There were 700 works submitted by more than 300 artists, Raulinaitis said. The final product is a show of 85 works created by 62 artists. Some had all three that made it into the show, while others had two or one.
“The competition is fierce,” she said. “Imagine, if out of 700 you get 85, that’s a little over 10%.”
This year, an announcement for entries was published in prestigious art magazines and online art publications, she said.
“What was interesting is that out of the 300-plus artists submitting, 145 were artists that submitted to the Brand show for the first time,” she said. “It says to me that we are getting new people, and it’s saying that a well-known juror attracts people to submit something for the show.”
Kim Abeles, a world-renowned artist, was this year’s juror. Her “Smog Collector” series brought national and international attention to her work, and her “Encyclopedia Persona A-Z” toured the United States and South America. She has an upcoming show in Cuba.
The show is prestigious because of its long legacy, and the Brand Library has been known as a music and art library since 1969, said Barbara Thorn-Otto, of Burbank, president of the Associates of Brand Library, which sponsors the show.
“People from all over the nation really want to get into the show,” Thorn-Otto said. “And Brand is one of the nicest galleries in Southern California.”
The theme of the show is released in the prospectus, and its purpose is more to get the artist thinking in a specific direction. But it’s up to the juror to decide how much the works must relate to the theme, Raulinaitis said.
“When it comes to the juror, some look at the topic and interpret it in their own way,” she said. “But I ask the juror to just pick good art for the show.”
Cash awards amounting to $4,000 will be awarded this year, Thorn-Otto said.
Businesses, some 300 longtime supporters, and members of the Brand associates donate the prize money.
A one-time award is being presented in honor of Jane Friend, who was the founding organizer of the national show.
