The Show I Juried - After the Reception

As many of you know from my previous post and my recent Claude posts, I juried the Pure Enjoyment show in Springfield that I just attended the reception for. Here are my final thoughts regarding that process after attending the opening reception.

The experience was wonderful and I am very glad that I was able to see the show hung, meet some of the artists and talk to the patrons and founders of Brewer Science. It was truly amazing and I find it a pity that more jurors do not attend the receptions for the shows that they juried because they are depriving themselves of a lot. Perhaps they are avoiding confrontation but at the same time they are missing out on many good conversations and interesting insights. Sure, I had people ask me why their work wasn't accepted or why one piece got in while the other did not, but I tried to offer constructive comments about how I juried the show, what I was looking for in doing so and to encourage them to submit to more art shows and stay involved.

I continue to be amazed by everything that Brewer Science is doing to foster the arts and to foster a sense of community. They were in the process of sponsoring a group of musicians from China who performed in Springfield at around the same time as the art show. Those same musicians are going to have a performance at Brewer Science later this week in which employees are invited to listen and participate in the cultural exchange. There are even some groups of students who are planning to attend. Brewer Science is also engaged in a business outreach program in Springfield that helps other companies learn how to foster and support community. And they continuously support the arts in Rolla and Springfield beyond the sponsorship of just these couple of events, working with Arts Rolla, the Springfield Regional Arts Council, area universities and a host of other groups.

At any rate, I think that it is truly encouraging to find and meet such amazing people who see value in things beyond just money and want to foster and support the communities in which they live, especially when it reinforces and informs their company's vision. Simply put, the world needs more people like this and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with them.