I spent Saturday morning judging the Drawing category of the Fine Art Exhibition of the Washington State Fair. I learned that our state fair is the 7th largest in the nation! 1.2 million attend, and about a quarter of a million see the Art Exhibition. Wow. That's a pretty big deal.Judge not, lest ye be judged...Unless they ask nicely!
I spent Saturday morning judging the Drawing category of the Fine Art Exhibition of the Washington State Fair. It is the second time I've been asked to judge at the Fair, and I have felt equally honored both times! I learned that our state fair is the 7th largest in the nation! 1.2 million attend, and about a quarter of a million see the Art Exhibition - more if it rains a lot in a particular year. Wow. That's a pretty big deal.
I also learned that...OMG...you better be careful about how you frame the work you enter into a show!
I'll start at the beginning. We judges all arrived in the cavernous Exhibition Hall at 8:30am, bringing our resumes and a piece of our own artwork. Lots of fruit and pastries were offered but no coffee. A bit of growling ensued...artists aren't really known to be morning people, and it kinda showed. Coffee was eventually graciously served, we all became human again, we were given a run-down of the rules and procedures, and then off we went to our own categories.
When you judge the Washington State Fair Art Exhibition, you have a co-judge. The two of you decide which pieces stay, which get rejected, which get awards, and which are swept away temporarily to be shown during the fair's Second Show. I asked to see my fellow judge's own work...and it was gorgeous. Very sensitive, technically beautiful graphite portraits. I was very impressed.
From there, I suggested we run through the Drawing show once, quickly, weeding out the number of pieces we were required to reject. (Each category had a different number that needed to be culled, depending on how many were entered in that category.) That was easy, and we agreed on the 4 that we needed to reject. Next, we went through the show again, taking longer with each piece...but just long enough to say "possible award winner" or "no award" about each piece.
Here is where I got a real shock. My co-judge was an absolute stickler about presentation. I mean...nearly obsessed! He had a comment about the frame or mat for nearly every piece. I think he actually looked at the framing before he looked at the image itself. We stood in front of one really exquisite graphite drawing, and he said something like "Yeah...it's nice...but the shadowboxing wasn't necessary and I don't like the color of the mat at all. I don't think I can give it an award with that presentation."
Floored. My jaw dropped. Huh??? But...but....it's a gorgeous piece. It's perfection. And I LIKED the mat...although I agreed with him that the shadowbox effect detracted. I stood up for the piece. I pointed out how every single thing in the piece itself was perfectly executed. I coaxed him a few feet back so he could see it from a distance. And, because I'm a stubborn thing....it got an award. :-)
The rest of the judging went really well. And in fact, I'm very pleased to say that 1st Place in the Drawing Category (which included graphite, charcoal, pastel and colored pencil) went to a colored pencil piece! He wasn't crazy about the off-white mat that the winning piece had, but when I explained to him that colored pencil artists often mat in white because that is what the CPSA Annual Exhibition requires, he mellowed, and agreed that it was a really stunning piece. Blue Ribbon awarded!
But boy...did I learn a lesson that I couldn't wait to pass on here on the blog. Don't over-do the framing and mat. If you can't cut a really, really straight mat, then leave it to the professionals. Keep it simple and try like heck to enhance the image without calling too much attention to the mat and frame. Don't overwhelm your art with a lot of fancy framing. Your framer will try to talk you into that...but remember that that's their business and of course they want to sell you elaborate framing. It's great for their bottom line, but might not be so great for yours!
Comments (31)
I cannot believe you did not know that most judges at Fairs and Many Other ART SHOWS, reject pieces for framing. The Big Group I was in years ago. (it still functions) Well, “The Group” – no longer wanted Real Glass in the frames. “The Group” insisted on Plexiglas.
One of the regular Judges-Hangers in the group! - Well, He had this appalling little problem. As the Art was brought to him and others for hanging The pieces would be set on the floor. To make sure none had glass- He would (it was a man) accidentally kick each piece over. He was not gently.
Many pieces went back to the artist with damaged frames and if Glass – it shattered. Most exhibition Halls had Concrete Floors.
He also, as a judge would automatically set aside any artwork with Mats that were not White and according to him if not natural wood.
So, judging is not always the Art.
So, sad, to hear it is still going on at other places after so many years.
That is judging the frame and going- Not a winner, Ruined by Framing.
I suggested We have a third art show one year: Art Refused By Framing and Damaged by Hanger!
Talk about Growls in the judging room.
Thank-you reconfirming the Framing Issue.
Be proud of you Fair and I hope they continue for Years to come.
Sherrie Roberts - Aug 10, 2013Well you learn learn something new everyday . Thanks for the heads up.
Warren Powell - Aug 10, 2013Ann – that doesn’t surprise me in the least. As you know I visit and review a lot of exhibitions here in London and I preach on my blog about the importance of presentation – and show lots of pics of ’the London look" in different exhibitions for those who are still wedded to OTT gilt frames!
One of the things which I find often differentiates top quality work from the “also rans” is the quality of the presentation. By which I don’t mean it has to be professional and expensive framing. I mean mats with sharp well cut edges and neat corners – which anybody who has bought a decent mat cutter and remembers to change the blade with every new mat can do. I mean proper robust frames which can be mirror plated to the wall not tacky narrow frames where the joints are out of alignment. I mean framed for the context not according to the preferences of the artist’s relatives.
Here in London, I’ve seen really good works rejected from exhibitions simply because of the poor standard of the framing. I’ve known galleries reject artwork because the framing doesn’t fit with the type and quality preferred by that gallery. I’ve seen exhibitions which have let themselves and other artists down by accepting work which has badly framed.
The mat and frame are a really important aspect of the work. For example, if submitting a group to an exhibition, IMO there’s a much better chance of acceptance if they’re framed as a group rather than in a hotchpotch of frames an artist had to hand – which detract from the thematic qualities of the group.
The best thing to do when framing is present a neutral robust plain frame with a neutral well cut mat and let the work speak for itself.
Leave the sophisticated fancy expensive framing to the customers!
Katherine Tyrrell - Aug 10, 2013I’ve entered my work in local shows and I never frame my work and here’s my reasoning. Number one I didn’t have anything to do with the making of the frame so you and your co-judge would be wrong for judging my art piece on the framing. Number two I have no idea what kind of wall this piece will be placed so the matting I use is to compliment the piece again you did not judge the talent just the decoration. If this is what artists have to look forward to when you’re judging then I would suggest they pull their work and save their money. What is wrong with judging the talent? Good or bad hours of pain staking love goes into it and the decoration should be that of the buyer not the judge at a county fair.
Gary Nupp - Aug 10, 2013Ann, thanks for writing this. I learned this lesson years ago when I was the CPSA Exhibition Director and had to meet the judge(s) at the warehouse to jury the awards. I got the same lecture about “presentation” from a variety of judges over the years. From top magazine editors to museum curators. I saw many beautiful pieces passed over due to horrible framing. I have tried to tell my students for years how important this is, only to have them literally argue with me. Here’s what they don’t understand that the framing IS the final step in how you present your work. You MUST have a hand in it and if it is “God Awful” it will destroy your work in how it is viewed. Please listen to Ann here. I continue to see artist with no clue as to how to frame. If you don’t know, get help!
Sue Brooks - Aug 10, 2013Ann, I learned SO MUCH from you in your Cumberland, Md. Workshop a few years ago. I render portraits all the time now and will be in an art and craft show in September, hoping for a commission or two.Thanks for your info on judges and their focus on mats and framing.
RuthAnn W. Wheeler - Aug 10, 2013Ann, I learned SO MUCH from you in your Cumberland, Md. Workshop a few years ago. I render portraits all the time now and will be in an art and craft show in September, hoping for a commission or two.Thanks for your info on judges and their focus on mats and framing.
RuthAnn W. Wheeler - Aug 10, 2013Love your new blog and website. It’s a wonderful tool to learn from one of the best. Thank for sharing your wisdom with us, Ann.
Carola Nix - Aug 10, 2013For years I’ve worked with MasterWorks of New Mexico Fine Art Show here in Albuquerque. Again and again I have seen judges totally dismiss paintings due to framing. In the prospectus for the Miniature Division, it is emphasized that the artwork is juried and judged in its total presentation. I can’t tell you how often artists ignore this and just throw any old frame on their works. Not only should the frame support the artwork, it needs to be in pristine condition.
Please keep the good advice coming.
Linda McKay - Aug 10, 2013In 2007 I was honored to judge Oregon’s CPSA DC201 Annual Exhibition. The artists’ names were covered, so there were quite a few pieces ‘new’ to me. There were two particular pieces among those I selected to receive top awards, and upon closer viewing I did eliminate one of them. This was not at all due to the quality of the work. From short distance for viewing, the work alone was exquisite! However, up close I saw that the matting had dust and crud (dust bunnies) that would immediately pull your eyes from viewing the beautiful work, and there were nicks on the edges of the mat. A couple of blows from canned air and a new blade in the mat cutter would have fixed this. Fortunately, the other piece was cleaned up and well presented. It was by the same artist, and she did receive a top award.
Whether for a gallery or show entry, I frame my work with white or off-white matting and very nice generic framing. Besides keeping my own costs down, who knows where the work will hang. The buyer can reframe after purchase, adding their own personal touch to match their own home decor.
Wendy Thompson - Aug 10, 2013