2023 Judged Show: Local Inspiration

CALL FOR ENTRY

Local Inspiration

We celebrate 50 years of promoting visual art and local artists with a spring show theme celebrating places which inspire us. This will be an art exhibition of works inspired by a location, town, city or place. Artists are invited to submit entries for which a location, town, city, or place served as inspiration for the work. The locations could include where you live or have visited or wish you have visited–use your imagination!

Bring your friends! The opening reception is our opportunity to celebrate our golden anniversary with a grand party!

Dress up (in your best black and/or gold attire) and show up for food, music and of course, the opportunity to become a collector of great art!


IMPORTANT DATES

  • Online submissions open: January 24, 2023
  • Entry Deadline: April 7, 2023 EXTENDED to April 19!
  • Notification of acceptance: by April 13, 2023 April 20
  • Art Drop-off: April 26 (2pm-6pm) at Degallery, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan TX 77802. Please do not drop them off outside of the this timeframe. Degallery has limited storage space. If you cannot make this time make arrangements for drop off by emailing shows@visualartsociety.org. Items may be shipped to Degallery C/O Visual Art Society and must arrive with prepaid return shipping label, properly labeled for show and ready to hang, prior to April 26.
  • Opening Gala/Reception: April 28 (6pm-8pm) All are encouraged to attend.
  • Unsold Art Pickup: May 27 (9am-noon) contact shows@visualartsociety.org before May 26, if you cannot pick up during this timeframe.

Cash Prizes

Cash awards are given to:

  • BEST OF SHOW
  • Professional Division First Place
  • Non-Professional Division First Place
  • High School Student First Place

Award amounts are based on the number of show entries received. Note: We’ve eliminated the Adult Student division this. year.

Each Artist entering will make their own division choice based on their level of experience with creating art. Explanations of each division can be found on the Explanation of Divisions and Categories page.

First Place cash winners for each division are chosen from 1st place ribbon winners in categories (A-J) for that division.

Additional Benefits of Entering

  • Opportunity to be critiqued and recognized by our jury
  • No Gallery Representation required to participate
  • Website presence and social media exposure
  • Installation of art and labels provided
  • PR opportunities may arise; including talking to an audience about your work at our opening reception
  • Best in Show will have an image of their artwork on the VAS website for an entire year

Ribbons

First, second, & third place ribbons may be awarded in each category for each of the Award Divisions (Professional, Non-Professional, HS Student) The judge is not obligated to award place ribbons and may withhold ribbons if entries in a particular category do not merit them. Each artist will choose a category in which to place their work. No artist may win more than two awards in a single category.

Categories for Judging

  • Digital Art – Includes any original work in which the original image, or the manipulation of other source material, was executed by the artist using the computer including photography that has been greatly manipulated or altered using technology.
  • Drawing – Drawing, etching, printmaking, pencil, pen and ink, charcoal and scratchboard done in a non-painterly style. Work created using dry media including chalk, charcoal, pastels, pencil, wax, crayons, etc. or from a fluid medium of ink are accepted in this medium.
  • Mixed Media – Includes works, both 2- and 3-dimensional, that incorporate more than one type of physical material to produce.
  • Painting: Oils/Acrylics – Oil, acrylics, egg tempera used in the classic manner of oils
  • Painting: Watercolor
  • Pastel – Pastel & oil pastel used in a painterly style including pastel over watercolor under painting.
  • Photography – Includes traditional film photography, hand colored images, emulsion transfers, and digital photography that has not been manipulated to achieve results beyond what could be done in a traditional darkroom. HDR, photo stacking and multiple exposure are accepted in this category.
  • 3-D – Unique, one of a kind, art that is 3-dimensionally sculptural and is original work done in any medium
  • Studio Fine Crafts – Original fine crafts created in a studio environment including glass blowing, stained glass, leather, clay, porcelain, woodwork, jewelry, mosaic, weaving, fiber art, metal work, or other finely crafted items.

Each artist decides in which category to place his or her work. The show chair/committee reserves the right to change the category or disqualify any artwork not entered in the appropriate category.


About the Judge

Melanie M. Stokes

Melanie M. Stokes is an artist, a teacher, a wife, a mother, a mother-in-law, a grandmother, and a friend. She and her husband moved from Georgia four years ago to be near grandchildren during retirement. Living on 29 acres outside of Waco, Texas, she is becoming familiar with the big Texas skies she sees daily.

“Painting is something I not only enjoy doing, but something I need to do. It is a language of color and tone that brings richness to my soul. It becomes a spiritual act of worship while I marvel at the beauty of Creation. It is an expression of what I choose to see and process in this world.”

Stokes taught in public schools of Georgia for twenty-six years, twenty of those as an Art Teacher. Her art career includes shows and sales in galleries in Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas, murals and public art projects in several places, and teaching art workshops along the way. She blogs about the Story Behind the Painting on her website.

B.A. in Communications – Shorter College, Rome GA

M.Ed. in Art Education – Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

She is included in the juried memberships of Outdoor Painters Society, Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, and Professional Artists of Central Texas.

Website: melaniestokesart.com

FB Page: facebook.com/melaniestokesart

IG: @melaniestokesart


ENTRY FEES

Current Members: $35 for 1-3 entries, and $10 for each additional entry up to a total of 6.

Non-members: $50 for 1-3 entries, and $10 for each additional entry up to a total of 6.

High School Students: $5 per entry up to 3 total.

The multi-piece discount will only apply if all of your pieces are included in the same entry form. Email shows@visualartsociety.org to reopen your submitted registration if you need to add more pieces.

If you are not a current member, you may join or renew online.

WHAT IS MY FEE USED FOR?

The Brazos Valley Art League, dba Visual Art Society of Bryan-College Station, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization operated by volunteers who are artists and art appreciators, for artists, with no reserve or endowment. All proceeds from entry fees fund project-related expenses. Not unlike paying a fee to enter a marathon race, your entry fee democratically enables our organization’s projects to happen. For over 50 years the Visual Art Society of B-CS has earned a reputation for producing quality exhibits, benefitting the artists involved and the public, on its meager budget. Our all volunteer board of directors and small dedicated team of members work hard to make involvement with VAS projects well worth the effort and cost to do so.

Simply by participating in a VAS project or becoming a member you are helping this grass-roots organization to do its work and achieve its mission.

HOW TO ENTER

Preferably, all entries should be submitted online using the form.

You may also enter by email by providing the following for each entry:

  1. Artist Name
  2. Title of artwork
  3. Category of artwork
  4. Selling price
  5. Attach a jpg image file of the artwork
  6. Send to shows@visualartsociety.org
  7. Payment must be received prior to entry deadline. Submit a Paypal payment to treasurer@visualartsociety.org or mail a check to PO Box 9346, College Station TX 77842

Assistance with Online Entry Submissions

If you need assistance photographing your work and/submitting the registration form, we offer help by appointment. Email webmaster@visualartsociety.org to make an appointment for assistance either in person at DEGALLERY or over the phone.

CONDITIONS & REQUIREMENTS

Commissions from sales will be divided with 60% to the artist, 20% to VASBCS, 20% to DEGALLERY.

All works sold and unsold must remain in the show until the closing date. Any works removed early will result in the artist being banned from any future shows. 

All art must be picked up during the allotted time unless special arrangements have been made ahead of time.

2D pieces longer than 60” on any side (including frame) will not be accepted. No more than one 60” work will be accepted from any entrant.

All entries must be family friendly and not previously entered in a Visual Art Society or Brazos Valley Art League Show.

Images of the entry/entries must be submitted by jpg, jpeg files (SRGB or RGB profile, no larger than 4 MB) for jurying into the show. Uploading of images is part of the entry process and more information is provided on the entry form. Your images should be sharp & clear. Your images must not include matting or framing, only the piece of art itself. It is important that your work be well represented. Images of accepted works may be posted on the VAS website along with award winning artists from the show. By entering you grant permission to VAS reproduce the artwork in the marketing materials or on the VAS website, for promotional and educational purposes.

VAS reserves the right to refuse to show any entry not accurately represented by the images submitted during entry or not suitably presented for exhibition. 

Accepted entries for the show must be wired properly for hanging so the hanging committee does not have problems. If any of the pieces are extremely heavy or particularly fragile in framing, they will not be included in the exhibit without advanced special arrangements with the hanging committee. No saw tooth hangers or clip on frames will be accepted. All artwork must be completely dry and ready to hang or display when submitted during intake for the show/exhibit. VAS reserves the right to exclude works from the exhibition that are not gallery-ready and professional in presentation.

All sculptures/pottery must have a stable base.

Drawings and pastels must be under glass or acrylic.

The following information must be attached to back of the art work: Artist Name, Phone, Email, Selling Price, Title, Division & Category.  This label form may be downloaded and used but is not required.

Artists are responsible for all delivery, pick up and insurance for the works submitted.