The Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art is pleased to announce the 2018 juried fine art competition, Sense of Place. Open to participants from throughout the United States, this thirty-eighth annual event seeks to recognize the outstanding quality and diversity of work being generated by contemporary American artists. 

Founded in 1937 and housed in the historic Nicholas Ware mansion (c. 1818), the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art (GHIA) is Augusta's only independent nonprofit visual arts school and gallery. The Institute serves as a showcase for local, regional, and national artists, offering rotating exhibitions of outstanding contemporary artwork year-round. In addition, professionally taught studio art classes in a wide variety of media are provided to students of all ages and experience levels. 

Juror: Judy Onofrio

The juror for this year's competition is Judy Onofrio. A self-taught multi-media sculptor, Judy Onofrio has been creating and exhibiting art nationally and internationally for over five decades.  Over the course of her career, she has worked in various mediums including jewelry, ceramic sculpture, large-scale installations, fire performances, and currently bone sculpture.

Selected awards and achievements include the Rochester Art Center Lifetime Achievement Award; the Minnesota Crafts Council Lifetime Achievement Award; a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board; fellowships and grants from Arts Midwest/NEA, the Bush Foundation, and the McKnight Foundation.  In 2005, she was honored to receive the McKnight Foundation Distinguished Minnesota Artist award for her ongoing contributions as an artist and educator in the state of Minnesota.

Non-Refundable Entry Fee: There is a $37 entry fee for up to 3 entries (1 image per entry; therefore, separate images with details of your artwork count as an entry. Each additional entry over the first three is $10 and entry. (For example, 3 images = $37, 4 images = $47, 5 images = $57...)

Awards

Three cash prizes will be given, including a $750 Best of Show Award and two $500 Juror’s Awards. At the juror’s discretion, additional noncash Honorable Mention awards may also be presented. Award recipients will be announced on Friday, September 7, 2018, at the opening reception for A Sense of Place. 

Eligibility

The 2018 juried fine art competition is open to all US artists age 18 and older. All works must be original, not previously exhibited at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, and completed on or after June 1, 2016. Work that predates this cut-off date will not be considered.

Entries in the following media will be accepted: painting, drawing, mixed media, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, and photography. Film and video pieces are ineligible. Entries are not judged in media categories. Two-dimensional work must not exceed three feet in width or seven feet in height and must be received ready for exhibition and ready to hang. Works on paper must be framed and under Plexiglas (no glass, please). We are unable to accept work that requires suspension from the ceiling. Three-dimensional work must not exceed five feet in any direction or weigh more than 75 pounds. Installations must conform to the space guidelines for three-dimensional artwork. The Institute’s exhibition committee will serve as the final authority on eligibility.

We respectively request that if your art is accepted, it is available for the show. No substitutions may be made once work is juried into the show. We recommend work submitted should be considered for general viewing audiences of all ages.

Calendar of Events 

June 30, 2018 - Entry deadline 

August 1 - Notification letters sent to artists

August 24 - Delivery deadline for accepted works 

September 7–October 12 - Exhibition on view  

September 7, 2018 from 6-8 PM - Awards presentation and reception

October 31 – Deadline for artwork to be picked up or return shipped

LEGAL AGREEMENT

Artwork and Presentation

Each accepted entry must be installation-ready, framed or encased, with appropriate hanging hardware and installation instructions, and clearly labeled with artist’s name and title of the work.  Please do not use packing peanuts during shipping. Sculptures will be wall placed on pedestals or shelves (or floor if appropriate). Test your framing/presentation before sending it. The presentation of your work is as important as the object and deserves extra care and consideration. Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art (GHIA) retains the right to reject works from the exhibition at any time, at their discretion.

Accepted work may not be withdrawn before the close of the exhibition on Friday, October 12, 2018. If your art is accepted, it must be available for the show. No substitutions may be made once work is juried into the show. We recommend work submitted should be considered for general viewing audiences of all ages.

Return of Artwork

Artwork must be picked up by October 31, 2018. Work with prepaid return shipping labels will be mailed by October 31, 2018. GHIA assumes no responsibility for artwork left beyond December 31, 2018, nor for work with insufficient return shipping. Any artwork left beyond December 31, 2018 will become the property of the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art.

**Return Shipping MUST BE PREPAID through a shipping company such as FedEx or UPS with a prepaid label enclosed with your artwork. GHIA will not accept postage stamps for shipping, credit card numbers, or shipping accounts for return of artwork, nor will GHIA staff take artwork to the post office or anywhere else to be weighed, measured, or pay for shipping.

Sales and Insurance

The artist assumes responsibility for insuring their artwork and will not hold GHIA responsible for any damage incurred while the artwork on display at GHIA or during any part of the shipping. All sales will be handled through GHIA. A 35% commission will be charged. All pieces must remain up for the duration of the exhibition. GHIA will mail checks to the artist for the sale of their work, less any shipping and sale related fees, at the end of the exhibition once payment has been received. Any sales over $500 will require a W9 form to be submitted to GHIA (downloadable from IRS.gov.) before checks can be issued.

Fees and Photography

GHIA does not offer submission refunds for any reasons. The entry fee for A Sense of Place is $37 for up to 3 entries. Each additional entry is $10. GHIA may photograph artwork for reproduction in the catalogue and newsletter and use images of submitted artwork to publicize and promote the exhibition and any future exhibitions, catalogues, newsletters and calls for entry.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria