Jan Layh loves the role of adjudicator. She says it鈥檚 just like teaching, which means a lot coming from her, since she was a high school arts teacher for many years.
鈥淎djudicating is talking to people about their work; it鈥檚 discussing their work,鈥� said Layh, a painter who resides east of the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, not far from Langenburg. 鈥淎djudicating, for me, means I get to learn a lot by looking at other people鈥檚 work. I鈥檓 not just there to be the teacher, I鈥檓 there to be the learner as well.鈥�
Layh will be the adjudicator for the Estevan Arts Council鈥檚 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.聽
鈥淎s an adjudicator, you are to judge the work,鈥� said Layh. 鈥淏ut 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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 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.鈥�
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鈥檚 work.聽
While she admits she has a bias, based on her taste in artwork, Layh said she can鈥檛 allow her bias to come through during the adjudication process.聽
Layh will also facilitate a watercolour workshop at the craft room inside the Estevan Leisure Centre on Sunday morning at 10 a.m.聽
Despite her enjoyment of the process, adjudicating聽 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鈥檛 work with her schedule.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to see the work of emerging artists,鈥� said Layh. 鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting, inspiring and invigorating, and it鈥檚 always fun to meet people and see how they visually communicate.鈥澛�
The Estevan Arts Council approached Layh about adjudicating this year鈥檚 show. She suspects someone saw her work, or knew about her paintings. While she hasn鈥檛 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.聽
Layh鈥檚 work has been exhibited in Winnipeg, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon and Moose Jaw, and in small towns like Esterhazy. When her work isn鈥檛 in a show, it鈥檚 stored at her home.聽
鈥淚 am a long-time painter,鈥� said Layh. 鈥淚 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.鈥� 聽
Layh has been dabbling in art for as long as she can remember, probably from the moment she 鈥渃ould hold a pencil.鈥� While her parents weren鈥檛 artists, they were very creative individuals.聽
Visual art has been her form of expression for a long time.
鈥淲e artists have to do our art, otherwise we鈥檙e kind of miserable,鈥� said Layh. 鈥淓ven though when I was working full-time and had a growing family, I just needed time to paint. It鈥檚 what I do.鈥�
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.聽
The adjudicated art show will be on display at the EAGM from Nov. 6 to Dec. 18.
