A look at art, photography judging at the Alaska State Fair

PALMER — The doors at the Hoskins Building are locked down ‘till next year. The lights are turned off. The paintings and photographs have all been taken down and returned to their owners. The Alaska State Fair is over for another year.

But the excitement of the art and photography at the state fair is still reverberating in discussion, museum acquisition and appreciation for the learning opportunity. Some of the discussions are heated — as is to be expected following a competition.

This year the Art Department had two super judges: Saunders McNeill from the Alaska State Council on the Arts, and Selena Ortega-Chiolero from the Palmer Museum of History and Art. Combine that with Pam Strahan’s 28 years of experience as the superintendant of the department and the entrants were in really good hands.

This year’s Best of Show was a fabulous watercolor by local artist Diane Meekin. Though still an amateur, her work exceeded even the professionals in artistic quality, technical excellence and composition. Currently, the Palmer Museum of History and Artwork is considering acquiring the work. It would be wonderful if that happened so it could be shared with all the valley’s residents and visitors.

On the other side of the building at the Photography Department (sponsored by the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman) Dewayne Joehnk kept a tight rein on his judges, myself, Gregory Gusse, and the incomparable Carl Battreall. As always it was a great honor to be selected to judge the wonderful works.

Again this year we were somewhat disappointed by the professional entries. Other than a portrait by Amber Lee Hays of Wasilla, there was not much to talk about in professional photography. Superintendant Joehnk is considering a new format for the professional class for next year that may bring not just more but better entries in that category. In the professional arena we judge artistic quality first and technical quality second, composition and use of light third and fourth. In the open, junior, and children’s categories, technical issues are our last criteria.

This year’s best of show was a small black and white print of superior artistic quality and composition. The photo was not the most technically perfect, but scored top in the other three considerations. It would have still been a blue ribbon piece but could not have garnered best of show in the professional category.

Another great thing going on were the demonstrations of art by about a dozen local artists. Each afternoon folks like Barbara Hunt, Martha Happs, Terry Phillips and lots more, would be out with easels paints and fabric. Sharon Hein, Dena Tanguay and Barbara Howard demonstrated how to paint with fabric, pretty amazing and lots of fun for the kids.

And not to be totally out done, in the photography department we had seminars where we helped explain how individuals photos were chosen, or not, for ribbons. It was risky, but a lot of fun.

Fifty to eighty thousand people come through Hoskins Hall each Fair. If you are an artist or photographer, child or professional, consider sharing your work with all the wonderful folks who visit the fair.

See ya at the fair next year!