Close to 70% of the earth is covered by the ocean. It is fundamental to our existence and its health is vital to our livelihood. Despite this, most people barely understand the workings of the ocean. The ocean and its currents area a powerful force, critical to life on this planet. All activity in the ocean affects climate, the weather and even the shape of the land. Below the Surface II is the continuation of an original concept started in the Synergy Project, where the discoveries and results from ocean science research are communicated through art and artistic expression. 

 We are looking for work in all media that explores what we know about the ocean and what we are still discovering.   Ocean science, currents, ocean life, how oceans interact with the atmosphere, how populations depend on the oceans as their food source, and how the balance of the ocean environment is threatened by the human impact on our planet. 

 Below the Surface II attempts to demonstrate how the ocean affects your environment and will display work that calls attention to the impact of the ocean on our lives, what we have and can learn from it, and how it affects the earth’s inhabitants. Consider some questions.  What can we learn from the ocean? What intrigues you about the ocean? What have you learned about the ocean and have you expressed this in your artwork?

 Through the universal language of art, this exhibition hopes to provide opportunities for a broader understanding and awareness of the ocean, its effect on the environment, and the importance of protecting it.

Application Requirements

Call for Entry – Below the Surface II – An Open Juried National Exhibition

A unique opportunity to participate in two separate exhibitions!

Dates: June 1, 2022 – June 27, 2022

Location: Art League RI Gallery at 80 Fountain Street, Suite 107A, Pawtucket, RI  02860

Continued through

Dates: July 5, 2022 – July 28, 2022

Location: The University of Rhode Island’s Providence Campus Gallery, 80 Washington Street, Providence, RI  02903

Please read this prospectus carefully and only consider submitting work if you are certain you can comply with the requirements and timetable outlined in this document. By submitting artwork to this Call for Entry, and if your work is selected for this exhibition, you agree to exhibit your work from June 1, 2022 through July 28, 2022 in both exhibitions listed above.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility:  Any artist who is at least 18 years or older may participate to the extent that their participation is allowed by law.

Artwork: All 2D and 3D media is eligible. Artwork previously exhibited with ALRI is not permitted. All work must be original. Work found to be copied from copyrighted work will not be hung. Reprints are not permitted. All work must be exhibition ready to install with the appropriate hardware. No saw-tooth hangers or clips. Work that does not adhere to the guidelines, or is deemed not to be a faithful representation of the image submitted, will not be exhibited.  Artwork must be appropriate for viewers of all ages.

Size Limit: Maximum size up to 40” wide and 60” high including the frame. Artists may have multiple pieces (diptych, triptych etc.) to make up one work. 3D work will be moved on a regular basis for events. We ask that the overall footprint of 3D work be 40" x 60” or less with a weight limit of 100 lbs.

Installation Pieces and Digital Artwork: Must include a detailed description of any electrical, lighting, or space requirements.  Digital work must include all technical equipment, including but not limited to, screens / monitors, wiring, etc. along with a clear set of installation directions.

Submittal Fee:  Artists may submit up to 3 pieces for $35.  All CaFE fees are non-refundable and must be paid by credit/debit card. Payment of those fees indicates the acknowledgement of the terms and conditions of the exhibition.

Sales & Commissions: Sales are encouraged. Work may be for sale or listed as not for sale (NFS); however, no work may be listed as Price on Request (POR). Prices provided by the artist should reflect the 30% (members), 40% (non-members) commission taken by ALRI on all artwork sold. Artists will be paid their 70% (members), 60% (non-members) percentage of the sale by ALRI within 30 calendar days after the exhibition closes.

In-Person Delivery of Accepted Work: All in-person deliveries will be made Saturday, May 21, 2022, between 12 noon and 4pm & Monday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 24, 2022 between 12 noon and 5pm, at 80 Fountain Street, Suite 107A, Pawtucket, RI  02860.  Parking and entrance to the building is on the Middle Street side of the building, not the Fountain Street side.  

Please DO NOT use Styrofoam peanuts or their equivalents in packing. Accepted work MUST remain in the Gallery for the duration of the exhibit.

Shipment of Accepted Work: Shipped deliveries must arrive at a designated UPS facility in Rhode Island no later than Wednesday, May 18, 2022.  Specific instructions will be communicated via a separate e-mail to those artists whose work is accepted.  Please make sure that the box and materials that you use will adequately protect your work, and DO NOT use Styrofoam peanuts or their equivalents in packing.

Handling Fee: A $15 ALRI handling fee will be required for each box shipped. Artists whose work is accepted and ship their work will be billed separately via email.  The handling fee must be paid in advance.  Art League RI reserves the right to disqualify juried artwork if the handling fee is not paid before the opening of the exhibition.   

Artwork Pickup: Participating artists who delivered their art in person will pick it up at the University of Rhode Island Gallery, 80 Washington Street, Providence, RI on Friday, July 29, 2022 between 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm at the receiving door on Clemence Street, between Washington and Westminster Streets.

Return of Shipped Artwork: Those who shipped their artwork will have it returned to them via The UPS Store #504, 1643 Warwick Avenue, Warwick, RI  02889.  The UPS Store will contact you a few days after the close of the exhibition 

UPS Store #504 Phone: 401-738-4612 

UPS Store #504 Website: https://locations.theupsstore.com/ri/warwick/1643-warwick-ave?utm_source=Yext&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Listings

UPS Store #504 Email: store0504@theupsstore.com

The UPS Store will contact the artist directly to arrange shipping and collect shipping costs. 

IMPORTANT

If ALRI, UPS, or other carrier determines that the original packaging is not adequate to safely ship the art back to the artist, the UPS Store will contact the artist.  The artist must notify ALRI in writing of any changes in their contact information, or their intended place or time of return of their art, prior to the end of the exhibition. The artist is solely responsible for any time, materials, storage, shipment, or other charges that may arise from inadequate packaging, delayed or redirected shipments, nonresponse of the artist, or any other artist requests. All additional charges must be paid prior to the return of the art.