I Contain Multitudes - 2023 NCECA Annual - Call For Entries
Curated by Garth Johnson

DEADLINE Wednesday, June 22, 2022   (11:59pm Mountain) 
If you encounter problems and require technical assistance, contact CaFÉ™ support staff at cafe@westaf.org.

If you have questions about eligibility or submission rules that are not answered in the listing description, contact kate@nceca.net AND support@nceca.net

Hosted by:
Weston Art Gallery
Aronoff Center for the Arts
650 Walnut Street
Cincinnati, Oh 45202
513-977- 4166
www.westonartgallery.com

EXHIBITION DATES: March 14 - May 7, 2023

ABOUT THE NCECA ANNUAL
The NCECA Annual blends impactful attributes of invitational and open juried models of exhibition development. Exhibition curator Garth Johnson organizing concept is brought to life through the work of six invited artists; Stephen Creech, Beth Lo, Jeff Oestreich, Natasha Smoke Santiago, James Watkins, and Bari Ziperstein. The curator will select additional works and artists for the exhibition through an open call for submissions. 

Johnson shares the following about his vision for the exhibition:
Even though the centuries-old hierarchy of materials that has relegated ceramic objects to the realm of “craft” has now thoroughly broken down, the vessel still doesn’t command the amount of respect that it deserves. During the COVID-19 pandemic, countless people turned to pottery classes and episodes of The Great Pottery Throw-Down as a part of their self-care regimens. Somehow, during a time of profound disconnection, the vessel was there for us—from home remodeling projects to pop-up Instagram sales. 

How can this, the most tangible of objects, serve to connect us in a time of isolation? This is just one of the profound contradictions that reveals how profoundly the vessel is intertwined with our DNA. The vessel represents a radical vision of hospitality. The vessel represents the investigation and declaration of identity. The vessel can be a container for skill and technique, or it can be a barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world. As Walt Whitman cannily observed in Song of Myself, sometimes it can be both.  

Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.) 

ABOUT CURATOR GARTH JOHNSON:
Serving as curator for the 2023 NCECA Annual, writer, curator, and educator Garth Johnson is the Paul Phillips and Sharon Sullivan Curator of Ceramics at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York. Johnson is a self-described craft activist who explores craft’s influence and relevance in the 21st century. His research interests range from 1960s and 70s artist-led movements in the field of ceramics to the intersection of clay, video, and performance. His recent exhibitions at the Everson include The Floating Bridge: Postmodern and Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, Renegades & Reformers: American Art Pottery, Earth Piece: Conceptual and Performative Works in Clay, and Sharif Bey: Facets (opening April 30, 2022). His writing has been published nationally and internationally, with recent contributions to the books Repositioning Paolo Soleri: The City is Nature and Victor Cicansky: The Gardener’s Universe. 

ABOUT THE GALLERY: 
One of the most sought-after exhibition venues in the region, the Cincinnati Arts Association’s Weston Art Gallery is acclaimed for its eclectic mix of emerging and professional artists presented in museum-quality environs in the heart of downtown Cincinnati’s restaurant and theater district. With galleries on two levels and 3,500 square feet of exhibition space, the Weston serves as a staging ground for the most intriguing visual art by local, national, and international artists working in all media. 

ELIGIBILITY:
Submission of works for consideration is open to the broad field of ceramic art. Artists must be over 18 years of age and not matriculating for a degree in higher education. (NCECA provides a platform for student artists, click for the NCECA Juried Student Exhibition which will take place at DAAP Galleries at the University of Cincinnati). 

NCECA membership is not a requirement of eligibility, however, NCECA members receive complimentary entry to NCECA exhibitions.
Entry Fees:
Member: $0.00 
Non-member: $45.00

Membership will be verified by NCECA, please check your NCECA Membership status and expiration date by logging into your NCECA Profile at this LINK or contact kate@nceca.net AND support@nceca.net To renew or become a member of NCECA, go to www.nceca.net/membership/

Membership in NCECA is paid on an annual basis and is not included in conference registration. NCECA membership runs 12 months from the date of joining or renewal.  

MEDIA:
All works must be …
… primarily ceramic. Mixed media works will be accepted only when clay is the dominant material.  Video featuring clay or ceramics will also be accepted.

... able to fit through the venue’s entryways and be safely installed on premises. Floor and pedestal works must be self-supporting. NCECA and exhibition venue staff reserve the right to exclude from exhibition works that arrive at the venue in unstable condition. The curator will make final determinations;

...should be responsive to the theme of the exhibition. Works shown in previous NCECA exhibitions are not eligible. Please do not enter the same work in more than one NCECA exhibition call.

NUMBER OF WORKS:     -3-     Please consider the size/weight of your work as these factors will impact your shipping decisions and costs.
Interested artists may submit up to three (3) distinct works with no more than two (2) media files (images, video, or audio) per work, not to exceed six total media files. (i.e. Full view and detail view)
See media files details at https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/uploading-media/ 

EXCLUSIONS:
NCECA reserves the right to exclude from the review/selection process any submissions that include more than three (3) works or more than two (2) media files per work. Please do not submit the same pieces to multiple NCECA calls in the same year. 

Additionally, NCECA reserves the right to exclude from review/selection process any submissions made with incorrect fees. It is the artist’s responsibility to verify and update member status before submitting his/her work and paying the entry fee. NCECA will not process refunds to those who submit incorrect fees. 

ENTRY PROCEDURES:
Jurying will be conducted from images of actual works available for the exhibition. 

Applicants must first create a CaFE profile at www.callforentry.org Uploaded media files will be stored in your CaFE Portfolio as a repository of images to be accessed while completing the submission. Media file submissions must comply with specifications found at CaFÉ https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/uploading-media/

For complete specifications, tutorials, and resources please visit the CaFE website at  https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/

DEADLINE: Wednesday, June 22, 2022 (11:59pm Mountain)

All submissions must include declaration of a monetary value for insurance purposes. This value may not be altered at a later date.

BEFORE beginning submission, applicants must be prepared to provide the following as well as images and image details. It is recommended to save all text to your local computer for future reference. Please proof carefully and submit as print ready.

*Work statement (limit 1000 characters with spaces) This is a general statement about your work. This statement might describe research, creation, and your artistic goals rather than a biographical statement as we do ask for that below.

*Artwork Statements - (TOTAL for all three pieces- limit 2000 characters with spaces) Provide a short statement about EACH piece being submitted that discusses the connection of how the piece relates to the exhibition concept/call title. If the work involves multimedia elements, please explain in detail the process used to create the work. For example:

Piece 1 (include title) relates to the exhibition concept because... AND (if applicable) the processes used for this multimedia work include...
Piece 2 (include title) relates to the exhibition concept because... AND (if applicable) the process/s used for this multi-media work included...
Piece 3 (include title) relates to the exhibition concept because... AND (if applicable) the process/s used for this multi-media work included...

*Brief biographical statement (limit 1000 characters with spaces) Providing biographical text written in third person will help to restrain editing that might be necessary to support the creation of publishable content. If selected the short bio may be printed in the catalogue, please proof carefully, and submit print ready. 

* A two-page resume of ‘highlights’ … max 2mb…to be uploaded as either a pdf or word doc.
* Pronouns (Optional)
* Headshot: jpg format only. If selected may be used for a catalogue.

Each work image submitted must include the following details:

∙           Title
∙           Medium (60 character limit with spaces)
∙           Height/Width/Depth (in inches)
∙           Artwork for Sale? (Yes/No)
∙           Retail Value This value may not be altered at a later date. (Retail value must be reported even for works included in the exhibition that are not available for purchase.) Insurance value will be calculated as 50% of the retail value. All submissions must include declaration of a monetary value for insurance purposes.
∙           Year completed
∙           Primary Discipline (ceramics)
∙           Description - any additional information you would like the jurors to know about this work. (i.e. “This work explores the nature of communication in interpersonal relationships. It seems that we communicate with each other so poorly that it is hopeless we can improve and unite again.”)

NO CHANGES will be allowed once an entry has been submitted. Once data is entered in the CaFE system, it cannot be altered. Please PROOFREAD your data carefully as this information may be used to generate the catalogue, insurance, and publicity information.

SELECTION PROCESS:
Curator Garth Johnson will make selections for the exhibition from digital images and work statements to develop the exhibition. Selected artists will be notified in early September 2022 and may be asked to provide high-resolution images.

INSURANCE:
Weston Art Gallery shall maintain insurance coverage for all works included in the exhibition only while they are on its premises. It is the responsibility of the artists to provide insurance coverage for their work while in transit to Cincinnati. The gallery insurance will provide coverage for up to 50% of the works reported retail value. Retail value must be reported even for works included in the exhibition that are not available for purchase. In the event that damages occur to works in the exhibition, artists may be required to demonstrate that the value(s) declared are established fair market values.

SHIPPING/DELIVERY OF WORK
Artists to pay to ship and insure work to venue   
Return shipping and insurance paid by NCECA
Honoraria = $200.00

Works to arrive at the Weston Art Gallery between March 1-5, 2023  
Exhibition installation   March 6-13, 2023 
Works included in the exhibition must arrive at the venue between Tuesday, March 1 and Saturday, March 5, 2023 between the hours of 8am-5pm. Larger scale works may be offloaded at one of two loading docks. Modestly scaled works may arrive via door access at street level. Artists wishing to deliver their works by themselves must arrange in advance with the Weston Gallery Director Dennis Harrington dharrington@cincinnatiarts.org

It is the responsibility of artists to securely pack their works for the exhibition, arrange and pay for shipping and insurance TO the exhibition venue. NCECA recommends that all artists document their packaging process using digital images and text description prior to closing all crates and /or boxes for shipment. This documentation may provide critical information to support claims against carriers for damage in transit.

RETURN OF UNSOLD WORK:
Immediately after the close of the exhibition, the Weston Art Gallery will pack the work for return shipping. NCECA will make the arrangements and pay to insure and return ship the work via FedEx or FedEx Freight. The works will be re-packed in the crating/boxing the works were shipped to Cincinnati in. If appropriate reusable crating/boxing is not supplied, the artist will be responsible for re-crating costs. 

SALES:
Works to be offered for purchase at the discretion of artists included in the exhibition. Artists will receive 50% of the purchase value on works sold and 50% will be retained as commission by NCECA and the exhibition venue. Shipping of purchased works will be the responsibility of collectors.

PHOTOGRAPHY:
Participating artists must agree to allow NCECA, the exhibition venue, and gallery visitors to photograph work while on display for educational and publicity purposes. Images of accepted works will be retained by NCECA for promotional purposes, posting on the NCECA website and sharing with media related publications.

CATALOGUE:
NCECA reserves the right to produce a color print, print on demand and/or web-based catalogue for the exhibition featuring an essay by the curator along with statements and images of artwork by all participating artists. Should a print or print on demand catalogue be produced, each participating artist will receive one complimentary copy, with additional copies available for purchase online.

CALENDAR:
Deadline –  Wednesday, June 22, 2022  (11:59pm Mountain Daylight time)
Artists notification - early September 2022
Signed loan agreements due by - November 15, 2022
Shipped and hand delivered works to arrive: Between Tuesday, March 1 and Saturday, March 5, 2023 between the hours of 8am-5pm.  

Exhibition Dates: March 14 - May 7, 2023
55th Annual NCECA Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio  March 15-18, 2023
Reception: 6 PM- 9 PM Friday March 18, 2023 during conference

Pick up work and start packing/shipping: Details to be provided
Damage Claim: Please open the box/crate and inspect the work immediately upon return.

If you encounter problems and require technical assistance, contact CaFÉ™ support staff at cafe@westaf.org. The CaFÉ™ website is best viewed with most major desktop web browsers. The following desktop browsers are recommended:

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If you have questions about eligibility or submission rules that are not answered in the CaFE listing description, contact kate@nceca.net AND support@nceca.net

Thank you

Application Requirements

All works must be primarily ceramic. Mixed media works will be accepted only when clay is the dominant material.  Video featuring clay or ceramics will also be accepted.

NUMBER OF WORKS:     -3-     Please consider the size/weight of your work as these factors will impact your shipping decisions and costs.
Interested artists may submit up to three (3) distinct works with no more than two (2) media files (images, video, or audio) per work, not to exceed six total media files. (i.e. Full view and detail view)

Eligibility Criteria

ELIGIBILITY:
Submission of works for consideration is open to the broad field of ceramic art. Artists must be over 18 years of age and not matriculating for a degree in higher education. (NCECA provides a platform for student artists in the NCECA Juried Student Exhibition https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=9156). 

NCECA membership is not a requirement of eligibility, however, NCECA members receive complimentary entry to NCECA exhibitions.
Entry Fees:
Member: $0.00 
Non-member: $45.00