Juror, Aline Smithson founder of Lenscratch says, “The photographers I selected for the 20th juried exhibition of the Griffin Museum have this in common: the weight of intention behind the work. In a world when every single living thing has been photographed or has a camera, it’s that deep thinking that moves the work into the next level.”

Smithson goes on to say, “I am continually seeking to understand why work becomes successful and moves to the next level. I have observed that success comes from work that is made over time—time that allows for further contemplation, exploration, and a revisiting of subject matter, because as you grow as a photographer, your work grows too. Success also comes from work that has a technical level of excellence—not over sharpened, not over saturated, smartly captured and executed. And finally, success comes to work that has meaningful articulation and brings something new to the photographic dialogue. That articulation isn’t about what is obvious, but deeper thinking that is connected to something in your core that compels you to make the work.”

Smithson served as juror of the 20th Griffin Museum Juried Exhibition, which is on display in the Main Gallery of the museum July 10 through August 31. An opening reception is July 10, 7-8:30 p.m. with Aline Smithson in attendance. Ms. Smithson will do a lecture at 5:30 PM at the Griffin Museum in Winchester. The event is free to members and $7 to nonmembers. It requires an RSVP. The opening reception is free to all but requires an RSVP.

Smithson also says that “I looked at hundreds of images about water—waves and reflections. I looked at hundreds of images of abandoned spaces—peeling paint and empty rooms; there were photographs of parents’ and grandparents’ homes and collections of items left for the next generation; there were many images of architectural abstractions. I saw a number of terrific narrative projects that had more power as a whole than with single images, and I saw lots of work that was right on the cusp of being remarkable but needed more time to percolate and grow,” she explains.

This year the 20th Juried Show was held in honor of the legacy of Peter Urban a celebrated, Boston-based photographer who passed away in 2009 after a long battle with cancer. Urban was renowned for his success in both the commercial and artistic realm. In the spirit of Peter’s success creating a career with a balance of commercial and artistic work, his family has partnered with the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston and the Griffin Museum of Photography to produce opportunities for other photographers to grow their careers.

Alongside the juried exhibition, the Arts and Business Council is organizing a series of professional development workshops presented by a diverse range of thought leaders. These workshops will share instrumental ideas, methods and tools to help build the business and legal foundation of a thriving artistic practice.

The Peter Urban Legacy Award went to Clare Carter. The Arthur Griffin Legacy Award went to Jennifer McClure and the Griffin Award went to Samuel Walker. Keiko Hiromi, Greg Sand and Susan Worsham received Honorable Mentions.

Smithson also awarded a virtual gallery space to 6o photographers. She awarded Brian Christopher Sargent a solo virtual gallery exhibition.

The complete list of photographers selected for the exhibition with links is available.