An Equal Playing Field

Frank Juárez

Last month I participated in a virtual session on the jurying process with a local arts organization. The facilitator invited me to share my experiences as a juror. As artists, we have been on the receiving end of being juried or not juried into an art exhibition. First, I wanted to differentiate between a juror and a curator. Oftentimes, these two roles are intermingled. The juror is an arts professional who is hired to select artwork for a group exhibition. The curator determines placement for the juror’s selected artworks where connections can be made and dialogue can begin. Based on what the juror is looking for, a narrative can begin to take shape. Second, I talked about how all juried opportunities vary in process, and expectations set forth vary from one to the next. Since 2020, I have juried/co-juried 13 group exhibitions ranging from jurying an exhibition that had over 600+ submissions from artists across 9 Midwest states to selecting works from 50+ submissions for a local exhibition. I also have co-juried exhibitions with two other jurors. Nonetheless, it is important to be transparent, honest, and unbiased when selecting works even if the artwork is recognized. It is also important to listen.

When I begin my jurying process, I close my eyes and begin to think about what artists are creating right now- at this moment.

– Frank Juárez

I think about tackling media and processes I am not familiar with or do not fully understand. I think about the work I have seen at the location in which I am hired to jurying and ask myself, “What have I not seen, yet?” or “What would I like to see represented?” “What are artists addressing through their art?” “Is the artist attempting a new way of making art?” “Are there certain genres and subject matter that are trending?” “Do I get a sense of the artist’s voice?”

What I have learned over the past few years as a juror is to be honest in my selection and transparent through juror statements, gallery walkthroughs, and talking to artists. For the past two decades, I have been on the receiving end of the jurying process as an artist. I have to admit that it does hurt (for a brief moment) not being selected for an exhibition. There is a lot to learn about this process. We tend to think more about the shows we did not get into versus the shows we were selected to participate in. Am I right? Or am I way off base?

Rejection and acceptance are part of being an artist. If we give ourselves the necessary time to reflect, then we can move on. We all have an equal playing field when we submit to a juried exhibition. Sometimes, our best is not what other jurors are looking for. And, that is okay.

I, personally, love seeing the names of artists I do not recognize. When I see a name I do recognize, I wonder what work did the artist select and what can I expect to see? Wisconsin has so many talented artists. I wonder what the contemporary art landscape will look like ten years from now. I have some thoughts, but I would love to read yours.

It is healthy to put yourself out there and see what others see in your work regardless of the outcome. It is how we grow as artists.