Spring Art Exhibition – Jury Process

Our jury process works as follows:

​Each year, the Monson Arts Council Art Show Committee select three new independent jurors.

The digitally submitted artwork is presented ‘as submitted‘. It is typically viewed on a computer screen in landscape mode (typically 1920×1080).  Each juror views and records selects item independently. The juror is thus unaware of any selections made by other jurors.

​These three sets of selections are passed to the Art Show Committee and are aggregated. Any piece selected by 2 or 3 jurors is considered ‘Selected for the Exhibition’. 
Usually, this process yields about 90-110 pieces; enough to form a good exhibition.​

If the Art Show Committee considers there are too few pieces selected in this first pass, the jurors are asked if they would like to re-review artwork already selected by at least one juror.  They may decline or agree to do this. Either juror who did not previously select a particular piece, may chose to select an item at this time. Any piece may end up being selected by an additional one or two jurors. The jurors may or may not select additional pieces. 

In the unlikely event there are too many pieces selected in the first pass, jurors are asked if they wish to reconsider any selection.  

At the end of this process:

• Artwork chosen by two or three jurors is considered ‘Selected for the Exhibition’.
• Artwork chosen by all three jurors become eligible for ‘Prizes and Awards Selection’.
• Selected artwork is delivered to the House of Art and hung.
  A list indicating all the jurors’ selections is shared with the jurors.
  The jurors then convene at the House of Art to make the final Award Allocation.
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Prizes and Awards Allocation:

• The jurors may make their own decision as to how the Award Allocation process is carried out.
  They have free reign as to their decisions, within the restrictions noted.
• Prizes (other than President’s Choice, Committee Choice, People’s Choice awards and prizes sponsored by specific persons or entities) are awarded at the sole discretion of the jurors.
• The jurors must be unanimous in awarding a prize. 
• Should a category have few entries, at the sole discretion of the jurors, some ‘category’ prizes may not be awarded.  (e.g. Only 2 pieces were entered in a particular category, and the jurors considered neither Award worthy.)
  
• The People’s Choice Award, is be determined at the end of the show, based on ballot results submitted during the show.

Some restrictions:

• Family members, working colleagues and very close friends of jurors may enter the Exhibition and their artwork may be selected by the above process. However, a juror must recuse themselves from voting for any piece entered by such artists.  Consequently, such pieces can never be eligible for a juried prize. The following such pieces may however, be awarded: the President’s Choice, Committee Choice, and/or People’s Choice awards. (i.e. Any prize not awarded by one of our three jurors.)
  
• A juror should identify Artwork entered by a close friend of theirs.  It is to the remaining two jurors to decide whether the artwork should be a eligible for a prize.

• Members of the Monson Arts Council Art Show Committee and Board of Directors may enter the Exhibition, and their artwork may be selected for the show by the above process. However, such pieces may never be awarded a Monetary Prize, though they are eligible to receive an Honorable Mention Award and/or the People’s Choice Award.   A Committee or Board member who has entered artwork may not be present at any time during the jury process.