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This is the premier public artistic event for the Guild, offering a strong competition,
judged by a qualified expert of quality visual art. The exposure in the Spartanburg
County Museum of Art’s main galleries draws interest from community artists, supporters,
and citizens.
The event is supported by local businesses, which sponsor awards for it. Judging
is done by a recognized expert. Recent jurors have included artists of note,
academics, gallery operators and leading lights from other realms of the visual
arts. A professional catalog and other materials are produced.
The opening reception and awards ceremony is one of the top annual arts events
in the region. Our latest exhibition was another success, with its entries representing
the largest percentage of members in our history.
About The Juror
Barbara Haaksma
Barbara Haaksma is a firm believer in the critical connection between strategic
market research and creative product design. This focus has led her design career
which began as an interior designer in the architectural industry. The past fifteen
years she has been employed with Milliken & Company, holding various design
and marketing positions in the contract, home furnishings and automotive markets.
Barbara is currently director of design and marketing for Milliken’s Global Automotive
Group. With six design studios in North and South America, Europe and Asia, Barbara
and her team create interior textile solutions for all the major automobile manufacturers
worldwide.
Barbara holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Kendall College of Art and
Design in Grand Rapids, MI.
Statement:
My first impression when I viewed the works was that I was overwhelmed with the
diversity of styles and the quality of the work. It was such an eclectic group
of work. In general, I was moved by pieces that had emotion, authenticity, that
told a story. I was also impacted by how things were presented, the packaging
of the work.
When jurying the show, I started by looking at the pieces that I wanted to keep
in the exhibit. Then, it became easier to work through to the final selections
by layers of editing. Some, I took one look at and knew they’d be in the show
or would win awards. There were so many close calls that I had to make because
of the quality of the entries. |
