Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts - Judging 2017

Last Thursday I reported for duty at the Central Pennsylvania Festival for the Arts in State College, PA, with my fellow jurors. After having picked the artists for the Sidewalk Sale (read about that process here), it was time to hit the streets and see the work in person. Each juror was assigned a volunteer escort to travel with them and keep them on track and on time.  The Sale is spread out over several streets and areas of the Penn State campus, so having an escort who knows their way around is really helpful. They are also super nice people!

This is the one and only photo I took of the show, and it doesn't begin to do it justice. I was too busy working to focus on photography. I had 300+ booths to visit and score over the course of a long day. As requested by the show organizers, I made a point of introducing myself and chatting briefly about the work with all but a handful of the artists (I would never interrupt a sale). I also made a point of keeping my energy up and giving each artist an equal measure of my attention. My escorts helped by making sure I  had a good lunch, and by providing Penn State Berkey Creamery ice cream at just the right moment in the heat of the afternoon.

Overall I was very, very pleased with the artwork we had selected. It was a real thrill to see so much high quality work in person, and meet so many creative and incredibly hardworking artists. (You can see the full listing here.)

The next morning I dashed about in a series of thunderstorms, reviewing some of my choices and making sure my scores were as accurate as possible before turning in my score sheets. Late in the afternoon after the scores had been tabulated, the jurors met to discuss the results and decide on the prizes to be awarded. There was over $17,500 to be awarded in various categories--a huge responsibility, and one we took very seriously. This was a GREAT group of jurors and I'm very proud of the work we did.

And he we are just before the awards ceremony Saturday morning. L-R Sue Reno, Naomi Cleary, Patricia Bellan-Gillen, Jim Bové, and Jay Gould.  It was so much fun to see the artists receive their awards, and an honor to be a part of this artist community. 

Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts Jury 2017

L-R Patricia Bellan-Gillen, Executive Director Rick Bryant, Jim Bové, Sue Reno, Jay Gould, Naomi Cleary

I've just had the pleasure of serving on the jury for the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.  Held each summer in State College, PA, the Sidewalk Sale is "consistently ranked as one of the top outdoor fine art and fine craft shows in the nation...Each year more than three hundred exhibitors offer a wide variety of objects for sale including baskets, ceramics, jewelry, fiber, painting, photography, and wearable art."

Executive Director Rick Bryant, the staff, and volunteers have been running this show for many years, and function as the proverbial well-oiled machine. We jurors spent two days reviewing and ranking the images and information submitted by applicants to the show. This jury panel has a wealth of experience in various fine craft disciplines, and we were very careful and considerate in our deliberations. It's going to be an excellent and well balanced show! The jurors will return in July to walk the show, visit each booth, and award the prizes.  

I was also a CPFA juror in 2011, and was honored to be asked to return. I love this kind of work, and feel that I am good at it. If you are an artist who regularly applies to exhibits and opportunities, as I am, it's good to sometimes be on the other side of the equation. I never take a "declined" notice personally. I can tell you that on every jury I've ever served on, the jurors have been ethical, unbiased, and fair.