Image by Bree Lamb
I juried a show for Praxis Gallery in Minneapolis recently, and if you’re in the area you can catch the exhibition until October 21st. You can also view all the selected images online right here. The theme was The Sublime Landscape - and the photographers’ submissions were gorgeous. I’m so happy with the way it all came together! I love it when a group show manages to look beautifully cohesive, even though submissions came in from photographers all over the world. So many of the submitted images were intimate, calming, and contemplative. I chose a happy mix of black and white and color, and it feels really harmonious.
The image above is one of my favorites. Isn’t it stunning? This was my juror’s choice award for the show. Check out artist Bree Lamb’s beautiful website to see more of her work.
A note about entering juried exhibitions: I know it’s vulnerable! You never really know what a juror will pick, and it feels crummy to get rejected. The truth is, a lot of wonderful images get rejected - because galleries can only hold so many framed prints. Every time I jury a show I’m given a limit, so I have to make really tough choices. That said, it’s a great practice to enter juried exhibitions, even if you don’t get in - because you hone your vision every time. You learn to size your images, cross your t’s and dot your i’s. You learn to write about the work and select images that really exemplify your vision (instead of submitting a bunch of random, unrelated shots). All of that is incredibly important - and the more you do it, the more refined your submissions become.
Here’s another important truth: every amazing photographer has been rejected many, many times. It’s just par for the course. Knowing that makes it easier to get back on the horse, you know? It’s also not necessary to enter competitions, if it just doesn’t feel fun. That’s absolutely okay! The important thing is to feel nourished by your process, and to continue making the work you were meant to make.
Onward!