So I get in line again, ‘buy
up’ the tickets, and wait. And
wait. Well, I will say that I was
disappointed. And astounded.
And shocked. In so many ways.
But there are so many sides to the
acceptance and rejection letters.
I recall years ago, as director of
a large exhibition, sending out
hundreds of notifi cations by snail
mail, signing every one. Sometimes,
I would add a personal note to
the printed letter, especially to an
artist I knew or who I felt may have
been expecting very different news.
I would enclose their treasured
slides, knowing the sense of failure
these letters might bring. In those
days, there was a fat envelope or
a skinny one. There was no need
to open it ... we all know what the
skinny one said.
But remember, jurors are
human. When we enter a
competition, we have chosen to
be judged by a jury of our peers.
Some are curators, professors, not
all practicing artists. But in my
experience of securing jurors for
a lot of exhibitions over the past
30 years, they are like us. They
are us. And it’s my belief that most
jurors, especially in our fi eld, take
their responsibilities seriously,with care and meticulous thought.
Having been so fortunate to witness
the jury process fi rst hand, in
both regional and international
exhibitions—with one, two, or
three jurors—their work remains
the same. Choose the best, you
would immediately think. But
sometimes, the ‘best’ is too big or
doesn’t play well with the other
pieces selected. Or maybe there
are too many of a similar style,
too much printing, piecing, red,
yellow ... well, you get it. The goal
for any juror or group of jurors
is to produce a stunning visual
exhibition. That is the bottom line.“Retia” (2013) • Betty Busby • 45" x 60" • Rejected; won Best of Show, Form, Not FunctionPh
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