PREAMBLE
a. The Great Northern Art Explosion (also referred to as (GNAE) is organized by AuSable Artisan Village art center of Grayling, MI, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (hereafter referred to as 

“the Organizer”).
b. The Organizer reserves the right to change or update any information in these rules or conditions of 

the GNAE. All candidates will be notified of changes via email.

1. Eligibility
1.1   Art Explosion is an open, international contest - any artist age 18 and older can participate regardless of location. 

1.2   Works submitted may be in any medium: drawing, printing, installation, painting, photography, digital art, sculpture, mixed media, decorative art (textiles, glass, wood, metal, ceramics, mosaic, paper or other techniques). However, the Organizer cannot guarantee to accommodate specific or specialized needs such as specialized lighting or site-specific power source. See section 4.5 for further details.
1.3   No specific theme is imposed on the works of art submitted by the artists.
1.4   Any artwork submitted must be created within the last two years.

1.5   All hanging artworks must be ready to hang with wire or D-rings only. Any items received that are not ready to hang, or that have sawtooth hangers, will be disqualified.

1.6   2-D work must be framed, or gallery wrapped. Items not properly assembled will be disqualified. 

1.7   All 2-D work must also be signed by the artist, and labeled on the back with the artist's name and the title of the work.

1.8   Entries must not exceed 4’ in width and 9’ in height, including multi-piece works.

1.9   3-D work cannot require more than 30 square feet of floor space and must be less than nine (9) feet tall unless suitable for outdoor display.
1.10  Previous GNAE participants may not submit a work that was accepted in previous Art Explosion 

 events.
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‍2. Artist Registration
2.1   Candidates must submit their applications online no later than July 19, 2026, 11:59pm EST.
2.2   Candidates may submit up to three pieces of artwork per registration. No more than one entry will be selected.

2.3   The entry fee is $40 and is non-refundable
2.4   Candidates who provide untrue information, who are not the creator of the works they present, or who pay the entry fee through fraudulent means will be banned from Art Explosion.

 

3. Show Selection
3.1   Artists' entries will be reviewed and selected by a jury committee appointed by the Organization.
3.2   The Organizer does not guarantee acceptance of all applicants. 

3.3   Artists will be notified of their acceptance status by July 31, 2026.

3.4   Due to the limitations of photography and electronic submissions, the Organizer reserves the right to reject any work previously accepted upon receipt and personal inspection of the work.

4. Transport,  Installation, and Pick Up or Return of Artwork
4.1   Artists are responsible for the transport of their works to the exhibition space between 10 am and 5 pm from Friday, August 14 through Monday, August 17, 2026 

4.2  Artists may ship their work upon receipt of acceptance. If an artist ships their work, the artist is responsible for all costs associated with shipping. AuSable Artisan Village is not responsible for items damaged or lost in shipping, or delivery to the wrong address, whether it is from the artist to Artisan Village, or from Artisan Village back to the artist.  The artist is responsible for insuring their work for damages and/or replacement cost.  (See Item 5 for additional information.)

4.3   All items shipped to Artisan Village must have a valid return shipping label included. If a prepaid shipping label is not included, the artist must make arrangements to pick up the work.
4.4  If an artist does not transport their work to the exhibition space by the date noted above, the Organizer reserves the right to disqualify the artist.

4.5   If an artist's work requires special transportation or installation, such as a sculpture or other large Artwork, the artist must make the necessary logistical arrangements with the Organizer.

4.6  The Organizer will arrange and install work at their discretion.. 

4.7  Artists who delivered their work in person are responsible for picking up their work from the exhibition space no later than September 13 ,2026, unless alternate arrangements are approved by the Organizer.

4.8  If an artist does not pick up their work at the end of the Exhibition, or provide a return shipping label by the date noted above, the artist grants the Organizer the right to remove, store, or discard the work in any way seen fit by the Organizer.

4.9 For shipping artwork to Art Explosion, we highly recommend using either UPS or FedEx for reliable service to our area. Please double-check the shipping label to ensure accuracy. The correct shipping address is: AuSable Artisan Village 122 Michigan Avenue, Grayling, MI 49738.

5. Insurance
5.1   Artists are encouraged to take out insurance for the works exhibited. Insurance for artwork is not required to participate.  Artisan Village is not responsible for damages or losses incurred in shipping.  Every effort will be taken to guard against damage during the show, but we cannot be responsible for damages due to circumstances beyond our control.  (See Item 5.2 below)

5.2   Exhibiting artists release the Organizer from any responsibility for any damage that could have been covered by insurance taken out by the artist, whether in shipping or in the course of the exhibition.
5.3   Exhibiting artists release the Organizer from any liabilities including injury, vandalism, theft and damage of artwork or personal property.

6. Art Explosion Exhibition

6.1   Each accepted artist must exhibit the work that was selected.
6.2   The GNAE exhibition begins with a opening reception on Friday, August 21st at 6 pm The show continues through Sunday, September 6th 2026. 

6.3   Artists are not required to be present for GNAE but are encouraged.
6.4   The 2026 Great Northern Art Explosion will be displayed in a single location at the AuSable Artisan Village performing arts center located at 122 Michigan Avenue, Grayling, Michigan.  The show will be organized and hung by the AAV gallery committee.
6.5   All works exhibited must remain in the show throughout the exhibition.

7. Artist Sales and Solicitation
7.1   If the submitted artwork is for sale the price must be stated on the entry, if it is not for sale the work should be marked NFS.  If any accessory items are included with the art, they must be labeled with the artist's name and noted on the entry form.  If those items are NOT for sale, that must be clearly stated on the entry form.  Artisan Village is not responsible for items sold if they were not specifically stated as being excluded.

7.2   The Organizer will take a 40% commission of works sold during the show. Any work sold must remain on display through the duration of the show. The buyer may pick up the piece at the conclusion of the Awards Ceremony on Sunday, September 6, 2026.
7.3   Artists may include business cards or related literature with their work during the exhibition.
7.4  Artists may not include un-related materials or literature.
7.5   Artists may not make sales of additional items, objects or merchandise within the show space or immediately outside the show space.

7.6   If an Artist sells the submitted work prior to delivery to the Organizer, the artist shall make every effort to have the buyer pick up the sold piece after the conclusion of the show and not cancel or withdraw from the exhibition.

8. Voting for People’s Choice Awards

8.1   Voting will be open from the opening reception on August 21, 2026 through Saturday September 5, 2026 at 5 PM. *There is no peoples choice voting on Sunday at the closing award ceremony.
8.2   All individual voters, including artists, may cast one vote per artwork.

8.3   Each voter may have one ballot and vote for up to five (5) pieces of artwork.
8.7   All voters must be physically present at GNAE to cast their ballot.
8.8   An artist may not solicit votes from persons who are not attending GNAE
8.9   Any attempt to rig the voting system, including but not limited to: Creating false identities, voting using multiple names, email addresses, or phone numbers, attempting to cast more than one vote per artwork, or soliciting votes from individuals who are not attending Art Explosion, will result in disqualification.

9. Awards
9.1   All accepted artists are eligible to win prize money.

9.2   The professional Juror is a hired, qualified individual not affiliated with the Organizer.

9.3   There will be three prize categories and 6 awards as follows:

A Juror’s Grand Prize of $2,500 will be selected by the professional Juror, and a People’s Choice Grand Prize of $2,500 will be selected by the voting patrons.

A Juror’s Second Place Price prize of $1,000 will be selected by the Juror, and a People’s Choice Second  Place Prize of $1,000 will be selected by the voting patrons.

A Juror’s Third Place prize of $500 will be selected by the Juror, and a People’s Choice Third Place  prize of $500 will be selected by the voting patrons.

9.4.   Winning artists will receive payment following the awards by mail.  All winners who receive an award must complete an IRS Form W-9 for the gallery prior to receiving prize money.  If the winning artist is not in attendance, the IRS Form W-9 will be mailed to the artist and upon receipt of the completed form Artisan Village will send the prize money using the mailing address provided by the artist in their registration form.

10. Postponement, Cancellation
10.1  The Organizer reserves the right to postpone or cancel GNAE if circumstances require it. Postponement or cancellations will be announced via email.
10.2  The Organizer cannot be held liable for any postponement or cancellation.
10.3  The Organizer reserves the right to cancel the submission of any artist and reimburse the entry fee amount with no obligation to provide the reason for said cancellation and with no assumption of liability by the Organizer.

 

11. Artist Data and Property
11.1  The artists expressly agree that their personal data will be processed by computer by the Organizer for registration.
11.2  The artists taking part in GNAE give the Organizer the right to photograph or re-use the artwork presented in their submissions free of charge in perpetuity for promotional purposes only, in any medium (digital or physical).
11.3  The artists acknowledge and accept that their personal information details will not be communicated to third parties except where required in application of a legal or regulatory provision or for the normal organizational purposes of GNAE.
11.4  The artists expressly agree that by registering for GNAE, they will  receive future Art Explosion and/or other art-related solicitations from the Organizer via the contact details provided in the artist’s submission.

 

‍12. Force Majeure
12.1  Neither the artist nor the Organizer will be responsible for failure to execute their obligations if a case of force majeure arises, defined as any unpredictable, unpreventable event arising from circumstances external to the artist or Organizer.

 

‍13. Acceptance
13.1   The artist affirms that by submitting art for entry in GNAE, they have read these rules and expressly accepts them in full and without reservation.