2022 Regional Juried Arts Juror’s Statement

To Mark, thank you for being our 2022 juror.
You were wonderful and we were delighted to have you here!

JUROR’S STATEMENT

Whenever I am asked to judge a show, I am always happy to do so. Though, I also understand the burden and fully accept the responsibility that goes with it. As an artist myself, I know how hard the artists have worked on their craft as well as on the individual pieces submitted. My aim is to make the best show possible out of the submitted works which always means difficult decisions will need to be made. Sure enough, the work submitted for the Carnegie Center 2022 Regional Exhibition made the decision-making extra challenging.

I begin with these principles of art: Statement, Composition & Design, Drawing, Value, Color, Shape & Line, Edgework, Paint Manipulation. These are the fundamentals that all good art is built upon. Though adhering to these fundamental principles of art alone sometimes isn’t enough. I have seen many artists break the so-called “rules” and still create amazing works of art. I have seen technically gifted artists who have little soul in their work, and artists who have lots of soul, but very little technical prowess. For me, it’s when both technical skill and personal feeling are put together that the best art is made. One without the other can leave us wanting more and not understanding why.

The challenge for me as a judge is recognizing my biases and doing my best to remove them and be impartial to the art itself. There are pieces in here that do not suit my tastes, but deserve to be in the show. And there are pieces that I liked and touched me, but chose to leave out. That is part of being a judge. In the end, I believe the show reflects all of us: the Carnegie Center for the Arts, the art and artists that were accepted, and even my own personal tastes and choices. And that’s what makes each exhibit unique.

I want to thank Donna Grubbs and the Carnegie Center for the Arts for inviting me to judge. It was my honor to select the award winners for this exhibition. I want to thank everyone who had the courage to submit their works. Congratulations to those who were accepted into the show. Special congratulations go to the award winners as these were truly exceptional works. And I want to encourage everyone who creates art to try again next year, whether you got in this year or not. Keep trying. Keep painting. Keep sculpting. Keep creating. Do your thing, whether you find it to be accepted quickly or not. Keep striving to hone your craft, to fi8nd your voice, and to find ways to share that with others.

Mark A. Vander Vinne, Juror