Artists currently living in South Dakota are invited to submit artworks for consideration for the South Dakota Governor’s 9th Biennial Art Exhibition. This juried traveling exhibition is the premier showcase for artists currently living in the state and is a celebration of the tremendous quality and unique diversity of visual art being produced here and now. The biennial exhibitions are important landmarks in South Dakota art history. The exhibition shares some of South Dakota’s best artworks and greatest artists with visiting audiences at multiple exhibiting institutions across the state through the course of the one-year traveling show. The catalog is an important historical record of the state’s current artists and art practices for future generations. Purchase Awards are opportunities for South Dakota artists to make their mark on South Dakota history by having their artworks collected and preserved within some of the state’s most significant public art collections. A limited number of artworks will be selected for this exhibition through a competitive process, juried by representatives of the exhibiting and collecting institutions. We encourage artists to submit their best artworks for consideration.

CALENDAR
Submission deadline:  Jan 3, 2021 (11:59:59 PM MT)
Acceptance notice emailed:  Jan 11, 2021
Loan agreements due:  Jan 25, 2021
Artworks delivered:  Jan 25 – Feb 5, 2021
Artworks returned after close:  Mar 5, 2022

EXHIBITION TOUR
South Dakota Art Museum Mar 19  – Jun 13, 2021
Washington Pavilion Jun 26  – Sep 19, 2021
John A. Day Gallery Oct 16  – Nov 5, 2021
Dahl Arts Center Dec 3, 2021– Mar 5, 2022

JURORS
Denise DuBroy, Dahl Arts Center at Rapid City Arts Council
Amy Fill, University Art Galleries at USD
Cody Henrichs, Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science
Jodi Lundgren, South Dakota Art Museum  at SDSU

ENTRY FEE and NUMBER OF WORKS
Entry fee is $25.00 for submitting up to three (3) artworks for consideration, with no guarantee that an artwork from all submitting artists will be accepted into the exhibition. Artists may submit fewer artworks but there is no reduction in fee. All fees go towards costs associated with producing the exhibition. The entry fee can be paid by credit card (Visa/MC), PayPal or check.

ARTWORK DATE and ARTIST ELIGIBILITY
Only new artworks completed within the last three (3) years may be submitted. All artists living in South Dakota are eligible to submit unless there is a conflict of interest because of current employment at one of the exhibiting institutions. Submitting implies that no conflict of interest exists.

MEDIA ELIGIBILITY
Submitted artworks may be 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional and must be original artworks and not reproductions. The exhibition is open to all visual media, including but not limited to: painting, drawing, original prints, photography, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, fine crafts, traditional/folk arts, video art and artist books.

PURCHASE AWARDS
Each exhibiting institution will designate up to $1,500 ($6,000 total) for Purchase Awards. Artworks purchased through these awards will become part of the permanent collection of the respective purchasing institution.

SALES and OWNERSHIP
Artworks submitted must be owned and created by the submitting artist and not on loan from outside parties. Because of significant Purchase Awards associated with the exhibition, all artworks submitted must be for sale. A sales price will be required on the loan agreement for accepted artworks. Exhibiting institutions receive a 30% commission on artworks sold through the exhibition and sales prices listed by artists must incorporate this commission.

ARTWORK CONDITIONS:

• Artists must not submit artworks that require special handling or involve complicated or labor-intensive installation instructions. Works containing toxic or hazardous materials or considered to be unsafe must not be submitted.
• Artworks must be able to withstand the ordinary strains of handling, packing, unpacking, and transportation throughout the course of the traveling exhibition.
• Accepted artworks must be finished, dry, in good condition, and ready to hang/install when delivered for exhibition.
• Professional presentation is required. Artworks on paper must be properly framed with acrylic/Plexiglas glazing. Glass glazing is not acceptable. Frameless clips, plastic frames and shrink-wrapping are not acceptable. Stretched canvases are acceptable without additional framing.
• All 2-dimensional artworks must be prepared for hanging with screw eyes or d-rings with wire attached, or a cleat system with cleats included. Saw tooth hangers are not acceptable.
• Artworks when packaged must not exceed 75 lbs in weight.
• Packaged artworks must not exceed 96 inches on their longest side. Packaged artworks must also not exceed 165 inches in their longest side plus girth combined. (Girth is the full circumference around the width and depth of a packed work: 2x width + 2x depth.)
• During the final on-site inspection, accepted artworks not accurately depicted by submitted images or not conforming to the above specifications may be rejected.
• All accepted artworks will be considered as temporary loans to the exhibition. Artists will be required to electronically sign loan agreements for accepted artworks via a link sent to them after responding to their acceptance notification. Accepted artworks shall remain in possession of the exhibiting institutions for the duration of the traveling exhibition.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS and PROCEDURE:

• Entry fee is $25.00 for up to three (3) artworks.
• This call for entries is open for a fixed period with a hard deadline date. No applications can or will be accepted after the deadline has passed.
• Artists must only submit images of finished original works to be considered for inclusion in the exhibition. Images of similar works or works-in-progress are not acceptable.
• Completed submissions will require detailed information, including: titles, media, framed/finished sizes, and prices of artworks; educational experience (up to 4 listings) and exhibition experience (up to 6 listings); and a brief artist statement under 1,000 characters including spaces. Please remember to reserve time to fill out this information completely when submitting.
• Only high resolution digital images in standard jpeg or jpg format are allowed. Images must be no more than 1200 pixels on their longest side and no less than 300 dpi.
• Digital images should be saved and submitted in the correct horizontal or vertical orientation for viewing with Artist’s first and last name and title of work. If submitting multiple untitled artworks please number them so they are easily identified (i.e. untitled 1, untitled 2, untitled 3).
• Images submitted by Artists will be reproduced in the exhibition catalog if their artwork is accepted. Artists should photograph works with balanced lighting and a plain white background for consistency. Submitting an image indicates permission to use it for catalog production and for exhibiting institutions to use images of artworks included in the exhibition for the purposes of documentation, publicity, education.

PACKAGING and SHIPPING

• Accepted artworks must be packaged by the Artist and delivered to either the South Dakota Art Museum or Dahl Arts Center. Artworks will travel and be returned to Artists packaged in the same materials they were received in. All accepted artworks require sturdy packaging that can withstand travel and be unpacked and re-packed multiple times without failure.
• See “Artwork Conditions” for limitations on packaged sizes and weights.
• Packaging and shipping guidelines will be sent with the loan agreement for accepted artworks, and can be requested from the South Dakota Art Museum at any time.
• The organizer reserves the right to refuse artworks not properly packaged for transit.

DELIVERY and RETURN OF ARTWORKS:

• Accepted artworks must be received at the South Dakota Art Museum or Dahl Arts Center between January 25 through February 5, 2021. Hand deliveries will need to be coordinated with staff during approved business hours.
• Unsold artworks will be available for pick-up by Artists after the close of the exhibition in March of 2022 at either the Dahl Arts Center or Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science.
• Artists who are unable to deliver or pick up their artworks to or from the above locations will need to ship their artworks and provide for insured return shipping at their own expense.
• Artists are responsible for notifying the organizer if there is a change in address or contact information and must coordinate the return of their artworks in a timely manner.

INSURANCE
Artists are responsible for providing insurance for their artworks in transit to the drop-off locations. Exhibiting institutions assume insurance of objects upon receipt and inspection and throughout possession of the works. Coverage will be provided at fair market value or the fair cost of repair.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria