Dinah Snipes Steveni on sun 6 nov 11
Hi All
My recent experience with an international juried show seems to cover many =
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of the points Vince Pitelka brought up in a sideways sort of manner as "goo=
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d practice". This is about the 2011 ICF Mino Japan exhibition. Images were =
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judged online twice by a panel of 8. Then, if one passed through these filt=
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ers, the piece was requested to be sent to Japan for a final on site juryin=
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g. I'm quoting from Osamu Suzuki (by the by, a Living National Treasure in=
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Japan; and it was a huge thrill to spot one of his teabowls displayed in a=
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glass case in Tajimi City Station), Chair of the judges' panel "A total of=
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1,251 people entered 2,777 pieces in the festival. Of these, 650 applicant=
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s from Japan submitted 1,312 pieces while 621 applicants from 57 other coun=
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tries submitted 1,465 pieces. There were supposed to be nine judges -- five=
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from Japan and four from outside Japan with five in the Ceramic Arts Categ=
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ory and four in the Ceramics Design Category -- but the judge from France w=
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as not able to attend and so eight judges selected the winning entries all =
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the way through to the final prize. This year the judging method was very d=
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ifferent than in the past. The new feature was the addition of a review of =
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images, instead of only the actual work. (This method has become a trend re=
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cently, judging by other exhibitions.) Preliminary reviews in each category=
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took place separately from February to March. Then on April 23 and 24 the =
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judges from both categories together eliminated the majority of submissions=
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by repeatedly discussing and voting on them by a show of hands while viewi=
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ng the entries on a large screen. It was a rigorous selection process. The =
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result that 231 real works were brought together [people were asked to mail=
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/deliver selected piece/s] and on July 14 and 15 were the subject of heated=
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debate, a show of hands, and voting to pare down the entries to select the=
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winners."
[The public were invited for the April and July viewings as well.] A combin=
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ed 190 in both categories were on exhibit. I met a potter, who on the stren=
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gth of being asked to mail the piece to Japan, booked tickets and a 3 week =
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trip, only to discover that the piece had been juried out, but attended any=
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way. Read the application through carefully. Always ask questions of the or=
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ganizers if you aren't sure of something.=3D20
Pick your juried shows with care, if you are an "emerging potter" of whatev=
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er age, trying to establish a niche in your locale, or nationally, or inter=
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national, try to gain a place in as many juried shows which seem to fit you=
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r remit. But, and this is important as I carefully read catalog's comments =
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from judges from The Mashiko Ceramics Competition 2006, and 2008 -- in that=
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certain potters have established themselves quite nicely thank you very mu=
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ch, and slightly paraphrasing here: we think that they should continue to =
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show in their chosen galleries, and just pull back from the ego rush of sub=
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mitting samo-samo work to juried shows. Whoa! That makes one have a little =
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think about Whither Goest My Pots? =3D20
It's very nice to gain approbation from ones peers and betters in any craft=
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. Some folks say it's better to be lucky than good. That gave me pause for =
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thought. I think this is a message that I'm hearing from some Clayart membe=
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rs. Lucky? Good?=3D20
The Tingle Factor is what I call perusing through the Calls to Artists and =
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seeing what gets the juices going. I used to call The Times Educational Sup=
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plement in the United Kingdom when it appeared on a Fri=
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day evening -- and when one's week on the old chalk face had been especial=
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ly grueling and taxing, didn't a job oop north in Hell's Armpit, North York=
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shire just look golden?=3D20
But, here's the the other side of applying for a juried show: UnWedged at P=
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ottery Northwest in Seattle not more than 55 miles door to door. I submitte=
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d images to an online group acting for PNW -- new this year for PNW -- and =
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got the message thanks your submission is successful, yadda, yadda. I sent =
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my check in by snail mail. A couple of days after the notification date --=
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I mark my calendar with shows I apply to and keep a file of copies of appl=
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ications and check #s etc., etc. Don't you? --I emailed them a polite enqui=
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ry. Sorry, we have your check but, alas, no indication of work submitted. I=
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even provided PNW with my password to the group which handled submissions.=
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Got my check back, but scant pleasure from the experience. 20/20 hindsight=
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: I should have sent a CD-ROM with images; and organizers please make this =
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a viable option alongside the other popular image filtering forums. No name=
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s no pack drill. Next year.=3D20
Have fun. Market yourself (your work) carefully and steadily. I'm going to =
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give a presentation on March 17th at The Schack Center in Everett, WA. on =
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The Tingle Factor.=3D20
Dinah
Mount Vernon, WA.=3D20
www.dinahsnipessteveni.com
www.dinahsnipessteveni.wordpress.com
"To obtain a certain thing, you have to become a certain person."
Zen Buddhist saying
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