Another Win!

June seems to be my month. Yesterday I found out that I received third place in the Built to Last exhibit at The Peale in Baltimore.

It was a real surprise. I never win awards. In the quilt world, judges are looking at how technically accurate the piece is. I am more interested in design and art in my work and don’t worry too much about how even my stitches are or how well I attach the binding, so I usually don’t get quilt awards. In the art world, I think, most judges come from more traditional art mediums like painting and are more interested in that kind of work. Some may look at quilts as crafts and not consider them for prizes. At least that is what I tell myself. In many of the exhibits I enter, there are prizes, but I never enter an exhibit thinking of the prizes. I just want to show my work, hopefully sell it or get more exposure or opportunities. I knew that there was an awards ceremony, and I considered going. It’s always good to go and maybe meet people, but it is an hour away, and I thought, “I never win anything, so why bother…” Oh well, it turns out I won something, and now I’m kicking myself for not going.

The funny thing is that lately I have been thinking that I should stop exhibiting at group shows because I feel like I’m not getting much in return. It is a lot of work, and my art gets lost between everyone else’s work. Now I want to concentrate more on finishing my Not What I Taught You Series and apply to solo shows. My thinking was reinforced after reading The Diminishing Returns of Chasing Juried Shows and Art Awards in an art business advice blog. But I got to admit, winning an award feels nice and makes me wonder if I should think more seriously about awards. 🤔