The Value of Competition



I am a strong believer in the value of art contests, exhibits, and other outlets that increase creative exposure and/or generate excitement in an artist. I personally enter and submit work to local, regional, national and even international art competitions and will be encouraging students to do the same. I am of the opinion that contests are a necessary experience in any young artist’s career and provide real world feedback prior to actually entering the "real world". Competitions expose students to the necessary concept of having to market one’s work. Students experience creating the work, filling out the application, photographing their work, and getting it submitted by a deadline. They also have to wait to hear back. Some pieces will be accepted, some will be rejected and the subjective opinions of judges and gallery owners will play a major role in the decision. Whether or not they win, students learn a lot about the submission process, and, since the winning entries are often posted, it gives students an opportunity to see their competition and perhaps discover where they themselves need to put in additional effort.


While contests are never mandatory, I do encourage them. Every week I search for new competitions and opportunities. There may be times when these projects can be added into the lesson plans; however, in most cases, they will have to be completed on a student's own time. I only ask that when a student does decide to enter, that they still give priority to their homework(!) so that their lessons are fully completed and not rushed. Not only are contests a great learning experience, but they often offer financial rewards that come in all shapes and sizes - the most common being cash, college scholarships, vacations, gift cards, and/or products. If nothing else, these prizes are often a great motivator for the otherwise uninterested student. While I myself have not won as many contests as I would have liked, I have learned something from every one I have entered. In fact, I have often learned the most from those that I did not win, and I am happy to pass this knowledge on to my students.