Originally Posted by justflyingin
If a judge really loves "modern quilting", they will naturally prefer that type of quilt and they can't help it. The same goes with traditional, contemporary or art. .... I suppose that a judge could learn to judge fairly each kind of quilt, but I would think that they would be better at one or the other.
I think you are greatly underestimating the ability of any professional judge, not just quilting judges, to set aside their personal preferences and judge solely on the merit of the work/art/animal/performance/talent they are judging at that moment in time.
The Best of Show winner at the first ever International Modern Quilting show, QuiltCon 2013 in Austin, was a double wedding ring. Do you believe that happened just because the judge favored traditional quilts over modern quilts?
The boundries between quilt styles cannot be nailed down and many times the distinctions are solely in the eyes of the beholder. The desired ideals for all styles, however, remain the same...quality workmanship, powerful design, and a masterful use of color. Those can be judged regardless of personal taste or whether the quilts are competing in one category or many.