Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor

In her letter to members of the San Antonio Arts League & Museum, president Dona Waltson included a special note for Laurin McCracken, the juror of SAALM’s 91^st Annual Juried Artist Exhibition, currently on view at the museum. “Thank you, Laurin McCracken, for creating this stunning exhibit,” she wrote.

The “stunning” show that features 64 artworks, was culled out of more than 350 submissions in a range of media, including watercolors, oil and acrylic paintings, sculptures and multi-media pieces. So, our first question to McCracken was: How does one go about selecting the best from such a large cache? A watercolorist himself, McCracken cited several criteria, such as technical mastery of the chosen medium, composition, balance and use of color, but “what it really comes down to, is the story,” he said. “Is there a story that the artist is trying to tell, and if so, can we figure it out. Is the work asking a question, interrogating the viewer? That’s the power of an artwork.”

He clearly found that in artist Samuel Wilson’s painting “Held in Balance” which won the top award, The Onderdonk Purchase Prize, which means the painting will be bought by SAALM and become part of the museum’s permanent collection. Executed in a photo-realistic style, the canvas shows a woman juggling two objects as a feather from above appears and seems to distract her. Multiple interpretations are not only possible, they almost impose themselves on the viewer. The two objects are a cup of steaming tea and a whisky flask.

And abstract paintings can be just as intriguing even when they seem to be purely aesthetic compositions, noted the juror who said he serves in that capacity for 3-4 art competitions a year in the U.S. and abroad. If the work makes you stop to ask questions, it’s a thought- provoking piece, he commented.

So, if he could buy one of the works from the current exhibit for his own home, which one would he pick? Would it be “Held in Balance”?

After some hesitation, he explained that the painting titled “Red Dawn” by Nancy Bandy, would be a much better fit for his house due to its vibrant but peaceful depiction of a beautiful sunrise.

McCracken considers entering competitions such as SAALM’ juried show, useful for any artist who would like to see how his/her work measures up “against what is currently available” and valued. As an artist himself, he has always benefitted from these experiences and he continues to pursue them. In 2020 alone, McCracken entered 18 competitions and won 11 awards, four of which were Best-of-Show wins. He also has a lot of experience with similar events in other countries.

“This show is more powerful than any other (annual juried exhibition),” said Waltson, a longtime member of the Art League. “We get to see the artists’ references and responses to the pandemic. I am very proud of this exhibit.”

Other big winners are: Pat Safir’s “Street Dancers, New Orleans” (Beth Eidelberg Memorial Water Media Award); Roberta Buckles’ “Interplay” (Mary Estelle Potter Tucker Award); Judi Simon’s “Leftover Ham & Eggs” (Ann Griffith Ash Award), and Alicia Tapp & Ray Forky’s “NYC Street Life” (Richard Conn Memorial Mixed Media Award). To see all the works and awards they received, visit SAALM and grab the handsome catalog that contains photos of all the pieces in the exhibition. All artwork is available for sale and some pieces have already sold.

“SAALM’s annual  juried show has a fabulous reputation, and this particular exhibition, with the very high quality of work, will help maintain that reputation,” said McCracken.
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San Antonio Art League & Museum, 130 King William St., 78204; open Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; free access; www.saalm.org, 210-223-1140.