It’s that time of year again, the time of year where I puzzle over the spring applications. Fall is fairly easy. There are 9 shows all within reasonable distance. Two of them overlap with another show so there are two decisions to make. All the others are pretty straightforward. The only difficult decision was between the “Downtown Festival and Art Show” in Gainesville and the “Disney Festival of the Masters”. Gators fans are in Gainesville and my photograph “Morning in the Glades” is big with Gators fans. Someone taught me this saying at Lake Mary last year – God must love the Gators, too, because He made the sun orange and the sky blue. And “Morning in the Glades” has got it all, orange sun, blue sky reflected in the water, and, of course, the gator. They would love me in Gainesville, I just know it.
On the other hand, I’ve always dreamed of doing Disney. There’s something about that name, “Festival of the Masters” that just calls to an artist. In order to apply to Disney I have to have won a major award within the past three years. I qualify this year. I can’t always count on that. And on the practical note – Gainesville is further away and I would need a hotel. So Disney it is.
But I was going to talk about the spring season. What a mess! Three top 100 shows all on the same weekend. Luckily they are all on ZAPP. And then every single weekend from January through March has double, triple, and in one case quadruple shows on the same weekend. This is just shows in Florida!
The majority of art shows use one of two methods to receive applications. The first is by mail. You send in the application and two checks. The first check is for the application or jurying fee and the second is for your booth fee. If you are accepted, they cash your booth fee. Unless I’m willing to lose a booth fee should I get into both shows, I don’t double apply. That’s been the story with the three top 100 shows the past three years. Either apply to all three and risk looking at a $1200 deficit before I even get in the van or cross my fingers and pick one. The cross my fingers and pick one method has not worked for me so far.
But now all of the three are on ZAPP. ZAPP is a method of applying over the internet and you don’t pay the booth fee until you get accepted. So I spring for three jurying fees and hope for one acceptance. Of course, the downside of ZAPP is that I am not the only one who is going to do that.
Then there’s the show that I already applied for that I didn’t realize is on the same weekend as another show that I did last year and would really like to do again. The last date for canceling the first show and being able to get my money back is exactly one day before the second show will notify me of acceptance or rejection. That’s got to be a double apply.
The idea of double applying really bothers me. But I’ve learned it is a necessary evil. My first year doing shows, I had the choice to apply to a benefit show for a local wildlife rescue or a top 100 show. Because of who I am and what I stand for there was no question that the choice had to be the benefit show. And being so idealistic I didn’t even apply to the other show. They cancelled the benefit show. There I was, all dressed up with nowhere to go.
On the other hand, I’ve always dreamed of doing Disney. There’s something about that name, “Festival of the Masters” that just calls to an artist. In order to apply to Disney I have to have won a major award within the past three years. I qualify this year. I can’t always count on that. And on the practical note – Gainesville is further away and I would need a hotel. So Disney it is.
But I was going to talk about the spring season. What a mess! Three top 100 shows all on the same weekend. Luckily they are all on ZAPP. And then every single weekend from January through March has double, triple, and in one case quadruple shows on the same weekend. This is just shows in Florida!
The majority of art shows use one of two methods to receive applications. The first is by mail. You send in the application and two checks. The first check is for the application or jurying fee and the second is for your booth fee. If you are accepted, they cash your booth fee. Unless I’m willing to lose a booth fee should I get into both shows, I don’t double apply. That’s been the story with the three top 100 shows the past three years. Either apply to all three and risk looking at a $1200 deficit before I even get in the van or cross my fingers and pick one. The cross my fingers and pick one method has not worked for me so far.
But now all of the three are on ZAPP. ZAPP is a method of applying over the internet and you don’t pay the booth fee until you get accepted. So I spring for three jurying fees and hope for one acceptance. Of course, the downside of ZAPP is that I am not the only one who is going to do that.
Then there’s the show that I already applied for that I didn’t realize is on the same weekend as another show that I did last year and would really like to do again. The last date for canceling the first show and being able to get my money back is exactly one day before the second show will notify me of acceptance or rejection. That’s got to be a double apply.
The idea of double applying really bothers me. But I’ve learned it is a necessary evil. My first year doing shows, I had the choice to apply to a benefit show for a local wildlife rescue or a top 100 show. Because of who I am and what I stand for there was no question that the choice had to be the benefit show. And being so idealistic I didn’t even apply to the other show. They cancelled the benefit show. There I was, all dressed up with nowhere to go.
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