I’d be surprised if you are reading this and haven’t entered a competition.
When I started as an artist, calls for entries always asked for slides—$ 30 for up to five slides and $5 for additional ones. I would put my packet together with my resume, slides, and SASE.
As I played this game, much money went out, and nothing much of anything came in. I became more discerning and more frugal as a result. I started to look for competition “themes” or “judges” that I felt my work to be most appropriate for.
My work fell into the mixed media and portraiture category, so that’s what I looked for. Eventually, I won a competition, and one of my photographs was published in Photo Metro, now-defunct newsprint monthly out of San Francisco (I made the cover several years later).
Then, I retired from entering competitions. I focused more on connecting to galleries and setting up DIY exhibitions.
As an artist, we look for (and should look for) various ways to move our career forward through opportunities for recognition. One way to do that is by entering a competition. I no longer see a call for “slides,” but there are PLENTY of calls out there that want you to enter.
So, which ones?
Last time I gave a few nuggets of wisdom for Portfolio Reviews, and you will find my screening advice on competitions to be similar:
How Many People Will See Your Work?
Who are Those People
What are The Rewards
Prestige of The Venue
$$$
I recently was a judge for Critical Mass, where dozens of people like me viewed and evaluated your work. I looked at over 210 entries, each with up to 10 images. Do the math.
If you entered and did not place, see who did. But not who, but what! See what work stood out to us.
I also completed a round of judging with Lens Culture, where the entries were as abundant, but the eyes were fewer. Summer Open had six jurors and a single image and series entry.
Both competitions were judged very democratically. The difference is that Lens Culture had all jurors come together for a 3-hour meeting to finalize the winners based on the top rankings. Each juror could advocate for specific entries to push them toward the top. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun!
Side note: although we viewed and voted for singles and series entries, the series entries got far greater nods than the singles.
Please look at both of these competitions side by side and see how the points I stressed above add up.
…and see what images and series of images rose to the top.
Competitions are, by their nature, competitive. But someone has to win.
Classes & Notes
Silver Eye Center for Photography announces a Call for Entries for Fellowship 23, our annual photography competition. The Fellowship Award recognizes a rising talent or established photographer from anywhere in the world, and the Keystone Award is given to an exceptional photographer living or making work in the state of Pennsylvania.
Deadline: October 31 | silvereye.org
Two artists who have been undeterred in pursuing their vision will receive a $5,000 grant to support the creation and production of new work and their professional advancement.
Deadline: November 1, 2022 | marjoriestriderfoundation.orgAfter a successful Mixed Up Media class, I will offer two private workshops for those interested in starting or continuing their practice of combining their photography with other media. Mixed up Media and Advanced Mixed Up Media both begin this October!
Starting this Tuesday, I am offering a new class through the Los Angeles Center of Photography, DIY to NFT: How to Find Your Place in the Art World. If you are ready to empower your career as an artist who uses photography, this class is for you.
In November, I return online to the South East Center of Photography with the popular Choosing Yourself as an Artist (sold out - waiting list only)
Michael Foley opened his gallery in the fall of 2004 after fourteen years of working with notable photography galleries, including the Fraenkel Gallery, Howard Greenberg Gallery, and Yancey Richardson Gallery.
In 2002, Foley continued his interest in educating and working with artists by serving on the School of Visual Arts and International Center of Photography faculty. He teaches and lectures on contemporary photography issues at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
In 2020, he founded The Photo Community, which offers classes and commentary on contemporary photography.
Foley lives and works on the Lower East Side of Manhattan with his wife, Maya, and son, Jack.