So the results are starting to roll in for the better mid-atlantic juried events. I know that accepted artists at events do not ask for their scores. Accepted is accepted and you're happy.
But what about those shows where your work is on par with what you see at the event, but you applied early; thought your images were good and your booth image was strong... but still didn't make the cut?
The jury process is not transparent. Most show directors I have requested scores from will not, as a matter of policy discuss jury scoring. Their events are black boxes... You pay a fee to submit your images and get back only a yes, no, or maybe for the event.
If an event has a scoring system for their jurors, why is it a problem to provide something besides an accept/reject/wait list response to artist applications?
If there's a scoring system, please provide the artists scores as a meager form of feedback. We may not like them, may disagree with them, but at least it is something. If you are scoring the booth images, provide your standards and give this as a separate score.
Is there anything wrong with an expectation of feedback given that you are paying a fee to an event to judge your work
I just received two rejections from a prominent Philadelphia event. I wrote the show director (not for the first time) and asked for my scores. The reply back was the same - we do not provide scores, and in time past they have cited other events of their caliber not providing scores either as part of why they do not provide scores.
Word was that ZAPP was going to add a scoring module to their software.... Anybody know the current state of this initiative?
Is anyone getting numeric or otherwise scores from their jury entries?
I applied for my states artist fellowship program this past year. I didn't get the fellowship and they did not provide scores. However, they did provide written comments from the juror.
So, I have to ask my juried brethren: if I can get written feedback from that level of juried competition and do not have to pay a fee, why should I expect any less from a for-profit/non-profit event jury, who is charging me for the privilege of asking to participate in their event?
Yes, scoring disclosure requires explaining what things are being scored in a given event. They may require showing (in example of a booth image) what top-level, middle of the road, and booth-fail booth images look like...
I am uncertain how one would establish criteria for scoring paintings.. Would Jackson Pollack jury into your better quality events these days? (I don't think so) How about Rothko? (well his stuff would match the couch and wall color schemes... Both of them made couch sized pieces... Warhol would probably get into some events, unless they thought his art factory approach meant that the all original aspects by the artist were being betrayed...well actually this might work in his favor - he'd never run out of products to sell...
But, if you are going to be a subjective jury, say so, say what the criteria are; and then disclose how the artists stacked up to those criteria.... If I am paying a fee for the privilege of applying for admission to pay more $ to maybe sell some products, I think it's the least a juried event should provide to those who didn't make the cut... I may not agree with the decision, but I at least know what the jury is looking for and will be able to perhaps craft an entry which will make me more likely to be competitive the next time I apply...or know that I need to improve my display.
Despite not being accepted for the Philadelphia shows (judged by "highly qualified 2D and 3D fine artists" and stated criteria, "Decisions of the jury are based on the quality, uniqueness, consistency and professionalism of the artwork")., I have been accepted for at least one Howard Alan event and waitlisted for the Rockville A-RTS event in 2014. So, I must be doing something right..
What are others experiencing this year on jury score disclosures. I know several artists on this board made a point of asking for scores. Are we making a difference? I note with interest that jury fees seem to be a little bit less aggressive this year....
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Like others here, I am getting more frustrated with the whole jury process. One show I applied to recently was more interested to see pictures of the straight legs and weights on my tent than seeing my product! I get into some very good shows, but others alude me. I make beautiful jewelry that is unlike any other"s I have seen. I cannot figure out what some of the juries are looking for. I find it difficult how some jewelers get into shows that we were "not invited" to. I have yet to receive any feedback from juries, even when asked. One show I applied to through ZAPP still has my application as "received." I cannot even get them to tell my whether or not I was juried and why no feedback at all. All I know is my application was received. We actually pay money for this? I fully agree with Robert. What do the jury fees I pay for get me? I realize the competition is tough, but how can one compete without a level playing field.
Still no jury answers... may have something to do with Zapp site maintenance in the past few days/weeks, or maybe the entries were so good/bad that it was hard to figure out who gets in...
A lot of shows I have been watching have extended their deadlines for entries.....
Not sure what this means.. Could be older artists and artisans have called it quits for many of the big shows and are going with lesser shows which still make money... Could be the economy has tapped out a lot of folks who held on through the recession, but couldn't make the turn of the tide... Now I know what it was like in the early '80s recession... Reagan called it trickle down, but it was more like being peed upon.....
No and ive been checking on the hr! WTH There are a bunch of shows I shud have heard from today and no go. Maybe its st patties! Or the full moon?
Well, today is March 17th and the Central PA Festival of the Arts Jury scores are supposed to be sent to the entrants today. It's 19:16 EDT as of this writing and I still have not seen whether I was invited or not.... Anybody else get results yet?
Get the 14W LED floods, SATCO. You will never look back put them in fixtures with no shades 60 degree beam spread.. They will run all day on a two deep cycle battery set up. I get 10 hrs out of my (9) 17 watts set-up and almost 10,000 lumens at 5000k. With the daylight contribution/dilution moderating the actual color temp in the booth I figure I am working with 3500-4000K overall ambient color temp. Those CFLs just suck the juice out of a battery. Fine if you can plug in.... But otherwise
Those panels seem to have vanished, and the importer out in Colorado doesn't answer my emails. Given the lack of support I'm glad I didn't get them. I see them on Amazon, but they're back ordered and not available. It does tick me off as I discovered the work light was the prefect replacement for a fluorescent lamp head for an old 5x7 enlarger I have. I have this Auto-Omega E3 auto-focus enlarger that was built in 1947 that is as sturdy as a tank, but the lamphead shows its age.
I've decided to go back to the 300watt CFL lamps and use two on a bracket up in the ceiling of the tent. I put up photos of it the next time I set up the tent. It's a marvel of simplistic cheesiness; the lamp shades are two frosted translucent trash cans 8x10x11T, with a hole punched in the base with a Greenlee chassis punch, two hanging pendant lights inserted into the trash cans with the screw cap of the socket holding the trash can. My bracket is a repurposed flip-chart holder that I run a couple of zip-ties through the little slot in the middle of the bracket that was used to set it on a tripod stand for the chart.
For the times when I still use the drafting table lamps in the tops of the Propanels, I finally broke down and went to Walmart and picked up a boatload of inexpensive short extension cords. I took those and clipped off the socket end with about six inches of cord left. I opened up a couple of 15 foot heavy extension cords, not the 3 wire 12 or 14 gauge cords, but something that looks like a vacuum cleaner cord, every 3 1/3 feet and created a short drop with the outlets. They were joined together to get a 30 foot long cord with an outlet at every post of the Propanels, and the feed cord drops at one of the rear corners of the booth. I really got tired of trying to string together a set of cords plugged into cords plugged into cords =8-O. The wires are soldered and taped solidly with a T overlapping pattern. It'll probably still give a fire marshal a coronary if they look at it closely. I may cover all the tape coverings with Liquid Tape just to make it look a bit snazzier. I did find a 3-wire 40 foot cord that was white to use with the CFL lights which blends right in with the tent
Robert,
What has the NAIA done anyway on reform of the jury process? I have not heard much from them regarding jury scoring, fees or the like..
Then there was that genuine artist/crafter certification thing that fell apart which got all weird and had about 30 pages of discussion
Did you but those Lowes Light panels? How did they work out?
I'm afraid I'm not in the loop on that stuff. I'm just an old fart photographer out in the midwest hoping my old work will still sell a few as I try to get something new that works. I'm not in any of the NAIA groups or any kind of advisory group beyond setting down for a few beers and exchanging tall tales and opinions with a few other artists after a show.
Robert,
I believe that if enough people ask enough, demand, and critically review offending jury processes, these shows will take a transparency hit. Enough people bitched about the high entry fees last year that most shows I have applied to thus far have had entry fees under 40$ and booth fees under 400$... But hey, I finally got an invite to do a HA show and I'm wait listed for Rockville A-RTS...Still have not cracked Reston Arts (Grace) or Bethesda Fine Art Fair, but I'll keep applying... Baltimore Artscape is totally off my list, as are a couple others
Robert, did you ever hear what happened to the ZAPP scoring module??
The more I look at it, the refusal to give scores and cut off points is a ploy to keep casting the lure out in order to snag more jury fees. If you see that the competition is kicking your butt and you're way below the cut off, you're going to stop sending your yearly charitable donation to these folks. Without feedback and scores, you hope against hope and continue sending money to them for the pleasure of getting a rejection notice. That 40-$50K jury fee pool is a nice chunk of change even after paying ZAPP, and the beer and munchies for the jurors.
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