Judging Visual Artwork

Introduction

After decades of exhibiting and observing art shows, we've seen judging shift away from objective fundamentals and toward the personal tastes of individual jurors. This trend pressures artists to cater to preferences rather than focusing on strong, well-crafted work, and it often results in qualified artists being overlooked.

To that end, we've created a free resource outlining ten essential elements of strong artwork, along with a scoring form to support fairer, more consistent evaluations. These fundamentals are widely recognized in academic and professional art circles, and applying them can raise the quality and integrity of the jury process.

We invite artists, judges, and jurors alike to explore this document, use the tools provided (all downloadable below), and share feedback on how they've improved your experience with exhibits and competitions.

Together, we can set higher standards that truly celebrate artistic excellence.

The authors welcome your feedback and experiences using this document and form.