Comments on: What Good Are Artist Awards?

By: How Creatives Can Get Discovered: Tips and Strategies

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 20:00:54 +0000

[…] and gain credibility. Winning a competition or receiving an award can also boost your confidence, enhance your reputation, and attract new clients or fans. Be sure to research and choose reputable competitions that align […]

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By: Bernard

Fri, 02 May 2014 14:16:05 +0000

I’ve just re-read the main set of questions. . . One of the questions is : “Are they a detriment to the self-esteem of those not chosen?” Really!!!!!
Are we talking about poorly raised children of the 21st century or full-fledged mature adults? Adults calling themselves ARTISTS go home pouting??? I can’t believe such a question can be “seriously” asked. Says a lot about how lowest common denominator the concept of “normal” within the North American environment has become!!! Wow!

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By: Bernard

Fri, 02 May 2014 14:07:29 +0000

In reply to Janet Glatz.

There are few if any competitions that do anything tangible to any career in the long term. Waste of time.

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By: Maria Elkins

Sat, 11 Jan 2014 11:01:10 +0000

I am an artist who mostly makes portrait quilts. I’ve entered both art competitions and quilt competitions. The money is much better in the quilt competitions. In my 20 years of making quilts, I’ve won more money than I’ve earned selling my art. I figure, that’s not a bad way to earn a bit of extra cash, especially since after showing my quilts and winning some prize money, I’ve sold a few of those quilts, so that essentially multiplies what I earned for that particular quilt. Has winning awards helped my career? Who knows? There will always be some people who are impressed by those things and some people who are not. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, whether you’re showing or selling, you’ll always have to deal with subjective people. And in the end, I’m still surprised if someone knows my name and my work.

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By: Ann Hart Marquis

Fri, 10 Jan 2014 04:07:20 +0000

In reply to Barbara Roth.

I agree with you Barbara. If you win an award, enjoy it fully and move on.

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By: Roopa Dudley

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 00:50:07 +0000

I agree completely with every word you said Charles Wallis.

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By: Roopa Dudley

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 00:40:50 +0000

Yes, I have won three awards growing up. Two were Certificates of Excellence (1st Prize on a Regional level) and one was a COPPER medal (3rd Prize on International level).
What good are artist awards? I am not sure if I am understanding the question correctly so please forgive me if I got this wrong. I believe the best awards that can be offered to an Artist is EXPOSURE. For example, an interview in an art magazine (in print), Art on the cover of the visual or literary journal (in print) and coverage in the newspaper.
Blog interviews are great too, and so are the other online journals.
Grants make awesome awards too as money can buy time for some. Having an eager collector who loves your work is a beautiful and one of the best award/reward (to me). The ultimate award of course is being a part of the Art History and making it in the NATIONAL GALLERY in D.C (to me). In short any form of PUBLIC RECOGNITION is a wonderful award which goes back to EXPOSURE.

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By: Dee

Tue, 07 Jan 2014 18:29:32 +0000

I have been in competitions for various creative media and generally feel unsatisfied in the end even if I place well and gain exposure. I think, after years of trying it off and on, I just do not like the feeling of competition and creativity. Desiree’s comment above about the only people who seem to notice are other artists seems to resound most with me. It’s kind of like preaching to the choir. If peer approval were important to me then I would be more into it, but it is not.

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By: William Hagerman

Tue, 07 Jan 2014 16:28:25 +0000

The good, the bad and the ugly could all be applied to shows where awards are given. I’ve run the gamut from rejection to best of show. Some were a benefit, others had little discernible value even though it looked good on paper.
Carefully weigh the benefits that a show could have to your artistic career. If you see it as a means to connect with artists or others who may be able to benefit you’re career, fine, but don’t use these shows to validate you or your work if you are not accepted. In all my years of selling my art, I’ve never, ever had anyone ask me if I’ve won awards as if that was a necessary criteria for them to buy. Now if I were trying to break into the academic realms of art and impress others in that field, then maybe having a room full of awards given out by their peers might help. But it’s doubtful that would impress the homeowner who is wanting to purchase my art to compliment their decor or enhance their surroundings.
As the old idiom says, “the proof is in the pudding.” If your work does not connect with your intended audience, it won’t sell and no amount of awards will likely change their mind.
I’ve been behind the scenes of a juried show as well. Keep this in mind too. You have a venue, which can hold so much work. You have X amount of entries. Not all can fit in the venue. Some have to be pulled. You also want a show to have a nice mix. This selection is often done by a panel. I’ve been on such panels. Sometimes the work is good but again space is a factor and when trying to strike a balance to the show some work doesn’t get chosen. Then comes the awards juror. I’ve been one as well and I’ve tried to do my best. If it’s a large show it can be absolutely fatiguing to make the selections and generally the juror has only so much time to choose the work. A decision has to be made and given another day, I may may have chosen differently. Probably the same could be said for others in that unenviable position knowing full well, someone won’t be happy.
Yes, it feels good to get awards and if you do, accept it graciously, remain humble and and keep such accolades in their proper perspective.

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By: bernard Poulin

Tue, 07 Jan 2014 16:17:29 +0000

In reply to rob.

There is a difference between a consumer of artwork and a collector of art. I would presume that a consumer requires salesman niceties (in order to “like” the work) whereas a collector is more interested in the quality of the work – sometimes despite the creator of the work.
I would wager (all things being equal) that the less sociable arteest’s wares might just outlast those of the character who’s smile is necessary to make the work palatable.
I would like to think that I would have appreciated Van Gogh’s work despite his propensity to be difficult.

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