Being relatively new and not having seen the jury process, I drove down to Forth Worth last week to observe. I thought I would share my experience as it was interesting to see the process. First though, I will point out that it was nice of the show to validate our parking.
I attended the afternoon session and sat through the jewelry and photography sessions. There is a lot of competition out there and was impressed with the work submitted. The set up of the room is basically five screens set side by side so everything appears at one time. They went through all of the slides fairly quickly as a preview. Sometimes it seemed almost too quick but they had a lot of applications. Then, they went back through and read the submitted description of the work.
The descriptions varied from basic statement of I shoot with XX and do my own printing on XX to more elaborate statements of their vision. Not sure the jurors really were listening to them. A couple of statements seemed like "pick me, pick me" sales pitches.
I was surprised at the number of what I would consider mixed media that was submitted in the photography section. Also surprised at some of the repetitiveness of some of the photo subjects. ie....numerous photos of a dock or piers in the fog. Quite a few did not have booth shots and there were also quite a few that were not "traditional" booth shots. I think of the booth shot of basically standing at the front of the booth and taking picture showing all three walls but there were booth shots from angle and different distances and some that didn't even really show more than a wall.
It was clear who the photographer on the jury was. After the initial photography preview run, he told the other jurors that there were several applicants that used little people figurines in their photography but basically they were all copycats except for the one person (didn't name him but basically described his work). The reaction of the other jurors and their comments definitely left me with the impression that the other were not going to be getting through. Just didn't seem proper for one juror to basically blackball the other applicants.
All in all it was a very enlightening experience and I recommend attending one some time. If I didn't make the cut, I am going to try and get down to Fort Worth for the show to see who got in.
Comments
I agree that it should be 2d or 3d. I have to apply in metal. But I think most jurors think that means sculpture. I think that the whole idea of accepting so many of this and so many of that is stupid. Take the best work. I did a show next to a guy who dose some very good shows. His work was not that great. But the shows had a category for his work that not many do. So he gets in. Shows should take the best art. Not the best in category.Plus the so called expert jurors is a joke.If someone is familiar with pottery or fiber they have no concept of what I do. As I for them.The jurors have opinions that is all. And we all know what they are like. Everyone has one and most of them stink.That is why the booth shot keeps so much good new art out of the shows. Because years ago a group that was thinking out of the box now wants everyone in the box.Its one reason younger buyers don't go to shows in my opinion. Same stuff every year.
Alison, one of the shows I was at a few years ago had a bunch of crazies tearing out of there pretty fast and clipping stuff as they left. After seeing someone else get a tub ran over (we had to stack stuff at the fronts of the booth prior to loading), I took my concrete block weights and stacked them up edge ways on each other at either side of my tubs and tent. Since hitting those would do serious damage to the side of a car or van, no one even came close ;-)
Sounds like a headache to me, Alison.
I've heard that suggestion before (the one about 2D & 3D) -- it opens up people to be more creative and not worry about category and I can show my paintings next to my drawings kind of thing. I think it is a good idea.
Also, I'd bet that some show directors do have some lists of "behaviors" that do and don't want happening in their show. How about minus for pulling in and blocking others when it isn't your time? or putting your work out of your booth so it obstructs someone else's, etc.
Ah categories, my favorite pet peeve. While I can see that several of the shows you mention have beefed up their distinctions between digital art and photography there is still grey area. I do extensively manipulated photography.
For Winter Park I fit solidly in photography. I know this for a fact because I called and described my work and was told I belonged in photography. But what about Sheila, a friend of mine, who takes digital images and adds scanned objects and extensive manipulation to create images that don’t even remotely resemble photography? She doesn’t scan the images in so now it gets confusing.
Gasparilla and Coconut Grove I’m in photography. I’m not sure if the definition has changed but I have applied to and been accepted in Gasparilla under the digital art category. I applied in the digital art category because I called and described my work and I was told I belong in digital art. Perhaps the word “exclusively” has been added since.
Festival of the Masters I’m solidly in digital art. I couldn’t create what I do without the computer.
Ft. Worth sounds like digital art for me again based on the words - “the manipulation of other source material” and assuming that by “traditional photograph” they mean photography that accurately reflects what you see.
St. Louis puts me back into photography. However it also puts my friend with the scanned objects into photography.
Cherry Creek, back in digital.
Personally I think categories should be 2D and 3D and open up the description of process to more than 100 or even 200 characters. Of course I also think juries should not be blind and should take into account things like not putting work outside your 10’ x 10’ spot on the plus side and running over your neighbors tent poles in your hurry to get out on Sunday on the minus side.
BTW, the photographer who used setups involving bananas was named David Schmidt, he was from West Virginia and enjoyed a long successful run at getting into the best shows in the country. He has been long gone from the circuit. Hell, he might have made so much money from the circuit that he bought the whole state of west virginia.
Forgot to list the definitions in the recent submission....so here goes.
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival
PHOTOGRAPHY
Limited edition no greater than 250, signed and numbered prints using archival materials that are created by the artist from his/her own original negatives or digital files processed by that artist or under that artist’s direct supervision. Photographs taken by digital means and works consisting of photographs that have been manipulated using a computer should be submitted in the photography category. Scanned images of the artist’s original work that have been significantly manipulated or enhanced into the final piece should be submitted in the Digital Art category
DIGITAL ART
Art work that is generated and produced using digital technology. May include scanned images (from the artist or other sources) that have been non-trivially modified by computing processes. Work must be printed with archival quality materials and MUST be properly signed and numbered as a limited edition no greater than 250. Photography of any kind is not permitted in this category.
(The antonym nontrivial is commonly used by engineers and mathematicians to indicate a statement or theorem that is not obvious or easy to prove and also means of some importance.)
Gasparilla
Digital art must be original artwork that is created exclusively on a computer, and must be signed. Original, limited edition prints of digital art will be permitted, and must be signed and numbered as part of an edition.
Photographs must be signed and numbered and must be the artist’s original image. Artists are encouraged to identify clearly whether a photographic print is produced digitally or through a traditional photographic process (silver print, Polaroid, dye-transfer, etc.).
Coconut Grove
Photography - Photographic prints made from the artist’s original negative that have been processed either by the artist or under his/her direct supervision. All images printed must be signed and limited to a 250 numbered edition. Exhibitor must disclose and display both their creative and printing processes during the Festival.
Digital art must be original artwork that is created exclusively on a computer, and must be signed. Original, limited edition prints of digital art will be permitted, and must be signed and numbered as part of an edition.
Disney Festival of the Masters
DIGITAL ART
Original work created using a computer and printed with archival quality materials. Accepted in this category are scanned and/or imported images of the artist’s original work that has been significantly manipulated or enhanced into the final piece. Original works in this category must be artwork that could not have been created without digital technology. All digital images printed must be signed and limited to a numbered edition of no more than 250, inclusive of size or format. Digital Artists are required to disclose both their creative and printing process. Browse Bin Rules apply.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Prints or transparencies must be from your original negatives or digital files that you have processed or directly supervised by a reliable, quality service. All images printed must be signed and limited to a numbered edition of no more than 250, inclusive of size or format. Photographers are required to disclose both their creative and printing process. Browse Bin Rules apply.
Fort Worth
Digital Art: This category includes any original work for which the original image, or the manipulation of other source material, was executed by the artist using a computer. Work in this category must be in limited editions, signed and numbered on archival quality materials. Traditional photographs taken through a digital media should apply in the photography category.
Photography: Photographic prints made from the artist's original image, which have been processed by that artist, or under his or her direct supervision, are included in this category. Photographers are required to disclose both their creative and printing processes on prints which have been properly signed and numbered as a limited edition
Saint Louis Art Fair
Digital Art - Original work purely created on a computer. Work must be printed on archival quality material and be properly signed and numbered as a limited edition. Photography of any kind is not permitted in this medium. For example: Work consisting of photographs that have been manipulated by a computer should apply in the photography category
Photography –Photographic prints made from the artist's original image, which have been processed by that artist, or under his or her direct supervision, are included in this category. Traditional photography using digital means should apply in the photography category. Work consisting of photographs that have been manipulated by a computer should apply in the photography category. Photographers are required to disclose both their creative and printing processes. Photographs must be properly signed and numbered as a limited edition.
Cherry Creek
Digital Art: This category includes any original work for which the original image, or the manipulation of other source material, was executed by the artist using a computer. Work in this category must be in limited editions, signed and numbered on archival quality materials. Traditional photographs taken through a digital media should apply in the photography category.
Photography: Photographic prints made from the artist's original image, which have been processed by that artist, or under his or her direct supervision, are included in this category. Photographers are required to disclose both their creative and printing processes.
This is in response to Sue Lukas' comment on November 13 2013....which struck a personal nerve....by the way Sue...I checked out your site and your work is lovely.
The subject of whether an image should be submitted in the Digital Art Category or Photography has been of personal concern for many years. I began my digital career in 1998 by creating large scale photo montages using Photoshop. During my tenure in England, I had the opportunity to meet British Digital Artists and began creating images from a combination of photo images, paintings both digitally and scanned originals and complicated transfer prints. From there I went on to create my work totally using a Wacom Cintiq and media brush combining digital painting and drawing without photography entering into the picture, so to speak.
I have listed the definitions of both Digital Art and Photography among the country's most outstanding outdoor art festivals. As you can see, the trend is to disallow any form of photography or photo manipulation in the category of Digital Art. Only Fort Worth and Cherry Creek's definitions remain ambiguous enough to allow liberal interpretation and thus perhaps manipulated photography may still be allowed in the Digital category.
However, the absolute definitions excluding the use of photography in the creation of an image under the category of Digital Art has not been followed by the committees or the judges in some of the shows who specify the exact distinction. I refer to the Winter Park Sidewalk Festival of 2013 who had 3 of the 5 selected artists in the Digital Category using photographs to create their images. This is truly unfair to those artists whose work was submitted for jurying whose work was created digitally using no photographs who were rejected or waitlisted.
So the bottom line is you must carefully read the definitions and apply accordingly. St. Louis does an excellent job of keeping the delineation well in order. As you can see, many in the Photography category have well executed manipulated photographs and not so much " straight work".
Thanks for the post about going to the open jury. I am a local and applied this year for the first time, and was wanting to go check out their process but did not have the time. As fas as the extra image goes.. emerging artists (category) are to enter another art image vs. a booth image. I am curious how long the entire day was for the jury to go over all of the images.
A letter like that would leave me wondering how hard it would be to convince your credit card company to issue a refund for the application fee? ;-)
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