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Attaining ‘Juried Status’

Honor. Recognition. Excellence.

Application process is changing and will be available soon.

Those are words Juried Members use to describe the benefits of being juried by one of the largest and most established crafts guilds in the country, The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.  Craft-makers who pursue juried status do so for the prestige and acknowledgement that comes with having their work achieve the mark of excellence that distinguishes them from the mainstream.

Juried Status is the crown jewel of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.  It is one of the many reasons craftsmen join from out of state; and it is one of the many reasons craft collectors trust the Guild to connect them to the finest craft-makers.

Juried Status is recognition for a body of work that is exceptional and meets or exceeds these three benchmarks:

  • excellence in craftsmanship
  • resolved design
  • unique voice or style

Taken together, the successful marriage of these three benchmarks produces a WOW factor that merits the awarding of the high honorary recognition of Juried Status in the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsman.

Additional information is available in two articles: Getting Ready & Ensuring Quality Craftsmanship

To attain Juried Status, craftsmen bring a body of work to the expert panel. The panel reviews this body of work carefully, in a hands-on rigorous examination.  This is an opportunity for an honest critique and a unique assessment. Jurors meet one-on-one with applicants after the session. For those whose work is not accepted, and many aren’t, the jury process offers a unique teaching moment. Jurors do not offer a checklist for improvement, nor do they articulate the steps a craftsman may take in the future. All comments are related to the three benchmarks and designed to give the applicant ample room for self-discovery. For those who come with an open mind, this nurturing is one of the best gifts of Guild membership and one to be savored.  Follow up conversations and mentoring may be arranged.

In Floor Jurying, a panel of experts visits the booths in a fine craft fair. They review the craft as presented and compare it to what was submitted in images. Those whose work and presentation are exceptional receive letters of commendation. Those who work does not meet the three benchmarks receive a letter outlining a course of action. See our Floor Jurying article for more details.

To Show Selection at the Pennsylvania Guild, craftsmen submit images which are reviewed by a panel of recognized experts in craft. The panel may review as many as 1,500 images in a single day. Each image is viewed with the benchmarks in mind and graded accordingly. Those craftsmen with the highest marks are permitted into our Fine Craft Fairs. See our Show Rules for more details.

Benefits of Juried Status include:

  • Prestigious acknowledgement for a body of work that shows excellence
  • Invitations to submit work to gallery exhibitions
  • Eligible for cash prizes in Benchmark Awards program
  • Images used on Guild’s extensive publicity and marketing materials
  • Bonus points during show selection
  • Preferential recommendations to craft collectors

Craft Guidelines:

Standards Core Committee:

The Standards Core Committee is headed by the VP Standards.  This committee is comprised of a group of juried members who are recognized as experts in their fields.  They bring a wide range and depth of experience and represent a variety of media and approach to craft.  Some are traditionalists working in historically accurate reproductions, some apply traditional techniques to their own original contemporary designs, while others push methods and means to the ultimate for a completely unique expression of creative thought.  They were all carefully chosen for this committee because together they form a balanced perspective.

The Committee continually works with a wider group of experts and offers multiple training sessions annually. Committee members are also available to meet one-on-one and to attend Chapter or group meetings. Please contact the VP of Standards for more details.