RAL Juried Members' Winter Show 2023

The Rockville Art League hosts two large juried member shows a year in a variety of mediums and styles. This winter we are honored to have artist and educator Palden Hamilton as our judge who juried the six categories of work: oils and acrylics; watercolors; mixed media; pastels, drawings, hand-pilled prints; sculpture and photography.

The Rockville Art League was founded in 1957 by a collective of artists in Rockville, Maryland, and the surrounding area to promote the development of the fine arts within its membership and the community. We are a group of over 150 artists. For more information, please visit RockvilleArtLeague.org.

This beautiful multimedia show is on exhibit at the Glenview Mansion Art Gallery. Glenview Mansion is located at the Rockville Civic Center Park, 603 Edmonston Dr.
For information call 240-314-8681 and for recorded directions 240-314-5004. The event and exhibit are free and open to the public.
The art gallery is located on the second floor and is accessible by stairs and there is an ELEVATOR to all levels of the gallery. There is plenty of parking in the lot below and accessible parking near the back entrance.
Glenview is closed on official city holidays and SPECIAL CLOSURES on these dates:
FRIDAY, Jan. 12 and MONDAY, Jan. 15. Please check the Glenview Mansion website or call prior to coming during the week.

Judge Palden Hamilton's remarks:
I am honored to be the judge for the RAL Juried Members' Winter Show. Lisa and Patrick Sieg have done a wonderful job arranging this show, and have been thorough and professional in guiding my participation in it. Congratulations to all on a great show, and thank you for this honor.

When I paint, I aspire to begin work intuitively, before using more analytical methods to correct and hone. This means launching a series of imperfect but (hopefully) improving iterations, rather than executing according to a choreographed, preconceived idea. I then use technical considerations to correct and bring the image to a convincing conclusion.

I juried and judged this show in a similar fashion. I visited the show's site, scrolling through its entirety and making quick notations of stand-outs. I would break, sometimes overnight, to clear my eyes and mind before returning for the next overview. When making award decisions, I would repeatedly scroll through each category. Sometimes my initial impressions were confirmed, and at other times unsuspecting paintings I had previously passed over snuck into my attention. Of course, seeing the work in person on Nov. 28 provided further clarity (or confusion), as pieces continued to jostle for position. In the end, more formal considerations of technique, composition, craft, etc. helped to distinguish my final choices.

How can one apply a consistent standard of assessment for such a large and eclectic show? The task proved to be impossible. I was necessarily inconsistent. I awarded some pieces for impact, others for subtlety. I awarded some pieces for technical proficiency, others for being unencumbered by rigid technique. Some for whimsy, others for seriousness. Some for being highly-articulated, others for being poetic. I tried to interpret this diverse and eclectic work through varied interpretive lenses. Therefore please accept the highly subjective nature of my decisions. In the end, I hope that the body of work I awarded is a satisfying representation of this show as a whole.

Whether it brings increasing clarity of vision, or meaningful wandering, I wish you all continued fulfillment in your artistic lives.