Being the Juror, For Once...

"Going with the Flow" Watermedia on Paper, 29" x 29"
This piece was juried into the Tri State Juried Watermedia Exhibit in 2013

 

 

I was recently asked to be on the jury of a regional exhibition hosted by the Council on Culture and Arts (COCA). I jumped at the chance, because I have always wanted to be on the other side of the jurying process. As chairperson of the TaWS Tri State Juried Watermedia Exhibition for many years, it intrigued me how the juror chose a show - what artwork 'spoke' to that juror and why select painting "a" rather than painting "b"? I always kept a list of my top picks and compared my choices to those of the juror. I usually matched 75-80% of the paintings picked by the juror. 

 

The COCA jurying task was really difficult! And, we had no time for review. The images came fast and furious, so any hesitation cut into the next image and the next decision. We rated over 160 works, and our answers were compiled and used to create the final list.  

 

I would love to jury a show sometime where I could take my time and review each piece on its own merits.  If you have ever juried an exhibit, what were your most favorite and least favorite aspects of the job?