Exhibition Prospectus

Adorn is an artisanal jewelry collection from across the country which will be on exhibit in our historic bank vault gallery this holiday season! We’re looking for those one-of-a-kind exquisite handmade fine art jewelry pieces to stock The Vault with during our event rental and holiday season! We have a lot planned this year and we want our patrons to be able to purchase something truly unique! The d’Art Center’s professional artists and staff members will select a “Best in Show” piece, and the artist will be awarded $300. 

If your work is selected for the show, please be sure to read the full Limitations and Artwork Specifications section.

This is an in person exhibition but this exhibition will also be featured digitally on d’Art Center’s archive site. See our profile here.

Image Submission Tips: If you are submitting a 3D work, create a tile image for the submission so that other sides can be seen, or use the other image slots for detail images and label them as such. The $35 entry fee covers 10 entries, one image per submission. 

Exhibition Dates and Other Information:

Exhibition Dates: Saturday,  November 30th - Friday, December 20th, 2024

Holiday Events Planned During this Installation: 

• Saturday, November 30th, Opening Day. Sip & Shop on Small Business Saturday TRIPLE OPENING at d’Art Center - Adorn, Holiday Gift Shop, Kindred Exhibit
• Holiday Gift Shop Open Saturday, November 30th - Friday, December 20th
• Other various corporate holiday parties and event rentals, tours, and district events throughout the time period of Adorn.

Call Open: Tuesday, September 10th - Sunday, October, 6th 2024

Jury Period: Monday, October 7th - Sunday, October 13th, 2024

Notifications (by email); By 5pm, Tuesday, October 15th, 2024

Accepted Works Arrive by: DEADLINE -  5pm Tuesday, November 19th, 2024

All accepted works must arrive by the deadline. Hand delivered works are accepted through pre-arrangement; please contact: abradley@d-artcenter.org.

Limitations and Artwork Specifications: All works that require presentation other than standard pedestals must include those items with the works. Works that require special installation must come with clear instructions, including items such as necklace busts, earring displays, bracelet displays… etc. 

We reserve the right to reject work for the exhibition that differs significantly from the submitted images and/ or for craft issues. 

The d’Art Center is open Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm, and until 7pm on Thursdays. Hand deliveries must fall within that time range. Please ship your work or arrange hand delivery anytime between receiving your exhibition invitation and the deadline!

Shipping: The artist is responsible for shipping costs to and from the gallery. 

Please send work to: d’Art Center, ATTN: Amanda Bradley 740 Boush St. Norfolk, VA 23510

Hand delivered works are accepted through pre-arrangement; please contact abradley@d-artcenter.org. 

NO PACKING PEANUTS. Works packaged with packing peanuts will be returned immediately and not included in the exhibition.

Artists must issue pre-paid return labels for their works through UPS or FedEx. PLEASE MAKE YOUR RETURN LABEL IS EASY TO FIND UPON UNPACKING. We do not arrange shipping in any other manner. Works must have pre-paid return labels through FedEx or UPS to be returned which allows us to call for pick up as the Center’s insurance does not cover transporting work offsite to local shipping companies or the United States Postal Service, which is why the postal service is not an option for shipping. Clearly indicate any packing directions for return of works

Works should be shipped in reusable containers/boxes and packaging for return. 

Works that do not include a return label, and/or works that are not picked up within one month of the end of the exhibition become property of the d’Art Center. Shipping or hand delivering your works means you agree to this. 

Payments: If you win an award or sell a piece, payments are settled after the exhibition ends. Expect your check in the mail a few weeks after the exhibition ends. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR ADDRESS IS CORRECT IN THE CAFE SYSTEM. 

Awards: $300 for best in show, selected by d’Art Center’s professional artists and staff.

Gallery Sales Commission: d’Art Center commission on sales is 70/30 (70% artist, 30% d’Art Center)

When to pick up work/expect your work back (if it does not sell): The final day of the exhibition is Friday, December 20th, 2024. Due to the holiday, the first day works can be picked up is Friday, January 3rd. The d’Art Center is open Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm, and until 7pm on Thursdays. Pick ups must fall within that time range. PPick ups must fall within that time range. Please pick up your work as soon as possible - storage space is limited! 

Shipped work will either be picked up by the shippers on Friday, January 3rd, or Monday, January 6th.

Brief d'Art Center Description: Our building is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and is comprised of three galleries, resident artist studios, and multiple activity rooms. The d'Art Center's Main Gallery and Vault are rotated monthly with new and nationally curated exhibitions, while our Artist Wing displays our frequently updated 30+ community artists' work. There is always something new to admire during your visit to d'Art Center!

d'Art Center History:

As Norfolk’s community art center, The d’Art Center proudly serves the greater Hampton Roads area by connecting the community with the visual arts. A non-profit 501c (3) organization, d’Art offers both youth and adult art education and classes, exhibits that give the public a broader exposure to many local and national artists, programming and outreach through art in public spaces, and events to showcase local artists, ceramicists, sculptors, fiber artists, and woodworkers.

Celebrating thirty five years in 2021, d’Art was founded in 1986 at the College Place location in downtown Norfolk. Modeled after the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia, part of d’Art’s mission from the onset was to provide working artists with affordable, short-term studio space. In 2005, the d’Art Center relocated to the historic Selden Arcade, continuing a legacy as a vibrant arts organization. The d’Art Center remained at the Selden Arcade for the next ten years.  After an explosion caused major damage to the d’Art Center at the Selden Arcade, the d’Art Center organization recovered, regrouped, and revived itself in the New Energy of Norfolk (NEON) Arts District at its Duke Grace Building location. In 2021, d’Art Center moved into its forever home in the NEON District: The Atlantic Permanent Building.

The NEON District is anchored by the Chrysler Museum of Art, Harrison Opera House, and The d’Art Center, and extends to The Plot on Granby Street. The NEON District includes many creative small businesses and arts partners.

Application Requirements

If you are submitting a 3D work, create a tile image for the submission so that other sides can be seen, or use the other image slots for detail images and label them as such. The $35 entry fee covers 10 entries, one image per submission. 

All entries and payments must be submitted via Call for Entries (Cafe). Please follow the directions on Cafe. If you have exhibition questions, please contact abradley@d-artcenter.org; questions related to submitting through the Cafe platform should be directed to Cafe. Please note that artists with questions or technical difficulties who are submitting within 24 hours of the deadline and/or outside of business hours may not receive help in time. Please leave ample time for your submissions to avoid any issues. 

Eligibility Criteria

This exhibition is open to all artists, 18 or older, residing in the United States. All work must be original and created without the aid of an instructor or kit. Work needs to have been produced within the last eight years. All styles and aesthetics are considered. The d’Art Center is a public non-profit art center open to everyone; as such, the content of submissions should be appropriate for all viewers.