Don't Give Up

Here's a container that's been on the job for a number of years. As you can see, it's parts are tied together with a piece of rope. It's located back in the inner patio where I use to share a studio. One of the artists who has since retired told me one day that one of the City employees told some of the artists that the pot with it's plant must remain a part of the Village. It has a certain mystic. Nobody can dispose of that plant in that pot. Actually, I think that's nice myself. I like to see anyone or anything that doesn't give up no matter what the adversity.

Today was a day to remember not to give up. Today was the jurying in of new members and current members in new media. There were 49 entries for the jury's scrutiny, and only 9 of those were accepted. I tried for two new media and was not accepted in either. In my case, it means I can't display or sell in my studio any art made in either of those media, but it doesn't mean that I lose my membership or my studio or anything like that. However, for artists who are not yet members of Spanish Village, they are not eligible to join until their artwork is accepted by the jury in at least one medium.

The jurors are impartial judges not affiliated with Spanish Village. Certainly nobody could accuse them of being partial this time. They do rotate, and there will be a chance for all of us to try for acceptance again in January. Hopefully there won't be anyone who is discouraged enough to give up. Certainly I'd rather be numbered among a large number of rejected entrants as opposed to be one of the only few who didn't get in. And there were some really excellent entries this time. But that's the lesson: don't give up. There are many members of the Village who didn't get in the first time around.