Mary Knight
By Mary Knight, Executive Creative Director
The weekend before last, I was lucky enough to find myself in San Antonio, Texas judging their local ADDY competition. It’s always a treat (and an honor) to be asked to judge AAF’s competition, and I’ve been fortunate enough to do several shows over the years—from local venues like San Antonio or Reno to a “three peat” judging at the national show in Washington DC. The ADDYs are different from other award shows in that it is the only competition that includes three levels of judging: local, regional, and national. Winning an ADDY at each level qualifies the work to progress to the next higher level. With over 200 clubs across the U.S., the ADDY Awards receive more entries than any other show in the industry.
San Antonio Jury: Malcolm Buick, me and Jay Giesen
Aside from seeing the work of different markets (and looking for those hidden local “gems” that don’t always show up in other award shows), I’m always struck by how different the businesses are that fuel each local economy. Some thrive on banks or healthcare, others on horse racing, weddings or tourism. But no matter the industry, there are always those who strive to create original, breakthrough ideas. I’ve seen innovative shoestring budget casino ideas come out of Reno. Big budget “oh yeah I love that” tv spots from New York or Chicago or L.A. Each market has its own unique signature. San Antonio for example, introduced me to tourism, weddings and a surprisingly large church and church camp industry. Every time, I leave with a deeper understanding of that market—from the work to the people behind the award show itself.
Like my other experiences, the AAF San Antonio team was fantastic. In a mere day and a half, besides judging between 500–600 pieces of work, we walked the famous River Walk, drove past the Alamo ( I toured it years ago, my co-judges were planning to see it the next day) and had a lovely dinner with the head of the film commission. The AAF team thoughtfully chose a judging venue right in the cultural renaissance area known as “The Pearl.” The previous home of Pearl Brewing Company, this area is now an artistic collection of stores, museums, restaurants and the San Antonio branch of the Culinary Institute of America—where I spotted an amazing frying pan chandelier during a 15-minute judging break. Additional finds during that break included sweater-covered abandoned pipes and the largest ceiling fans I’ve ever seen with a donkey imprinted on them. I later learned the name of that fan company: “Big Ass Fans.” No kidding.
I left San Antonio not only with a better understanding of the industries that support it, but also the culture itself that the work springs from.
In a few weeks, I will be judging again in San Francisco. I am curious to see the contrast in industries as well as venue. As always, I will be searching for the ideas that make me say “I’m jealous.” Stay tuned.
Socks for old brewery pipes in The Pearl.
Frying pan chandelier at CIA
Categories
Awards, Opinion