Heather Ferrell Juror Statement:

As the juror for Viridian’s 32nd Annual International Juried Exhibition, I was excited and somewhat daunted by the incredible response to the call for submissions. Due to the large number of exceptional works, there were difficult decisions to be made and much consideration. In my final selection, I chose to focus on artists whose work addressed a set of criteria that included quality of execution; whether the work embodied a relevant concept, issue, or emotional state; or imagery that somehow pushed the boundaries of craft or media in new directions.

Artists who made me curious to delve deeper and spend time with their work especially caught my attention. These artists challenged or upended notions of their media or expectations of the viewer, often using processes and materials in innovative ways. Thematically, works selected for the exhibition include an emphasis on abstraction, materiality, and evocative narrative. Some artists represented the relevance of traditional methods of making, while others interrogated the varied possibilities within their media or mode of representation as a means of inspiration.

I am very grateful to all the artists who submitted work to the competition, and to Viridian Artists for inviting me to jury. I am honored to have the opportunity to select from such a talented group of artists. The thirty exceptional works of art included in this exhibition represent the breadth, diversity, and thought-provoking trends in contemporary art today.