Other artsy things

(Above: The new Dale Chihuly chandelier at the Columbia Museum of Art. Click on image to enlarge.)

Although I seriously try to balance "making a living" with "making art", there's many related events in which I participate that sort of "bridge the two".....like selling work and doing things that are "art related" that lead to or create income. This week I participated in the Young Contemporaries Art Auction and Soiree. It was the first time I had the opportunity to see the new Dale Chihuly chandelier....which the Young Contemporaries purchased with funds from past events.


(Above: My three pieces hanging on the first floor.....with the Dale Chihuly chandelier hanging in the foreground. Click on image to enlarge.)

I also was given the opportunity (and a stipend!) for jurying the 7th Annual Lowcountry Art Exhibition which opens this Saturday night at the South Carolina Artisan Center in Walterboro. It was the first time I've been in such a position. The experience was very insightful. I learned quite a bit while feeling the weight of "passing judgment" on others artwork. Below is my "juror's statement" (The winners were notified yesterday....so this isn't "spilling the beans". I also selected two "honorable mentions").

It was my sincere honor to serve as juror for the 7^th annual Lowcountry Art Exhibition. As a juried member of the South Carolina Artisan Center, I was familiar with the criteria used in the process of selecting artists for this prestigious representation. The hardworking staff provided their handout and I based my award decisions using these guidelines:

1. Originality of medium, technique, subject, perspective
2. Quality of technique, medium
3. Creativity in use of medium, subject
4. Overall appeal, including presentation

I carefully studied very piece in the exhibition. Each fulfilled these requirements. Obviously a few simply stood out. These special works continued to draw my attention with their outstanding artistry. Amy Minson’s Cabbage Key I demonstrated serious command of her pastel medium and abilities as a colorist. Dolores Walters’ creative use of texture enhanced her imagery. Crosby Shrimp by Holger Obenaus is a masterpiece of light, balance and timeless beauty. There were several other pieces that deserved acclaim but did not fit into the parameters of the exhibition guidelines. I did not feel it appropriate to award work older than the listed rules of having been “completed within the last three years”.

(Above: Looking down on the catered food selection under the Dale Chihuly chandelier at the Young Contemporaries Art Auction and Soiree 2010.)