Rejected and Hoarded Show at the Lauderhill Arts Center

The Rejected and Hoarded show opened at the Lauderhill Arts Center March 7, 2014.

The walls of the gallery are covered in the rejection letters that I collected through the year 2013. I submitted my work and ideas for proposals for grants, fellowships, a biennial, a residency, and calls for artists for group shows and exhibitions.

The opportunities were local, domestic and international. The rejections took the form of emails, status updates on a website, and submissions without answer.

My studio was packed with the work that was rejected many times last year. Paintings stacked up against each other, new work talking to older pieces...

Surprisingly, many people signed their RSVP cards. The RSVP cards that were returned were displayed on one of the walls in the gallery. It was the most interactive piece in the show. People were engaged in reading the RSVP cards. It got people to share their stories about rejection and how they deal with it. People shared stories with me and I with them.

I have included the catalog essay that I wrote for the exhibition, below for download and sharing. The invitation and RSVP cards mailed to supporters are available to download as well.