Patter Helmstrom, whose work appears here, is the judge for the 2011 “Small Works on Paper” competition sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council. The Arts Council is accepting entries for the year-long traveling show until July 23; more information here.
Does a judge select work that resembles his or her own? While some artists may favor work that falls in their particular genre — abstract as opposed to floral watercolors, for example — they might not like work in a manner similar to theirs, that could compete with their work.
Some folks entering won’t give a fig. Some may have opinions on why judges choose what they do (perhaps art from here looks fresh to a judge from there?), and it would be interesting to hear from the experts — people who’ve competed. Comments?