The 35th Annual LowellArts West Michigan Art Competition highlights outstanding artwork by Lower West Michigan artists who reside in a 25-county region. Artwork in any visual art media can be submitted by artists 18 yrs. and older. Five cash awards totaling $2500 are awarded. Artists may submit one piece for consideration by the juror.

SCHEDULE
On-line Entries Accepted: November 28, 2020 to January 15, 2021
Deadline for Entries: January 15, 11:59pm
Notification of Acceptance: January 26
Drop-off of Accepted Work: Feb 3, 4, 5, 10am-6pm & Feb 6, 12-5pm
Exhibit Dates: February 13 – April 10, 2021
Pick-up of Accepted Work: April 13 to 16, 10am-6pm & April 17, 12-5pm

JUROR
Richard Brinn is an accomplished artist and educator originally from Detroit, MI. He currently resides in rural Michigan near Muskegon. He earned his BFA, MA, and MFA degrees in painting from Wayne State University, and has exhibited his work throughout the Midwest. As Associate Professor of Fine Arts at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, MI, he taught drawing and painting for 25 years, and taught fine art at Wayne County Community College for over a decade. In the early 1970’s, as one of the founding members of the Michigan Gallery, he helped develop the Michigan Avenue Art Group into a vital art institution for artists in the greater Detroit area. Richard Brinn’s approach to his art is varied and experimental, and includes abstract, figurative, still life, and landscape paintings. Over the last decade, depicting the landscapes of Michigan and Arizona have been his focus, along with the portraiture he has done throughout his career.

PRIZES
Five cash awards totaling $2500 are awarded.

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY
The West Michigan Art Competition is open to all visual art media by artists 18 yrs. and older who reside in one of the eligible West Michigan counties. Eligible lower West Michigan counties include: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Cass, Calhoun, Clare, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ionia, Isabella, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Muskegon, Montcalm, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Ottawa, Saint Joseph, and Van Buren.

ENTRY ELIGIBILITY
Only original works completed in the last three years and not previously exhibited at LowellArts are eligible. Commercial reproductions, including giclée prints, will not be accepted. Traditional print media, photography, and digital art should be from a limited edition. 2-Dimensional entries may be no larger than 62 inches in any one direction, including the width of the frame. 3-Dimensional entries must fit through a standard door frame and be no larger than 62 inches in any one direction. Only artwork easily handled by two people will be accepted.

ENTRY PROCEDURES
Artists may submit ONE piece in any medium for consideration by the juror. Submit one image for 2-Dimensional pieces. For 3-Dimensional pieces, two images with different views of the same piece may be submitted. All entries must be submitted digitally through the www.callforentry.org (CaFÉ) website. There is no cost to register on CaFÉ, but it is required. Video entries may not be submitted. Deadline for entry is January 15, 2021 at 11:59pm MT.

ENTRY IMAGES
Digital image files must conform to the requirements as listed on the CaFÉ site. All entries require that the title, media, and dimensions be listed. Incomplete entries will not be juried. Accepted works that differ dramatically from the submitted images may be refused at the discretion of LowellArts staff. LowellArts will offer technical assistance on applying through CaFÉ to artists as needed, by appointment. Contact 616-897-8545.

NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE
Artists will be notified on January 26, after 5:00pm, via email if their piece was accepted for the exhibition. Awards will be announced by March 1. Artists with accepted entries will be provided an identification label at the time of drop-off to affix to the back of their piece.

DELIVERY
All accepted entries must be hand-delivered or shipped to: LowellArts, 223 W Main St, Lowell, MI 49331. The LowellArts Gallery is located in historic downtown Lowell at the corner of Broadway and Main Street. For hand-delivery, accepted artwork must arrive at LowellArts on February 3, 4, 5, 10am-6pm and February 6, 12-5pm. Shipped works must be prepaid and arrive by Friday, February 5. For shipped work, please include a prepaid return shipping label with the entry. All packing and shipping costs are the responsibility of the artist.

ENTRY CONDITIONS
Artwork must be ready for presentation upon delivery. All hanging works should be framed and fitted with secure hanging wire. Fabric wrapped canvases are allowed and do not require additional framing. Frames with exposed glass edges are not acceptable. Saw tooth hangers are not permitted. Entries must be dry, completely assembled, framed, matted, or mounted. Multiple panel pieces (diptychs, triptychs, etc.) cannot exceed 62 inches in any one direction once installed. 3-dimensional entries that hang must have adequate hanging hardware or hanging system. Work requiring special handling or installation will be accepted only at the discretion of LowellArts. Unsuitably prepared, hazardous, unstable, or extremely fragile works will be declined. If you are unsure about your work conforming to these conditions, please contact LowellArts at info@lowellartsmi.org before entering.

ENTRY FEE
Artists may submit one piece only. The fee for entry is $35. LowellArts Members and Students over 18 with a college ID receive a discounted entry fee of $25. Members and students should call 616-897-8545 to receive their discount code before entering. Memberships need to be active through April of 2021 to receive the discount. Refunds cannot be provided after entry. Entry fees help fund prizes for the competition, as well as programs and services provided by LowellArts.

ART SALES
Accepted artwork must remain on display for the duration of the exhibit. LowellArts requires a 30% commission on all artwork sold during the exhibition. If the work is not for sale, please indicate “0 (zero)” for value on entry form. The artwork will be labeled as “NFS” – not for sale.

PICK-UP
Accepted entries must remain in the exhibition through April 10, 2021. Artists may pick up accepted work in person April 13, 14, 15, 16, 10am-6pm and April 17 between 12-5pm. Artists must call ahead to authorize someone other than themselves to pick-up their work, otherwise artwork will not be released to anyone except the artist. Artwork not picked up at the designated times will be considered abandoned and become the property of LowellArts. Shipped artworks will be sent back in the packing materials they arrived in. Return of shipped artwork will begin April 16. Shipment costs are the responsibility of the artist.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria