Our Juror for the 2023 Emerald Spring Exhibition is BETS COLE

As an exhibiting artist for over 20 years, Bets Cole has achieved success in selling and showing her artwork nationwide. Bets earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. She is known for her dramatic large-scale charcoal drawings and her colorful, acrylic and gouache paintings. 

Bets Cole’s award-winning paintings have been selected for many public and private collections which include: The M & T Bank & Investment Group Collection in Baltimore, Maryland, Oregon State University, Umpqua Community College, University of Oregon and for The Adell McMillan and Marathon Coach Collections in Eugene, Oregon. Her work has also been showcased in the Governor’s Office in the Capitol Building in Salem, Oregon.

In 2001, Bets participated in an artist-in-residence program at Crater Lake National Park in celebration of the park’s 100th anniversary and her work consequently was exhibited at The Schneider Museum of Art in Ashland, Oregon. In 2010 she traveled to Brittany, France where she painted for five weeks in the Isabel Klots Artist Residency Program awarded by Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland. Une Petite Eclaircie, A Journal of Paintings by Bets Cole documents over 40 paintings completed on site during her residency in France. Bets spent 2 weeks in 2022 at a residency at Playa in Summer Lake, Oregon.

Bets has participated in the week long Plein Air Artist Invitationals: “In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran” at Zion National Park, Oregon’s Pacific Northwest Plein Air Invitational in the Columbia Gorge, On the Edge Invitational in Salem, Oregon, Oregon’s Cannon Beach Plein Air Festival, The Umpqua Valley Plein Air Paintout in Roseburg, Oregon, Paint Snow Hill and Paint Annapolis Plein Air Invitational in Maryland, Chincoteague Plein Air Invitational in Virginia, Los Gatos Plein Air Invitational in California and Art in the Open in Wexford, Ireland.

Bets Cole currently paints full-time in the plein air tradition, traveling to locations throughout the United States and Europe.

Please visit her website to see more of her work at www.betscole.com.

17th Annual Emerald Spring Exhibition 2023
May 3rd - June 2nd
Emerald Art Center
500 Main Street
Springfield, OR 97477

CASH PRIZES AND AWARDS:
$1500 Best of Show
$1000 Gold Medal
$700 Silver Medal
$500 Bronze Medal
$300 Award of Distinction
$250 People's Choice Award
$250 Founder's Award
In addition to various Merit and Recognition Awards to be announced

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

   March 15...….DEADLINE for on-line submissions
   March 26...….NOTIFICATION of accepted artwork via email
   April 28...…DEADLINE to receive shipped artwork
   April 29...…INTAKE for hand delivered artwork
   May 2...…Exhibition OPENS
   May 6...…..Artist's Award RECEPTION
   May 12...….. 2nd  Friday ARTWALK
   June 2...…..Exhibition CLOSES
   June 3...…..Pickup hand delivered artwork

Artwork Requirements
Qualifying media include: oil, watercolor, acrylic, encaustic or pastel - or a combination thereof. If painting is two or more mediums, it is considered mixed media and a statement of execution must be provided. 

•Excluded from this painting competition are the following: drawings, photography, digitally or computer enhanced work, hand-pulled prints, giclées and reproduction prints. 

This is a juried painting competition open to all artists, 18 years or older.  All artwork shall be no larger than 42" in any direction (42"X 42") including frame.   Diptychs & triptychs must be contained in one frame that meets size requirements.  All entries are presented to the juror in an anonymous manner.  Accepted works may not be removed before the conclusion of the exhibition

Entry Procedure
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.  Deadline for entry is March 15, 2023 at 11:59 pm Mountain Standard Time.

Digital 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.  Accepted work which differs significantly from the submitted image provided will be rejected.

Entry Fees
The non-refundable $45 entry fee covers 2 images.  Additional images up to 4 are as follows: 3 images for $50 and 4 images $55. You may enter just one entry if desired at $45 - the second image requirement can be a detail view of your work or a duplicate of the first image.  A handling fee will no longer be assessed due to high shipped costs.  Entry fees help fund prizes for the competition, as well as programs and services provided by the Emerald Art Center.  Artists may submit up to four images per entry but only one entry per artist will be included in the exhibition as selected by juror.

Notification of Acceptance
Artists will be notified on no later than March 26 via email if their piece was accepted for the exhibition. Artists with accepted entries will be emailed shipping guidelines and additional information.

Installation Requirements
Artwork must be ‘installation ready’ upon delivery.  All hanging works should be framed and fitted with secure hanging wire.  Saw tooth hangers are not permitted.  Entries must be dry, completely assembled, framed, matted, or mounted.  Plexiglass required on all shipped artworks.  All shipments must include a prepaid return shipping label (or email return label at the conclusion of the show) and be shipped in a container appropriate for re-use in return shipping.  Please, no packing peanuts in packaging.

Art Sales
Emerald Art Center retains 35% commission on artwork sold during the exhibition, so factor that into the asking price of artwork. Paintings must be for sale and sales price is determined by the artist. No price change to artwork may be made after entries are accepted.  Emerald Art Center will pay artist commission within 30 days of sale.  Accepted artwork must remain on display for the duration of the exhibit.
 

Application Requirements

Promotion
All entrants grant Emerald Art Center the right to use or publish images of their work to promote the exhibition, future calls for artists, or Emerald Art Center advertising.

Eligibility Criteria

Emerald Art Center
The Emerald Art Center has been in existence  for more than 67 years as a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the visual arts.  We provide opportunities for all who desire to create and exhibit their work by cultivating a vibrant art community through education, outreach and partnerships.