JURIED BY PAIGE ROEHRIG

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COPLEY SOCIETY OF ART, BOSTON

For SUN DRUNK, Juniper Rag invited artists to explore the profound influence of sunlight and the many ways it shapes our lives. The interpretation may be literal—sunlight across a landscape, the rhythms of summer, gardens in bloom, coastal horizons, heat, color or our natural world at its peak of abundance. The intoxicating pull of travel, time off, love, beauty, memory, desire, hope or fleeting moments that leave us altered when the world is illuminated.

One of the most compelling aspects of curating a juried exhibition is that no one—not the organizers, the artists, or even the juror—can fully predict what will emerge from an open call. A theme or prompt is released into the world and artists respond through the lens of their own experiences, obsessions, memories and interpretations. Some submissions align with the call in expected ways, while others arrive from entirely unexpected directions. Certain works may seem difficult to connect at first glance, yet others reveal profound relationships that deepen as they are viewed alongside one another, and not all are vibrant. Some are melancholic, others are examples of contemplation.

The true magic of a juried exhibition lies in the eye of the juror. Beyond selecting strong individual works, a thoughtful juror recognizes patterns, tensions, and conversations developing between pieces. Through their choices, a larger narrative begins to take shape—one that often extends far beyond the original call itself. The resulting exhibition becomes a collective interpretation rather than a singular statement, with each artist contributing a chapter to a story that could never have been written alone.

For Sun Drunk, our juror Paige Roehrig has assembled an exhibition that is at once vibrant, psychological and richly layered. The works move between celebration and introspection, memory and sensation, creating an experience that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant. What emerges is not a single definition of being "sun drunk," but a complex constellation of perspectives that collectively reveal the emotional, symbolic and transformative power of light, heat, longing and sometimes, escape. Sun Drunk reminds us that the most memorable group shows are rarely the most predictable. They are the ones in which many voices converge to tell a story larger than any one artist could imagine.

Sunlight is one of the most powerful forces on Earth. It sustains ecosystems, grows our food, regulates our bodies and has guided humanity since the beginning of time. It is both scientific and spiritual, practical and oh, so poetic. It can reveal, energize, heal, and transform. The long days of summer invite us outdoors, into community, into wonder and into a renewed relationship with the world around us.

Art: Mary Chandler Je Taime

Jurors Statement

Paige Roehrig

There is something remarkable about the way light changes not only what we see, but how we feel. It can soften a memory, heighten an emotion, transform an ordinary moment into something unforgettable, or reveal details that might otherwise go unnoticed. Inspired by the exhibition prompt, which invited artists to consider sunlight as both a literal and metaphorical force, Sun Drunk became a collection of works that explores illumination far beyond the landscape.

One of the greatest joys of jurying this exhibition was witnessing the incredible breadth of interpretations. Artists approached the theme through observation, abstraction, photography, painting, printmaking, and mixed media, demonstrating that light is never experienced in just one way. Across the submissions, illumination became a catalyst for memory, a symbol of hope, a source of warmth, a marker of time, and even an emotional presence. In some works, light arrived quietly across water or a field of flowers; in others, it became theatrical, architectural, or deeply psychological. Some artists explored the physical effects of sunlight, while others asked us to consider how illumination shapes the way emotions enter a space or how a single moment can forever alter our perception.

What emerged is a reminder that light is never passive. It defines form, reveals texture, creates atmosphere, and transforms our relationship with the world around us. Just as importantly, it changes our internal landscapes. A shaft of sunlight can evoke comfort, longing, nostalgia, exhilaration, or peace before we are even aware of why.

The selected works celebrate this expansive understanding of light. Together they invite us to slow down and notice the fleeting moments that often pass unnoticed; the shimmer across water, the warmth on skin, the glow of a familiar room, the brilliance that allows life to flourish, or the quiet clarity that arrives after darkness. Whether literal or symbolic, each artist reminds us that illumination is as much an emotional experience as it is a visual one.

Sun Drunk ultimately became an exhibition about transformation. It asks us to consider not only what the light touches, but what it awakens within us. In bringing together so many distinct voices and perspectives, this exhibition celebrates the universal yet deeply personal ways we experience the world when it is illuminated.

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Art: Jozef Peeraer's bergwandeling

OUR ESTEEMED GUEST JUROR

Artists spend years searching for meaningful opportunities to place their work before influential voices in the art world. SUN DRUNK offers exactly that. Our submissions will be reviewed by Paige Roehrig whose leadership and commitment to artists have helped shape one of America's most enduring artistic institutions. The chance to have your work viewed by someone with such experience, insight and influence is an extraordinary opportunity for artists seeking thoughtful recognition and professional visibility.

We are so proud to introduce you to our Guest Juror for SUN DRUNK—

Paige Roehrig, M.Sc.

Executive Director, Copley Society of Art, Boston

Paige Roehrig is an arts administrator, educator, and ceramic artist dedicated to strengthening creative communities and expanding opportunities for artists. She serves as the Executive Director of the Copley Society of Art, the nation’s oldest nonprofit art association, where she leads strategic planning, artist engagement, fundraising, and organizational growth.

In addition to her leadership at Co|So, Paige is the Co-Founder and Director of Programs for HerSector, an organization focused on supporting women and women-identifying individuals in the arts through mentorship, professional development, and community-building initiatives. She also serves as Adjunct Faculty at Merrimack College, teaching Arts Management and preparing the next generation of creatives.

Paige holds a Master of Science in Arts Administration from Boston University and a Bachelor of Science in Art History with a minor in Ceramics from Northern Michigan University. As a practicing ceramic artist and administrator, her work and leadership are rooted in a belief that artists thrive when they have access to strong networks, professional resources, and meaningful opportunities for growth.

Paige’s Top Picks:

Paige Roehrig, Juror's Statement - Sun Drunk Top Three Selections

The works I selected for my top three each embody Sun Drunk in a unique way, exploring how sunlight transforms, and sustains our world. Together, they remind us that the sun is not simply a source of illumination, it is an active force that shapes life, landscape, and the creative process itself.

Renata Křivá's Sun Touch is perhaps the most literal embodiment of the exhibition's theme. Rather than simply depicting sunlight, the work requires it for its very creation. The sun becomes a collaborator, leaving its own physical imprint on the materials and making light an essential medium of the artwork. The result is both delicate and powerful, revealing a process where nature and artists work together to create something that could not exist without the touch of the sun.

In Mary Chandler's Je T'aime, sunlight is presented as a quiet but indispensable force of life. Her radiant peonies seem to bask in warm light, capturing the fleeting moment when flowers are at their fullest bloom. The painting celebrates the intimate relationship between sunlight and growth, reminding us that beauty is inseparable from the energy that nourishes it. The luminous color and soft interplay of light across the petals evoke both tenderness and abundance.

Jozef Peeraer's Bergwandeling demonstrates the transformative power of light across the landscape. Sunlight shapes every mountain face, waterfall, and valley, guiding the viewer's eye while creating depth, atmosphere, and emotion. The work captures the way light changes our perception of place, revealing the extraordinary beauty that emerges when the natural world is touched by the sun.

Together, these three works capture the spirit of Sun Drunk. They celebrate sunlight as collaborator, caretaker, and storyteller, a force that leaves its mark not only on the world around us, but on the way we experience beauty itself.