Art Contests Are for Losers

Art Contests Are for Losers

(Transcription)

Ann Rea: (00:00)
Hello everyone. This is Ann Rea coming to you live from San Francisco, California. I’m a fine artist. And I’m also the creator of the Making Art Making Money program. And I want to brag because today is the– I’ve calculated that I’m actually serving artists from 21 countries and counting. No longer just 20. So, I’m really proud of that. I’m really happy about that, but I am going to talk about something that is going to offend some of you, and that’s not my intention. So my intention is to get clarity about what it means to make art that matters, and that has meaning, and make money. And I’m going to call “bullshit” on something that I think is really crippling unnecessarily a lot of artists who really do want to make art that has meaning and make money. And it’s this, art contests and juried shows. Art contest and juried shows are for losers,

Ann Rea: (01:00)
quite literally. Art contests and art shows are for losers. Let me break it down for you. So, first of all, why do artists get all invested in art shows, and in art contest? Because they’ve been told that in order to have any credibility as an artist, they need to maintain an ongoing list of exhibitions on their resume or their CV. So they duke it out with other artists trying to get into these shows. So that’s what’s motivating a lot of artists. Now why are they trying to do that? Because they don’t actually know who their customer is. They don’t know their niche. Knowing your niche means you know who wants to buy your art. It means you know why they want to buy it. And it means that you know where to go find more people, just like them to buy more of your art.

Ann Rea: (01:54)
If you don’t know that, you’re going to fall prey to these silly art contests and silly juried shows, and I don’t give a damn how prestigious they are, which is a great way to manipulate you into giving them the entry fee. Let me say that again. There is no prestigious art show or prestigious juried show. It’s BS. Prestige is a French word for “deceit.” They’re being deceitful. The only thing that matters, the only thing that’s going to give you credibility as an artist and affirm the value of your art is getting paid. And you can have a philosophical debate about this all day long if you like. But the name of this page and of my program is Making Art and Making Money. And if you don’t believe me, then just ask the IRS. Because if you’re not generating a profit, they will shortly deem your endeavor as a hobby and not a business.

Ann Rea: (02:53)
And if that happens then you can’t deduct the cost. You can’t deduct your cost and your expenses, and so your endeavor is no longer sustainable. And that’s why I want to cut through the BS and talk about the reality of these expensive art shows. And these expensive jury shows. What happens is you get invited, right? To submit. Notice the word “submit.” You pay a fee and let’s face it. You’re probably going to lose. And also, if you look at the numbers of how many submissions are processed in these art shows and these art contests, it’s a number that is so big. There’s no way in hell these self appointed judges have the time to do a critical review of the art that’s been submitted. And who the hell cares if they’re not buying your art? Why are– well, who cares what they think?

Ann Rea: (03:50)
The only opinion that matters is your own and your niche. That is who wants to buy your art, why they want to buy it, right? You remember that definition. So then what happens next? Well, you get rejected. That’s the likelihood. And the fact of the matter is a lot of these contests and juried shows are rig. It’s already decided in advance. It’s the people who have relationships with the judges. And these judges appoint themselves. Do you really give a damn what they think? Think about this. Like, let’s just say you’re into NASCAR. I don’t know. I’m just picking a random subject. Well, a NASCAR enthusiast is going to have a very different set of values and a very different outlook than someone who enjoys the opera. Is one right or one wrong? You’re going to actually enter a contest to prove whether the NASCAR fan is right or wrong, or the opera fan is right or wrong.

Ann Rea: (04:44)
That’s how nonsensical these stupid juried shows are, and these stupid art contests. And so you pay your fee, you get rejected. You’re literally paying for rejection. Not just the fee itself, but all the time, all the energy, all the money, and the shipping costs that you paid to participate in this BS. That’s why– and here is the thing, they’re accountable to no one. So especially these online juried chose and art contest. They can take as many submissions as they can freaking get. And no one’s watching over them. There’s no limit so they can take a thousand submissions. There’s no way in hell they review the submissions. As if we care. And so the game keeps going because the next thing that happens after you’re rejected is they invite you to submit again, right? And they have you under the tyranny of hope. Well, the tyranny of hope is a really sad place to be, because hope is a beggar. If you want to sell your art, you need a plan because the plan to sell your art without a plan is a plan to sell no art. And if you want to start to construct

Ann Rea: (05:57)
assemblance of a plan, I’d like to invite you to join a free five-day challenge. That’s happening on Tuesday, October 5th and runs till Tuesday, excuse me. Until Saturday, October 9th. It’s going to be starting at 12:00 PM Pacific Standard Time live and going till 12:30 PM Pacific Standard Time live. If for some reason you can’t make it, don’t worry. Sign up because you can watch the replays. And I would also urge you, think of one or two other artists who are just like you to join you in this five-day challenge. Because if you have someone to study with, who can hold you accountable, and who can encourage you, you’re more likely to get the little tiny homework assignments. I’m going to give you done. They’re 10 minutes each. So five, 10 minute exercises. And what they’re designed to do is to help you find your next collector. So the name of the challenge is how to find your next collector quickly. So I want to invite you to join. I want you to please, for the love of God, stop entering these art contests. You don’t need to waste your time. You don’t need to waste your energy, and you don’t need to be taken advantage of. Okay? Take care.. 

Ann Rea

Ann Rea, Fine Artist & Mentor

Ann Rea is a San Francisco-based fine artist. She created Making Art Making Money®, the leading and most reputable business program for fine artists since 2005. Rea’s art and business savvy have been featured on ABC, HGTV, Creative Live, The Good Life Project, in the book Career Renegade by Jonathan Fields, the San Francisco Chronicle, Art Business News, Fortune, and Inc. Magazines. Rea’s artistic talent was commended by her mentor, art icon Wayne Thiebaud.

2 Responses

  1. I am already participating in your program. It has been most helpful. I sold three paintings on line to a collector. Would like to join Five Day Challenge starting on October 5.

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