The Definitive Guide to the Best Juried
Art & Craft Fairs in the United States

More information on juror Bruce Baker

Previous Jury Experience: Juror for numerous juried craft shows, such as The Morning Glory Fair in Milwaukee, ACC Baltimore and San Francisco, The Kentucky Craft Marketing Show in Louisville, KY and the Hand Made section of the New York International Gift Show

Qualifications: Workshop leader for the past 24 years on the topics of Booth Design, Sales and Slide presentations for Juried ShowsContributing editor to The Crafts Report with a monthly column advising readers on booth design, sales, and slidesFounding faculty Member of the Arts Business Institute and works one on one with artist and their slides at every ABI venue

Short Bio: MA, Bowling Green State University, 1975, jewelry design and enameling Owned and operated Middlebury Jewelry and Design for 17 yearsRan the jewelry design and production firm of Baker and Baker Inc.

Feedback from previous clients

Average rating: 3.92 out of 4.00 (with 48 clients providing ratings)

"Bruce is a very through and dedicated juror. I appreciate the effort and time that he expended to educate me on the jury process. I feel that my chances of being accepted to better shows has been greatly improved. I would highly recommend this process and this juror . I also purchased the three CD set from Bruce and found them to be a necessity if you are serious about performing better at shows."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Excellent- articulate and knowledgeable and made suggestions I had not ever thought about. Helped me get a better idea of how a jury sees things and what works best to capture their attention."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce is an excellent juror who provided me with an incisive and professional evaluation of my slides. We had an extremely productive dialogue over the telephone and I will definitely be utilizing his recommendations for my next set of slides. However, although I did make quite a few notes during the telephone conversation, I was disappointed that a more elaborate summary of the conversation was not provided in the written evaluation, as when the time comes in the future to utilize the recommendations some of the points will probably be lost. It would have been very useful to have had some "brain cell backup" to refer to."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

" What a great Juror!!!!! WOW, I have listened to his tape/CDs and have loved his teachings for a while. He Called me up and we talked for 40 minutes."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

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Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"He was very detailed in his critique and offered suggestions"
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"The information Bruce shared with me was worth every penny paid! Not only did he give me advice on my slides and booth presentation but constructive critisizm to improve my art. I better understand how and what to present to a jury and look forward to more invitations and less rejections."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"This feedback was extremely helpful and showed me how important it is to have another pair of eyes choose (or suggest) a presentation. The images he put together are not at all what I would have picked, but it makes sense. He is informed and informative, direct and positive and has broad geographical experience with shows. He knows what he's talking about. He also took a good amount of time with my work and questions, and was helpful with glitches in the system. I felt like all my needs were met, and now I feel like I'm swimming not just treading water."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce was extremely informative and helpful."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"While Bruce's comments were very negative we do realize that our concern for the slides we had been using were the reason why we selected Bruce to critique them. We are most confident that his comments and suggestions will prove to be most beneficial in our future participation is art shows - not only in the quality of the slides but also relative to improvements the artist needs to make in the pieces she creates."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"As usual, Bruce's comments were very helpful. Only time (& juries) will tell whether the changes Bruce recommended will improve my acceptance rate, but I'm very pleased with new images. I appreciated that Bruce and I were able to discuss my images in a phone conversation, rather than my just receiving his written comments. This made it much easier to focus on the changes I needed to make."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Outstanding, gave us a tremendous amount of valuable information. "
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"I found Bruce Baker' to be a very honest and thorough juror. He didn't mince words and his honesty was very challenging. We talked for close to 50 minures and he gave me a wealth of information, some difficult to hear, but exactly what I was looking to learn. It took me a day or two to process all the info and I believe it has given me a goal and a process to follow. They were the guidelines that will take time to accomplish but I am delighted to have a plan and ideas to work with. Thank you."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 3 (Very good)

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Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 3 (Very good)

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Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce Baker is a busy man - For a good reason - He knows what he is talking about. During a phone call, he confirmed a lot of thoughts we had about the jury process. He took the time to look outside the box and gave us some valuable input. For his next cd project, he should do a cd for jurors under time pressure: 'How to vote for art that customers like.' ;-) We give him 'Two Sheep Up' (Out of two possible sheep). Thanks! P.S. Do more than one Virtual Jury with different jurors and you might find some very different results. Very interesting... P.S. II We just got into two more with the same set of slides...."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce Baker was very helpful. His constructive criticism was presented in a kindly maner. As artists we want to continue to learn and grow and we thank Bruce for propelling us forward. "
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce is a sophisticated and sensitive mentor, and lived up to very high expectations on my part. He does have a product to sell (his coaching CDs). This made me a bit skeptical at first, but after 40 minutes of conversation about my goals, my work, and Bruce's experiences as a juror, I felt confident in taking Bruce's input seriously. I had my assistant of 10 years listen in as well; she agreed with my assessment. I took 2 pages of notes during the call, and then wrote out 3 more pages of recollections and thoughts on the discussion, which I will be studying carefully. I would recommend Bruce."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"The straight forward and honest critique of my slides was a real eye-opener and was just short of 180 degrees from prior comments from other non-AFSB reveiwers. Have placed the suggested changes into effect. Only time will if these recommendations will meet my desired goal of improved acceptance notices. Mr. Baker is very knowledgeable and well informed on the jurying process. A real professional."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Firm, but fair. Was willing to talk with me and give me extensive feedback and answered all my questions, including a few follow up questions. His feedback was very beneficial. Well worth the investment. "
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"I cannot compliment Bruce more for this evaluation. His wisdom and knowledge of the art community is excellent. We spent at least an hour on the phone discussing each piece of jewelry and its photo. Bruce not only recommended which slides were the best and why, but suggested ways to improve both the presentation and the jewelry designs as well. His constructive criticism was straight-forward and very insightful and at the same time encouraging and stimulating. I culd not have understood the subtle reasons behind jury perceptions without this evaluation. This may have been the best $100 I have spent in my art career. I would recommend Bruce to any artist seeking professional, honest, clear, concise, and to-the-point evaluation of their art. "
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce is an excellent juror, and it was great to have his comments on my slides. His criticism was constructive - i.e. I now know exactly what to do to make my slides better - just what I needed to know! Thank you, Bruce!"
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce was great. His criticisms were pointed and exact. He let us see into the mind of a juror and how they see our work. The evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses were invaluable. His jewelry background was extremely helpful. Bruce was generous with his time and experience. Thank you. "
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"He was very thorough and informative. He had several good suggestions about the next steps."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce really took the time to explain the whole jury process (with slides and zapp)and went above and beyond...He actually has helped me take my work to the next level. Well worth the money and then some. Thanks Bruce!"
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Concise and constructive in his criticism, fair and detailed in his evaluation; Bruce is a terrific voice for any artist who needs an objective pair of eyes to review his/her work. Can't recommend him highly enough. Thanks, Bruce!"
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce was really professional and honest with a sincere attitude toward improving me as an artist."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"I believe his remarks will be very helpful to me once I follow through. It requires making some new pieces, but I now know which direction to take. His critique was very positive, but with concrete suggestions on where to improve my images and work. I am very pleased."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Thorough and honest evaluation. A lot to think about. I'll be taking the comments seriously to pump up my jury presentation. I need to step away from my customer mindset and get into an artist eyecandy mindset."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"the best part of the session was that Bruce got down to business and stayed focused....now I just have to do the same with my work. His comments were insightful and will be ultimately very helpful as I put them to work. I wish we had had more time to expand on a few points (now that I think back), but it has been the most constructive review I have ever had. I can see a year of work ahead and wish I could have an ongoing connection to Bruce during that time to fine tune the process."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 3 (Very good)

"Bruce was very helpful. He spent a great deal of time discussing each of our images with us by phone, before sending his written comments. He also gave us a much better understanding of what the judges are looking for in terms of what combination of pictures to send in. I would definitely recommend him as a juror."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Excellent Feedback. Great thoughts to consider. Answered a lot of questions I had been wondering about. His advice is very much appreciated. Bruce was also very generous with his time and the sharing of his experience. Not one regret having taken part in this. Thank you, Jason Hunt"
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce spent a considerable amount of quality time helping me get it right. I highly recommend him to anyone wanting to learn how the jurors think. He also helped me with wonderful suggestions about new directions. "
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Very informative. Lot of great information and changes that I will make"
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce was helpful in choosing the best images for jurying. He also worked with me to help improve some of the slides by recommending a crop. I now have a better understanding of what jurors are looking for and what to avoid when preparing my applications."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce went above the call of duty for me in the evaluation and spent a lot of time talking about direction of my business for the future that might be helpful. Some were considerations I wanted to do, but haven't put into action yet. It was the extra push I needed."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"I think Bruce made some very valuable comments. They made a lot of sense, and I will be implementing these changes for the next jury submissions."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 3 (Very good)

"Bruce, Thank you for a very insightful and through evaluation. Even after all these years in business, I still have much to learn about our industry and how the jury looks at images. I feel that your expertise in the field is unparalled and I am very glad to have the opportunity to work with you. I wanted and got an honest evaluation. Thank you. "
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce isn't afraid to be honest and I think honesty is key in evaluating this very tricky process of how to be noticed by jurors. I think he has a great understanding of how jurors think and he explains how the jurors perceive what they are looking at. This is incredibly powerful information. I plan to utilize Bruce's advice for my next season."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"So great! I thought I had a good idea of everything Bruce may tell me, but he came up with specific action items to change my presentation."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Boy was that ever an eye-opener. As a relatively new jewelry artist I didn't realize that I was doing things that were overdone ad nauseum in the 80s. I have a lot of work to do and appreciate the honest evaluation. "
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce was very honest and his critique is extremely valuable. All his points are valid and by making the changes he suggested I should be able to be juried into better shows. "
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Excellent! This is just what we were looking for. Bruce was honest and informative on how to increase our chances of jury acceptance. He also recommended specific ideas on how our product needs to be presented and photographed."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Stupendous!! Greg had recommended that we speak with Bruce and he could not have been more helpful. His direct, no-nonsense approach really gave us an insight into the juror's mindset and provided us with some immediate solutions and ideas to take our presentations to the next level. If his counsel proves correct, the call was invaluable. Thanks! "
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Very helpful, Thanks Bruce!!"
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"This juror was easy to talk to and made positive suggestions."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"Bruce has been an outstanding reviewer. He has carefully reviewed the information I provided him with and has addressed all my questions with specific comments and suggestions. His thorough knowledge of the jury process and his insights into the art show world have given me information I did not find elsewhere. This will be extremely useful as I am just starting to show my work at shows. Bruce is very articulate; he's a good listener and his advice, suggestions and criticism are very thoughtful. I would recommend him without reservation to anyone who wants to improve the business side of their art. Many thanks!"
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)

"This is the second time I use Bruce, and although he didn't "pass" me the first time, since I only had three images he deemed good enough, I got into a lot more and better shows after that. This time, I "passed", and he had a lot of good things to say (both compliments and suggestions for improvements), so I have high hopes! My work incorporates so many different designs and colors, that it's hard for me to find just a few good ones that will work together as a coherent body of work. Bruce's help was invaluable in choosing the right ones (although the jury is still out, so to speak, on this last round, since I haven't heard from any shows yet)."
Client's rating of Bruce Baker: 4 (Excellent)