Is it Really "All In the Application?" or "Please Don't Bother Me With Questions, Just Read my Mind."

Now that I am back from vacation, it is dawning on me that I have a lot of art-related things I need to do! Yicks! I better kick myself into 'super speed' and start on it. I am preparing an order for a client and getting it ready to be shipped out. Then I need to prepare for an outdoor show at the Capital City Market on June 21. I also need to squeeze in time to continue with creating artwork.

I would like to address an issue that I have come up against lately. Recently, on two occasions, I have run into the problem of show coordinators who send me applications for shows or galleries without giving all the necessary specific information that you need. Then when you ask them, they give you an answer like, "It is all in the application." and they don't really answer you. What is up with this? I tell them that the application does not address these specific quesions and they act like I am stupid or have misread the application. When I try to be specific and ask them specific questions that are not addressed in an application or email so I can avoid miscommunication, they give me an attitude like I am annoying them or I am stupid, and that I should be able to read minds. Maybe they are so extremely busy that they are under stress and it comes out in their attitude. Okay, I guess I can relate to that. The problem is that I have run into too many situations that got all screwed up because the coordinator thought they were being clear and was not and the artist applicant ends up bringing all the wrong stuff to a show or shows up on the wrong day and it becomes big mess.

I even dared to suggest to one coordinator that they put in their application a certain wording so it would be clearer. She did not take this advice well at all. Her attitude was "Don't tell me how to do my job. The application is worded perfectly and doesn't need revising." I am tired of dealing with people who have this attitude. If I have trouble understanding the specifics of an application, then other people will too. When a show coordinator gives me this type of response it shows that they are more concerned with their own ego rather than trying to help others by being clearer in their communication. I am also learning that part of what I am looking for when applying to be in certain shows or galleries is a good attitude and good communication. I am not just looking for a super great gallery or show, I am also looking to work with people who do not act annoyed when you ask them specific questions and people who don't give me a lot of attitude. I am also sensing a certain amount of "uppity" attitude in some places I contact about shows & gallery representation. This sets off a red flag for me because that is not what I am about and it is not who I am. My work is good enough to be at a high-end gallery, but I do not like to deal with people who have a "high-end" attitude. This is something I realize I must consider in the future. In a way, this problem is good for me to encounter because it helps me to define who I am and what I am really looking for. I think that from now on, I will give higher priority to shows like the Idaho Cat Fancier's Show and the Emerging Artist Show downtown, The Sawtooth Artisan Gift Shop, because the people who run those shows are always kind and considerate, easy to communicate with and easy to deal with.