Kentuck Festival of the Arts takes place during early October at Northport (Tuscaloosa), Alabama. Don't confuse the word Kentuck with the state of Kentucky. Kentuck isn't spelled with a "Y" on the end of it.
Take a look at Kentuck Festival of the Arts 2013 artists and you'll be able to see everyone's booth shot and the three images they submitted to the festival jury. Here's a link to the page listing mediums--just click a medium and the slide show'll begin. WOOHOO!
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Interesting. None of the photographers print on canvas.
Although three of these photogs don't even have websites, only one of them that does, Marie Gruber, mentions substrate. She prints on fiber base paper, wood, and aluminum. No mention of canvas. So you might be right about NO CANVAS.
As good as I think a few of these photogs are, I can't believe how lacking are their websites. I used to be in that class of artist who apologized for a less than adequate website, but not anymore. My website is very important to me and is helping my business. Also, none of these photogs mentions signing and numbering prints (that I can remember).
Are you suspicious that the show is against canvas? I dunno if I'd go so far as to say it about the show, but I have heard a lot of grumbling among photogs that judges don't like digital photography and almost never award canvas prints. I know a few of the photogs on this Kentuck thread personally, and both still shoot film. They may be considering making the transition since digital has recently surpassed film in quality. I know it's a different medium now all together. I don't even think digital photography can be considered "Original art" as I did enlarger exposed papers in a darkroom. When we had to dodge and burn and do darkroom magic, there was a real process for each print. Now, it's just press PRINT and it comes out the other end the same way every time every five or ten minutes depending on how big your print will be.
I certainly think it's time for judges to accept digital photography and canvas prints if shows are gonna allow it to be considered original art.
Digital camera and film cameras are used in creating photographs in the photography medium. There is absolutely no difference between the two in the jury room. The only place there is room for it is in your artist statement that hanges in the booth. You are being judged on the impact and originality of the images you create and no one cares what equipment you used when applying to a show.
There is a lot of jealousy in this industry. Artists are struggling to sell and the photography medium is the scapegoat because photography benefits the most from technology advances. Any show that is influenced by painters, either as advisors or on the board, look negatively at photographs printed on canvas. There is even a well known ex photographer juror that tries to influence other jurors that photography should be framed under glass. Smarter show directors give the jurors instructions to not judge the booth, only the images. And if there are any questions, those smarter directors ask questions before the images get to the jurors.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
I think I know who that judge is, Larry, and I wish he'd just do something else instead of meddle in the biz. He's really a bad influence, hands down. Just plain biased as heck. He spoke at a show we did several years ago and he said he knows all the artists who have paid their dues and thus he gave his awards accordingly. What a joker. Last year I saw him round the bend of another show we did, leading the actual judges around like they had no sense of their own. Oh well.
Personally I switched to canvas wraps a little over two years ago (after my booth collapsed and I lost half of my framed pieces), and I've been wondering ever since whether I made the right choice. I still get questions from visitors trying to figure out what I'm selling ("are these paintings??").
Between seeing about 75% of the photographers around me doing gallery wraps, and hearing that some shows not only don't like gallery wraps, but that some jurors (still) snarl at digital photography; I wonder if I should be concerned. Is photography on canvas a fad?
Not necessarily. They might print on canvas but not have canvas in their booth picture.
Larry Berman
True, the pieces might be framed. Specifically I was wondering if people (artist and/or jurors) are shifting away from 'unframed' gallery wraps.
Thanks for the link. I found it very helpful to see exactly what the jury sees.