Yes, I also received my "Dear Artist," letter on Tuesday from ATA. Thanks to Kathy Spoering's subliminal post, I was prepared. It is only my second rejection since I've been exhibiting, so I feel fortunate. I also knew that it is notoriously difficult to be accepted into ATA's juried exhibits, whether you are a master or novice weaver. At least this letter was tempered by Kathy's wonderful handwritten message... thank you, Kathy, I know that must be taking quite a bit of effort!
Yesterday I received another letter from another exhibit I had submittted work to. Uh oh, the envelope felt awfully thin, so I steeled myself for another Dear Artist letter. But, instead it told me they had accepted one of the three tapestries I had submitted, my monochrome macro: agave, one of my first tapestries. The exhibit is "Of The Earth" & is being held at the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles, Missouri which happens to be very close to where my parents are living in Illinois & where I am headed next week to attend a family reunion that I put together to celebrate my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, the exhibit won't be up until March, so I won't get to visit it in person, but I am very happy that they selected this tapestry to be included since it is one of my favorites.
My first rejection was several months ago after I submitted several works to a gallery in Tempe for a Contemporary Craft exhibit. Guess I was either not contemporary enough or crafty enough, but I wan't dejected about that rejection either. However, I did become quite irritated when the same gallery quickly started inundating me with requests to support them (as one of their artists!) with monetary donations. Let's just say I communicated to said gallery my desire to stop receiving those solicitations in as an adult way as possible.
Yesterday I received another letter from another exhibit I had submittted work to. Uh oh, the envelope felt awfully thin, so I steeled myself for another Dear Artist letter. But, instead it told me they had accepted one of the three tapestries I had submitted, my monochrome macro: agave, one of my first tapestries. The exhibit is "Of The Earth" & is being held at the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles, Missouri which happens to be very close to where my parents are living in Illinois & where I am headed next week to attend a family reunion that I put together to celebrate my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, the exhibit won't be up until March, so I won't get to visit it in person, but I am very happy that they selected this tapestry to be included since it is one of my favorites.I am fresh from a weekend in Bisbee which I spent with Shirley & Lynn, two of my first students who are now special friends, helping them to stay on track with their tapestry weaving. Lynn was getting back into weaving her impressionistic wetlands & Shirley was learning to use her new Mirrix & starting a tapestry of a sunset on a special "friendship beach" near where she lives in Alaska most of the year. What could possibly be better than a weekend of weaving, friends, & wine? I was so involved with helping them that I forgot to take photos with my own camera, but luckily Shirley shared hers with me... 
Work continues on canyon night, although the trees are still looking a bit ambiguous at this point. I am planning to submit it to IWC's Fiber Celebrated exhibit & it will now have a companion, as I think Kathy's suggestion to consider submitting my recently rejected painted hills to the same exhibit is most excellent! Great idea, Kathy, & if they are both accepted I will get to see them in person since Janie Hoffman & I will be attending together & taking Kathe Todd-Hooker's "Color & Tapestry" workshop she's teaching there. Anyone I know planning to attend?
5 comments:
Lyn, Congratulations on your piece being in the "Of the Earth" exhibit. It looks like the perfect piece for the theme! I'm glad to see that you'll be entering the small piece again...different juror, different day... but, you know how that goes!
HI Lyn!
I'm also hoping to take Kathe Todd-Hooker's Color and Tapestry class at IWC this year. Hopefully I'll see you there. I'm also hoping to get into Fiber Celebrated again--we'll see. I think I got in by the skin of my teeth two years ago and don't know that I'll have anything worthy this year.
Rebecca
Hi Lyn,
Sorry to read about the rejection to the ATA exhibit--but big CONGRATULATIONS on acceptance into the other one.
About ATA show--I'd like to see the exhibit but won't be able to make it there. I'd also like to see who else may have joined our good company in rejections! I've been rejected for so many exhibits through the years... but then accepted in quite a few, too. I'm going to decide if this will be my last venture into the world or juried exhibits or not. Just too subjective for the spirit to take, sometimes, it seems. That's one of the fabulous things about the small format exhibit that's open to all. So many times there are fantastically exciting things being done that come to open exhibits that, for some reason or another, might not attract a juror's eye. I learn so much by seeing tapestries... the more available to see, the more learning that takes place!
Tommye
Hi Lynn
I just found your lovely blog and took a wonderful trip of the imagination with you through your past few posts. I had the opportunity to visit Tucson a few years ago and loved all of your beautiful photos and reminisces. Thanks for sharing.
Sue
Thanks, everyone, for sharing your empathetic thoughts on exhibiting! I think it is so important not to let this type of rejection color how we feel about our work. We must keep trying to get tapestry out there to educate the public!
Lyn
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