

In short, even though rejection hurts, never burn a bridge! Conversely, the artists who have argued or gotten upset at a rejection I remember for all the wrong reasons. Those artists I always keep in mind for the future, in case my inventory needs change. In my experience curating The Muse’s assortment, I fondly remember artists who thank me for my time and accept a rejection with style. Likewise, accepting a “no” with grace will do far more to endear you to gallerists and curators than getting upset, pressuring or arguing to get a “yes”.

When applying to galleries, keep in mind that there are far more artists out there than there are available spaces, which means that on a strictly numbers basis, most artists will hear “no” more than “yes”. On the flipside, do get used to hearing “no”. Galleries have different aesthetics, clientele, market demands and inventory needs, and a “no” just means that your work wasn’t right for that space, not that it isn’t valuable or worthwhile as art. As artists, we tie a lot of our self-definition and self-worth to our creations, and the idea of sharing it with someone, and of a potential negative reaction, is scary! So, for our first do for applying to arts spaces: Do remember that art is subjective, and that if a gallery or retailer says no to your work, it does not mean that your work isn’t worthwhile. We hope this blog will be a resource for community artists and makers who are ready to take the next step in their creative careers! For our first post, we’ve decided to cover perhaps the most asked question among artists and makers: How do I apply to get my work represented in galleries and retail spaces? We’ll go over a few do’s and don’ts to ensure you’re ready to submit your work!Īpproaching a gallery or retailer with the hope of convincing them to show your work can be one of the most stressful aspects of any artist’s career. So, we’ve decided to launch an artist education blog series! We’ll cover a different topic with each blog, and we’ll share our knowledge gained from years in the arts business to help folks get the information they need to jumpstart their careers.

#Art muse definition how to
Our goal is to support the local arts community, and we’ve noticed that lots of local creators aren’t quite sure how to go about starting their career how to apply to galleries, how to price their work, etc.
