C pointed out this weekend that a great deal of time and energy in succeeding in life is put into "managing expectation". There is nothing worse than expecting one thing and getting another. Its even worse when the "other" isn't as high quality as what was expected.
A few weeks ago I received an application to jury for the 31st Annual West Virginia Mountain Arts & Heritage Festival. The festival is held twice a year for three days near Harper's Ferry West Virginia. So I started to research the show, (Google is an amazing and wondrous invention), and all my research suggested that this show maintains high quality arts & crafts, and isn't overrun with soap makers either. And is only about a 4 hour drive from the house. So I perused my application more thoroughly.
In order to Jury I had two options: 1) to drive to West Virginia or to 2) mail samples of my work to West Virginia. If I chose to drive down, there are only three days of jurying- Friday 9-5, Saturday 9-5, and Sunday 9-12 noon. "There will be no rain or snow dates". Although it nowhere specifically states that the artist will be interviewed in the process, to me the process described implied such an interview. I inferred that there would be such an interview because of statements within the application such as "the Festival Committee will continue its policy of having each artisan bring samples of his/her work."
So on Friday C and I drove to West Virginia and stayed the night. Saturday we got up early and drove to the firehouse where the jurying takes place. Because we knew that the jury process was "first come, first serve", I thought arriving close to 9 am would be sufficient. When we arrived there was already 6 people before me (some arriving as early as 8 am). 9 am came and went, and no one's name was called. C and I started to assume that the process was starting late. This was the first thing that disappointed us.
Around 10 am, the door opened and it was announced that the first six people on the list, could retrieve their items from the jury room, and leave. They would be notified in March of their acceptance. HUH? No interview? The next 6 names were called and we were told to set up or items on the tables next to our names. We then were to leave and wait until called again. OK, so no interview… hmmm…I would have brought more information about items, I would have brought more signage…is it just me or is it different when your work has to speak for itself than when you get to speak for your work? About 45 minutes later I was allowed to get my things and leave, without a word to anyone.
No why does this bug me, besides the fact that they did a bad job at managing my expectations? Because I didn't have the opportunity to have all the information I needed to put my best foot forward, because I drove 4 hours to do something that mailing my work would have been better at (I would have been prepared for it to have to speak for itself), I got all dressed up (I could have worn my PJ's), and I felt as though the jury couldn't be bothered to learn who I am as a person, they couldn't respect me enough as an artist to give me a few minutes to talk and answer questions. In fact, heck, it didn't have to be me who brought my work, the work I brought didn't have to be mine, I didn't have to make it, and they did nothing to try to make me prove that the items I brought in were actually made by my hand. Sure using this process they can better insure and maintain quality, but it does nothing to prove the pieces weren’t made in China, or Mexico, or even in the USA, by someone other than me.
Before the process, I felt as though people who brought their items had an advantage over those who mailed theirs or those who had a fellow artisan stand in for them, now I know that there is no advantage. I know that this process has its faults, and is little better than processes that rely on slides for its jury process. I've learned questions to ask in the future, I've learned how I will handle jurying for this show in the future, and I've learned that there is little worse than not getting what you expected.
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