The Application Process

Fiber artist Gretchen Romey-Tanzer calls the application process "a big black hole. The selection process is such a gamble," she says. "I look at the names of the jurors. If I've had experience with a person rejecting my work, I feel I'm less likely to get in.

"Sometimes knowing who the jurors are can help me in choosing which slides to submit." Romey-Tanzer has discovered that some jurors look for salable work; others for one of a kind. "There are times when I choose to make more of a retail presentation; other times I feel the need to submit slides that reflect a gallery presentation," says Romey-Tanzer. "I'll continue to drop $25 and $30 to enter [the exclusive high-end shows] because I know that it may be a matter of having the right jurors look at my work."

In fact, it's not uncommon to find artists who have received awards one year at a show and were rejected the following year with the same slides.

Many promoters stipulate that artists display only work that's represented in a slide. Artists say this approach discourages them from presenting work that interests and entertains the public. "If one aspect of my work doesn't show well as a body of work in a slide and gets rejected by the jury, I'm not allowed to show it," says multi-media artist Jacki Crawford, "even if it entertains and interests buyers." Crawford paints quirky, humorous sayings on boxes and turned bowls. The work is well-received by the public, but its craftsmanship and essence are lost in a slide.

Small items that don't show well as a body of work in slides but complement an artist's booth can enable a potential collector to begin collecting the artist's work without spending too much money. Besides, the small items help pay living expenses.

Artists say that having something new and trying it out at shows is part of the way they develop their lines. However, the proportion of the amount of things in a booth should be taken into account, says Sandy D'Andrade: "I've been offended when I've seen someone displaying five great pieces -- then tables full of $10 jewelry; that's deceptive. But having a few pieces of something you're developing seems reasonable if the overall booth represents your larger work."

"As long as the new work is in the same category [which was represented in the slides] and the quality is the same, I don't have a problem with a craftsperson showing new work," says Richard Rothbard, a woodworker and president of his own show promotion company, American Craft Marketing.

"The American Craft Council (ACC) was the first organization to acknowledge that work is an evolutionary process and will hopefully be growing," says Christine Crawfis, associate director of American Craft Enterprises (A.C.E., the marketing branch of the American Craft Council). "Artists are encouraged to bring new work. We do not ask them to remove work at the show," said Joanne Brown, director of A.C.E. "If an artist continues to carry that line (not represented in a slide), s/he is expected to show it in a slide at the next opportunity. If an artist doesn't represent it in a slide, but continues to show it, s/he would be ineligible to apply to future ACC shows."

But some work doesn't show well in slides. Artists ask, "Do we create work that will photograph well even if it's not from the heart?"

"It's tough with slides," says jeweler and metal sculptor David Bacharach. "I'm sure there are people racking their brains trying to think of a better system, but I can think of no other. I'm not happy about applying nine or 10 months in advance of a show. The work changes during those months, which presents problems when I'm expected to show work that's represented in the slides. I'm not thrilled about the jurying process. I've been doing A.C.E. shows for 34 years and still have to apply each year. However, I understand the promoter's point of view. For the most part, they're just trying to put together a good show and have a limited means of doing it."

Searching for a method to this madness

In addition to the uncertainty that comes with applying to shows every year and the angst regarding how to show new work, craftspeople have to deal with each organization's individual slide format. Some show organizers want arrows on the slides. Others ask for slides to be submitted right side up. A few others want the artist's name on the slide frame, while still others want only an identification number. Some request that the work shown in the slides is what's actually being sold at the show. In addition, a few promoters want to see a booth slide.

To present a body of work to its best advantage, craftspeople must also consider the position of the slides for the jurying process. Some promoters display two slides on top, three on the bottom of a large screen. Others might show slides 1, 3 and 5 on the bottom, and 2 and 4 on top. In some cases, only three slides are required.

"If every show wanted five slides and would show them in the same format, submission would be much easier than it is now," says D'Andrade. "I could make duplicates of the five pieces of my work that make the best presentation, number them once and submit them to every show for a year." When a show promoter requests only three slides, artists have to choose the three pieces that make the best presentation together, which might be different than the five they send to other shows.

"As I sit here with slides of my own in preparation for applying to other shows, I know the feeling of having to choose different slides for different shows and submitting them in various formats," says Rothbard. "I'm applying to three or four shows on the same weekend. I'd like to do one or two of them. Maybe I'll get into one or none, or too many. The cost of applying to several shows gets expensive."

Standardizing the submission of slides would simplify the process for craftspeople, according to fiber artist Leni Hoch. Some promoters agree. "It's a great idea," says Betsy Kubie of Crafts America.

Rothbard adds, "It's something everyone can adjust to without taking away any organization's autonomy."

Christine Crawfis agrees that standardization would make it easier for the applicant, but adds that "the difficulty in standardizing the process is that different shows have different goals in terms of their applications. I don't see any way the application process is going to change because each organization sets its own policy."

While standardizing the application process might reduce time, energy and costs, both craftspeople and promoters say they would like to see a better way for organizations to accept people into a show than simply through the jurying of slides. "I'd love to see a system evolve that combines allowing artists to return and introducing new artists," says D'Andrade.

Ceramist Ragnar Naess echoes the feelings of other artists who would like to work with promoters who believe in them and help them succeed by inviting them back. "I understand a promoter's interest in having a varied and exciting mix of new things," says Naess, "but as a marketer, I want to return to a show because I've built a following. Return customers are my best customers."

American Craft Council's Baltimore and Columbus wholesale shows offer tenure. Retail shows such as American Craft Exposition in Evanston, Ill., and Crafts America invite award winners to participate the following year, but the system generally requires craftspeople to reapply every year to the shows of their choice. For example, although American Craft Enterprises presents awards to exhibitors at its retail shows, participants are required to reapply every year. Any change in A.C.E.'s retail system would be a board decision, says Crawfis.

It's not uncommon to find artists who have received awards one year at a show and were rejected the following year with the same slides.

Leni Hoch's concern is that promoters should state how many spaces are open for jurying. This, she believes, could help an artist decide whether or not to take the time and incur the cost of applying to a particular show.

"As a promoter, I want to present an opportunity for good artists and keep it fair," says Rothbard. "If a promoter wants 50 people to come back, they should state it in the application."

Rothbard believes the success of a show has as much to do with having exhibitors that can engage an audience as it does with the quality of work presented. He suggests the stipulations for inviting someone back could be the quality of work, booth presentation, friendliness and warmth, conversational skills and a positive attitude toward the show in general.

"The whole package of what an artist does to engage the public can make the show a little more special than it would otherwise be," he says. "On-site evaluation for re-invitation and full disclosure of the criteria would be wonderful things to include in the application."

Cancellation Fees

Cancellation fees are another part of the "big black hole" in the application process. "If the period of time is reasonable and there's a replacement for that person, at least 50 percent of the fee should be refunded," says Gretchen Romey-Tanzer. "I find that the money is an issue. Equity has to do with the nature and the success of the event. If there's a long waiting list and the space will be filled, I think there should be only a nominal penalty," she adds.

"Large shows have greater flexibility with filling spaces than smaller shows," says Betsy Kubie. "A smaller show has a certain number of booth spaces planned. If we go through the wait list at the last minute, there's a chance we won't get an appropriate replacement, someone whose work is special and individual." More often, says Kubie, a smaller show ends up not having the space filled, but the costs to the organizer remain. Crafts America refunds the booth fee, less $50, up to 30 days before a show."

"A.C.E. really doesn't deal with the cancellation fee as part of the application process," says Crawfis. "It's a board policy and directly related to the protection of the entire show. I understand that a person might have difficulty accepting our cancellation fee policy (100 percent of the amount paid up to time of cancellation) when there's a waiting list. But as anyone who has ever been on a waiting list can attest, it's difficult to prepare for a show with only five days' notice. Our cancellation policy was put into practice to get a serious commitment from artists," says Crawfis.

The trouble with the crafts community as Rothbard sees it is that people don't get together on issues. "Craftspeople are always the smallest cog in the wheel, though the biggest number," he says. "I'm getting letters from promoters saying they have a record number of applications. As more and more people want to get into fewer shows, perhaps promoters are starting to think they have more control over their shows. I've never seen an empty space at a craft show."

At this point in the crafts profession, the number of talented people who want to do shows is greater than the number of good shows. "I think the bottom line is that if everyone was getting into the shows they wanted to get into, no one would be complaining," says David Bacharach.

The answer to all the questions, according to Rothbard, is that each individual show organizer or group has the right and option to run their business as they choose. TCR

Loretta Radeschi is a Doylestown, Pa.-based freelance writer. She is the author ofThis Business of Glass.