Over the winter I responded to an open call for entry to a photography exhibition at a local gallery. A handful of my images have been selected for shows in various galleries across the country. This particular exhibition intrigued me as it was located only a half hours drive from my house. Should any of my photographs be accepted, the close proximity would give me an opportunity to see my work displayed in public, something that had not occurred since the 6th grade open house at my elementary school. That’s a long drought.
Like so many things in life, the hardest part of deciding to participate in any type of contest is that fear of failure. None of us want to come out of the event feeling worse than before, especially when it is something as personal as your artwork. However, my competitive spirit and the need for validation seem to always tip the scale. My fragile ego loses the battle and before long I am fantasizing that this next submission will be the one where I am finally discovered as the next Ansel Adams.
Since this was an open call, I selected my best images, regardless of theme. My submission included landscapes, still life and even a black & white candid photograph. Since you never really know what will resonate with the jury, I figured I would take a shotgun approach. Something in this flock of images was sure to fall from the sky.
After patiently waiting several weeks for the selection process to be completed, my heart began to race when the confirmation email finally arrived on the specified notification day. It was that same feeling I had when a college job interview letter arrived. The good news is that I would be put out of my misery quickly and never had to read beyond the opening line. You know the letter will either begin “thank you however” or “congratulations”. This was one of those rare times that I actually had the chance to read the whole email.
I was ecstatic to learn that two of my images had been selected for the exhibition. This was certainly an indication I was poised for big things. I had visions of having my best selling calendar grace the shelves of every Barnes & Noble and Borders during the holiday season. A man is allowed to dream.
After having the images professionally printed, matted and framed, I delivered the prints to the gallery, just as the media began reporting that this corona virus thing wasn’t just going to go away. A few days later, I received notice that the exhibition opening would have to be cancelled to accommodate social distancing. Shortly thereafter, the announcement was made that the show would have to be cancelled due to the governors stay at home order. Halt the presses. My fame may be put on hold.
This week I received a notice to return to the gallery to retrieve my images. The owners made the hard decision not to renew their lease as the future of social venues remains very much uncertain. This is the same difficult decision so many owners in the food, entertainment and arts industries are contemplating. Unfortunately, the new normal may not be nearly as enriching as the previous one.
I would like to give Henry and Nancy at the Pennsylvania Center for Photography a sincere thank you for giving photographers like myself the opportunity to dream and to validate that their artwork is worthy of being seen by more than just family and friends. It is my hope that they will be able to continue their mission of supporting and educating the local photography community. I remain convinced that the work of the next Ansel Adams will one day grace your walls.
