Juror’s Statement

My curiosity and interest on the South and its artistic production dates back to the gratifying research that I conducted for the Jasper Johns retrospective organized by The Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1996. My contribution to the catalogue was an extensive chronology of Johns’ life and work. It included several previously unpublished facts about and unrecorded events from, the artist’s background in Allendale, Columbia, Batesburg-Leesville, Sumter, in South Carolina as well as his early career, from the time of his early involvement with the arts as a student at College of Arts and Sciences of the University of South Carolina in 1947 and as a soldier in Fort Jackson, where he developed art exhibition programs in 1951-52, to his survey exhibition at the Columbia Museum of Art in 1960.

This is one of the reasons why I feel fortunate and grateful for the invitation to judge the first Hub City Juried Art Competition. It provides an excellent opportunity to become acquainted with what local artists are currently doing. The response of the artistic community exceeded all expectations, with over 200 artists submitting approximately 400 works of art. This is an eloquent sign of ebullient artistic activity, and shows the eagerness of local artists to share their vision and participate in a wider forum for the discussion of art.

The variety and range of work submitted was extraordinary, from more conventional mediums like painting, sculpture, prints, drawings, and photography, to collages, textiles, ceramics, and constructions employing unusual materials. I was particularly impressed with the number of meticulously made works that crossed or tested the boundaries between fine arts and crafts, between sculpture and design, between painting and embroidery, exploring issues of pattern and ornamentation. Also noteworthy was the quantity and quality of entries by artists working in the genre of landscape, as well as by those who chose to focus their attention on their immediate surroundings, where the depiction of objects and people speak to a range of psychological states.

My several years of experience working in museums, organizing exhibitions, visiting studios and reviewing work by numerous artists within the United States and abroad have reconciled me to the fact that there is no such thing as objectivity in selecting work for inclusion in this, or any other, exhibition. Morever, it is crucial to remember that, for logistic reasons, only two works (at most) by each artist were available for review, an extremely untelling sample. I hope that those artists whose work is not included will take this into account and not feel discouraged. On the other hand, I hope that those who are participating in the exhibition take pride in it, and use this to create an increasingly compelling and ambitious production.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the charming and devoted group of supporters of the Spartanburg County Museum of Art, from its staff to its volunteers and board, who made everything possible. It is my hope that this exhibition will inspire others to get involved in their fundraising efforts and help shape the Museum’s vision and scope.

Lilian Tone
Assistant Curator
Department of Painting and Sculpture
The Museum of Modern Art

November 2001