The Jury's In

Awarded "Best in Show"
(c) Greg Siler

This spring I submitted an entry to "Carolina's Got Art!" (CGA for short)--a juried art show. For the uninitiated, a "juried" show is one in which artists compete to have their work included in the show. There is typically a single juror, who reviews all of the entries and decides which ones make the cut. Because of the dynamics of the process for high profile shows, only a small percentage of entries are selected. 

This year, CGA landed Eliza Rathbone as its juror. Ms. Rathbone is well know in art circles, having been

the Chief Curator at the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC for over twenty years. (Full disclosure: though Rathbone did not select either of my paintings for the big show, the sponsor of the show, Larry Elder, chose one of them for the juried "CGA Salon Show", which opens tomorrow night at Elder Gallery). I attended Ms. Rathbone's talk about her selection process, and thought my faithful readers might be interested in some of her comments.

"Kalvin"
(c) Terri Otten
Awarded Honorable Mention

Rathbone admitted that reviewing almost 3000 images can be mind-numbing, and that sequencing and chance do have an impact on a juror's decisions. She said that with that so many images to view, she only considered those that made her STOP in her tracks--ones that arrested her attention for one reason or another. She was also looking beyond mere technical polish, and was seeking work that expressed a personal view, and was authentically that artist's way of expression. The painting just above, by my friend Terri Otten, received an Honorable Mention from Rathbone. I love Terri's work, and think it truly does express her own authentic view. Brava, Terri!

"The Brayer"
(c) James Celano

The painting immediately above, "The Brayer", is only ten or twelve inches square. Rathbone awarded it Third Place. She noted that she loved the idea of making a beautiful painting of something so simple and insignificant. Furthermore, she could see that the painting was done by a hand that had experience, freedom, and enjoyment of the paint. Well said.

Regarding her choice for "Best of Show" (top image), Rathbone noted that she was drawn to the composition, the shapes, and the quality of light. She liked the fact that the painting was not "obvious", and that it had an imbalance as well as a balance. She found the pose fascinating and beautifully rendered. Finally, she said that it didn't try to "say too much", and was very poetic.

All very inspiring. The May show has come down now, but the June Salon Show opens tomorrow, June  5, 2015, at Elder Gallery. It represents a wide variety of art from across the Carolinas, and it will be hanging through June 27, so come on down! I close with an image of my painting that was chosen for the June show. Hope you can check out the show.

"Artisan Station, Backside"
(c) Lesley Powell 2015