John January 28th, 2009
I’ve been a juror with the Sidney Fine Art Show for the past three years. Each year I’ve seen an increase in participation and quality of work. I’ve also seen an increase in excitement between participating artists. I’ve made presentations and given seminars to quite a number of local artists groups over the past year and in each case, I’ve seen that this show has become an important part of their artistic plans for the coming year. I’ve also been asked on several occasions to speak to artists groups and critique work that was submitted, but not accepted, with an eye to learning what the jurors might be interested in for next year. There is definitely an already large buzz of excitement around the 2009 show and it is still growing.
The Sidney Fine Art Show has become one of, if not the, largest and most anticipated shows in British Columbia. The Show is also a highlight on the cultural calendar of Vancouver Island.
As artist participation grows, so does the competition and prestige at being included or perhaps even a prize winner. This has, in turn, attracted higher and higher profile artists from ever greater distances. Its shows like this that grows a community. Members of the artistic community know that a show of this size will expose them to unique work and new styles. It’s this exposure that creates a vocabulary for individual’s artistic style.
More and more, Southern Vancouver Island is becoming internationally known for the quality of it’s artists. Thanks to the building of a close community, all learning from and sharing with each other in a forum such as this.
For attendees of the show, it exposes them to styles and art they might never have seen. Without a doubt, the Show opens minds, expanding tastes and challenges perceptions for young and old and perhaps even finding something for their own walls in the process. I’m sure the 2009 show will be another landmark year. I’ll be there!
Lastly, I can’t say enough about the people who coordinate and present this show. Each year they are forced to become more and more proficient at the various processes. From tallying, judging, hanging and presenting, they need to keep pace with the growing number of entries. They have refined these processes to be art forms, themselves. I’ve been involved in other shows in the past, but none of this size and complexity. Without outstanding people, there would be no way to put on a show of this scale and in this time frame. They can be trusted to really get it done, and done well.
Mark Heine
