Juror’s Statement THE WILD SIDE: California Women Celebrate the Untamed, a NCWCA juried exhibition, called for art that celebrates the untamed. The exhibition call yielded a vast array of materially and conceptually dynamic visual responses, broaching topics that hold deep relevance to the individual artists. Several thematic constellations emerged. Some works offered a glimpse of THE WILD SIDE as unrestrained gestures of pure expression, visions of nature, and the body in nature. Other works fearlessly embraced the unhinged as an aspect of THE WILD SIDE and alluded to psychological and political matters that resonate with the challenges of these unprecedented times. Artworks that centered on transformation and shamanic evocations offered compelling interpretations of the theme, as well. Without question, the entries demonstrated high levels of skill from technical, aesthetic, and conceptual perspectives, which made it challenging to whittle the 200 submissions down to 46 accepted works. It was exciting to view the exceptional array of entries varying from traditional to experimental, technically challenging to intellectually stimulating. The number of admirable pieces that I would have liked to include was more than the space would allow. It is heartening to know that despite this time of uncertainty, vulnerability, and polarization, creative expression continues to flourish. It takes inspiration, grit, dedication, and courage to create beautiful, emotive, and sophisticated works of art. I am inspired and grateful to all the artists who responded to the call–who persevere and continue to create art. It has been an honor and an enriching experience to serve as juror for THE WILD SIDE: California Women Celebrate the Untamed. In my role, I carefully reviewed every entry multiple times. I considered how the art responded to and aligned with the theme of THE WILD SIDE as an expression of the untamed. I observed how the material, aesthetic, and conceptual layers expressed the untamed. In subsequent viewings, I read the artist’s statement to consider intentionality in the artwork and how those layers of meaning could add nuance to notions of the untamed. While it is always more pleasurable to see art in person, I enjoyed looking closely at the submitted photographs of the art and carefully considered mark making and compositional choices. Consideration of the exhibition space was also a component. I thought about how selected works were in conversation with each other and could be installed in a manner where thematic constellations could offer a visual narrative. It was important to create an exhibition with a balance of messaging, innovation, process, presentation, media, and materials.
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