Checking Out Latest Art Contests... Worthwhile?

Lately I've been looking into art contests to enter. I sometimes wonder if it's really worth entering these contests or not, since I'm not certain the kind of exposure that it really gives the artist's work. What kind of people actually look at these results, other than the artists? How much of the work brings about further commissions or sales of prints and originals? These are the things that matter. It means nothing if 10,000 artists know about you, but nobody buys anything. I have no desire to be another Van Gogh, who starves during my lifetime, only to become famous long after I'm dead.

A couple of the contests I've been checking out are the Linus Gallery's fantasy art competition. It's along the lines of the work I like to do, although a $35 entry fee feels a little steep, even if I do get 3 entries for that price. I enjoy true fantasy work, and this is something I would really enjoy doing some special piece of artwork for. However, the deadline is May 28. I'm not sure that I'll have the time to create something truly spectacular before then.

"Garganus"
pencil on paper, 4"x6"
The artist as a gargoyle

Another, similar, kind of competition that I'm looking at is the Slow Art surreal competition. Surreal can be fantastic or just simply weird. Another $35. But four images, at least.

These are, of course, advertising and promotional costs, and part of doing business. Like any advertising, you never know if it's going to pay off until afterwards. That's why for some kinds of advertising I wish they had a guarantee or worked on commission. Can you imagine the Yellow Pages working on commission from the sales they generate? I'm sure the company would fold. At least with the gallery competitions there is some exposure guaranteed, and those who win often get cash prizes or have their works shown in a physical gallery.

Another one I just noticed is the Slow Art "A Show of Heads". They are asking for artwork portraying the human head. Since there is one I'm already working on that does just that, it only seems good to get some extra mileage out of my work. These are more than online competitions, in that the works chosen are also put into their print magazine and the artists get more exposure this way. That, in itself, might be worth something.

Richeson 75 International, which supposedly gets something like 1 million hits a month, has a couple of contests I think that I'll enter as well. Of particular interest to me is their portraiture competition in July. They are one of the more expensive competitions to enter, at $30 for one image. But I also think they'll be worth it.

It is my goal to enter no less than 4 such contests for the remainder of 2012. There are four right here... Now get to work, Johanus!