Entry Tips

As a juror for local, regional, and national shows, I have seen many very good slides and some that are terrible! It is unfortunate that jurors cannot examine the actual works they are evaluating and must rely on slides or digital images, but that's the real world.

Many excellent three-dimensional works of art do not translate well into two-dimensional slides. The one thing that I see constantly and hear from other jurors and curators is that the artist should enter a piece that is the most photogenic, even if that piece is not the artist's best work.

If a piece is absolutely stunning, but for some reason does not photograph well (for instance, a complex piece made of black velvet) bypass it in favor of a piece that a juror will be able to understand.

Not only must your individual slides and digital images be clear, sharp and properly exposed, they must work together in your presentation.

A panel of jurors for an art show can look at hundreds of sets of slides or digital images in a day. It is very important that your slides present your work as clearly and succinctly as possible.

Each entrant only receives a few seconds of "screen time" as the slides are projected. An successful presentation shows a coherent body of work in a pleasing arrangement.

To reiterate, here's a list of tips to keep in mind:

• Show your best images

  Note: these may not necessarily be your "best" work

• Slides must be clear, sharp and properly exposed

  Note: don't let a juror be distracted by poor quality slides!

• Have your object fill the frame
• Show details
• Your model should not distract from the work

  Note: avoid eye contact, distracting jewelry, or hair styles

• Garments must stand out from the background

… The layout of slides is important. There are two main configurations used to project images. One is for the ACC Shows the second configuration is for most other arts and crafts shows.

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