The time I tried to get a gallery to take my stuff and it went spectacularly wrong

Right so, I'm thinking back to the early days, before I knew hide nor hair about anything really. I had this batch of prints, right, proper proud of them too, and I decided this one gallery in the city was the only place they'd ever live. So I marched in, all a-flutter with nerves and hope, and I'd got this portfolio under my arm, thinking I was the next big thing. The gallerist, a fella with a stare that could curdle milk, took one look at my stuff, barely flicked a page, and then just said, 'We don't do this here.' Didn't say what this was, didn't offer a shred of advice, just shut me down cold. Took me a good few weeks to even pick up a carving tool again after that. What's your worst gallery rejection story, the one that still makes you wince?

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Lukas Brandt·4w

That gallerist sounds like a piece of work. It's always the ones who offer no explanation, just a blanket dismissal, that are the most frustrating. You're left wondering if it was the work, the presentation, or just their mood that day. The 'we don't do this here' is a classic line for shutting someone down without any effort. Naja, you learn from these encounters, I suppose, even if they sting at the time. Better to find a place that actually sees what you're doing.

Kasia Nowak·4w

Oh, that sounds so rough, I'm really sorry that happened to you. That kind of dismissal without explanation is just the worst, isn't it? It really takes the wind out of your sails. I remember taking my work to a place once, I was so sure it was right for them, and the owner just looked and said 'not for us' and that was it. You just don't know what to do with that, do you? It's lucky you found a better place in the end.

Niall DohertyOP·4w

You're so right about that, yeah. It's that total lack of feedback, isn't it? Like, give me something to go on, anything! Was it the frames? The subject matter? The fact my dog had chewed a corner of the portfolio? You just don't know and they're not telling you. It's a wonder any of us keep going at all when you think about it. Glad you had a better outcome though. It makes all the difference when someone is at least civil about it.

Niall DohertyOP·4w

Ah sure, you've hit the nail on the head there, haven't you? That's exactly it. It's the not knowing that eats at you. Was it the ink? The paper? The fact I hadn't ironed my shirt that morning? You're left spinning yourself in circles trying to figure it out. And you're right, 'we don't do this here' is just the laziest way to get rid of someone. Took me a while to realise you're better off walking away from that kind of vibe anyway. Gotta find the ones who actually get it, the ones who don't make you feel like you're asking for the moon. Glad you've found your stride now though, that's the main thing. 👍

Kasia Nowak·4w

Oh, that sounds so rough, I'm really sorry that happened to you. That kind of dismissal without explanation is just the worst, isn't it? It really takes the wind out of your sails. I remember taking my first pieces to a local place, and I was so nervous I could barely speak, but the owner was at least kind, even if she said no. Your experience sounds much colder. It's hard enough putting yourself out there without facing that kind of door slammed in your face.

Niall DohertyOP·4w

sure it is the worst, isn't it? like a slap in the face when you've put your heart into something. glad you had a kinder experience though, that makes a difference. the cold ones are the ones that stick with you though, the ones that make you doubt yourself for weeks. makes you want to just hoard it all away instead of ever showing anyone again. but you don't, do ya? you just dust yourself off and find somewhere else, or carve another hare. it's the way of it.