The Process of Judging Art & Words

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the absolute honour to judge the inaugural ‘Art & Words Project’. You can read more about how I instigated the project with my local council over here. Congratulations to all the entrants who made it into the top twelve artists and top twelve writers! I was so impressed with the entries, as was Katherine, the curator of Manly Art Gallery & Museum, who took the lead in judging the visual artists.

When I was judging the written entries, I was so impressed by the high standard, I started to wonder how I’d pick only twelve! So if you got in, really well done as you had tough competition. Entries included all kinds of stories and poems related to the ‘saltwater’ theme, including tales of swimming and drowning, snorkelling and starfish, global warming and deportation, indigenous communities and art, floods, tsunamis, heatwaves, snakes, crocodiles, whales, religion, domestic violence, sunrises, disability, miscarriage, multiculturalism, and even a floating corpse! Most entries were set on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, but settings also included India, Ibiza, Townsville, Queensland and the Central Coast.

Whatever the subject or setting, saltwater formed an integral part of characters’ lives, reflecting the vital role saltwater plays for those living near the beach – it inspires us, provides us with rejuvenation and renewal, even protection, it’s part of our everyday routines, we use it for self-reflection and escape. There were many communal experiences of scorching hot sand, refreshing ocean, seagulls, waves and memories of going to the beach as a child. There were many wonderful ideas, well-written passages, and unique reflections.

There were also issues that let entries down, so I thought I’d share them as tips to help writers for another time:

• Formatting – there’s no need to capitalise common nouns, or use commas when there’s no natural pause in syntax rhythm. Dialogue punctuation should be included inside quote marks. No double-spacing is needed between sentences in creative writing.
• Theme – there’s little point simply adding the word ‘saltwater’ to an entry that otherwise has only tenuous connections to the theme. However well-written, it still has to compete with entries written specifically for the theme, which are therefore more suited to the anthology.
• Style – while a journalistic or blogging style can certainly tell a story, it can also distance reader from character, preventing connection with the character’s story. Connection is key, as it’s only through connecting with a character that readers care about their journey.
• Low stakes – the most interesting poems looked beyond inspired imagery to reveal contemplative revelations or meaning, and the most interesting stories featured characters with personal stakes to win and lose. A single experience, abstract experimentation of words, or recollection of memories alone might not be enough when competing against personas with detailed backstory, wounds and wants, long-term needs and goals risked to affect entire lives.
• Title – titles provide an unmissable opportunity to comment on a creative work as a whole. If suggestive of a meaning not present in the work, however, they can also confuse a reader and therefore diminish a story’s impact. The best titles were foreshadowed in the text, reflective, and creative.

Similarly to the written entries, the visual artist portfolios were both amazing and had some common flaws. However, since I’m no visual art expert, I’d best not offer any advice! Entries included oil and watercolour painting, line drawing, pen work, illustration, textile work, photography, video installation, mixed media, etching, recycled work, glass work, weaving, printmaking, montage, and more! We determined a shortlist of skill and flair, then matched artist to story according to style and interest. The next step is for the selected artists to create a visual response to the selected written entries, and I can’t wait to see what they produce! It’s so exciting to think that this has all come from an idea I had to celebrate community creativity!

The next step for me is to edit the selected written entries, which shouldn’t take long – they’re all so polished!

Thank you to the 80+ entrants for your time and consideration. I know how long it takes to put an entry together, and I’m so sorry that we couldn’t include everyone. The list of selected writers and artists is over here.

The resulting anthology will be launched this September at the peninsula’s art festival, with selected artworks displayed at Northern Beaches Libraries, as well as on the 24-hour digital display screen at Manly Art Gallery & Museum during the festival. I’ll let you know how it all goes!