Making a list, checking it twice…
What was...what could've been...now" by Christine Janson 
Dream Crusher, by Emily Orsich 
Cathedral, by Steve Ehret 
Salt and Peppa, by Patricia Zinsmeister Parker 
Polaron II, by David L. Kuntzman 
Momma Remembers, by Judi Krew 
Windows from the Ukraine, by Lou Camerato
PART 2
by Tom Wachunas
“Judging art is like caging a bird. Instead of seeing it soar, you can
only watch it flutter.” — Ron
Brackin
“Taste is the best judge. It is rare. Art only addresses itself to an
excessively small number of individuals.” — Paul Cezanne
EXHIBIT: Stark County Artists Exhibition / at Massillon Museum Aultman
Health Foundation Gallery, THROUGH
JANUARY 14, 2024 / 121 Lincoln Way
East, downtown Massillon, Ohio / Phone: 330-833-4061 / Tuesday through Saturday
9:30am - 5:00pm, Sunday 2:00pm - 5:00pm
https://www.massillonmuseum.org/home/exhibits/current-museum-exhibits
Shall we make like jurors and
play a game of favorites?
I was a bit disappointed when I
learned that the artworks I submitted for this annual contest – er, uhm,
exhibition - were not accepted by the jurors. I didn’t make the team, as it
were, of 52 artists who were selected, and I certainly congratulate them. As
one of 91 rejects, I can only guess as to why exactly the jurors deemed my work
unseeworthy.
As it is, I never gave much if
any credence to establishing a hierarchy of monetary awards in group shows such
as this - Best in Show, 2nd
place, 3d place, then down to a few “Honorable Mention” certificates. Why not
simply consider having art chosen for exhibition as sufficient-enough award?
To engage the practice of tiered
prizes is to dive down a rabbit hole of questions and motives. As a society in
the 21st century, for better or worse, we have no indisputably true
map or absolute rule book for navigating that most complex of human terrains we
have come to call subjectivity. Or better yet, in this context, aesthetic
taste.
With only a few days left to see
this show, here’s a reminder that Massillon Museum has provided ballots for
viewers to cast a vote for the “People’s Choice Award.” It will be announced
shortly after the exhibit ends. Meanwhile, I offer here some pics of works I
found to be particularly compelling, and indeed honorable, as I fluttered
through my rabbit hole of opinion.
