Alyson's Quince | Sessions

March 9, 2016 | Alexandria Sayles

I have been a little behind on posting session blogs this year. Between sessions, school, and raising a family, time has gotten away from me... quite literally. I can't believe it is already March!

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to shoot my first quince. For those of you that don't know, it is a celebration of a young Latina into womanhood on her 15th birthday. I have been to many throughout the years as both my family and my significant other's family are Mexican, but it was a honor for the Lipp family to let me photograph their daughter Alyson's big day.

The ceremony was beautiful, friends and family gathered to watch as Alyson received gifts from loved ones to symbolize her journey into womanhood. Surrounded by a court of her closest friend, it was set to be a day to remember. It was also nice because it was the only day in February where the weather was full of sunshine and the temperature was above 55 degrees. The perfect setting to a gorgeous day!

After the ceremony, we traveled to the Capitol to get pictures of Alyson and her court, we were greeted by many wonderful people and even one woman wanted a selfie with the court. It made for quite a laugh and a great opportunity for some candid smiles. (Perfect for me to work with!)

Afterwards we took a trip to visit Sparty, since both she and her family are huge Michigan State fans. (I do not condone this, being a Michigan fan myself lol) But it was great that we could set our team differences aside to get some great pictures next to Sparty. (I just acted like someone was playing Ohio State, it's the one time that we all come together haha 

The reception was beautiful and the Daddy Daughter dance was tear jerking for many watching. It was such a great experience to be able to capture all of the heartfelt moments for the Lipp family. Plus you can't beat amazing homemade Mexican food and the Cumbia! 

Galleries Are Our Friend

Getting Your Work Out There

Alexandria Sayles | March 4 2016

*This article is written for a publication located in Jackson, Michigan and most information is predominant to that area.* 

As artists, we love having our work shared and admired; I mean who wouldn’t? From that perfect shot to post processing, we take hours, even days, completing the perfect composition of our photographs. Most images are uploaded to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or another photo sharing site. Some end up on a personal or business website, but forget about one of the great opportunities out there for artists, galleries. Many of us dismiss submitting our work to galleries, because we think they are only “well established, famous” artists. The truth is, there are exhibitions for every medium and skill; you just have to know where to look. 

LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES

Living so close to Detroit and its art scene means getting into local shows is possible for everyone. In Jackson alone, both Art 634 and Ella Sharp Museum of Art have open calls for exhibits anytime of the year. If you just want to dip your toes in the water, I recommend renting space at Art 634 for three hours. It only costs $75, and it gives you an idea of what longer gallery exhibits feel like.

Ella Sharp, is free to apply to, but work is not guaranteed to be accepted as an exhibition. Like most galleries, the exhibitions are selected by a committee, and, through a jury, put to a vote for acceptance. Many juries will have the jurors listed before you turn in your application, and it makes it easy to Google their work to see what their personal style is and what appeals to them. While it’s not 100% guaranteed way to get your work accepted, taking the time to research the jurors gives you an idea how they might vote in regards to your work.

Both Ann Arbor and Detroit also have opportunities for artists. In Ann Arbor, the WSG gallery and the Detroit Art Market continuously have annual open calls for artists to exhibit in their galleries. The Detroit Institute of Art, also holds an exhibition once a year for local artists. Contact information for the galleries mentioned above can be found at the end of this blog. Another great perk of living under 100 miles away from many exhibitions is saving loads of money on shipping artwork to galleries out of state. Trust me, it’s expensive shipping work and ensuring it arrives in one piece. 

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

One great thing about living in this technology age is the ability to see what is going on all over the world; it’s the same with exhibition exploring. Many sites that have combined all open calls for galleries into an easy to follow search option on their website. I use this option more often than applying by mail or talking to curators because of my extremely hectic lifestyle. You may have a different reason for wanting to complete applications completely online, no judgment from the peanut gallery over here.

My favorite site to use is Call for Entry or CaFÉ™ (www.callforentry.org). This site allows you to search through opportunities locally, nationally, and internationally; it also lists residencies and public art project opportunities. You have to be a member to apply to calls, but the membership is free and easy to obtain. On their site, you can save your portfolio and have easy access to your submissions when you find a call you want to apply to. Please note, many galleries have application fees when applying, ranging from free to upwards of $75. The fees are non-refundable, so be selective with your submissions.

Below is a list of other websites that display exhibition opportunities: 

www.artdeadlineslist.com

www.artshow.com

www.entrythingy.com

WHAT YOU NEED TO APPLY

Many galleries request the same requirements when applying including:

• A completed exhibition proposal form/application
• Brief biographical paragraph
• Artist’s statement of intent
• Images of work (These can be digital images on a CD or uploaded through a submission website. In most cases, images submitted on a CD should be saved in JPEG format with 300 dpi resolution)

 Saving versions of your biography and artist statement can make applying easier. I also recommend saving a shortened version of your statement, since many galleries have a length requirement.

Though exhibitions look good on your artist resume and CV, they can get stressful. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Being an artist is about producing work that you love, don’t let anything disrupt that.

CONTACT INFORMATION

ART 634

634 N Mechanic St

Jackson MI, 49201

Gallery 634 at $25 per hour/3 hrs.

Phone: Dave Youngdahl at 517.499.9585

Email: dy6339@gmail.com
http://www.art634.com

Ella Sharp Museum of Art

3225 Fourth Street

Jackson, MI 49203

Phone: 517.787.2320

Email: info@ellasharp.org

http://ellasharpmuseum.org

Detroit Artist’s Market

4719 Woodward Avenue

Detroit, MI 48201

Phone: 313.832.8540

Email: info@detroitartistsmarket.org

http://www.detroitartistsmarket.org

WSG Gallery

306 S. Main Street

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Phone: 734.761.2287

http://wsg-art.com/