{"id":13232,"date":"2019-04-08T08:25:04","date_gmt":"2019-04-07T22:25:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/?p=13232"},"modified":"2019-04-08T07:23:18","modified_gmt":"2019-04-07T21:23:18","slug":"the-process-of-judging-art-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/the-process-of-judging-art-words\/","title":{"rendered":"The Process of Judging Art & Words"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Over the last few weeks, I\u2019ve had the absolute honour to judge the inaugural \u2018Art & Words Project<\/a>\u2019. You can read more about how I instigated the project with my local council over here<\/a>. 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<\/a>, who took the lead in judging the visual artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2018saltwater\u2019 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\u2019s Northern Beaches, but settings also included India, Ibiza, Townsville, Queensland and the Central Coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Whatever the subject or setting, saltwater formed an integral part of characters\u2019 lives, reflecting the vital role saltwater plays for those living near the beach \u2013 it inspires us, provides us with rejuvenation and renewal, even protection, it\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were also issues that let entries down, so I thought I\u2019d share them as tips to help writers for another time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n