4th Rejection From Local Gallery In 3 Years

I'm sorry this happened to you, and am sure to many more among us, not brave enough to share the disappointment.

If it's any consolation, I think the Gallery is wrong about your art.

The only thing to do is ......move on........find another Gallery that maybe will find your work just right for their audience. Not to get too personal, but, ...Gallery owners can be picky,picky,heartless........such is real life, off the internet.

John your work here is amazing I just had a look at your outstanding photography !!! you should pat yourself on the back don't get down just move on :)

Here is a thought go get a venders license and set up outside this gallery with your wonderful work.

John this happened to me awhile back. They said photography was not art. There was a small gallery across the street that accepted my work with much fan fair. My photography is nicely displayed and sells well there. Recently the first gallery approached my to show in their gallery. I wrote them a rejection letter. Don't let this gallery get you down.

if it's not a fit, it's not a fit. By now, with the change in your style they probably have you pegged as inconsistent to top it off. It is probably nothing personal, everyone has their own style that they like. Move on to other things and find a place that is a fit. Dwelling on this will only hold you back from accomplishing what you want.

There are so many decisions that a gallery must make when choosing what they want to put on display. You really should try to not let their decision to not include you as a rejection of your work, but rather a decision of the gallery to go in a direction that you may not fulfill. Your work just may not be the best fit for them at this time. It's not a necessarily a rejection of your work or you, simply a creative choice on their part.

Unfortunately, rejection is a significant part of the creative process, and learning to handle it is a never ending task.

Perseverance is the key.

-YoPedro

next time when you have a new set of work use a different name and have someone else to drop off your portfolio for you.

Hi John -

"So it says to me that the gallery manager must have something against me. I have no idea what. They won't even put me on a waiting list."

My initial reaction after reading your comment was to wonder whether you have asked them why you have now been turned down for the fourth time? There is history here and if you want to know exactly why you've been turned down you will probably need to ask for that information. You might not get it, but if you don't ask it's a sure bet you won't know ... Don't take "we have enough photographer, digital artists, etc... "as the reason since it's obviously not, from what you've stated.

At this point, what do you have to lose by going there and being sincere with them by asking what is going on? You'll never know unless you ask.

Good luck!

--Donna Proctor

Thank you everyone for the kind and thoughtful comments. I will re-start my engines and look for other options. I love the idea of selling in front of their store, but that doesn't fly here. I could, however, set up on the sidewalk like the buskers do and entertain people to get comments on my work. They can then buy on-line from FAA. I could easily hand out hundreds of cards. :)

Anyway, I won't burn bridges by interrogating them. It seems very obvious they do not want me.

I will go to competing stores around downtown and offer them great deals to sell my stuff. So what if I make next to nothing? The best revenge is living well.

Thanks again. I feel better already. :)

Every time you apply for something convince yourself you WILL be rejected.

Nothing but pleasant surprises when you do that!

Galleries have personalities. Find one that fits you. Better to be the top selling artist at a smaller gallery than being lost in the big one anyway.

I like susan Sadourys idea!

You should seriously look into doing Susan Sadoury's idea. Stick it to 'em.

--Roz Barron Abellera

Well, just know God has something way better in store for you! Sometimes God wants to give you bigger and better! So smile trust there is a bright side to the situation, you just don't know yet, but God has it all planed out already ! :)

It sounds like a place you wouldn't want to be at anyway. ;) Personally, I think your stuff is really nice!

From what I've been hearing, Asheville is becoming quite the artsy-fartsy town with galleries galore. Have a portfolio ready for cold calls, but also keep an eye and ear out for calls for artists and themed shows. You could go in and, being non-confrontational, ask why your work isn't acceptable. You just might get some feedback on it but on the other hand they could just be snooty. If you don't ask, you won't know.
A couple of months ago I took my Doors of Lambertville from a show it was in and went to 3 different galleries in that town with it to try and sell it. The third one was about to reject it when the second owner came in and "loved" it. They are now my reps for the poster. The first week they had it showing, they sold 4 of the 5 I left.
Perseverance...

Regardless of whether it's your photo or digital work they rejected...what galleries many times go by is what the subject matter / style / feel of the work is and how it fits in with the "taste" of the gallery....or perhaps it's personal and has something to do with you?

Other than that...the owner of the gallery is your ex-wife and your not telling us. ;))

John,
Most galleries want photographers with large followings. They don't really want to do your marketing for you. The only time they will do that is if they see something that might bring a lot of controversy that will bring potential buyers, or they need art in there gallery because they aren't very popular.
Don't beat yourself up about it like I did in the past. They don't care how good your work is or that its a crazy hard process, all most care about is you bringing them customers with your photographs or art.
Best of luck

Gallery owners and curators have their own ideas about art. They also know their customers and what they will and won't buy.

A gallery owner in San Francisco called me when I started out and said they wanted to include photography in their gallery for the first time, but the artwork had to be printed on paper and framed with mats. They didn't want it printed on canvas gallery wraps because her customers felt that canvas cheapened the photography. ???



It cost me over a thousand dollars for printing, framing and shipping to San Francisco. And it now hangs in my living room.

(They did pay for return shipping.)

You have a unique and strong style. Maybe your own backyard isn't the right market for your work. It sounds like a pretty small and tight knit community - your own social circle and community can sometimes be the worst places to get traction for your best work.

I wish I could find the link because I hat to make vague references to "studies", but studies have shown that people tend to mentally devalue creativity and skill in work from people they know or from people nearby as compared to more distant people and strangers. In a tight knit community there can also be silent, subtle and pervasive pressure to create what people expect. Sort of a double whammy.

I hope this will help....
http://www.artadvice.com/blog/2003/11/01/understanding-rejection/
http://www.artadvice.com/blog/2005/10/13/top-10-reasons-why-galleries-reject-artists-its-not-what-you-think/
All the best!

"Anyway, I won't burn bridges by interrogating them. It seems very obvious they do not want me."

John,

If that was meant as a reply to me then my apologies. I don't equate asking a direct question with interrogation, but I understand being forward or direct isn't for everyone. :)

Here's an idea for you, have your family and friends go to the gallery as customers. Have them behave as if they are serious about finding just the right thing. After they have looked around, have them ask the to see your work or ask if they carry your work. They can say things like "I saw John Holdane's work at _____ and I really like it. Do you have anything of his?" Or "I'm looking for work done by John Holdane. Do you have any of his work?"

Make sure who ever you have doing this for you doesn't go in on the same days. Have them go in on deferent days and weeks. Maybe one a week for a month, then every other week for a month, then back to every week for a month.

This is a trick I read about in a blog many years ago. I've never used it but have kept it in mind.....just in case I ever need to.

John, first and foremost a gallery needs to consider their ability to move your work, based on their clientele.
If you take every rejection personally, you will get paranoid...it is about THEIR ability to move your work based on THEIR clientele and abilities.

Your work is wonderful with a distinctive style. Small towns are just weird. Open your own gallery.

To me it looks like your work is still photography, but with a photoshop filter applied. They might not be into that.

Wonderful work John, you got me! One thing is for sure, waiting for them is wasting your time and opportunities. Go to some of the other galleries, as they say one door closes and another opens.

There's a gallery here in the Berkshires that's exclusively oriented toward fine art photography. I got into a community exhibition there last spring, but I doubt I could be represented there. But maybe you could find someplace that's strictly photography.

This is the place: http://www.sohnfineart.com/. Got anything similar near you?

I also got a 15-piece exhibition right now in a local art supply shop. It's in an upscale district in Great Barrington.

I've been in a small, local gallery here as well, and I have the entire town library for September. There are a lot of smaller venues that at least get your work out there.

Keep on plugging.

35 Famous People Who Were Painfully Rejected Before Making It Big

http://thoughtcatalog.com/rachel-hodin/2013/10/35-famous-people-who-were-painfully-rejected-before-making-it-big/