Well, that’s quite the title. Sheesh! But really, you should enter your quilts into judged and juried shows.
I know your first reaction is something like: What if it’s not accepted? What if they don’t like it? Will they say something mean or hurtful about my quilt? I can’t handle the rejection. I’m not ready to handle how I’ll feel about someone critiquing my work.
Let me start with those are all VERY legitimate concerns, thoughts, feelings and they are completely valid, but in order to grow your work it’s a fantastic way to get feedback. Truly.
Let’s Start at the Top
A juried show means there’s a panel of people who decide which quilts are accepted into a show. Sometimes the quilts need to fit into certain criteria, like if there’s a theme for a particular show. Sometimes, a show is looking for a good variety of quilts and styles. Each show is different but being juried into any show is always a great honor.
Those quilts are then judged by professionals, usually with a certification from the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (or another accredited body, depending on where you live). The judges do not know you. While your work is deeply personal to you, as it should be, they are not trying to hurt your feelings with their feedback. It’s important to remember that. Judges are not trying to be harsh, and feedback should be constructive.
The Nitty Gritty
I know that quilters tend to have very strong feelings about entering judged and juried shows. They either love them or hate them. Me? I love them. In fact, I love them for a few reasons.
The first reason I love to enter quilts into judged and juried shows is that it gives me an opportunity to show off my work. For real. There’s something exciting about knowing people will see what I’ve created. It’s sort of self-aggrandizing in a way, and a definite ego boost. get unbiased feedback on my work. The judges don’t know me, they only see the quilt so they aren’t swayed one way or another by personal feelings.
The second reason I love to enter quilts into shows is that I get unbiased feedback on my work. The judges don’t know me, they only see the quilt so they aren’t swayed one way or another by personal feelings. My friends will always love my work, and I’m grateful for that, but sometimes I want the opinions of professionals. It’s a good way to gauge how I’m doing.
I recently entered Persephone Awaits (above) into Georgia Celebrates Quilts. The quilt was juried into the show, it was judged, and it didn’t win any ribbons. In fact, it’s the first show I’ve put a quilt in that hasn’t gotten a ribbon. And you know what? That’s okay.
I’ll be honest, I kept wondering what the feedback on my quilt would say. I knew a few little things that weren’t *quite* right about my quilt but did that mean I messed it up and would get horrible comments on the judges sheet? No. I got a lot of great feedback. And, not every quilt is award worthy. They CAN just be pretty.
I think the fear is that someone(s) won’t like our work. I get that but I also know that the judges aim to give constructive feedback and that will only help us as artists.
That leads me to point three. Me not winning a ribbon means there were THAT many incredible quilts in the show. That’s why I love a good quilt show. It’s an opportunity to see a wide variety of quilts, colors, techniques, and the like in one place. Honestly, seeing 300 quilts is a gift. I mean, how incredible to see such beauty in the art we love in one place, at one time. It’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon.
The judges comments are below. Constructive. Kind. A good way for me to see how I’m doing.
If you’ve been thinking about entering a show, I think you should. You’ll be glad you did!