CALL
The Kentucky landscape, both rural and urban, is home to makers of extraordinary merit, making the creative industry one of the largest economic forces in the commonwealth. Kentucky’s talent in the overlapping arenas of art, craft, and design is boundless. However, we often isolate these modes of making to our detriment despite all we have in common. Examining them together fosters discussions about our core motivations, including aesthetics, personal expression, functionality, problem-solving, process, user experience, tradition, content, communication, and materiality. 

In CommonWealth: Kentucky Art, Craft, & Design is a juried exhibition that celebrates the distinct yet interconnected practices of art, craft, and design. This Kentucky-wide exhibit highlights our shared origins while honoring our differences, championing the essential similarities and distinctions in how and why creative work is produced. 

In CommonWealth: Kentucky Art, Craft, & Design is open to all artists, designers, and craftspeople, over the age of 18 residing in Kentucky. This exhibit is juried by artist and educator Kurt Gohde, Professor of Art of Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky. 

CALENDAR
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Sunday, December 1 (11:59PM)
NOTIFICATIONS: Monday, December 16
SHIPPING: January 13 – 17 (arrival window)
DROP OFF DELIVERY: January 13 – 17, 11AM-4PM 
EXHIBITION: January 28 – February 20, 2025
RECEPTION: Thursday, February 6, 6–8PM
EXHIBITOR PICK UP: Friday & Saturday, February 21 & 22, 11AM – 4PM
-OR- Monday, February 24, 11AM – 4PM
RETURN SHIPMENTS: February 22 – 28* 
* Estimated Dates

ABOUT THE JUROR
Kurt Gohde teaches Studio Art at Transylvania University in Lexington, KY and makes art to invite conversations about contemporary social issues, from marginalized sexualities to the experience of homelessness. Recently, he has become newly invigorated by hand-carving wooden spoons and making plans to reseed the clouds over Kentucky with meat, in loving memory of the Kentucky meat rain of 1876.

ABOUT THE GALLERY
EKU Giles Gallery is located on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. Serving campus and the commonwealth since its founding in 1973, the Fred Parker Giles Gallery celebrated its 50th anniversary with a significant renovation. The newly renovated venue spotlights multidisciplinary creative scholarship from artists of regional and national renown. The gallery is named for Fred Parker Giles, a distinguished Professor of Art at EKU from 1939-1964. 

EKU Giles Gallery is part of the EKU School of Art & Design (SoAD) and the Institute for Creative & Collaborative Arts (ICCA). The gallery is a multi-level exhibit venue, capable of hosting large group and solo presentations concurrently. The impressive space offers an adaptable floor plan and striking architecture, featuring three floors of professional lighting, plywood backed drywall, moveable displays, and terrazzo flooring. Giles Gallery presents 7-8 exhibitions each academic year attracting thousands of visitors annually. All gallery events are free and open to the public. 

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook to learn more about EKU Giles Gallery!  

AWARDS
Three awards will be selected by our juror after the installation of In CommonWealth, in the amount of $300 each. The awards will be announced at the public reception, Thursday, February 6, from 6-8PM.

SALES
EKU Giles Gallery does not take any commission on sales resulting from inclusion in the exhibit. Sales inquiries will be enthusiastically forwarded directly to the exhibitor. 

Application Requirements

FEE
A non-refundable $35 entry fee allows a maximum of 3 entries per each artist/designer/craftsperson. One image only for each entry. Collaborative group entries are welcome, but a maximum of 3 entries per individual still applies. Payments are to be made by credit card, debit (VISA or MC) or PayPal through the CaFÉ application portal. 

If the entry fee poses a significant hurdle to submitting, please contact Giles Gallery Director at melissa.vandenberg@eku.edu for potential financial assistance. 

DIGITAL SUBMISSIONS
Entries are only made via CaFÉ, please follow formatting guidelines when uploading work samples to “My Portfolio” on callforentries.org (JPEG or JPG, under 5MB with a minimum of 1200 pixels on the longest side). More information is available at CaFÉ Help. Each uploaded image constitutes one piece/entry. Fee payment does not guarantee inclusion in the exhibit.

ACCEPTED WORK
EKU Giles Gallery will notify each exhibitor about accepted and declined entries through CaFÉ. The gallery will provide detailed instructions for hand delivery and/or shipping of accepted entries. All costs related to transportation, shipping, and insurance are the responsibility of each exhibitor(s). Work delivered late, or failing to meet the outlined requirements, will not be included. EKU Giles Gallery and the guest juror reserve the right to reject work if 1) it differs from the original submission, or 2) breaches the guidelines set forth in this prospectus, or 3) is deemed unsafe to exhibit at the discretion of the gallery director. 

• Accepted work must be delivered between January 13-17 for inclusion.
• Work arriving late will not be exhibited.
• Substitutions for accepted work are not permissible.
• Please, no packing peanuts.
• No glass on shipped artwork. (Use Plexiglass or other acrylic glazing.) 
• Accepted work must be professionally presented and installation ready upon arrival. Framing, mating, and glazing must be in good condition. Work must arrive with appropriate hardware (hanging wire etc.). No sawtooth hangers.
• Accepted work necessitating complicated or time intensive installation, or work that is extraordinarily fragile, will be the responsibility of the exhibitor.  
• Work must remain on display for the complete duration of the exhibit. 
• Exhibition documentation will be shared via Google Drive.
• All rights to work exhibited remain solely the exhibitors. 
• Shipped work must be packed in well labeled, reusable shipping boxes/crates. 
• SHIPPED ARTWORK MUST INCLUDE A PRE-PAID RETURN SHIPPING LABEL FROM UPS or FEDEX.
• Shipped work via UPS or FedEx will not be returned until a prepaid shipping label is provided.
• Work left more than 30 days after the close of the exhibition will become the property of Eastern Kentucky University. 
 

Eligibility Criteria

ELIGIBILITY
In CommonWealth: Kentucky Art, Craft, & Design is open to all artists, designers, and craftspeople, over the age of 18 residing in Kentucky. This juried exhibit welcomes submissions made in the past 4 years in all media, genres, and disciplines, including two-, three-, and four-dimensional work. Giles Gallery, on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University, is a large, newly renovated, state-of-the-art venue, but please note that our doorways are a maximum of 8 x 8 feet. Giles Gallery can accommodate a limited amount of work requiring data projectors, TVs, or audio equipment. 

Submissions failing to meet the criteria below cannot be included:
• Submitters must currently reside in Kentucky.
• Submissions must truthfully represent the work.
• Submissions must be the sole property of the entrant. 
• Submissions must be original and completed in the last 4 years.
• Submission via CaFÉ constitutes acceptance of all guidelines stated in the prospectus. 
• Submissions are only reviewed by our juror via CaFÉ. 
• Work previously exhibited at EKU Giles Gallery is ineligible for submission.