Participating Artists Jurying Shows.....

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Larry Berman on January 30, 2012 at 3:45pm

I wouldn't worry about it. The way the jurying works at the better shows, it's virtually impossible for one artist to control the selection. There are at least three jurors if not more and the speed at which the images come up makes it difficult to think about more than the impact the art has on you.

Do you not trust other artists in your medium?

Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100

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Permalink Reply by Michelle Wermuth on January 30, 2012 at 4:23pm

When the peer jurors are a couple of "older" gentlemen who frown on new ways of showing a particular art form...( for example: photographs on canvas) Then it is not exactly fair. Should be a male and a female of varying ages and a minimum of three jurors.

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Permalink Reply by Larry Berman on January 30, 2012 at 4:51pm

To answer Michelle's points.

The person she is referring to hasn't been an exhibiting artist for about five or six years so is no longer a peer juror. Shows that use peer jurors use artists that actually exhibited at the show the previous year and juror status gives them a free booth the year they are jurying. Long's Park is an example. Or in the case of Fort Worth, the best in show winner is asked to be a juror the following year so they would be considered a peer juror.

Additionally the person who she is referring to has tried to influence other jurors while the jury is happening. I witnessed this first hand and also witnessed the other jurors not being influenced. I even spoke to the show director afterwards and suggested that if photographs on canvas aren't allowed, it should be stated in the prospectus so that photographers know in advance and not waste their jury fee money. And I was assured that it wasn't the case.

Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100

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Permalink Reply by Robin Ragsdale on January 30, 2012 at 4:36pm

I've never done a show that was juried by "participating artists". It does seem like a conflict of interest. However, if I were one of those jurers I would bend over backwards to be impartial.

Robin Ragsdale

www.evenbetterimages.com

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Permalink Reply by terry metz on January 30, 2012 at 6:17pm

A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other.

A conflict of interest can only exist if a person is entrusted with some impartiality; a modicum of trust is necessary to create it. The presence of a conflict of interest is independent from the execution of impropriety. Therefore, a conflict of interest can be discovered and voluntarily defused before any corruption occurs.

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Permalink Reply by terry metz on January 31, 2012 at 12:23pm

cherry creek, brookside, plaza.....for starters

while one juror might not control the selection, one juror can easily execute a hit. 

There are two in Cherry Creek this year.  

Artists deserve a level playing field

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Permalink Reply by Larry Berman on January 31, 2012 at 12:32pm

What I don't understand is why you (the collective you, not you personally) don't think it's more of a level playing field than if you had a bunch of academics who had never done an art show on the jury. You should spend some time on my web site reading the interviews with artists who had been jurors:
http://bermangraphics.com/artshows/jury-reviews.htm

Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100

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Permalink Reply by Sheila Evans on January 31, 2012 at 12:26pm

I've been asked to be a juror for a show that I do regularly. I received an award last year and was already jury exempt. This show normally has one participating artist juror (for entry, not awards) per year. 

I really don't see how I could eliminate my competition from the show unless I were to eliminate artists altogether---i.e. get rid of all other 2D openings in the show. Obviously that isn't going to happen, so whatever I do as a juror, I will have competition at the show.

I will also have six other people with me in the jury room, and the show director, helping decide who will be in the show. Even if there were some way of eliminating some particularly tough competition of mine, I would have to justify to those people why I think a talented artist should not get in. If I wanted to, and could somehow get away with, picking a less-than-stellar group of artists as my competition at that one show, everyone would know I was responsible.

There is no way that my sales for one single event could possibly be worth my reputation.

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