Yesterday I had the opportunity to be a member of a four artist jury panel for the City of Tempe Community Galleries. We met at the Tempe Center for the Arts, along with Michelle Dock, Gallery Coordinator and her assistant Christine Brown.
The work: to look through numerous artist applications and organize artwork for seven different exhibitions to fill 4 spaces, including the Connections Café at the Tempe Public Library, Youth Library at the Tempe Public Library, Edna Vihel Activity Center and Tempe Post Office on Mill Avenue. Michelle and Christine were organized.
With paperwork, pencil, and pen in hand we got to work and began looking at images and reading applicants information including their artist statement, description of artwork images, and bios. I recognized some artists but many of them were new to my eyes. We went through numerous rounds of looking at slides, making notations and discussion. My feeling, as we went along and became more comfortable with the process and each other, was that we were a good balance as artists and as a group of art exhibition jurors.
Let me introduce you to each of panel members artwork (including web sites links).
World of Cumulous Colors (Earth, Fire, Wind and Water)
Tempe artist Ellen Murray, is also a Professor of Painting and Drawing at ASU (since 1986). Her questions and comments on content and form were intelligent.
After looking through her website, I’m impressed with what she can do with watercolor and gouache. We saw one of her students drawings in the gallery, a watercolorist who portrays glass just as striking as her one time teacher.
Ellen’s web site: http://www.ellenmurray.com/
Complex community
Scottsdale artist Keith Stanton, who described himself as a photo-based mixed media artist. He explained that he builds small installations/constructions and then photographs them. He brought interesting observation to the jurying, with particular sensitivity to style and material.
Keith’s web site: http://www.keithstanton.com/
And Nikie Crawford, who does a number of things including illustration, collage, and mural work. As we moved through the process I thought she had an eye for detail and color and responded naturally.
Nikie was the Tempe Municipal Arts Commission representative in the group.
Nikie’s website: www.coroflot.com/nikiec
Job completed!
Coming soon to the various Tempe Galleries will be…original art encounters that stand to broaden the mind, relate to multiple age groups and create interest in a variety of fields and subjects. The exhibitions that are made up of emerging and professional artists alike, will inspire thought, enjoyment, and discussion. I hope you enjoy experiencing the work, as much as we enjoyed jurying it.
If you’re in the area any time soon, stop in and see the current GLASS exhibition.
Monica Aissa Martinez 
I am always pleased to have an opportunity to see the work of many of the wondrous artists living and working in the Phx. area . Monica you are Fabulous for using your time and energy to bring some of it to us. The illustrious jury panel that you were a part of sounds like an honor and pleasure to work with as you reviewed applications for the Tempe Galleries. I look forward to visiting each one of those community locations. Thank you for your generous efforts!
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Monica: Thanks for your observations of the jury panel process. Your own participation on the panel was informative as well as a pleasure. I also appreciate your enthusiasm for introducing us to new artists. Thank you again!
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