one week before the deadline to figure out my shipping options. In my last-minute scrambling, I found that UPS is great but keep in mind, they are individually owned. I contacted at least seven UPS locations and I found the prices, as well as the knowledge and concern of the employees, vary widely from store to store. A definite benefit of UPS - they did not have a $500 insurance limit. The information FedEx provided was slightly more consistent from store to store plus they offered a guaranteed arrival time and flexible operating hours.
All of the above websites provide free listings, however some of them will supply additional listings but you have to pay or "subscribe" to get that information. I have signed up (given my name and email address) for these sites but have not paid any money. I have found the free listings are more than enough to sort through.
To enter an open call, most require jpegs of the work, an application and an entry fee. The expenses involved can range from $25 to $80 for entry fees, depending on how many images you choose to submit. For example, they may charge "$30 for the first 2 images and $10 for each additional image, up to a total of 5 images." Each individual open call will state jpeg size requirements for submission purposes and dimension/weight restrictions on actual artwork. Some open call shows are for "online galleries", others are for "brick and mortar" galleries. You will want to carefully look through the rules and regulations for additional information as well as to ensure you are not signing away the rights to your work.
On a personal note, I recently submitted four paintings to an open call submission at a gallery in New York. I was very excited when they accepted one of my paintings to be included in their show! What I failed to realize was the expense and hassle involved in shipping a 30"x 40" oil painting across the country to arrive within a three-day time frame.
The estimates I was given just to pack the painting for shipment ranged from $30 to $100. The shipping costs varied between $120 to $340. Needless to say, time was ticking down and the tight deadline for the painting's arrival in New York was rapidly approaching. After all was said and done, I bought a 36"x45" art box from UPS for $12 and a box of bubble wrap from FedEx for $20. I packed the painting myself which required, in addition to the box of bubble wrap, any and all spare packaging material I could find in my house which included sheets of cardboard and paper grocery bags from Trader Joe's. I chose to use FedEx to ship the painting. Three-day shipping fees were $150 and, from what I was told, they will only insure artwork up to $500. Off it went! If the painting sells, I won't have to worry about covering the costs to ship it back but if the painting doesn't sell (which, sadly I am expecting) seven-day shipping will cost $85.
That is an expensive resume builder!
If I had to do it again, I would not have waited until one week before the deadline to figure out my shipping options. In my last-minute scrambling, I found that UPS is great but keep in mind, they are individually owned. I contacted at least seven UPS locations and I found the prices, as well as the knowledge and concern of the employees, vary widely from store to store. A definite benefit of UPS - they did not have a $500 insurance limit. The information FedEx provided was slightly more consistent from store to store plus they offered a guaranteed arrival time and flexible operating hours.
Regardless of the packing and shipping company you choose, you are basically at the mercy of the person behind the counter. I recommend spending some time at your local shipping centers and speak to the employees who will be handling your work. You should be able to quickly tell who you can and cannot trust.
Good Luck!
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