Rejection in the Arts
This year has been one of great joy, artistic growth and rejection. I’ve received several amazing opportunities and accolades this year (2026) so far - from receiving the Material Needs Grant from ArtsWorcester, getting a jurors prize, starting a new job at an arts non-profit and publishing A&A’s second journal, Fluid. All of these came about from hard work and after applying for and submitting to jobs, open calls for art, and other things. With all these applications and putting myself out there I’ve received several rejections along the way, in the last two years. I’ve made a chart (at the bottom) of 2025 rejections & 2026 progress stats so far.
As I continue I plan to ramp up my applications to shows/ residencies/ grants/etc. I anticipate seeing a whole lot more rejections coming my way; however, I hope to see more awards and acceptances as well. Rejections are hard. There’s no easy way of internalizing the idea that your art is bad, especially when you’ve worked really hard on a specific work. Folks oft say to not take it personally, but any artist knows that is easier said than done. Art feels SO personal, in the making of it and the sharing of it, so to not take a rejection or acceptance personally feels near impossible at times. That being said, a fellow artist shared with me something recently about their own rejection/award allotment that serves as a humble reminder in my endeavors.
This year was the Fitchburg Art Museum’s 90th Regional Exhibition of Art and Craft. I applied with my ceramic house dinner set. I’ve applied for four different shows using this piece so far this year. I’ve yet to get any of them - instead having received two rejections and still waiting for two answers. This exhibit at Fitchburg had me confused and hurt because, truly, I thought I was a shoe-in. I am proud of my Ceramic House. It’s a work that took months, has incredible details, has 14 individual pieces, and is both a full sculpture and a fully functional dinnerware set for four. To me, this is where my fine art background meets my exploration in the world of craft. Yet, FAM was not interested in the slightest. However, when the list of accepted works came out, while I didn’t spot my name on the list, I did see the name of a fellow artist I’ve collaborated with in the past, Paul.
I reached out to Paul to congratulate him on his acceptance into this long-standing regional exhibition. In his response, Paul said something that has stuck with me. He said “Thanks! Rejected with the same work last year, so grateful.” This remark, which he said casually and in passing, has served as a true reminder for something I say but rarely can get myself to internalize. Art is so entirely based on personal preference. WHO the curator is will change, and new curators could accept or reject entirely different works from the same submission pool - none of which can ever fully dictate the value of the artwork. My Ceramic House is a beautiful work, and I’m proud of it. Many folks who see it in person love it. Its value is not decreased simply because one or two curators determine it does not fit into the show they are organizing.
So, despite rejections which are always hard to swallow, I move forward. I’ll continue to apply for shows/residencies/grants and other opportunities. I’ll continue to receive some rejections alongside some acceptances. At some point my Ceramic House WILL be accepted into a juried show. What is meant to happen will happen. And I will continue to remind myself that if I don’t at least try to put my work out there, and try to get opportunities, then yes, I’ll never have to deal with rejection but in turn, I’ll never have the chance to gain recognition or opportunities.
So here's to being both accepted and rejected! Time to keep moving forward.
2025 | Non-Juried | Juried Shows | Residencies | Grants | Other |
Applied | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1. Mural in Marlborough, MASS |
Rejected | 3 | 1 | |||
Waiting | |||||
Awarded/ Participated | 3 | 1. Mural in Marlborough |
2026 | Non-Juried | Juried Shows | Residencies | Grants | Other |
Applied | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 email from a fake scam organization (Summer Artist Residency in Georgia) |
Rejected | 4 | 2 | 1. Was reached out to by a company for a window painting however they ultimately went another route 2. Got let go from a teaching job due to structural changes & in availability changes. | ||
Waiting | 2 | 1 | |||
Awarded | 1 (online / arguably a vanity show) | 1 | 1. Received 1 jurors prize at an unjuried show 2. Self published A&A journal #2, Fluid in June 3. 4 paid graphic design opportunities 4. 1 commissioned cut-out bowl | ||
Participated | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1. New Job at local arts non-profit |
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