How to Get Started in Printmaking: 5 Easy Steps To Enter Printmaking Competitions

Hello, and welcome to my blog about printmaking.

An important element to being a printmaker is getting your art out into the community and seen by galleries, arts industry workers and collectors. A great and inexpensive way to build your profile and make yourself known is to enter every printmaking and works on paper competition available.
To win an award is a great way to build credibility as an artist and a fantastic income stream.

Make it your business to find out which galleries nationally and internationally hold printmaking competitions and awards offering prize money. You will not only gain great exposure as an artist, you will be able to see what your contemporaries are producing and bench mark against them

Any printmaker at any level can enter their work into a competition or award for excellence in the arts as long as you follow the conditions of entry. If you are unsure of any part of the conditions I strongly advise you email or phone the organizing body/gallery and ask them to explain what it is that you are unsure about. Do not let a doubt of eligibility stop you from entering your work for competition. Leave the decision to the judges to decide if your work is good enough for inclusion.

In Australia we are lucky enough to have the Print Council of Australia (PCA) who publish a quarterly magazine Imprint to keep us informed of competitions, publications, exhibitions, reviews and much more. I recommend you join and get ready to be up to date with contemporary print news.

Step 1. Get informed on national and international printmaking competitions and awards for excellence in the Arts.
Step 2. Enter all printmaking and works on paper competitions you possibly can to gain exposure and credibility as an artist.
Step 3. Ring the organizing body or Gallery and ask questions regarding conditions of entry no matter how insignificant you think your inquiry is.
Step 4. Send you work on time every time.
Step 5. Build a relationship with your printmaking community, become a member online and off line, nationally and internationally.

Happy printing.
Warmly,
Jo Lankester


P.S. For your free 7 Printmaking Expert Webinar Series go to www.howtogetstartedinprintmaking.com


No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.
Buddha
The Contemporary Printmaker: Intaglio-Type & Acrylic Resist Etching