There are two “traditional” routes to you finally receiving the acclaim, recognition and approval from millions of art lovers and the most prestigious art museums around the world. The first route we call “The Johanna van Gogh-Bonger” Strategy, named after Johanna, the sister-in-law of Vincent van Gogh. In this clever strategy, you, the artist, first has to die; as in done, fineto, finished, ended. Next step: just like Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, your “significant other” has to dedicate the entire remainder of his/her life and the entirety of their remaining life savings to preserving and promoting your art and legacy, cataloging your paintings, letters and sketches, and organizing and promoting exhibitions of your artwork. This whole ‘endless dedication for life’ thing could be a big ask of one’s significant other, but it’s totally worth it for you, because you are dead.
The other route, the “Art Show Strategy” is to enter art shows to earn awards and public recognition sufficient to place your art in art galleries and sell. A combination of art shows, social media, self-promotion, and art galleries will eventually attract a group of enthusiastic art collectors to your art. This strategy requires you to commit to finally becoming an adult (a professional and business-like painter and salesman,) something you have probably successfully avoided for years. This process may suck every last ounce of enjoyment out of your soul, and out of your creativity, so use with caution. It’s your choice, but this route is the one many artists use, due to a lack of Johanna van Gogh-Bongers these days.
There are many opportunities to enter art shows. Here is a sample of possibilities:
Pastel Society of Colorado: Our annual Member’s Show is a terrific show opportunity, provided you are a member of PSC. All PSC members are accepted into the Member’s Show. Our annual Small Works Show, for those little jem paintings, is also juried. Our annual PSC Mile High International show is a premier pastel show with a national and international reputation for being very high quality, and attracting some of America’s finest pastel artists. This show is juried. To be juried into a show means that a juror or committee reviews the art submitted and only the best art, in the opinion of the jury, is included in the show. https://www.pastelsocietyofcolorado.org/#shows
Littleton Fine Arts Guild/Depot Art Gallery has art shows, such as the Best of Art Show https://depotartgallery.org/call-for-entries/
Coors Prix de West an invitational art exhibition and sale held annually at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The Prix de West is well known for some of the highest-quality artwork found anywhere, and with the national prestige associated with participating is significant. This show is by invitation and is juried. https://pdw.nationalcowboymuseum.org/
Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale This annual show is organized under The National Western Stock Show,and is one of the nation’s most recognized Western art exhibits. The annual art exhibition is held in the Denver National Western Stock show compound, and that ain’t no bull. This high-profile art show is juried and is attended by some wealthy, influential and mighty tall boots if’in you know what I mean. This show is by invitation and is juried and is difficult to get in. https://coorswesternart.com/about/
International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) In addition to hosting the nation’s biggest and best pastel convention every other year, IAPS holds multiple art shows throughout the year, including Fall and Spring Webshows, Master’s Circle Division and Open Division shows. All shows are juried. The Pastel Society of Colorado is a member of IAPS. https://iapspastel.org/iaps-exhibitions/
Governor’s Art Show is definitely one of the premier shows in the state of Colorado and is endorsed by, and usually attended by, the Governor of Colorado. This is one place for you to attract Colorado’s best art collectors to your work. This show is juried and is difficult to get in. https://governorsartshow.org/
American Impressionist Society Show. The AIS is an Oklahoma-based organization, but their art shows are held in a variety of western US locations. They have four shows per year: National Juried Exhibition, Small Works Showcase, Associate Member Online Exhibition and All Member Online Exhibition. This art society has an amazing reputation for quality. https://americanimpressionistsociety.org/page-18726
Plein Air Artists Colorado (PAAC) This wonderfully welcoming local organization’s annual National Show is open to all PAAC members. This show is juried. $20,000 in prizes. https://www.pleinairartistscolorado.com/
Plein Air Painters of America, the national organization, also sponsors art shows, and honestly this PAPA art is crazy good. https://www.pleinairpaintersofamerica.com/
Goldbrush Painting competition, a monthly national art competition open to all media including pastel. Winners are featured in Fine Art Views and Informed Collector Magazines. $38,000 of awards every month. Juried. https://faso.com/boldbrush/
Dakota Pastels holds both annual and quarterly pastel competitions with “Emerging Artist” and “Established Artist” categories and with $32,000 in prizes. From submission to award, everything in this competition is digital. This show is juried. https://www.dakotapastels.com/products/Pastel-Competition
40West is a local west Colfax collection of 13 associated art studios, all part of the vibrant 40West Art District. Membership in one of the included studios guarantees your participation in some art shows for that studio, but juried art shows are also a feature of 40West. https://40westarts.org/40wstudios
OnlineJuriedShows.com https://onlinejuriedshows.com/ or CAFÉ (Call For Entry) https://www.callforentry.org/By signing up with one, or both of these organizations, you will be provided with a regularly updated list of new show opportunities, locally, nationally and sometimes internationally.
We could have listed many more opportunities, but the point is we encourage you to participate in art shows. Art shows can help you critique, focus and improve your work, learn from other artists and earn that well-deserved artistic acclaim you have always truly deserved.