We invite you to enter the Louisville Art Association’s
35th Annual National Juried 2020 Fine Art Show and Sale

***NOTE: if you want to enter less than 3 pieces, you will need to upload placeholder image for the non-entries. It can be anything or it can be a jpg with NO-ENTRY in the image. Name the entry "Non-Entry" or Non-Entry One Non-Entry Two.

The 2020 National Fine Arts Show and Sale takes place in Louisville, Colorado, a beautiful historic city on Colorado’s Front Range.

The venue is the Louisville Center for the Arts, an elegant, late 19th century, red brick schoolhouse. This historic venue offers participating artists the opportunity to display their work in a beautiful light-filled gallery setting. The show runs for six days from 9/2/2020 through 9/7/2020.

Our Judge is Crystal Despain, noted portrait artist and painter from Windsor, Colorado.

We invite you to enter what is sure to be our most successful show yet!

Historic Downtown Louisville offers an array of art galleries, related shops, businesses, restaurants and cafes. The National Fine Art Show is held in conjunction with the three-day Louisville Labor Day weekend event.

Find us online: LouisvilleArt.org, FaceBook.com/LouisvilleArtAssociation, or Instagram instagram.com/louisvilleartassociation • or email us at laanationalfineartsshow@gmail.com

SPONSORS
Sponsored by the Louisville Art Association, in conjunction with the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District, the City of Louisville, the Louisville Cultural Council, and Bolder Insurance.

AWARDS
Best of Show/First Place Award    $600
2nd Place Award    $400
3rd Place Award     $250
10 Artistic Achievement Awards    $100
Judge’s Choice Award    $200
Above awards are selected by the Judge
1 Peoples’ Choice Award    $200

IMPORTANT DATES AT A GLANCE
Monday, July 13, 2020:
Deadline for submission of entries.
July 20, 2020:
All accepted entries notified via email by end of day.
Friday, August 28, 2020:
Deadline for arrival of (accepted) shipped artwork. Send to LAA Fine Art Show C/O Bolder Insurance, 800 Jefferson Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027.
Monday, August 31, 2020:
Hand-delivered artwork due 5:00pm – 7:00pm.
Saturday, September 5, 2020: 
Awards Reception: 6:00pm – 9:00pm.
Awards Ceremony 7:00pm. Participating artists and public invited. (See Note Below)
Monday, September 7, 2020, Labor Day:
OPEN GALLERY 10:00am – 4:00pm.
Pick-up of hand-delivered exhibited artwork from 5:00pm –7:00pm. (*see return of work DETAILS BELOW)

2020 EXHIBITION HOURS
Sept. 2, 3, 4    Wed., Thurs., Fri.    2pm–7pm
Sept. 5    Saturday    10am–9pm
Sept. 6    Sunday    10am–6pm
Sept. 7    Labor Day (Mon.)    10am–4pm

NOTE: COVID-19 restrictions may not allow us to hold a reception in person. If so, we will live broadcast the reception.

About our JUDGE: Crystal Despain 
Whether in the delicate blush of a cheek or the curious turn of a line, oil painter Crystal Despain is drawn to the intrinsic beauty and ethereal spark of her subjects. 

“I'm seeking to find that place where whimsy and life connect. I believe that is where an artist is both child and master, where art is both a celebration and a silence. 

This is where the artist has lost nothing in the life of a thing, but has instead given the subject new significance.”

She describes the artist’s experience as “a lifelong journey that requires joy in slow becomings, and a genuine hunger for mastery.”
In the years since earning her BA in Visual Arts from the University of Northern Colorado, Crystal has remained dedicated to her education and credits much of her progress to her studies with renown artists Keith Bond, Casey Childs, Joseph Lorusso and Dan Wilson. She is heavily influenced by historical masters Mary Cassatt, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and Joaquín Sorolla. 

Crystal lives in Colorado with her husband, 5 young sons, and sole female companion, a whippet named Indie.

View Crystal Despain’s work on her website, www.crystaldespain.com or on Instagram, instagram.com/crystal.despain.art

RULES OF PARTICIPATION
ELIGIBILITY

• All artwork exhibited must be original in both concept and execution, and completed in the last two years.
• Work previously shown in this show in prior years is not eligible.
• Copies, kits, reproductions, or work done under the supervision of an instructor are not eligible.
• Artists must be 18 yrs. or older.
• Artists of all mediums and genres are encouraged to apply. All mediums are eligible, with exceptions. See notes below. (Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, Glass, Fiber, Functional, Mixed Media, Digital Painting, note that digitally painted pieces must be painted using digital brushes. Digital pieces that rely on manipulating photographs can be entered in our Photography Show, but not in this show). Regardless of the medium, all pieces must meet the framing and mounting requirements listed below. Please check that your pieces do not exceed the size limitations also listed below.
• EXCEPTIONS: Because of space constraints, installation art cannot be accepted. An Installation Piece is defined as any wall-hung piece that cannot be hung on 1 or two standard picture hangers or any large piece that takes up a lot of space on the floor or wall.
• Size: No piece may exceed 48” on any side INCLUDING FRAME. Sculptures must weigh less than 70 lbs. Non-sculpture cannot weigh over 70 lbs. See Framing Requirements for more details.

OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• •Entry fee is $40.00, nonrefundable, for up to three entries. Each additional entry is $10, up to a total of six entered pieces.
• Content: Pieces must be appropriate for general audiences and general public venues.

TIP: when photographing your work for submission, be sure you submit only your images and not the frame and/or mat. Be sure the wall or background is not visible. If possible put your painting on a neutral wall and put your camera (or phone) on a tripod to take the photo. Having the best possible photograph of your work makes it much more likely that you will be juried in. Search online for more information (videos and articles) on taking better photos of your work.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION for Accepted artists

• You must provide the actual artwork that was accepted for the show. Only the piece that was accepted into the show will be hung. Substitutions of similar pieces are not allowed. Failure to provide your piece(s) will result in a 2-year ban from this show.
• If your piece is juried in you will be asked to provide a brief biography (170 words or less, around one page), highlighting your career or past achievements, information regarding your process as an artist if appropriate, a simple artist statement, or anything you would like visitors to know. This information will be posted in a display notebook for visitors to peruse. Please put your name in bold at the top of your biography.
• All selected artists may display up to 5 pieces of matted bin work or cards for sale. Framed artwork is not allowed in in the freestanding bins. BINS ARE SUPPLIED BY LAA. PLEASE DON’T BRING YOUR OWN BINS. All sales will be conducted by LAA and a 25% commission will be taken on all sales. ALL ACCEPTED WORK AND BIN WORK must be clearly labeled with the artist’s name, item name, and price. You MUST submit a completed inventory sheet for all work. The inventory sheet will be sent with the acceptance letter if your piece is juried in.

SALES

• All exhibited artwork must be for sale, and all sales of artwork will be handled through the Louisville Art Association.
• The Louisville Art Association will retain a 25% commission on all sales resulting from the exhibition, and all artwork will hang until the end of the show. Sales and award proceeds will be paid to the artist within three weeks of the close of the exhibition.

JUDGING/JURYING

• All entries will be juried based on submitted photos of the work, saved as JPG files and uploaded via CaFE. Entrants will be notified of the Judge’s selections by email, through CaFE. By entering the show, you agree that your images may be used to advertise the show in print and on Social Media. Artists retain all copyrights. Award winning pieces will be chosen by the Judge after artworks have been received and hung. During final judging, any artwork found to contain unacceptable material or found not be identical to the juried piece, will not be judged for awards or exhibited, and will be returned to the artist. No substitutions will be allowed.

FRAMING AND MOUNTING REQUIREMENTS—THESE SPECIFICATIONS MUST BE
FOLLOWED OR YOUR ARTWORK WILL NOT BE HUNG.

• All 2D Pieces must be framed or gallery wrapped with picture wire attached, ready to hang. See below for specs on gallery wrap. NO sawtooth hangers, NO frameless glass framing. Pieces without hangers will not be hung.
• Unframed canvases must be gallery wrapped. The canvas stretchers must be a minimum of 1.5” thick and the canvas must be attached to the back of the stretcher so it doesn’t show when hung. Artwork will be accepted without a frame only if properly wired for hanging and if all gallery wrapped edges are painted (finished). A canvas with staples/tacks showing on side edges must be framed. Any canvas with exposed unpainted canvas or staples/nails showing on edges will be rejected.
• •No pieces exceeding 48” INCLUDING frame on any side will be accepted. The size limit includes Diptychs or Triptychs, measured as a unit.

ALERT: Please set the price for your work carefully. The price you assign to your artwork in the online entry process will be the price for the exhibition. The price cannot be changed once your piece has been entered and accepted. There are no exceptions, so be sure to closely proofread your entry details. Since we print our title cards ahead of the show, we are unable to make changes to individual cards at the last minute. If in doubt, price your work higher.

• All sculptures and other three-dimensional work must be properly and securely mounted and ready for display.
• Artwork over 70 lbs. cannot be hung or displayed. No 3 – dimensional pieces can be attached to floor or suspended from ceiling. No screws, molly bolts, lag bolts, or other anchors will be allowed.
• Installation art is excluded from acceptable mediums.

SHIPPING AND DELIVERY OF ACCEPTED ARTWORK

• Shipped artwork must be received during the delivery window: August 24 – 28, 2020
• Shipped artwork must be delivered no later than 5:00pm August 28, 2020.
• Shipped artwork can be shipped using UPS, Fedex, or USPS, but return shipping can only be via UPS or Fedex. Prepaid return labels cannot be for USPS shipping for logistical reasons.
• Shipped Artwork must be packed in strong, reusable cartons or crates with no free-floating styrofoam or popcorn/peanut packing. Packing material must be reusable to facilitate return shipping. 

Shipped parcel must include:

1. Prepaid Return Shipping Label: Please include a Prepaid Federal Express or Prepaid UPS return shipping label addressed to the artist
2. Artist bio
3. LAA Inventory Sheet (emailed to artists who are juried into the show)
4. LAA Registration Form (emailed to artists who are juried into the show)
5. Art – All art must be labeled on the back (or bottom of sculptures) with title, artist’s name, media and price.

Please ship all artwork to:
LAA National Fine Art Show, C/O Bolder Insurance
800 Jefferson Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027.

ATTENTION:
In the past, artwork has been incorrectly mailed to 801 Grant St., which is the show venue. Please heed the following:
WARNING: Do not ship directly to the Louisville Art Association at the exhibition venue. We do not receive mail at the venue and if you send anything to that address, it won’t get to us until after the show is over. We ship to Bolder Insurance so that your work is safe and supervised


IN-PERSON DELIVERY OF ACCEPTED ARTWORK
Monday, August 31, 2020—Hand-delivered artwork must be delivered by the artist or artist’s representative on August 31, 2020 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm at the Louisville Center for the Arts, 801 Grant Avenue, Louisville, Colorado.

RETURN OF WORK

• Shipped artwork will be returned by the Louisville Art Association to the artist following the closing date of the exhibition in accordance with prepaid labels. Unsold work will be returned with your prepaid shipping label. LAA is not responsible for return of art if shipping label is not prepaid.
• •Hand-delivered artwork must be picked up on the show’s closing date,
• Monday, September 7, 2020 between 5:00pm and 7:00pm.
• NO EARLY PICK-UPS ARE ALLOWED. 

If art is not picked up by 7:01, return shipping charges, plus FedEx Kinkos packing charges may be billed to the artist. There is no storage available for artwork not picked up by 7:01pm on Monday, September 7th.

Contact for art that has not been picked up at end of show as noted above, Monday, September 7th by 7:01pm: laanationalfineartsshow@gmail.com.

FOR QUESTIONS, CONTACT laanationalfineartsshow@gmail.com
Louisville Art Association • PO Box 852 • Louisville, CO 80027

Submission to this exhibition constitutes acceptance of stated conditions and includes permission to photograph accepted artwork for publicity purposes only.

 

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria

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