Jan Layh loves the role of adjudicator. She says it’s just like teaching, which means a lot coming from her, since she was a high school arts teacher for many years.
“Adjudicating is talking to people about their work; it’s discussing their work,” said Layh, a painter who resides east of the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, not far from Langenburg. “Adjudicating, for me, means I get to learn a lot by looking at other people’s work. I’m not just there to be the teacher, I’m there to be the learner as well.”
Layh will be the adjudicator for the Estevan Arts Council’s Adjudicated Art Show this weekend. She will spend Saturday afternoon studying and evaluating all the submissions for the art show, which will be located at the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum (EAGM). Then she will speak to the public about the entries during a reception on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
“As an adjudicator, you are to judge the work,” said Layh. “But for me, what I do is I look at the strengths of each piece of work and the strengths of the particular artist, because I think every piece has its strengths. Certainly there are improvements to be made on pieces.
“It’s way more interesting, I think, and way more valuable to speak of the strengths of the work, so that when I leave, an artist can look at their work and maybe try this.”
Layh prefers to have a separate group adjudication, so each artist will hear all the adjudications, because she believes artists will learn more when they can also look at other people’s work.
While she admits she has a bias, based on her taste in artwork, Layh said she can’t allow her bias to come through during the adjudication process.
Layh will also facilitate a watercolour workshop at the craft room inside the Estevan Leisure Centre on Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
Despite her enjoyment of the process, adjudicating is fairly new for Layh. Her only previous experience came in Regina a few years ago. She is on the list of potential adjudicators with the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils. She has been asked to adjudicate other shows, but it didn’t work with her schedule.
“It’s exciting to see the work of emerging artists,” said Layh. “It’s interesting, inspiring and invigorating, and it’s always fun to meet people and see how they visually communicate.”
The Estevan Arts Council approached Layh about adjudicating this year’s show. She suspects someone saw her work, or knew about her paintings. While she hasn’t been a frequent adjudicator, she is well connected with arts councils in the province, and is currently the president of the Langenburg Arts Council.
She also chairs the visual arts committee in the town, which organizes an adjudicated art show each year.
Layh’s work has been exhibited in Winnipeg, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon and Moose Jaw, and in small towns like Esterhazy. When her work isn’t in a show, it’s stored at her home.
“I am a long-time painter,” said Layh. “I have painted in watercolour, acrylic and more recently oils. People would know me as a landscape artist, although I veer off towards portraits a fair amount.”
Layh has been dabbling in art for as long as she can remember, probably from the moment she “could hold a pencil.” While her parents weren’t artists, they were very creative individuals.
Visual art has been her form of expression for a long time.
“We artists have to do our art, otherwise we’re kind of miserable,” said Layh. “Even though when I was working full-time and had a growing family, I just needed time to paint. It’s what I do.”
Working as a teacher was a great job, and Layh believes having the opportunity to continue to teach art is the best thing in the world.
The adjudicated art show will be on display at the EAGM from Nov. 6 to Dec. 18.
