MAKING A MARK: How to assess entries for an open art society exhibition (Part 2)

Present day Aspect 2 of my focus on examining entries for an open art modern society exhibition is heading to concentrate on a technique I’ve devised for offering every single entry in an open exhibition a precise mark.

Yesterday I wrote about How to assess entries for an open up artwork culture exhibition (Aspect 1) which targeted on the greater use of digital range following the introduction of digital submissions and, in individual, the pandemic

The rationale at the rear of a marking process

I have 100 marks to award to every single of a pretty substantial selection of artworks. 

The obstacle for me is to 

  • make the allocation of marks make sense to me 
  • attempt and accomplish regularity throughout all entries during the time expected to mark every one particular
  • ensure the marking is honest i.e. that each and each artwork finishes up remaining rated “accurately” in terms of my views of the relative merits of the distinct artworks

So how greatest to do this? 

My marking technique

I made the decision I would break up my 100 marks above 5 classes which are:

  • Matter 
    • the idea / concept guiding the artwork
    • “same old very same previous” versus “new and revolutionary” perspectives or novel subject matter matter
    • sophisticated vs . easy
  • Design and style
    • proof of imagined re design and style and composition 
    • e.g. whether it follows good apply or irrespective of whether it is just copied from a photograph with no modifying
  • Use of Colour / Tone:
    • at a extremely fundamental stage – demonstration of consciousness of the use of colour and tone
    • ability to raise an artwork from 2D to anything far more i.e. demonstration of how very best to use color and/or tone to make an artwork a lot more helpful
      • eg color palette
      • eg tonal variety and no matter whether proper for issue
  • Technological Proficiency re Media
    • drawing capabilities / perspective 
    • skill in software of the medium eg. precision and refinement vs . clumsy weighty handed application and/or finishes
  • Overall Affect
    • presentation for judging (eg excellent high quality image at the ideal form of dimensions – with no body or mat in evidence)
    • degree of “finish” i.e. Does it glance fantastic?
    • “Wall Affect” – whether it will “go through very well” from a distance in an exhibition

Here’s an anonymised case in point of how it worked in observe.

Instance of how my marking scheme will work in exercise

I also took the spreadsheet listing of all the (fully anonymous) entries and additional on columns for my marking criteria as well as a complete column which routinely calculated the whole as I included in the marks for particular person standards.

How it worked in practice

It is a lot easier to allocate 100 marks on a spreadsheet IF you:

  • use a spreadsheet 
  • only marking out of 20 for One particular consideration in the initial occasion.
  • do the job on a desktop/notebook and received the visuals open up on an iPad/tablet. 
  • use a formulation to determine the totals!

The way I looked at them (by viewing the database through Chrome) intended I received a huge complete impression – which I could enlarge if the file was major ample to search at precise areas of the artwork.

I uncovered I started to produce shorthand marking soon after a though with particular marks standing in for a “weak” (5) or “remarkable” (15) judgement. Under or higher than people marks you essential to be really undesirable or very good as towards specific requirements!

For illustration distinct weaknesses immediately captivated a mark of 5 out of 20 or even 3 if significantly terrible e.g. really modest graphic – building it impossible to assess the image!

The trick is always to make confident you only mark for 1 component of deficit after and not consistently.

As soon as I started off I located I also preferred to include a column for “remarks” which would remind me why I had marked as I experienced and, in distinct, factors why I marked up or down.

In my view, it can be difficult to do all the entries in one particular go. Nevertheless it is a superior strategy to 

  • have a rapid look by means of all the thumbnails before you get started
  • work in batches so you keep on being contemporary and marking does not undergo due to starting to be drained

As anyone who has equally marked and moderated marking schemes for qualified exams on the previous, I also checked periodically how I was making use of the marking plan when comparing one artwork with a different to assure consistency

What about the other Judges?

The other Judges will have labored out their have strategies of analyzing how to allocate marks rather. 

They may well have completed a little something similar to me – or something entirely unique.

Since there is a lot more than a person Judge and the marks are totalled, there is no way my system decides the result of the ultimate collection – besides as a contribution of 1 person’s perspective. 

I might be fascinated to hear other views on how to mark or grade artwork submitted for an open up exhibition.