New Bragging Rights – On a Big Stage!

My scratchboard art has just been selected for an exhibit of the preeminent organization for scratchboard artists worldwide!! The International Society of Scratchboard Artists (ISSA) is holding their 9th Annual Exhibition in Tucson AZ later this year, and I have been accepted! 

I achieved status as an active member of ISSA just last March, so this was my first opportunity to enter their annual exhibition.  My newest scratchboards “Locked In Time” and “Ruby-Throated Hummer” (which I’ll blog about individually at a later date) will be featured in the show. 

My pride comes from the reality that this was the steepest competition I have ever encountered to get into an exhibition: 

• The ISSA includes members spanning the globe, from New Zealand, Australia, China, African nations, European Countries, Canada and USA (5 continents represented) 
• Artists working in scratchboard can only achieve ISSA Membership by a juried review process
• The talent of ISSA member scratchboard artists is extraordinary. View the award winners from their 2019 exhibition to see the level of creativity, originality and skill I was up against!  
• Of only 68 scratchboards chosen for this Exhibition, 13 are for members in the Masters Division, and the other 55 are from members in the Open Division, which is the level I competed in.
• Three ISSA Master Scratchboard Artists juried the exhibition entries and will assign awards in the Open Division
• Not only one, but TWO of my entries got into the show!! 

Since becoming an active member of ISSA, I gained access to online workshop videos presented by many of the Society’s Master members. Through these I have increased my knowledge of scratchboard tools and techniques, which I have been applying to my newest scratchboard pieces. In preparing artwork to enter this competition, I also aimed to introduce ideas and techniques I haven’t seen used in other scratchboard art, adopting from what I’ve learned and practiced from my 40+ years of experience as a watercolor and acrylic painter. 

As with many art exhibitions implementing COVID-19 protocols, this show will be hung and available for live public viewing (likely with restrictions) but the opening ceremony, awards presentations, workshops, and other planned events normally at the opening weekend have been cancelled with some going virtual only. I’ll post again when the entire show goes online. 

Here are the show details: 

International Society of Scratchboard Artists
9th Annual Exhibition 2020
November 6, 2020 – February 7

Ironwood Gallery at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
2021 N. Kinney Rd., Tucson AZ 85743 U.S.A. • Phone (520) 883-3024
Current Hours: Mondays-Saturdays | 10:00 am – 3:30 pm (check website for updates) https://www.desertmuseum.org/ 

My next scratchboard goal? Finishing the one I am working on to enter the exhibition’s t-shirt contest! More on that coming to my blog soon….