On March 4, VAA provided a rare opportunity to get inside the minds of Jurors and their exhibition selection process. Even with a Juror’s biography provided, artists often wonder, “what makes a piece noteworthy?”
Three previous VAA Jurors offered public comments on a collection of work from previous VAA calls, “speaking their mind” for a live audience. 46 previously submitted works were be projected for the audience to view as the panelists discussed them. They then provided a “yes” or “no” for each piece.
The Jurors were (in alphabetical order):
Nicole Longnecker, Owner, Nicole Longnecker Gallery
Dennis Nance, Director, Exhibitions & Programing, Lawndale Art Center
Patrick Palmer, Chair & Dean, Glassell School of Art
The program began with each Juror explaining their overall perspective/opinions on looking at art. Longnecker said she looks for an overall effect of interest and good execution; Nance explained his preference for quirky, experimental work; Palmer stated he looks for high technical skills and compelling narrative.
The audience sat quiet as the Jurors critiqued artworks, sometimes agreeing, a lot of times disagreeing. The final vote count was:
Yes: Longnecker 10, Nance 13, Palmer 16
No: Longnecker 36, Nance 33, Palmer 30
As you can see, they were rather close.
The program ended at 8:00 with everyone invited to join the Jurors for dinner where lively conversations ensued.
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- VAA president Matt Adams with the jurors
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- Patrick Palmer, Nicole Longnecker, and Dennis Nance with their voting batons
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- Nicole Longnecker describing her general criteria
