Competition Between Artists

There is a lot of competition in the arts, as in anything. I have spoken a bit about competition between institutions and arts organizations (and of the idea that we should limit opportunities to foster advancement) before. Now I am going to address the topic of competition between artists.

Some artists are very self-driven, to the extent that they will not inform other artists of opportunities and venues because they perceive of the other artists as a threat due to competition. However this attitude tends to foster itself such that other artists will not inform the self-driven artist of opportunities or events either. That artist then becomes an island of sorts, completely self-reliant both by design and out of necessity due to only being able to rely on him/herself.

I can understand not wanting to inform others of opportunities when it puts oneself in direct competition with them. For example, the more people enter a juried show, the more people will be rejected. Why decrease one's odds of getting in? However, there is more at stake and more involved in this than is seemingly apparent.

Take the juried show example. If an artist keeps it to him/herself rather than spreading the information to others, there may be fewer entries. But that artist can still be rejected, and some of the reasons and rationale for the rejection may actually spawn from there being fewer entries. I know that doesn't seem to follow, because it seems more likely that a piece would be accepted when there are fewer works to choose from. But if an artist submits an amazing work that simply doesn't play off of anything else submitted it may be rejected in favor of a more cohesive show or because it is misunderstood and doesn't seem to fit the theme. However, if that artist is not alone in his/her interpretation, his/her work may seem more suited to the show. So it can be a benefit to inform other artists of show opportunities so that more entries come in validating one's own approach/interpretation. (And in regards to non-local events, it may become beneficial later, should more than one artist from your city be accepted, because they may be able to carpool to deliver work.)

In regards to informing other artists of venues in which to show works, this can foster both competition and collaboration. It can foster competition as more artists try to sell similar types of works in the same venue. It can foster collaboration as all artists represented work to bring in more potential buyers who may be interested in others' wares as well. By working together, artists can also strengthen the organizations and venues themselves, helping them to keep their doors open and to maintain their passion.

In conclusion, I personally prefer to inform other artists of shows that they seem well-suited to or to help them to discern where they might want to go with their work. I prefer not to be an island. I won't deny that there are times that I do not wish to be in direct competition, and I am less likely to inform others of those opportunities (or at least to preface them that I'd prefer those artists not to step on my toes). Essentially, I think that it strengthens the art community as a whole when we help to support and care for one another as much as possible and that it provides a greater benefit when we treat one another in the same way, informing others of opportunities and encouraging interconnectedness. Especially in rough economic times when sales are down, it can help to have others to lean on and to look to for support.