Having served as a juror for multiple exhibitions, I can say with confidence: most of the time, it’s not as mysterious as you might think.
In many cases, the process is handled by a single juror—often an artist, curator, or art professional—who is given access to a database of submissions. That juror is expected to narrow the field down to a predetermined number of accepted pieces.
Here’s how I (and many jurors I know) tend to approach the process:
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Initial Pass: Scroll through every single submission without judgment. This gives a general sense of the scope and tone of the entries.
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Quick Sort: Go back through and make a quick thumbs-up/thumbs-down decision—this is largely instinctual and based on initial impact.
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Deep Review: Finally, go through the top picks slowly, considering not just the image quality but also the accompanying artist statement, technical execution, and how the work fits the theme (if applicable).
In group jury situations, each juror typically scores submissions independently. The final list is often determined by consensus—identifying overlap, negotiating differences, and occasionally trading picks. But whether it’s a solo or multi-juror setup, it’s rare for gallery owners to override or micromanage the results.
In short, it’s not a political process—it’s a visual one.
Is the Gallery Owner Involved?
If the show is hosted by a nonprofit art organization, the answer is almost always no. In gallery-hosted events, the owner might serve as one of the jurors, but they’re typically not going to second-guess the invited juror’s decisions. I’ve juried shows hosted by both types of organizations and the rule has been consistent: once I make my selections, the list is accepted as final.
If a gallery is using juried exhibitions as a way to scout new artists (and some do), then your submission might result in a second look down the road. But that’s not guaranteed, nor should it be your primary expectation.
So, Are Juried Shows Worth It?
It depends on what you’re hoping to achieve.
Here are the real benefits:
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Exposure to new audiences. A well-promoted show gives your work visibility in a new market or city.
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Networking. You’re often shown alongside artists you might not otherwise meet. That can lead to connections, collaborations, or referrals.
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Credibility. For artists still building their résumé, juried shows can help establish a track record of public exhibition.
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Feedback. If you notice certain pieces consistently get accepted (or consistently don’t), that’s data worth paying attention to.
But juried shows come with trade-offs. Entry fees, framing and shipping costs, and the time required to prepare submissions all add up. If your primary goal is sales, there may be more direct ways to achieve that—especially if the show’s audience isn’t collector-heavy.
How to Prepare a Strong Submission
The key is to make the juror’s job easy.
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Choose your strongest pieces. This isn’t the time to test experimental new work unless it’s truly exceptional.
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Submit professional images. Poor photography or distracting backgrounds are automatic disqualifiers.
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Tailor to the theme. If the show is themed, don’t try to shoehorn your work into it unless it genuinely fits.
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Don’t overthink your statement. A clear, concise explanation that supports the work is better than flowery language.
The juror is likely reviewing dozens—if not hundreds—of entries in a short window. The more compelling your work is at a glance, the better your chances.
What Are the Alternatives?
If juried shows aren’t a fit for your goals or budget, there are other ways to gain similar benefits:
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Participate in online showcases or virtual gallery exhibitions. These often have lower costs and a wider reach.
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Look for open-call catalogs (like the ones we publish). A printed catalog shared with collectors can generate interest in your work—and sales.
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Collaborate on pop-up exhibits or open studios. These allow you to control the environment and keep all proceeds from sales.
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Focus on building your own mailing list and inviting collectors to private viewings. This creates a direct connection without the gatekeeping.
Final Thoughts
Juried shows can be a valuable part of your overall strategy, especially early in your career or when trying to break into a new market. But like anything else in your art business, they should be approached with clear goals and realistic expectations.
If you find yourself submitting to every juried opportunity just because it’s there, take a step back and evaluate whether it aligns with where you want to go. Your time and resources are limited—spend them where they’ll move you forward.
Let me know in the comments: Have juried shows helped you grow your art business? Are there strategies or red flags you’ve learned to watch for?
Thank you for this post! I selected a few regional shows to submit to through callforentry.org today.
Would you be willing to talk more about portals like this and an appropriate budget for artists for submissions?
(Please hit me up if this is advice you give in your classes, as this is the level of advice and expertise I’m seeking.)
Acceptance into juried online shows has been a losing proposition for me. Even when accepted nothing really happens. The one good thing is if it’s online only then I can submit any size work I want. This is different from the size limits of onsite shows. I also wonder if anyone actually does pay attention to these shows unless the venue is well known and international.
This year i decided to take time off from entering all but state and local onsite shows.
For 2025, they have helped me because this year is the first year in many I have not shown my work in an international art show. I have won three digital show opportunities. One was a Canadian digital Art Show, one was at Art Santa Fe and the third was also a digital showing at Art Santa Fe, so I have three certificates and two shows to add to my resume for 2025.
In my search for inclusion in a juried art show, the most important element is, naturally, the jurors. Look them up. Google their name and see what type of artwork they do. If you do cubism and the juror does color field art, then the chances are slim, very slim, that you will get through the first round of elimination. And, of course, if the juror is the gallery owner, see what is hanging in the gallery. I have made mistakes quite often, thinking my art is somehow universally appealing to any gallery. It isn’t, but since I have been more selective by reading bios, my success rate has been quite good.
Great ideas that make a lot of sense to me as a very analytical person. Thanks!
Is it common for jurors to award themselves prizes? For years I’ve entered shows hoping to win awards rather then sell the paintings. That way I can re-enter them in other shows and possibly win more prize money. But I recently gave up on some of these national shows. In one show I saw the jurors (5) and most of the show directors were all accepted and awarded monetary prizes. One juror awarded herself an “Excellence” award and also awarded her close friend “Best in Show ” award. In another show the president of the organization won first prize. I’m not sure if this is a common practice or I’m just now noticing it.
Otherwise juried shows have helped grow my business and sell my work.
commercial organized shows or groups have vested interest in advancing and promoting their own agenda. few competitions are free from these motivations. The other consideration is that the art chosen , artist chosen simply aligns to the goals of the competition. if the primary jurors partener consistentlty wins and is awarded the commissions then it might bring up a red flag. there is little an outsider can do however so just move on . i have been awarded many global contracts via juried processes and in all cases these were fraught with bias and vested interest which was overcome by knowing the game and the players in the process. The world is not always the best person wins by playing according to a fictional set of rules.
Great suggestions as always. Thank you!!
Great article, jason.
I spent almost 3 decades as an art-teacher in public school. My degree required I have a studio minor and an academic minor in addition to my education curriculum. All of my art ed profs were practicing artists with reputations.
I mention that because of the mindset I had as an artist-teacher. I was mildly productive as an artist and relied on juried shows on a regular basis.
From the beginning I was very selective. As a result I found myself included in shows and locations far afield.
To undercore “odds” I’ll mention one show. 500 artists, nearly 1,000 pieces submitted. I think is was 52 artists and about 65 works. Met the juror at the opening and we chatted briefly. He handed me his card and said, “let’s get a coffee if you have the chance.”
Just a long statement to underscore what Jason wrote.
Some calls for art extend their deadlines. Is this done because they didn’t get enough entries to cover their costs of mounting a show, not enough pieces to display, or?
Locally I have seen shows put out a second call for art when the initial call did not produce enough work to fill the show space. Rather than show empty walls they reached out to artists for more work.
Thank you Jason- your article made me think about my art career history in applying for juried shows in general. As my art career has grown and have no need to beef up my CV, I have become more conscious and carefully review the calls and research the galleries and jurors before applying. I have also began paying closely attention to the fee involved with the call and that in itself provides me with a pause, many times since I found that some galleries with a call for fee are mainly focused in selecting the artists they already know and/or are members ie WMG or others include in their call statement that fee to enter implies, if chosen, to give all the image rights to the gallery ie ARC.
So…. I have become highly critical of these practices and skeptical as well- although I submit for fee -from time to time- depending on the venue
Over the last several years, I have been entering juried shows with some success. I carefully researched the juried, the galleries do decide if my art fit into the vision of the shows. My CV expanded but I work didn’t sell. I started to see the juried shows as a moneymaker for the galleries. At the end of 2024, I had had enough and decided two things: I was to be very selective about which shows I entered in the future and to have gallery representation starting in 2025. Yes to both accomplishments.
Hello Jason;
Its a very demanding task, this job of narrowing down hundreds of pieces of artwork though with room for only 1/5th or 1/6th of submitted pieces. I was asked to curate an exhibit at the Newport Beach Museum of Art some years back. It truly tired me out narrowing the numbers, reading deeply into varied works symbolism, color statements, the thought that was poured into a majority of the artworks. Then in 2006 another invitation to see and then curate a student exhibit at China’s Luxon Art University! These students were positively the most gifted artists I’ve ever viewed up close. At every class level, the art was Expert!
These kids knew techniques, media, their skill levels were 19 on the 1 to 10 scale! Talk about difficult to narrow down. I joked around about the 19th century Academy exhibition style; this is cramming every piece of art possible. We laughed but they accepted my bold compressed method of hanging works that did not distract one from another. It worked , I was taken to dinner, then caught a horrific stomach bacteria and had to go to a hospital. But I had fun. -10 degrees Celsius! my bones literally were chilled. I was do happy to lie down and soak up some heat from my sun drenched drive way as the taxi dropped me off st my home. Life has been good.
Carlos Ramos (Los)
Great article, covering all the issues on this subject. I enter juried shows throughout San Diego County, with the goal of becoming a well known contemporary sculptor in the area. With rare exceptions, I keep to this rule. Over the years I have found this strategy has been a good one, and I feel I am now a recognized part of the local art scene. I use the same strategy on my Instagram account, and have benefited from my hard work on social media as well.
Thanks to everyone who chimed in here. I appreciate the range of experiences and insights—from those finding success in local circuits to those becoming more selective after years of participation. Juried shows can serve very different purposes depending on where you are in your career and what you’re aiming to achieve. Your comments highlight how important it is to go in with clear goals and a discerning eye. Thanks again for sharing your stories—I always learn something from this community.