With dozens of works created by nearly just as many artists, all with distinct styles and aesthetics, it's quite a job to install a juried show. Not only does a gallery designer not know ahead of time what the pieces will look like, but the turnaround time from receiving the works to creating an inviting exhibit is usually just a week at best. Needless to say, it takes consummate skill and talent to pull off the job well.

That's no problem for Aaron Padilla, designer of Hawaii Craftsmen's 41st Juried Statewide Annual Exhibition, says Rose Anne Jones, the executive director of the Craftsmen.

“;It's been designed to flow—I really like what he did,”; Jones says.

Padilla, vice president of Hawaii Craftsmen and assistant curator of education at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, has been doing installation work for a decade. He says the works in this show are traditionally grouped together by island, but this year, he wanted to try something different.

“;I played around and gave it an architectural structure, and fortunately, the artwork cooperated.”; Padilla says this year's juror, Jan Peters of the del Mano Gallery in Los Angeles, kept in mind the overall show as she selected the approximately 80 pieces, which Padilla says work well collectively.

The Craftsmen exhibit has long been regarded an important show because of it's inclusion of neighbor island artists and it's high standard. It's no surprise, then, that the submissions impressed juror Peters.

“;The diversity of materials and the range of personal expression make this a powerful and important exhibition,”; she says in her juror's statement. “;I've been impressed with not only the quality of the craftsmenship submitted, but also the depth of the concepts presented.”;

The exhibit also features invited artists, who this year include Shigeru Miyamoto (clay), Lori Uyehara (mixed media) and the Big Island's Wilfred Yamasawa, a coffee farmer and longtime glass artist. Yamasawa told Jones this show would be his swan song to glass and that his next artistic venture will involve poetry.

Hawaii Craftsmen's 41st Juried Statewide Annual Exhibition runs through Oct. 31 at the Academy Art Center, 1111 Victoria St. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Call 532-8741 or 521-3282.