Hotworks Fine Art Shows focuses on quality.  In order to achieve that among the artwork represented, a group of three art professionals gather together to review the work of the hundreds of artists who apply to the events.  The jury members include Anne Kuffler, Director and Owner of Ariana Gallery in Royal Oak; Roy Schallenberg, world renowned painter; and, Joseph T. Marks Curator of Collections and Exhibitions of The Alfred Berkowitz Gallery at The University of Michigan – Dearborn.

Throughout the entire year, we attend many events across the nation and Canada to recruit the best artists.  More than 12,000 artist applications are mailed.  After deadline time, all four jury members meet and spent more than 10 hours reviewing the artists work.  The artist application indicated that each artist who enters the event submit three slides of their work and one of their booth display.  In order to obtain a “general feel” of the event, all of the slides were reviewed once over first.  After that, the judging took place by medium of art, which each artist enters the event in one of the following categories:  clay, glass, painting, metal, sculpture, wood, mixed-media, jewelry, fiber, photography, or “other”.  The jury was asked to judge each artist based on quality of work, technique/execution of design, originality and booth presentation.  As this event grows each year, the works entered becomes higher quality and is necessary to be reviewed by a committee of art professionals to help meet those standards.

However, once the selection of artists for the show is complete, the job of the jury is not.  The four jury members will meet again at the event and will take another 6-8 hours reviewing the artists on sight in order to award the artist prizes. Prizes are awarded in all of our events and each artist is represented with an award winning ribbon to hang in their booth on Sunday. The manner of participating artists is taken seriously at the Orchard Lake Fine Art Show.  By pre-qualifying each one of the artists who come to this event, we hope to help the general public with making their art work purchase decisions in knowing that they are purchasing quality work.