2026 Jurors

Matthew is a writer and director based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His most recent film, The Immortal, is based off the Jorge Luis Borges short story and was nominated for Best Drama at the 2026 Cindependent Film Festival. His writing on film, “Atomic Cinema: How the Magic of Cinema Led to The Making of the Bomb” was published in Souvenir Magazine. He volunteers with the Grand Rapids Film Society to program films that engage the community with the wonders and possibilities of cinema.


What do you look for in Art?

"I look for a spark, expressed in a way that could only come from that artist, and that ignites something deep within."

Erika b Hess is a painter, the Artistic Director of Visual Arts at Chautauqua Institution, and the host the podcast I Like Your Work, showcasing contemporary artists. Hess’s work has been exhibited internationally in cities such as New York, London, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Philadelphia. She has been featured in numerous publications and lectures widely. Based in Columbus, Ohio, and Long Island City, New York, Hess is represented by Contemporary Art Matters in Columbus. She earned her BFA from Wright State University and her MFA from Boston University.

What do you look for in Art?

"Exceptional craft in the medium and compelling ideas communicated."

Kevin Buist is an independent critic, filmmaker, and design strategist. He was formerly the Artistic Director of ArtPrize, where he oversaw artists, operations, and design. He is currently Director of Business Development at Nextpoint studio, a digital creative agency in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He holds a MA in Visual and Critical Studies from Kendall College of Art and Design.

What do you look for in art?
"I look for things that make me think, 'I didn't know art could do that.' "

Focusing on identity design, Amy Day has over 15 years of experience in event design and experiential branding. Amy brings bold, strategic thinking to every project—from logos and visual systems to large-scale activations.

What do you look for in art?
"An intriguing story arc - why did they make certain choices (material, scale, composition), what emotion is this trying to evoke, and does the concept and intention match the execution."

Jessica Kooiman Parker is a visual art curator and designer with 15 years of experience leading and building impactful cultural programs from the ground up. Her practice balances curatorial vision with strategic thinking, drawing on experience as a small business owner, freelance designer, and creative leader to move projects from concept through execution. Over her career, she has collaborated with hundreds of artists to create exhibitions and public-facing projects that expand artist visibility, spark curiosity, and build community. Jessica was raised in southwestern Minnesota and holds a BFA from the University of Wisconsin–Stout. Jessica led award-winning galleries in Colorado and, upon relocating to Traverse City, MI, developed the visual art program at Commongrounds, one of the nation's first co-op real estate developments. She continues to advocate for and collaborate with artists in the region by curating exhibitions within Commongrounds for The Alluvion.

What do you look for in Art?

"I look for a unique perspective, technical skill and innovation within the medium, and whether or not it stokes curiosity for the viewer?"

Katie Moore is a public art consultant focused on project management and placemaking, with a specialty in serving as the liaison between the artist, client, and construction team to ensure cohesive, successful installations. She currently manages the growing public art collection at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, with an emphasis on integrating art into new construction and expansion projects. Since 2022, she has also served as Activation Manager for Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., where she oversees a public art grant program and helps bring a variety of creative projects and events to life. Katie has led installations ranging from murals and 30-foot sculptures to skywalk-wrapping artworks. From 2015 to 2021, she was Senior Exhibitions Manager at ArtPrize, working with artists from around the world to realize large-scale public works. She’s passionate about creating more opportunities for public art in West Michigan.

What do you look for in art?

"When viewing art, I look for work that uses its chosen medium successfully, whether that medium is paint, metal, or found objects. I am especially drawn to artwork that creates a sense of wonder and excitement. I look for a fresh idea, an unexpected use of materials, or a new perspective that inspires awe, curiosity, and delight."

Paul Catanese is a hybrid media artist, author, educator, and researcher working across printmaking, code, performance, installation, sound, video, synthetic media, and generative systems. His practice stages encounters between images, objects, materials, and systems in physical and computational forms. His new book, under contract with Bloomsbury Visual Arts, explores artificial intelligence and the history of generative systems in relation to print media, material practices, and hybrid forms.

Across nearly three decades of creative practice, Catanese’s work has been exhibited internationally at venues including the Whitney Museum of American Art, Chicago Cultural Center, New Museum of Contemporary Art, China Academy of Art, Ann Arbor Film Festival, International Symposium on Electronic Art, La Villette, FILE, Stuttgart Filmwinter, and Carriageworks. His projects have been supported by commissions, grants, fellowships, and residencies from organizations including Rhizome, Turbulence, Kala Art Institute, the Efroymson Contemporary Arts Fellowship, PLAYA, Signal Culture, SPACES, and the Institute for Electronic Arts.

Catanese speaks internationally on artificial intelligence, print media, and hybrid material practice, with recent presentations at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, and at KHiO - Oslo National Academy of the Arts. In 2025, he delivered two opening keynotes at the Fifth International Print Biennale in Yerevan, Armenia: Spectral Imprints: From Matrix to Model and Hybrid Material Futures.

Catanese is the author of Director’s Third Dimension (2001), a foundational text on real-time 3D, and co-author of Post-Digital Printmaking: CNC, Traditional, and Hybrid Techniques (2012). His teaching career spans more than twenty-five years, including faculty and academic leadership roles at San Francisco State University and Columbia College Chicago. He served as President of the New Media Caucus for two terms, from 2009-2014. His artwork is held in collections including the Rhizome Artbase at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, the Rose Goldsen Archive of New Media Art at Cornell University, the Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries at Wright State University, the Center for Art + Environment Archives at the Nevada Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

What do you look for in art?
"I look for work that is provocative, energized, and disarming."