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Who are we to judge? Appraising
craft exhibition work.
Those of us who offer ourselves as craft judges need to be pretty sure
of our craft knowledge and ability to education through comments.
Judges set themselves apart and often for the wrong reasons. I've
been a U.K. National craft judge for 10 years now and I'm still
astonished at some of the comments made on craftwork.
As a crafter first, then an exhibitor and finally a judge, I understand
what it feels like to put work on show. You're all laid bare,
exposed and vulnerable. Ideally your judge will be considerate,
educated and able to write fair yet encouraging comments.
Sadly the world of craft judging like any other specialism has any
number of individuals keen to have a say. . Fortunately, in the
UK there is a national training programme for would-be judges run by
The National Womens' Institute.
In recognition of their excellence they have recently been approached
to offer Judges for a forthcoming 'TV show' to be televised in
2007. It acknowledges the work that this organisation does in
raising and maintaining standards of craft education.
And that's really the point. A judge is not there to sit in an ivory
tower, casting words down in front of poor exhibitors. Yes, a
judge has to pass judgement and that needs to be based on their wide
and deep knowledge. But judging after all is often subjective,
rather than objective. The goal (in my opinion) should be to
appraise against written standards and then to add personal experience
of the craft.
When all's said and done, comments should help the exhibitor to
understand not where they 'went wrong' but how they might extend their
knowledge.
How many times I've seen 'could be better', 'try harder next
time'. They sound like a school report, rather than a carefully
thought out comment.
So as I see it, judges need both knowledge, and an empathetic view of
exhibiting. Frankly they need to be human beings, understanding
the efforts of creating a piece of work and then putting it up for
scrutiny.
In the UK we go through a week's intensive training, followed by
lengthy 'shadowing' with a certified judge. It's really the only
way to see judging in action. I've learnt from the best, and I've
shadowed the worst.
When I ask myself who am I to judge I can be sure that I've come up the
hard way. I've taught myself crafts and been taught by
others. I've got teaching qualifications, written books and still
teach. Because I think it's only if you're current, up to date
and still active in the work of crafts, that you've got something to
give back.
I love judging and teaching and don't see too much difference between
them. I'm hand holding in both, building self-belief and raising
expectations. The last thing someone was to see after months of
effort is a cutting abrasive remark that could halt further
crafting. Shame on me if I had that affect.
The qualification is no more important than my ability to communicate.
I take it seriously because I still put work in exhibitions.
Judges must be fair yet explicit. They must also have the confidence to
stand up and be counted.
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Geraldine Jozefiak is passionate about
crafts and their place in
education. Be part of raising standards in teaching and learning
by offering the best possible creative opportunities.
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