My First Three
September 1, 2016My first three juried shows opened me up to a whole new world of engagement within the arts. In college, I was an art history major, not an artist. I loved history and sociology and literature, and also sewing quilts, creating collages, and painting. I never introduced myself as an artist.
And aside from a few Women Caucus for Art group exhibits, I never showed my artwork publicly.
That all changed with my involvement at Markeim, a local nonprofit art center in Haddonfield. There I taught art classes for years and started helping more in the office. Naturally when the question came to me in Fall 2015, “are you putting anything in the New Jersey Art Educator’s exhibit?” I answered sure.
I received honorable mention for Mist (Juror Matthew Feinstein) and received some nice constructive feedback from coworkers and friends. It was fun.
When Markeim’s 60th Anniversary exhibit came around with the inevitable question I created a spin on the “Diamonds Are Forever” title with my acrylic painting Minecraft is Forever.
I received 2nd place for Minecraft is Forever (Juror Sarah Diamond) and met interesting artists along the way.
Then I found an open call for the William Penn Charter Tricentennial Juried Exhibit. Many regional artists participate in this once-every-three-year show, and I wanted to be a part of it. I gave Mist a second life at the show. My takeaway was that some artists are professionals. These artists have vision and share it visually. They carve a space within their lives for being an artist. Or at least that was my impression, and it hasn’t left me.
As I grow in my newfound profession I continue to challenge myself by submitting to exhibits. Some of my work might be accepted, and some not. It’s an exciting time, full of challenges and opportunities. I hope to keep learning from each one of them.