Sunday, March 25, 2012

The Jury Process


Last week I was part of a jury for new artists for the Chatham Artists Guild. I volunteered to be a part of this jury because I wanted to sit on the other side and understand the process better, so that I could properly apply to shows that are juried. I have been applying to juried events for around four years now, I have gotten in to some great shows, I have been rejected for some shows. This might be a no brainer for some, but seeing how the jury process works and being a juror myself, gave me some new insight.
I already knew that you need to send in good photos. But now I know this is probably one of the most important parts of applying for a show. The photos can make a huge difference. And they need to be readable files. We had one entry that would not read on the PC that was hooked up to the projector so we had to look at the photos on the Mac laptop. This person had some good work, but the images were very difficult to judge. So I thought I would just list a few of my observations for anyone reading this that might just now be starting to enter into the jury process.
1. You really need your photos to be as close to professional as you can get them. Well lit, easy to understand the scale, the dimensions, and the material. I can't emphasize enough how important this step is. Environmental photos are not appealing, don't want to see you house decor! This is not the time to make artsy photos either. I remember once submitting images that Gerry had shot where I added some props and we made them all artsy pics. Wrong, it distracts from the judging of the work.
2. The work you present should be a cohesive body of work. If you do two or three things, this is not the time to tell people that. It is confusing. Each photo should flow nicely to the next one and you should tell a story about who you are and what you create with your images for greater impact. We had one artist that presented three different types of media, it was odd and we didn't quite understand what they did.
3. Be aware that someone else may be applying in your media and you may be judged next to that person. If you don't present the very best work you have, you may pale in comparison to another artist that is applying, thus swaying the opinions of the judges. Present the best work you have made.
4. It is important to describe your work well. We referred to the image description sheets frequently, and some were hard to understand. Make this clear and concise.
5. Don't put your name on the images so that they will show up on the screen, it is supposed to be an anonymous process. We had a couple of people that submitted with their name showing up, it's hard to be impartial when this happens.
6. Wrinkled backdrops are unappealing, I saw several, and it distracted from the quality of the work.
7. Keep in mind that when it comes down to it, you are still being judged by an individual with their own taste, so it can be a subjective process. Although I did not personally like some of the work submitted, I tried to judge it on the craftsmanship and the skill level of the artist rather than whether or not I would personally buy it. That was hard to do and I wonder how many times I have been judged by someone that just didn't personally like my style or what I made.
Just keep in mind, if you present the very best work you possibly can, and you still get rejected, it wasn't personal, it wasn't because someone didn't like you. It just means that you were not right for that particular show, maybe there was another similar artist that was way better, there is always someone better out there, you just need to be the one, you just need to keep working at getting better. You may think your craft is good, but better artists than you might be judging your work and know that it could be better, I'm still working at that with every piece I make!
I hope this helps. I highly recommend sitting on a jury if you ever have the chance, It gives you a different perspective when presenting your own work. I know it helped me.
I have volunteered to speak with those that were rejected if they want to have constructive feedback. I also think this is a helpful step in understanding why you did or didn't get selected so that you can present better the next time. I hope I don't make anyone mad! You know I have a history of expressing my opinions......

15 comments:

Mr. Young said...

Thanks for the insights Tracey, it helps to know what's going on after you submit something.

smartcat said...

This is an excellent breakdown of the entire jurying process. I like that you are willing to speak to those who were rejected.

Our local art association does a clay show every year. One of the things the juror agrees to is an open jurying process, where members watch the jurying. It's fascinating how different jurors approach the work. Some have definite criteria and rarely stray from it. Others have criteria, but are influenced by the work, the environment....

Jurying is from actual work, and observers are not allowed to speak.

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

Excellent advice, and really super-generous for you to volunteer to speak to those who were rejected and want feedback.

Judi Tavill said...

Very interesting...and appreciated.

Anna M. Branner said...

Great post Tracey. I need to work on my picture quality for sure!

Max said...

Thanks for the words of wisdom from someone I respect!

Diane Puckett said...

Very helpful. Thanks!

Michèle Hastings said...

Jeff is one of the three clay jurors for the League of NH Craftsmen. He did a jury while we were up north last week. The LNHC does an in person jury. First you submit photos then they give you an appointment with the jury. You talk about your self, your work, they ask you questions. The craftsman then leaves the room while the jury "deliberates". The craftsman returns for the "verdict". It is nerve wracking but if you are deferred they tell you what you need to work on... if you are accepted they may still tell you some things that would help your work. I think feedback is important so it's good you offered to talk to applicants. If you don't know what's wrong you can't fix it!

beaquilter said...

aww, makes me regret I didn't submit anything, maybe next year :-)

Lori Buff said...

This is a post that people should bookmark and refer to when applying for shows that have a jury. Thank you. I also think it's wonderful of you to volunteer to explain to people why they did not get selected. I wish more jurors would do this so we artists can learn and improve.

Hollis Engley said...

All good advice, tracey. Particularly re rhe photos.

Unknown said...

Much appreciated...I need to get to work on my photos asap.

andrea gardiner freeman said...

super helpful. thanks

cookingwithgas said...

Good Post TB very helpful!

ang design said...

what no rants!! i fell somewhat.....hollow :P