Dare County Arts Council JURYING STANDARDS AND Gallery Guidelines

 

ABOUT THE GALLERY AND THE DARE COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL

 

Since 1975, the DCAC has served the residents of Dare County, North Carolina, and its surrounding communities. The mission of DCAC is to encourage the arts in Dare County through advocacy, enrichment, and opportunity. As an integral and integrated program of the Arts Council, the Gallery provides the opportunity for artist members of the Council to display their artwork in a professional gallery setting, engages the local community and visitors to the area in a meaningful dialogue about the role of the arts in a vibrant community, and provides enrichment opportunities through a diverse range of rotating exhibits.

 

It is the goal and intention of DCAC to display works that are of exemplary quality and demonstrate creativity and technical mastery. The Gallery also seeks to sustain itself through sales of work on display, so consideration will also be given to the saleability of work (but not to the exclusion of artistic and technical merit). The Gallery's emphasis is on fine art and fine craft (see below for categories of work). Artist members wishing to have their work included must have their work juried during one of the quarterly jury sessions.

 

 

JURYING STANDARDS AND PROCESS

 

Eligibility 

All artists represented in the Gallery must be current members of Dare County Arts Council, age eighteen or older. If you are not a member, you may join when you deliver your artwork for jurying to the Gallery.  Any member of the Council whose work has been juried in may exhibit their work, but preference will be given to members located in the greater northeastern North Carolina region.

 

Calendar/Schedule for Jurying

New artists wishing to have artwork reviewed or artists interested in displaying in a new medium will be reviewed quarterly during the first week of April, July, October & January. If an artist is approved for one medium and wishes to place something in the Gallery that falls into a different category or departs drastically in type or style from her/his previously accepted work, he/she must submit this new work to the jury for review during one of the scheduled jury sessions.

 

Artwork will be reviewed by the Jury Committee, and notifications will be made during the first week of the jurying month.

 

If the artwork is accepted for showing in the gallery, artists may bring in artwork on the second Monday or Tuesday of the month (and only on those days), so that it will be at the gallery for hanging on the second Wednesday of that month. Due to the amount of work required to change over the artwork in the whole gallery, new work WILL NOT be accepted except on the second Monday or Tuesday of the month.

 

If the artwork is not accepted for showing in the gallery, artists will be provided constructive suggestions and will be asked to resubmit for another jurying process in the future.  

 

Jury Committee

Jurors are selected from among the DCAC membership by the Gallery Committee and approved by the Executive Director of DCAC. The Gallery Committee may select jurors from outside DCAC as needed. 

 

Categories of work 

Fine Art and Craft Categories include (but are not limited to) painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics, glass, metal, jewelry, fiber (wearable and non-wearable), sculpture, mixed media, wood, and bookbinding. Pieces made from commercial patterns, kits, or molds are unacceptable, as well as soaps or body care products, food, or any item violating copyright law (see more details below).

 

Please keep in mind that the entry is subject to space availability, and that pieces exceeding 50” in any dimension may not be able to be accommodated. Please contact Gallery Staff if you are interested in displaying larger works (over 50 inches) or if your work does not neatly fit into any of these categories.

 

How to Submit Work for Jurying

Please note that this section applies to presenting works for jurying. If accepted, separate guidelines (see below) will apply for displaying work in the Gallery.

 

For jurying, artist members will bring five (5) works, ready to present. Submit samples of your BEST work, as jurors will assume that your entry represents your best work. An entry is five sample items or sets of items (see below) of your work that are made in the same medium and category, using the similar technique. Submit additional entries when technique or design is substantially different, even if they are in the same medium and category.

 

For the purposes of jurying, a practicing 2D artist who routinely works in multiple media (that is, oils, acrylics, pastels, watercolor, etc.) and who wants to display work in those media should submit a total of five (5) works, where those works are approached in a similar manner with a substantially similar technique, composition, and aesthetic. Where an artist is primarily working in one medium and wishes to display work that is substantially different in terms of technique, composition, aesthetic, that other work must be juried in separately.

 

Work employing techniques, styles, or materials that vary greatly should not be mixed within a single entry.  As examples, the following should be submitted as two separate entries of five pieces each:  weaving vs. knitting (techniques); large sculptural pieces vs. functional pottery (styles); jewelry created from wood vs. jewelry created from metal (materials). Applicants who severely limit their entry by submitting five very similar pieces (i.e., all mugs, all scarves, etc.) may be accepted, but the applicant will be advised that these item(s), (mugs, scarves), are the only item(s) for which the applicant has been juried in.

 

Sets of items, i.e. a pair of gloves or a necklace and earring set would be considered one piece.  Sets may consist of up to three items per set.  Entries consisting of more than five pieces will not be juried, except as noted here.  Submission of sets is not required; however, it is an option for applicants who feel submission of sets would better represent their work.  The total number of pieces or sets MUST always equal five (5).  For example, an entry may consist of two SETS plus three individual pieces.  Please call or email DCAC if you need guidance regarding submission of SETS.

 

Examples of Sets:  2D Triptychs; a set of jewelry (coordinated necklace and bracelet); a pottery place setting in the same glaze (plate, bowl, cup); coordinated clothing (hat, scarf, mittens OR jacket, skirt).  

 

Work presented for jurying should be recent work, and in no case should it be older than five (5) years.

 

Work must be brought in person to the jury session, and the artist will be responsible for appropriate packaging of the work both before and after jurying. In no case may work for jurying be left and the artist is solely responsible for removing artwork promptly following the jury session. Work left at the Gallery for more than ten (10) days after a jury session will be considered a donation to the Dare County Arts Council.

 

In the future, DCAC may begin to accept digital submissions for jurying. DCAC encourages all its members to take or have taken digital images of artwork. Further information about standards for digital submission will be distributed in the future, but in the meantime, questions about appropriate formats and sizes for images may be directed to DCAC.

 

In addition to the artwork to be juried, the artist must submit a brief biography/artist statement, a brief description of materials/techniques used, and the agreement and waiver at the end of this document. Where an artist is submitting more than one set of five works for jurying, the above information must be included for each entry.

 

Exclusions

Works unacceptable for jury submission or for exhibition at the Gallery include the following:

· Anything that violates copyright law 

· Items made from or based on kits or commercial patterns

· Items made from commercial molds

· Commercial items purchased and decorated such as t-shirts or other clothing items, or purchased unfinished furniture

· Work made from combining purchased commercial objects unless the commercial objects are minor, functional components of the overall design and craftsmanship

· Dried flowers, whether they are in groups, arrangements, bouquets; wreaths; tole painting; dough art or food; cut coin jewelry, or other items at the discretion of the Gallery Committee and/or jury.

· Jewelry that consists only of strung beads that do not incorporate any handmade element

· Classroom or student work (work executed under supervision), as it is partially the teacher's work

· Work produced more than five (5) years ago

· Reproductions (acceptable for sale in bins only)

 

Jurying Standards

Judges look for quality in design, technical competence, individual creative style, consistency, and professional presentation. To assist in understand the process of jurying, typical standards are listed below. This is NOT a checklist; decisions are subjective and made individually. 

 

Artistic style:

 Works show the individual style of the artist.

 Works are not copied; pieces express the artist’s personal feelings and thoughts.

Technical skill:

 Handling of the media and materials in the works shows control, skill and experience.

Materials:

 Work is produced from materials well-suited to its function.

 Work is produced from materials that complement the design.

 The work should achieve a creative result, not merely an assemblage of materials.

Design and consistency:

 The design or composition of the works exhibit knowledge of the principles of design.

 Works show a design consistency within each piece and through the pieces presented.

 Works show that they have taken time, thought, knowledge and skill to complete.

Presentation:

 Works are presented in a manner that enhances the art.

 Pieces presented are complete and ready for display.

For 2D work, if work is frameless, the lack of a frame must add to the integrity of the piece and be acceptable to the jury

Overall impression:

The work needs to have aesthetic value which is more than merely a combination of craftsmanship, materials and design.

Jurors will need to have a positive overall impression of the works presented. This will be a subjective decision, and will depend on the particular jury and jurors.

 

To help the artists jurying we have been more explicit in three mediums that are sometimes misunderstood by our prospective applicants. As an organization, we do not intend to exclude individuals and their work, but rather to include those whose work is of exemplary quality. Please contact us if you have questions or wish to discuss your work further before the jury. 

 

PAINTING AND TWO DIMENSIONAL FINE ART

DCAC jury standards for two-dimensional fine art require finished work that demonstrates technical fluency and a sense of personal vision. A juror's consideration of an applicant should be open to include a range of painting approaches from innovative to more traditional in materials and content. One should see in an artist's body of work an individual style and a

unified vision that is clearly his or hers. The work presented should not be "all over the place" and should feel consistent in style. Presentation should include five current, presentation-ready samples. 

 

JEWELRY

DCAC jury standards for jewelry require finished work that demonstrates mastery of a medium other than stringing commercially made beads and findings. A juror's consideration of an applicant should be open to include jewelry primarily made from innovative or traditional materials the artist has a hand in creating from raw materials. Examples of works primarily made from raw materials have in the past included the mediums of lamp-worked glass beads, hand cut sterling silver, molded sterling silver from original molds by the artist, professionally worked and finished wire wrapping in precious metals, hand dyed anodized aluminum, original pattern bead weaving, hand cut and embellished brass, and enameling. One should see in an artist's body of work an individual and consistent style that sets them apart from other jewelers. Presentation should include props for each set or individual piece.

 

WOOD

DCAC jury standards in Wood require that the wood be fundamentally transformed by the artist, resulting in finished woodwork that demonstrates technical fluency, integrity of intent and a spirited sense of personal vision. Objects should meet these criteria depending on the function of the work: finishes must be appropriate to the intention of the piece with attention to all areas of the piece; good quality hardware must be well installed and well integrated; painting and decoration must fit and enhance the form in a way that is integral to the function and expression of the piece; furniture pieces must be of proper design and construction that allows for seasonal wood movement; no glue or machine marks should be evident on the finished works.

 

 

GUIDELINES FOR DISPLAYING ACCEPTED WORK IN THE GALLERY

DCAC seeks to present a vibrant and fresh gallery of work as a service to its artist members and the larger community. In order to maintain the high quality and diverse offerings in the gallery established through the jury process, limitations on the quantity of artworks from a given artist and the length of time they may be displayed, as well as other information regarding displaying work in the Gallery are covered below.

 

Gallery Guidelines

 

· New artwork may be brought for display during regular business hours on Monday or Tuesday of the second week of each month. All new work will be displayed by the second Wednesday of each month. 

· The Gallery Committee will conduct a floor jury of all work prior to displaying it. If work is found to be substantially different from that juried in, or if the work is not presentation ready, DCAC reserves the right to refuse any artwork, regardless of whether the artist has been juried in to the gallery.

· All artwork must be for sale.

· All artwork must have an emphasis on professional presentation, which will be considered during the jury process for acceptance into the Gallery.

· The Gallery will not accept items for hanging using saw-tooth hooks or inadequate wiring. All framed works must be properly wired for display. 

· The Gallery cannot accept poster frames or tabletop frames.

· Kit art cannot be accepted.

· Reproductions of original works will be displayed in bins only. Reproductions will not be displayed on the walls. 

· All two-dimensional artwork will be displayed for three (3) months. 

· All three dimensional artwork (including jewelry) will be displayed for six (6) months.

· Artists are responsible for supplying their own display props.

· All artwork must remain for sale in the Gallery for the above stated display periods. If a piece sells, you will have the opportunity to replace it with something of similar size and orientation (for wall art).

· DCAC Gallery assumes the right to photograph works on display for publicity, education and archival purposes.

· Artwork that has not sold after 2 (3- or 6-month) rotations in the gallery may NOT be re-submitted.

 

Quantity of items that may be displayed 

Once work has been juried in, an artist may display items in the gallery, subject to size and space limitations, with the

following quantity limitations:

 

Paintings or drawings: three (3) framed works for hanging and five (5) matted and poly-bagged works for display in the bins

Printmaking: three (3) framed works for hanging and five (5) matted and poly-bagged works for display in the bins

Photography: three (3) framed works for hanging and five (5) matted and poly-bagged works for display in the  bins

Pottery: ten (10) pieces for table-top work, OR three (3) pieces for hanging work

 Glass: ten (10) pieces for table-top work, OR three (3) pieces for hanging work 

Metal: ten (10) pieces for table-top work, OR three (3) pieces for large sculptural work whether hanging or floor- standing work 

 Jewelry: twenty (20) pieces

 Fiber: ten (10) pieces if wearable or three (3) prepared works for hanging

 Sculpture: three (3) pieces

 Mixed media: three (3) framed works for hanging or three (3) works for display

 Wood (excluding furniture): ten (10) pieces

Bookbinding: five (5) pieces

Art Miniatures (paintings, drawings, printmaking or photography): five (5) pieces, on easels and 4” maximum dimension

 

For the purposes of display and sale of items, if the items are priced individually, each item will count toward to quantity limits. For example, if an artist displays a triptych of photographs, and each panel is priced individually, the artist has reached her maximum of three framed items and may not display others (except as noted above). If however, the triptych panels are priced as one item (and may not be sold individually); the artist may submit up to two additional framed items for hanging (subject to space availability). Likewise, if a necklace and earrings are sold as a set (and may not be sold individually), they count as one item.

 

Also accepted are replicas of fine art works and other smaller items such as: magnets, greeting cards, postcards, calendars, books, trivets/tiles, ornaments, handmade beads, bookmarks and message stones. Limitations to this include:

 

Magnets: ten (10) pieces, not to exceed 4x6”

Greeting cards: ten (10) pieces or three (3) boxed sets

Postcards: fifty (50) pieces

Calendars: ten (10) pieces

Books: five (5) pieces

Trivets/Tiles: ten (10) pieces

Ornaments: ten (10) pieces

Handmade beads: thirty (30) pieces

Bookmarks: fifty (50) pieces in a small contained display

Message stones: ten (10) pieces

 

Gallery Rotation

Gallery Rotation will take place on the second Wednesday of each month (see "Gallery Guidelines" above in this section). It is the artist's responsibility to remove his/her own artwork (or arrange for it to be removed) after the three- or six-month display period without notification from the Gallery. Prompt removal of expired artwork is required. If expired artwork is not removed from the Gallery within one month, it will be considered a donation to the Dare County Arts Council. Contact Gallery Staff if special arrangements need to be made.

 

Commission on Sales

Artist/Members who volunteer to Gallery-Sit at least one half-day each month will receive 70% commission on the sale of their work, a 70/30 split. If you are interested in being a Gallery Sitter please contact the Gallery Staff or email: gallery@darearts.org.  Other Artist/Members will receive 60% commission on the sale of their work, 60/40 split.

 

Checks for sold artwork will be sent to the exhibitors by the 10th of each month for work sold the previous month.

 

Liability 

Although every precaution is taken to ensure the safety of your artwork, the Dare County Arts Council Gallery assumes NO liability or responsibility for any loss or damage due to fire, theft, vandalism or any other cause.

 

 

AGREEMENT AND WAIVER

 

By submitting your work for jurying and eventual display of your artwork with the Dare County Arts Council Gallery, you agree to the terms and conditions set forth in this document. In addition to signing this agreement, each submission of artworks for display in the Gallery must be accompanied by a completed Consignment Form (available at the Gallery or on the DCAC website).

 

 

Date: _______________________________________________________________________________

 

Print Artist Name: _____________________________________________________________________   

 

Artist Signature: ______________________________________________________________________ 

 

Mailing Address: ______________________________________________________________________

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Phone: _____________________________________________________________________________

 

Email: ______________________________________________________________________________

 

Consignment Form (19 KB)