the gallery that said yes and then went quiet
My first "yes" from a gallery, the owner was enthusiastic, we talked dates, I sent the portfolio, everything felt real. Then nothing. Emails unanswered for weeks. Finally a "we'll circle back" and that was it.
I still don't know what happened. Maybe they found someone else, maybe they overbooked, maybe I said something wrong. The silence is its own kind of answer, I suppose.
Has this happened to you? A gallery that said yes, meant it in the moment, and then just... disappeared. Did you ever find out why?
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Oh, this hits. I had something similar a couple years back, not a gallery, but a small group show organizer. She loved my work, said I was exactly what they needed, asked for specific pieces. Then radio silence. I followed up twice, got nothing, and eventually just let it go.
It's the not knowing that gets you, isn't it? You start turning it over in your head, wondering if it was something in the portfolio or an email you sent wrong. I drove myself crazy with that.
A friend who works in galleries told me it happens more than people talk about. Sometimes they overcommit, sometimes funding falls through, sometimes they just get overwhelmed and it's easier to go quiet than to explain. She said it's almost never about the artist's work. I try to remember that but it's hard not to take it personally.
Hope you get a better answer eventually, or at least a gallery that follows through. The ones who do exist.
The not knowing is the worst part, yes. You replay everything, like a conversation you can't stop editing. I did the same, went over the portfolio email again and again, wondering if I'd sent the wrong file.
Your friend is right, I think. It happens. But knowing it's common doesn't make it feel less personal when it's you sitting there refreshing your inbox.