A note on the jurying process

The three-member jury for Widows on Evolution included two biologists and Kathy Kelsey Foley, Director of the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. One of the biologists, Lara Carroll, Ph.D., Howard Hughes Medical Institute. University of Utah, is also an artist; the other, Nelson Johnson, is an environmental lawyer, former assistant research professor of ecology and avid admirer of con- temporary art. Working independently, each juror scored each anonymous entry on a series of criteria. Scores were then ranked, identifying the top 10 and top 40 of the 70 entries. The jury, through a conference call, determined the order of the top three.

In addition to aesthetic qualities, the strength of a narrative's link to the topic of the exhibit--to evolution--was the primary reason for ranking within the top 40. In the case of this exhibit, all submitted artworks will be shown. Those ranked below the top 40 will be added to the exhibit March 31, 2013.

We thank the three-member jury. Jurying is difficult and time-consuming. In the case of this exhibit, it was hampered by power outages from Hurricane Sandy.

A note on virtual exhibits

Virtual exhibits have some distinct advantages. Most obviously, they eliminate certain risks to the art including the exposure to harmful environmental conditions (e.g., light, humidity, and temperature), the wear-and-tear of transport, and a number of security issues. Virtual exhibits offer artists opportunities to enter competitions without the expense of shipping and insuring their work. In the case of this exhibit, just over half of the artists live outside the U.S., and costs for them would have been substantial. Being juried into an exhibit is a form of endorsement. Since access to this exhibit is freely available, the works will remain accessible indefinitely--an advantage to artists and viewers alike that comes at no cost to the artwork.

Virtual exhibits, however, can be more difficult to jury since jurors cannot evaluate the original work. Jurors cannot take size, media, and presentation into consideration. Nor can they easily discuss them with fellow jurors.