Galleries West (Canada) Fall/Winter 2008

You can find the Fall/Winter 2008 PDF here

"Win, Place, Show; The Ever-Growing World of Art Competitions, What Does it Mean to Make the Shortlist?" by Heather Ramsay. The article looks into what these competitions mean to artists and how it affects their lives. Ramsay mentions my 2005 national award in the 1st Art Invitational Student Art Competition. She goes on to explain Eric Metcalfe's position on becoming an artist. Ramsay wrote, "Art schools across Canada are graduating thousands every year and at a recent ceremony in Alberta [Metcalfe] told the grads to look around. 'Only three of you will become artists,' he said. 'That’s how tough it is.' "

I've been asked "Why would you want to be an artist. The pay isn't good and you work too hard for what you get back. Why not just give up?" But I just want to continue, there is no reason, in fact reasons are practical things and this is not a practical decision. Financially making art can be a waste of time, but that's why we depend on the kind of people who can help fund making art.