Show Judge Resource PageShow judges participate in what is the cornerstone of our leagues, our shows.
Their insight can be valuable in the growth of our members as artists, & a place ribbon leads us to further competition. But not all show judges are the same. Read below for tips on selecting a judge. This list serves as a resource for our leagues & was updated July 2018. Inclusion in this list is NOT an endorsement of LSAG. Each league is responsible for doing their own research beyond what is supplied here. When selecting a judge: 1- Ask the potential judge if he / she is familiar with LSAG rules & guidelines and our divisions & categories. If they are not, direct them to the LSAG website's Enter page under Shows so they can familiarize themselves. ALL LSAG sanctioned shows must abide by ALL LSAG rules, guidelines, and artists must adhere to division & category descriptions. Advance review of these should be a part of any judge's preparation for your event-- even judges with LSAG experience. 2- Seek advice of their recent clients or have more in-depth conversations with a new judge. 3- Use 'Best Practices': -Your judge should NOT be an active member of your organization or have other strong relationships / ties with the group as familiarity with fellow member artists & their works can bias a judge toward or against pieces. -Always have BLIND judging; names & other identifying marks should be covered during the judging process. -If it is your practice to have an assistant walk with a judge, be sure they do not give unsolicited or solicited comments / opinions to the judge about art or artists. No one should provide information that may bias a judge toward or against a piece or artist. Instead provide a copy of the LSAG Prospectus with the rules, guidelines, category descriptions, & divisions to your judge. -If it is your practice to have an assistant walk with a judge, it is best to remain 'above board' and not have someone being an assistant during the time the judge is judging one of their own categories of participation. For example: If Molly works in mixed media and has an entry there, she should NOT be walking with the judge in the Mixed Media category. She may, however, walk with the judge in any of the other categories so long she is not a participant in any of them. Know that judges judge differently. The advice of one longtime show organizer & participant once said, "You don't know HOW a judge will judge UNTIL they judge." It is also important to remember that the job of the judge is not an easy one nor is it for the indecisive or the faint of heart who cannot stand up for what they believe are the best choices worthy of award. Select a judge you feel is trustworthy & someone whose work you respect. Select a judge who can articulate the artistic reasons why they chose a piece beyond that they were drawn to it or have an admitted bias toward that subject or type of work. Listen for good explanations like, "This piece includes these art elements... . Notice the contrast, the use of color, how it makes your eye move around the piece... . " Avoid poor explanations like, "I was just drawn to this piece." "Pieces with animals (or fill in the blank of a bias) always grab my attention. (Name of city) is one of my favorite places to visit, so I loved this piece." Art is obviously subjective. When we do all we can to avoid bias & favoritism, we are successful. That does not mean that bias and favoritism won't show through in the selections of awards. But when we've made every effort to communicate properly, we've done our best. *** If you are a show judge & would like to be added, see what is needed on our SUBMISSIONS to the WEBSITE page under ADMINISTRATIVE INFO. If you have a suggestion of a show judge, please contact that person directly & ask them to submit. We cannot take suggestions & post them. (It's a legal thing.) Show judges not appearing on this list already who judged a league show last year are listed at the bottom. Contact them & encourage them to add themselves to the list or contact the league to get feedback.
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