Student entries submitted to the national level go through two rounds of review by arts professionals from across the country. During the evaluation process, judges will consider the following criteria:
- Interpretation: How closely the piece relates to the theme, based on the work itself and the artist statement.
- Creativity: How creative and original the piece is in its conception of the theme and its presentation.
- Technique: The level of skill demonstrated in the basic principles/techniques of the arts area.
In Reflections, judges strongly consider the artist's interpretation of the Reflections theme as shown in the student's original artwork, title and artist statement. To best represent their creativity and originality, artists should create
- a title that stands out and describes how the piece relates to their personal interpretation of the theme
- an artist statement that further describes their theme interpretation and explores the creative process and decisions they made when making their art.
Artists can consider the following when developing a title and artist statement:
- How does your work specifically relate to the theme?
- Explore metaphors or allusions in your artwork to highlight complex or critical parts of your work.
- What is your personal connection to the theme? What/who was your inspiration? How do these connections show up in your art?
- Explain the creative decisions you made so your work would be unique to you and your interpretation of the theme.
- What tools, materials and methods did you use to create your work (e.g., supplies, technology, instrumentation, props, etc.)? What made you choose those items?