By now I am getting close to 4,000 emails from female artists who want to be considered and reviewed for the Women Artists of the DMV survey show coming to six Greater DC art venues in September.
99.999% of the emails and interchanges are friendly and professional - there are these others of course - but generally speaking, everything is pretty normal and professional and cool.
Then there's this particular artist... let's calll her Ethel, or Bertha, or Antonia...
She is a talented artist, and sort of in that category that is not what the dealers of art as a commodity would call a blue chip artist, but certainly not an emerging artist either. She has exhibited mostly in the Greater DC area, and is not (as far as I know) ever been represented by any DC area art gallery or elsewhere for that matter.
I selected one of her works for the show, and she was very happy to be invited.
Then it went south.
Ethel sends me an email asking how many pieces would I like for the show; not the only artist who has asked this. I answer that it is only one work per artist, as I'm trying to fit as many worthy artists as possible into the survey show.
She responds by letting me know that she feels that her work and she as an artist have enough "impact" (her words) that she feels that she "merits" (her words) having one work in each of the six venues.
I let a day go to let that sink in.
In the intervening day, she pumps out three more emails on the issue, and asks for my phone to talk to me.
The next morning, another email requests a studio visit so that I can pick up the six works if that "would make me happier."
I decline, and repeat to her that only one work per artist, no exceptions.
"There are always exceptions" she notes in her response.
I go for the jugular then and send her a note asking her: "In your opinion then, which other artist or artists from the accepted list (so far) should have more than one work in the show? Any besides you who should also have six?"
There are some power hitters in this list; and naturally she goes radio silent.
She'll have one work in the show - venue to be decided.
