Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts Jury 2017

L-R Patricia Bellan-Gillen, Executive Director Rick Bryant, Jim Bové, Sue Reno, Jay Gould, Naomi Cleary

I've just had the pleasure of serving on the jury for the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.  Held each summer in State College, PA, the Sidewalk Sale is "consistently ranked as one of the top outdoor fine art and fine craft shows in the nation...Each year more than three hundred exhibitors offer a wide variety of objects for sale including baskets, ceramics, jewelry, fiber, painting, photography, and wearable art."

Executive Director Rick Bryant, the staff, and volunteers have been running this show for many years, and function as the proverbial well-oiled machine. We jurors spent two days reviewing and ranking the images and information submitted by applicants to the show. This jury panel has a wealth of experience in various fine craft disciplines, and we were very careful and considerate in our deliberations. It's going to be an excellent and well balanced show! The jurors will return in July to walk the show, visit each booth, and award the prizes.  

I was also a CPFA juror in 2011, and was honored to be asked to return. I love this kind of work, and feel that I am good at it. If you are an artist who regularly applies to exhibits and opportunities, as I am, it's good to sometimes be on the other side of the equation. I never take a "declined" notice personally. I can tell you that on every jury I've ever served on, the jurors have been ethical, unbiased, and fair.