Competitions

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kathy N-V :

]Maybe there should be a "following directions" category. I'd be sure not to ]enter, because I can't follow someone else's pattern to save my life!

unfortunately, at the State Fair, anyway, that seems to be "understood" to be the case with all entries!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

Classifications in county and state fairs are determined by committees and tend to be very strange. For example at the TN state fair, for years there was a category in the Youth division for stained glass, but not in the adult division. You should contact the fair board with your suggestions. Remember every new category has to find budget for prizes and judges. Also the art and food departments of fair are often run by cliques. If you can get to know one of the movers and shakers in the committee, you stand a better chance of getting your idea heard.

First off, unless fairs are different there than they are here, you aren't there during the judging or the exhibition. Here, the entrants leave their items and get a receipt and the judging takes places the week before the fair is open to the public. Then the pieces are all displayed and the ribbons are put next to the winners. You pick up your pieces and prizes the week after the fair is over, so you don't even have to go to the fair if you don't want to. My mother does cross-stitich (just pattern book stuff, can't get here to try her own designs on a bet) and a friend of hers entered one of her pieces for her (my mom said her stuff wasn't good enough and never would enter) and she won first place.

SDCF's "Fine Arts" group does NOT allow "crafts" in THEIR space... And "beadwork" is "crafts" as far as they're concerned. Two local beaders have tried to enter "wall hangings"-- actually, professionally matted and framed pictures, and had them rejected because they weren't "art". The one was a bead painting of a jaguar in a tree, by Annie Laurie Burke-- it looked almost like a photo until you got up close. The other was an abstract leaf design by Deanna Delaplains-- hers was "kicked upstairs" to Home & Hobby, where it won a whole slew of awards in addition to 1st place in "beading-Original design" and "Best of Division". I think hers may have gone on to the State level (3 or 4 years ago, I think...) Annie Laurie DID get "Gems and Minerals" opened up to beadwork, however....

Kaytee "Simplexities" on

professionally matted and framed pictures, and had them rejected because they weren't "art".<

This totally boggles the mind!!!

Carol in SLC JustBeads Auctions:

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Louis Cage" :

]You should contact the fair board with your suggestions. Remember every new ]category has to find budget for prizes and judges. Also the art and food ]departments of fair are often run by cliques. If you can get to know one of ]the movers and shakers in the committee, you stand a better chance of ]getting your idea heard.

hmmmm - there's a thought. thanks!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

Welcome to the "craft ghetto". If it is a designated "craft" media, glass, fiber, wood, jewelry, beads, ceramics; then it ain't art in some people's eyes. Unless of course it's over 1000 years old. And these folk seem to have the ability to make the decisions as to whether your item is "art" or "craft". And frankly, the less training they have, particularly current training, the more likely they are to send you back to the ghetto. After all, when people say so-and-so is an artist, they usually mean the person is a painter. But that becomes conflicting with people who paint walls and siding.

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Louis Cage" :

]Welcome to the "craft ghetto". If it is a designated "craft" media, glass, ]fiber, wood, jewelry, beads, ceramics; then it ain't art in some people's ]eyes.

you're right. that explains a lot.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

But, if you can get yourself and your work in front of them, you can explain why it is art. (sometimes you actually need to define the word "art" to them.....). Once you manage to communicate with them, you can begin to change minds. The public knows that what I do is art. They don't even question it. It's the self-proclaimed authorities that are somewhat more difficult...... Barbara Dream Master

"We've got two lives, one we're given, the other one we make." Mary Chapin Carpenter

I think it varies-- check about volunteering with your county fair for set up and/or being a gofer during the fair. Find out who's in charge of Hobbies/Crafts (or however they designate it where you are), and tell them you want to get involved. Good luck trying to actually change anything... unless you have "connections" with admin, and maybe not then. It's very "political". The Bead Society has been trying to change the catagory designations in beading for years... and to get in on doing the judging. No way. They already have a judge (she IS a beader, but that still is just one opinion!), and the catagories suit them just fine like they are. Part of the problem is, that the current head of "Home & Hobbies" considers having collections is what a real hobby is, not that crafting stuff.... Guess what gets the prefered display space.... Kaytee "Simplexities" on

And they are often people who are defensive and uncertain about their own credentials as authorities... so an approach that reassures them rather than opposes them seems to me more likely to work.

Deirdre

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Barbara Otterson :

] But, if you can get yourself and your work in ]front of them, you can explain why it is art. ](sometimes you actually need to define the ]word "art" to them.....). Once you manage ]to communicate with them, you can begin ]to change minds. The public knows that ]what I do is art. They don't even question ]it. It's the self-proclaimed authorities that ]are somewhat more difficult......

you're right, Barbara. somehow, it seems to come back to "the powers that be".

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)