What models can be entered in the exhibition?

This has been adapted from “The Open System of Judging,” found on the Military Miniatures Society of Illinois website. It has been customized and simplified to fit the system to be implemented at the inaugural Rocky Mountain Hobby Expo in 2024  by Barry Biediger.

Intro

The basic premise of the Open System of Judging as developed by Sheperd Paine and other top modelers from around the world in the 1980s is to recognize the good modelers and encourage the promising ones at a “juried exhibition” (not a contest). No deserving work should go home unrewarded. For our purposes, anything done to further this goal is a good idea, and anything that impedes it is a bad one.

The open system minimizes the number of categories and eliminates the idea of a fixed number of awards.  This solves the issue with 1, 2 ,3 systems where an excellent model can easily get nothing in a crowded category while a far lesser model can get first place in a small category. The modeler’s work is never given an award at the expense of another modeler’s work. It is judged on its own merits.

Another key attribute of the open system is that it does not claim that it is a scientific “just the facts” system. While proponents of the 1, 2, 3 system often say that it is objective and based on plainly observable facts, that claim has some problems.  Anyone who has judged in that system knows that there are countless subjective decisions made when determining the “winners.” For example: “Are those two places where we can see a small ghost seam on this airplane worse than the one crooked landing gear leg on that one?” The 1,2,3 system also usually ends up bypassing any consideration of what the modeler did well and is in large part “which model has fewer problems.”

Criteria

These are a set of artistic criteria, by which judges can compare models uniformly and fairly. The key element in fair judging is that the judges work to the same set of criteria in assessing the entries. That said, the criteria presented here offer few absolutes. Judging is ultimately a matter of personal opinion, and while that opinion can be guided, it cannot be dictated. In the final analysis, these criteria should therefore be viewed more as a guideline than a checklist.

• Degree of Difficulty
• Creativity
• Workmanship
• Painting and Weathering
• Presentation and Overall Effect
  • Presentation: the base, groundwork, and other supporting elements
  • Overall Effect: the intangible qualities that in large part depend on the personal reaction of the judges

Obviously, certain criteria are more important in judging some types of exhibits than others. The table below indicates the approximate weight that should be given to the various criteria when judging different types of entries. This percentage breakdown will be  used as a general guide for the judges in reaching their decisions.  

Personal Taste

It is important to separate style from competent technique, and judges should be aware of their own prejudices in this regard. Every judge has encountered painting or weathering  styles he didn't particularly care for, but it is important to keep in mind that this is very much a matter of personal taste; just because one doesn't fancy a particular style does not make it wrong. The proper approach is to question whether, within the given style, the painting is skillfully done.

Historical Accuracy

We do not include historical accuracy as a criteria because it would be impossible to apply it in any consistent way.  A judge evaluating aircraft might know everything there is to know about the P-51 Mustang, but have very little knowledge about another modeler’s Fw190.

The Judging Process

For The Rocky Mountain Hobby Expo, there will be one single category.  A team of 3 judges will select the model (or grouping of models) from the models the entrant has brought to display that they feel is likely to get them the highest award.  This model will be discussed by the team and an appropriate medal will be awarded.  The judging teams are carefully selected from a pool of qualified experts in various genres.