Does everyone who submits art to the competition get into Spectrum?
No. If a piece gets a plurality of votes by the jury, it’s included in the book; if it doesn’t receive enough votes, it’s not included. It’s really that simple. Not getting selected for the annual is always one of the risks of participating. We try to put together a jury each year which reflects a wide variety of sensibilities, tastes, and experiences so that no one school of thought dominates. We also try to keep the voting anonymous, discourage voting influenced by politics or personalities, and otherwise try to keep the playing field as level as possible for everyone. The simple fact is that it boils down to the dynamic of the jury each year: everybody doesn’t get in, regardless of credentials or reputations. It’s tough to make it into Spectrum: it’s no reflection on an artist’s talent or popularity if they don’t, but there is significance if they’re tapped by the jury.
