Juried Shows - Behind the Scenes at Ridgefield Guild of Artists

This week I had the chance to work behind the scenes at the Ridgefield Guild of Artists as the juror selected works for the Guild's 31st annual juried show. The juror was Benjamin Genocchio, art critic for The New York Times.

Juried shows reflect the perspective of the juror. Mr. Genocchio was a confident juror in that he made decisions quickly about what was accepted or not. He had his own vision of what he wanted the show to be - and it was very different than mine.

That said - what is the purpose of a juried show? Are the works selected the "best?" Can anyone ever say what is the best when art is so subjective? With another juror it would be a very different show.

So what is the purpose of a juried show? Are juried shows relevant? Art is personal. The artist has her own personal relationship with each piece. The viewer then brings his own experience to what he sees in each work. So what we have is Benjamin Genocchio's show. His view, his instincts, his feelings, his perspective of area artists. That is what makes a juried show relevant. It is one person's view, and in the end that is how every work of art is experienced, by each viewer in their own way.