On Jurying

I set up the two jurors today with pencils, criteria forms, coffee and a few sweets, then scurried out the door to let them start the process.  Before I left, I shared a few directives.  I fully trust these two excellent minds, but it was important that they know this show is about celebrating the 75 years of the Arts Centre building.  I use a four-point criteria system so that it is as subjective as you can get with art, not allowing much leeway in individual taste.  When I returned, I found the two of them near the end of the list, chattering away like two squirrels in a tree, and fully engaged with the spirit of the exhibition.  They requested yellow stickies to identify 24 "must-be-in-show" pieces.  As many as is possible will be selected from the remainder according to the score on the criteria sheet. It's important that artists know that their work isn't being "judged" as though in a competition. It is being juried.  The priority is to make a cohesive exhibition.  Work not selected may just not fit with the show, even though it may be a successful piece.  Tomorrow morning I will begin the long task of separating the works, calling the artists for pick-up, and laying out the show in preparation for the installation team's arrival at 7pm.  Then we'll have a better idea of how "75" will look by the time we open on Friday night.