ATTENTION: ENTRY DEADLINE EXTENDED TO DECEMBER 15

A NATIONAL EXHIBITION 
with $4,500 in prizes
Now in its sixth year, the CAL National has grown into one of the premier shows in Texas in a very short time. Last year saw nearly 700 entries from 40 states. This year the 2021 CAL National is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts as a part of their Artistic Enrichment in American Communities (AEAC) program.

 Categories include Painting, Drawing, Mixed Media and Photography with recognition in each along with an overall Best of Show.

 The month-long exhibition will also feature an on-site creation of a collaborative mural with internationally recognized wildlife artist Vickie McMillan Hayes leading a group of hands-on artists and non-artists. The finished piece, painted on a free-standing canvas, will be donated to a local non-profit at the end of the exhibit.

 The exhibit will be taking place alongside other arts events in Historic Downtown Conroe including the Young Texas Artists Classical Music Competition and performances from member organizations of the Greater Conroe Arts Alliance featuring literature, theatre, chorale, dance, jazz and other arts.

 GOAL
Presented by the Conroe Art League, the CAL National 2021 Exhibit will highlight the visual arts as a part of enriching the community with variable artistic experiences. The static month-long exhibition, alongside the creation of the collaborative mural, bridges the gap between finished art and the creation of art. The experience is expanded further with musical, literary and theatrical performances by member arts organizations of the Greater Conroe Arts Alliance.

CURATORS
Sherry Tseng Hill often superimposes imagery and pattern, and plays with combining opposite expressions: the soft and the hard, the transparent and the opaque, the flat and the spatial, the literal and the abstract to reflect the multi-layered world we live in.

 Straddling the east and the west, Sherry Tseng Hill was born in Taiwan and lived there until she was a young teenager. Her childhood experiences growing up in Taiwan forms a great part of her approach to life and her art. She attended Rice University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Architecture, and a Bachelor of Architecture.
You can view her work at https://www.sherrytsenghill.com/artwork.html

Heidi Vaughan– Owner of Heidi Vaughan Fine Art, an art gallery and art consulting firm representing 20 artists with a regular exhibition schedule of eight shows a year, complemented with artist and collector talks.

 She also sells secondary market art and represents estates and entire art collections through the gallery, private events, pop-up shows, and auction sales. She is an Accredited Member of the International Society of Appraisers, specializing in primary and secondary market art sales, valuation, brokerage, and appraisal services for private, corporate, and institutional clients, including museum collections.

 More information can be found at http://heidivaughanfineart.com

 ELIGIBILITY
The exhibit is open nationally to all visual artists in four categories: Drawing (Ink, Graphite, Charcoal, Pastel); Painting (Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor); Photography (Traditional, Digital, Digitally Manipulated) and Mixed Media/3D (Sculpture, Collage, Assemblage, Other). Work must have been completed since January 1, 2017. Work completed under classroom/educational guidance or supervision is not eligible.

 ARTWORK
All work must be exhibition ready: 2D art must be framed or gallery wrapped with painted edges, no saw-tooth hangers please. Work that does not follow the guidelines or is deemed not to be a faithful representation of the image submitted, will not be exhibited. By submitting artwork for consideration, the artist agrees that eligible artwork will be available for exhibition in the CAL Gallery during the entire exhibition (March 3 - April 1, 2021). An alternate artwork may not be substituted for an eligible artwork, and there may not be a price or title change to an eligible artwork.

ENTRY FEES
Artists may submit up to 6 images. The entry fee is $35 for the first image and $15 for each subsequent image. All CaFE' fees are non-refundable and must be paid by credit/debit card through CaFE'.  Payment of those fees indicates the acknowledgement of the terms and conditions of the exhibition. Curator’s decisions are final. An artist statement of 250n- 1,000 words maximum is also required.

SIZE LIMIT
Maximum size 48" x 48” including the frame (this applies to diptych and triptych works). 2D artwork is not to exceed 25 lbs. The maximum size for 3D artwork is 30”W x 30”D x 48”H, and weight is not to exceed 40lbs. 

DELIVERY OF ACCEPTED WORK
In-person deliveries will be accepted February 11-25, 2021, Tuesday - Saturday 10:30 am - 5:30 pm. The Gallery is located at 127 Simonton Street, Conroe, Texas 77301.

Shipped deliveries should be scheduled to arrive between February 11-25, 2021. Shipped work must be accompanied by a prepaid, return label. Shipped works must be packed in sturdy, reusable containers with appropriate packing material. No packing peanuts please.

RETURN OF WORK
Shipped works will be shipped back in their original packaging on April 3 using the provided prepaid return shipping label. The artist is solely responsible for any charges that may arise from inadequate packaging, or redirected shipments.

For artists who delivered their art in-person, pickup will be Friday April 2, 2021 and Saturday, April 3 2021 from 10:30 am - 5 pm

Artwork not returned or claimed after 30 days becomes the property of CAL. 

RECOGNITION:
Best of Show:  $1,500
First Place Drawing: $750
First Place Painting: $750
First Place Photography: $750
First Place Mixed Media/3D: $750
Two Honorable Mentions will also be recognized in each of the four categories.

SALES: 
Please note that price of an accepted entry may not be changed after it is set. There is a 20% gallery commission on works for sale. Work should be marked “NFS” if it is not available for purchase. Conroe Art League will handle sales transactions while work is on exhibit and ship work to buyer when show is over. All sold objects must remain with the exhibition for the duration of the exhibition and will not be forwarded to the purchaser until the end of the show. Payments to the artist for all sold pieces will be made at the close of the exhibition. Shipment of all sold objects will be paid by the purchaser.

IMPORTANT DATES:
Entry Deadline: December 15, 2020 at 11:59 PM Mountain Time Zone
Notification of accepted artwork: January 22, 2021
Delivery of accepted artwork: February 11- February 25, 2021
Exhibition: March 3 – April 1, 2020
Reception and Recognitions Announced: March 20, 2021
Shipping and pickup of accepted artwork: April 2 – April 3

ABOUT US:
Conroe Art League is a 501c3 non-profit arts organization of vibrant artists and art lovers. The Art League began in 1963 with seven local artists and has grown to over 300 members. Our mission is spelled out in our acronym:

Create • Appreciate • Learn

Our artists create, our patrons come to appreciate their work and our teachers provide instruction to students who come to learn.

See more about us at the video link below:

 https://youtu.be/e2Unu0JOxwc

For questions contact pastpresident@conroeartleague.com or call 713-557-2954

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria