An Introduction to Online A&S Displays

The Third Online A&S Display is now live on the Ministry of Arts and Sciences website! If you haven’t yet taken a look, be sure to head over to https://moas.eastkingdom.org/third-east-kingdom-online-as-display/ to check it out. Since online A&S displays are a relatively new phenomenon for the East Kingdom, your friendly gazette A&S editors have a few tips to promote support and constructive feedback for our entrants.

So, you’ve just taken a look at the fabulous work our artisans have displayed – how do you respond? Since these projects are being displayed in a blog-style format, there is a place to leave comments – so what should you say? Do you leave a word of praise? Do you offer constructive criticism? If this is an area you have knowledge in, do you offer your knowledge to help with future projects?

When thinking through these options, there are a few important things to keep in mind. The most important thing to remember is that, by entering a display, the artisan has NOT necessarily given the viewer consent to provide criticism or feedback. Now, the artisan might have specified in their entry that they would like feedback, but that is not a given. That goes for both online and in-person displays. In general, if you’re not sure how to respond, a simple “nice job!” or “wow, I’m really inspired by your display!” is a supportive, valid comment to leave for an entry. Those short responses act as a sort of “virtual token,” and help provide engagement with the artisan’s work. If you want to write a little more, you could mention a particular thing you liked about the piece, or if it engaged or inspired you in a specific way.

If you want to offer feedback or constructive criticism, the comments section may not be the appropriate place to do it, especially if you don’t have a personal relationship with the artisan. Also keep in mind that, since the comments are visible to everyone viewing the display, you don’t want to intimidate or scare off other artisans by providing feedback that could be interpreted as overly critical. If the artisan has a peer or teacher/student relationship, you could contact their peer to find out the best way to provide feedback to that artisan (and if you’re not sure if an artisan has a peer/teacher, the EK wiki is a great place to check). If the artisan doesn’t have a peer (or is a peer themselves), then an appropriate response might be, “I loved seeing your display! I’m also really fascinated by this topic and would love to chat with you about it sometime if you are interested.” That response keeps the tone positive and supportive while opening the door to further discussion.

Much of this article was based on Mistress Elena Hylton’s class, “Consent in the Arts and Sciences,” which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHiq2xXwgAw&list=PL7Pq5z13ATWe89Y_dNFT3dEWqy7Qcklxb&index=6

If you are interested in finding out more topics in A&S, be sure to check out the MoAS blog for further information. Thank you for supporting the artisans of the East!

Article by Amalie von Hohensee, OL