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Home | Arts-and-entertainment
Art Competitions - The Stepping Stone To Success 
By: Kathy Austin
Aspiring artists have a tough time getting their works on display. Entering an art competition is one way that an artist can exhibit his paintings. Even getting a place in a prestigious art competition can be a great boost to his or her self esteem. Many a successful artist has to thank these competition for getting them launched on the highway of success.
People generally attend competitions, not necessarily on art. Most people would normally hesitate to put their foot into an art gallery, but would unfalteringly enter into a place where a competition event is taking place and even come out with some pretty bold statements.
One of the main factors that greatly enhanced the reputation of an art competition is the standing of the Judge who is going to preside over the function. Some competitions have a panel of Judges to grace the occasion. The more well known the Judge or the Jury, the more notable the event. Most of these contests are regular happenings, taking place once or twice a year. Some have an established history and these are the ones that create a center of attention.
The subject matter of an art contest can be specific or can be general in nature. If based on a specific theme, it can be either on the medium by which the painting is drawn (Acrylic Paint, Watercolor etc.); the media on which it is drawn (Canvas, Paper etc.) or content (Objects, Places and Spaces etc.). A frequent visitor to such events will notice that there are people who invariably turn up at these competitions.
The popularity or otherwise of a competition depends largely on the location where the competition is scheduled to be held. Rather than having one on a footpath or curb, one held in an art gallery or a museum is bound to draw a larger and more exclusive clientele who are more suggestive and likely to make a purchase. The possibility of a winner, a runner-up or even just an participant gaining further exposure chiefly depends on the status of the competition.
Whether a work of art is liked or not is, for the most part, personal. As such the probability of a piece of art that failed to bag an award but would have got the attention of a Judge or a collector is high. The collector may not buy it himself, but even a positive comment on it could prompt a casual observer to pick it up.
Now, what happens when a painting is purchased by some X or Y? He hangs it over his mantelpiece or some other prominent place in his home. He will. Exhibitionism. Friends, relatives and acquaintances who see it inquire about it, and, if they also like it, go out and buy one drawn by the same painter. Repeat. More people get to talk about the artist. Though the process is slow, ultimately it will have a cumulative effect.
Other than the artistic angle of the art competition, it can also turn out to be a lucrative business. Winning brings in cash prizes and what is needed more, the exposure. As such a serious artist who relies on art for a living has to enter more and more number of competitions. The more the better. One way to do this is to scrounge the Internet for details of where and when these competitions are held and enter them. The more the merrier. The pinnacle of fame might just be within reach.
Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles
Kathy Austin is a writer for an online art gallery. Red Bubble organizes art competition, visit the site for more details.
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