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A glimpse inside Art Melt 2013 – What you can expect this weekend

For Forum 35 President Jesse Hoggard, Art Melt has felt like a year-long event what with pinning down the date, finding the jurors and venue and going through 615 submissions.

“It’s a process that’s unique,” Hoggard says. “It’s been very fluid pretty much all the way through.”

Tonight, everyone’s hard work will be on display at the Louisiana State Museum as Art Melt hosts its preview party at 7 p.m. Tickets are $75, $50 for Forum 35 members. On Saturday, the exhibit will open at 5 p.m.

This year is the 10th anniversary of Art Melt, and the exhibit will feature just under 70 pieces, which is around 20 more than last year.

This year’s local juror is Jordana Pomeroy, executive director of the LSU Museum of Art. The regional juror is Susan Edwards, executive director and CEO of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville. The national juror is Jo-Anne Birnie Danzker, executive director of the Frye Art Museum in Seattle.

As all three jurors reacquainted themselves with the pieces Friday at 2 p.m., one could sense the difficult task these women had.

Art Melt 2013 has a range of pieces—it’s pretty much a who’s who of art. You can expect the colorful nods to Louisiana culture, a few stark photographs, ultra-realistic paintings, and even the pieces that will make you go “really?”.

Hoggard expects an opinionated crowd.

“We have some pieces that people will respond to immediately, and then we have some other pieces that take a little getting used to,” he says.

Winners will be announced at tonight’s preview party. The exhibit will open through September.