2023 has been a little bit of a whirlwind, from quitting my job to focusing on being an emerging artist, to turning 50, and then to top off the milestones celebrating 10 years of sewing and quilting. I am so thankful for the opportunities and the people I have met and supported me on this journey.
In 2023, I was focused on engaging and learn about the local art communities. It was a year of firsts:
- I was accepted for my first artist in residence and then was offered a 6 month one with the Durham Art Guild.
- Had my first Art Solo show at Page Walker in Cary, NC.
- Taught my first Summer Camp Classes for middle and high schoolers.
- Juried into my first Art Show across multiple medians.
- Attended my first artist critique.
- Participated in Big Ink and carved and printed my first woodblock.
- Selected to participate in my first business class for artists with Triangle Artworks.
There were so many new experiences and I tried to embrace and engage with as many of them as I could. My biggest accomplishment though was putting myself out there, attending the events and networking.
In light of those following my journey though here are some of the numbers for things I have applied to or completed in 2023.
Artist in Residence Programs
I applied for 3 Artist in Residence this year and completed one that I was accepted in last year. Acceptance rate was 66%. I will definitely include more information on my experience for my 6 month Artist in Residence after I complete it in April.
| Residency Program | Works Submitted | Result | Cost of Submission | Calendar |
| Penland Winter Artist in Residence 2023 (2 weeks) | Aroha, One of these things, Isolation, Home | Accepted | $30 | 7 Jan to 21 Jan |
| ArtSpace Summer Artist in Residence | Invisible Visible, Rails II, Snowfall, Isolation, One of these things, Aroha, Study No. 3, Cairns, Home, City of Mannheim | Declined | $25 | N/A |
| Durham Art Guild Artist in Residence | Rails II, Snowfall, Isolation, One of these things, Aroha, Study No. 3, Home, Broken Trellis, Ford+Son, Colosseum Wood bock Print | Accepted | $15 | Jul to Dec |
| Chateau Orquevaux, France Artist in Residence | Rails II, Study no.3, Ford+Son, Colosseum, Broken Trellis | Accepted | Fee Waived | Jun to Jul (3 weeks 2025) |
Exhibitions
For exhibitions, the second half of 2023 was very successful. I have learned a couple of things with this experience. Firstly, I now keep a spreadsheet for submission with piece (and its details), dates and notes. This way I can keep track and try to avoid any overlaps. Secondly, it is ok to withdraw for some events and say no (though keep as an exception not a rule).
Here are the shows that I exhibited in 2023 (except the solo show as that was accepted last year but exhibited this year). All shows below were juried. For the Durham Art Guild’s 69th Juried Exhibition, I even got an Honorable mention. My acceptance rate was 92%, which was just amazing.
| Applied for | Works Submitted | Result | Cost of Submission | Calendar |
| Town of Cary, Solo Exhibition | Tread, Negative Crosswalk, San Francisco Bustle, Altitudinal Ecosystem, Snowfall, Orange Creamsicle, Rotating Spokes, Manicured Gardens, Rails I, Sunday Best | Accepted | $0 | 7 Jul to 19 Aug |
| Scaffold, ArtSpace NC | Outskirts | Accepted | N/A | 3 Apr to 30 Jun |
| NC Artist Exhibition | Ford+Son | Accepted | $35 | 24 Sep to 22 Oct |
| DAG: Breathing New Life | Live Life | Accepted | $0 | 18 Aug to 22 Sep |
| Quilts=Art=Quilt | Rails II | Declined | $35 | |
| Durham Art Guild 69th Juried Exhibition | Rails II, Broken Trellis, Colosseum | Accepted | $15 | 17 Nov to 5 Jan |
| Homage, 311 Gallery | Whitney | Accepted | $25 | Dec |
| QuiltCon 2024 | Rails II, Broken Trellis, Colosseum, Walled | Accepted | $80 | 22-25 Feb 2024 |
| Artfields SC 2024 | Ford+Son | Accepted | $25 | 26 Apr to 4 May 2024 |
Additionally, I had two other opportunities to show work. One was a non-juried member show and the other was by Invitation.
| Non-Juried Shows | Works Submitted | Cost of Submission | Calendar |
| Modern Textiles @ Fayetteville Technical Community College, The Art Gallery | Study no. 3, Orange Creamsicle, Sunday Best, Carbon under pressure, Correlation | $0 | 23 Oct to 15Dec |
| 12×12 Member Showcase, ArtSpace NC | Shutters | $0 | 3 Nov to 30 Dec |
Other Applications
Lastly, in full transparency, I did apply for a course and was selected to attend with no cost to me and received to declines for Magazine competition submissions which is below. Acceptance rate 0% for the magazine submissions.
| Applied for | Works Submitted | Result | Cost of Submission | Calendar |
| Excellence in Quilts (Fiber Art Now) | Rails II, Ford+Son, Colosseum at Night | Declined | $30 | NA |
| 2023 Exhibition In Print (Surface Design Association) | Ford+Son, Rails II, Snowfall | Declined | $30 | NA |
| Durham Momentum 360 Art Entrepreneurship (Triangle Artworks) | Artist Statement, Bio, CV | Accepted | $0 | 6 week class |
Actuals (the money side)
The other thing I have released is to make sure you budget at the beginning of the year for the application fees. This year, just from above, here is what my actuals were.
| Application Costs | $345 |
| Income (includes monetary value for prizes) | $1600 |
I learned so much in the past year, so this year my 2024 goals are a little more targeted. I’ll share more in my next post. Happy New Year, everyone.
