Return Receipt Requested

Many galleries are giving artists the option to pay online and send the entry information and images in an email instead of mailing a CD. After you click "Send", though, how do you know if the gallery received the email?

Digital Manipulation

I was reading an article the other day about the ethics of digital manipulation of images for juried entries and publications. Where is the ethical line and how much is too much?

Label the File, Not the Image

I'm asked occasionally to explain how to label an image as the prospectus asks, and if the information appears below the artwork when viewed. Maybe you've had the same question?

JPEG File Size

Earlier this week, a client asked me whether a JPEG image of jewelry was high resolution even though the file size appeared to be small. Several factors determine the size of a JPEG file, and the number of pixels in the image is only one of them.

Distracting Backgrounds

When you photograph your artwork, keep anything that distracts the eye out of the image. You may need to edit the image on your computer to crop out the frame and mat, too. No exceptions ... unless, of course, they are part of the artwork.

Confused About JPEGs and CDs?

I'm asked often by artists to explain the difference between a JPEG and a CD, and how to label one on the other. Perhaps this is an area of confusion for you, too.

Just Good Enough

The first time most people will see your artwork is from a digital image, print, or slide ... not the original work. First impressions DO matter! Are your images the best they can be, or are they just good enough?

Banish Long File Names

Some galleries and artists seem driven to include all of the information about a work, such as the medium and size, as part of the image file name. You do know there are practical limits to the length of a file name, don't you?

A Dirty Little Secret

You've just finished cropping and adjusting the color in a photo of your latest creation and are ready to submit it to an important show. Unfortunately, the juror may not see the same piece of artwork you're seeing on your computer screen.

Date Stamp Seen in the Wild

While looking through images submitted for a book project I'm working on with a local group of artists, I spotted a creature I thought had already been brought to extinction ... the date stamp. I could hardly believe my eyes. Right there, obscuring part of the artwork, was the date and time the image was taken.

Only One Dot in a File Name. Period.

While helping a client with an online entry recently, I was reminded about the use of special characters in file names and one rule in particular ... to use only one dot (the period character) right before the extension in a file name.

About My Insights

I see a lot of calls to enter from galleries and arts groups. And I work with many artists to submit entries. As a result, I have a few insights on juried exhibitions, especially about working with digital images ... and this is where I'll share them with you.

Welcome to CalltoEnter.info

There have always been a wide variety of fine art exhibitions available to Michigan artists, both in-state and nationally, but until now there has been no easy way to learn about many of them. Our goal with this web site is to provide a comprehensive listing of the many opportunities open to Michigan artists to exhibit their artwork in galleries, in print, and online.