How Not to Get Juried In to Plein Air Events

By Contributing Author: Nancy Tankersley

From the Editor: Just about now, plein air devotees are applying to plein air contest events they’d like to do in 2025. So, it seemed a good time to offer some words of wisdom from a seasoned pro: artist Nancy Tankersley has a diverse career that includes teaching plein air workshops and serving as a judge for plein air competition events.

Nancy has two professional art videos out, one on “Painting Figures from Photographs” and one that starts at the very beginning and offers “Essential Painting Principles” every painter should know.

Nancy Tankersley at one of Plein Air Easton’s Quick Draw events.

Not too long ago, I juried a competition that for me was more difficult than most. I have a special feeling for Plein Air Easton because I was one of the founders, I have participated as an artist for 14 of its 19 years, I know many of the applicants, and I know how important this event is to so many people.

Not only is it a showcase for established artists, it is also a gateway for up and coming artists, and I’ve always been proud of that fact. Because it is juried by a new juror each year, and only five award-winning artists from the previous year receive an invite back, that means there are over 50 spots open to all comers.

Because of my familiarity with so many of the applicants, I had to set very strict rules for myself.

That meant putting on the blinders and only judging the work that was in front of me. To not do so would be giving an unfair advantage or disadvantage to the person I did know versus the many whose work I did not know.

Nancy Tankersley, “Porto, Portugal Street Scene,” plein air oil. 11 x 14 in.

A juror’s mind runs a constant dialogue in the background. Even worse, for someone who knows many of the artists personally, it’s along the lines of “but their work is better than these slides!” or “how can I leave them out, we’ve been friends for years?” or “they will never speak to me again!” or “they’ll think I don’t like them or their work”, “maybe I should make an exception for them because they’ve had a tough year, or we are in the same gallery, or they are one of my students” or even “they sell well at high prices, if the numbers go down this year, I’ll be responsible for not picking them!” And the list goes on….

Aside from personal connections to the applicants, all plein air jurors have a tough job. So it’s especially important that as an entrant you follow any stated rules to the letter – some jurors will begin winnowing down the applicant pool based on technicalities from the get-go. I think my own reasons for that especially difficult Easton event can apply to many a juried plein air contest. If you yourself have been passed over for juried plein air contents, see if any of the following resonates with you.

Nancy Tankersley, “Tilghman Afternoon,” plein air oil. 12 x 12 in.

Here are a few of the many reasons that an artist might or might not have been chosen.

You were not chosen if:

Your jpegs were not properly prepared. They should be of the images only with no frames, no backgrounds, and the image should be straight and not blurry. Some images were very dark so make sure you shoot them in the proper light. Maybe even view them on several devices before submitting. I’m not in favor of photoshopping images but if they need to be brightened, go ahead and use that tool until it looks on your screen similar to how it looks in bright light. If you are going to enter shows, these are the basics and ignoring them may get you tossed out even when your work is strong.
Your work was obviously not all done in plein air. This might not be the case with all competitions, but at least at Easton, the rules specify three plein air works completed in the past two years. I have no way of knowing when the work was painted (although in several cases I’m pretty sure that rule was ignored), but I can tell a plein air piece from a studio painting. Why the two-year rule? Well, if your work is in the process of evolving, choosing very old work that is going to be different from your current work is not an honest presentation of what you will be doing at the PAE event. The judge has no way of enforcing this rule, nor should we, but as a plein air artist honoring the parameters of the competition, it should be easy to find three recent pieces. And if not, then you haven’t been doing enough plein air work and may need to take a year off anyway!
You showed me different media. It’s great to see your versatility, but I’d like to know which medium you will be using during the competition. I like to include all mediums if possible so if you are really great at a medium that is not seen so often, it may be a good idea to stick to that medium. Nothing wrong with playing the odds!

Nancy Tankersley, “Blackrock View,” plein air oil. 20 x 24 in.

Having met all the rules, here are several other reasons you may not have been chosen:

Your subject matter was too similar. Three crashing surf paintings, or three cliffs looking down at crashing surf, or three paths going off into the distance makes me think that if you don’t find your favorite motifs here, you will not do your best work. It may have caused me to reject you even if you have beautiful brushwork, design, and color, which many did.
Your painting met all the “quality” rules, but so did several others that have some style similarities to yours and it is important to me that I chose a show with variety. You may have been one of the last ones eliminated, so don’t let it discourage you. You are a good painter and your omission this year doesn’t reflect on you.

Nancy Tankersley, “Dernier Le Village,” plein air oil. 9 x 12 in.

So if your work was good and met all the rules, why didn’t you get in? It could have been the WOW factor. Three perfectly great images up against another three perfectly great images can be reduced down to which one I remember most, i.e. which do I find the most interesting or exciting. And that’s where we can disagree and what makes art so personal.

From the Editor: As we all know, there are so many mysteries (beyond one’s control!) that cause one to be chosen over another. Nancy’s advice can at least help you control the things you can and avoid the preventable faux pas. However you fare in your competition quests, always remember that next year will be another year – and another jurist. Best of luck!

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