CALL FOR ART...
"Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” – Lao Tzu
We live in a beautiful state shaped by water, both in the physical and creative realms. From moving silty sands of the coast, to strokes of brushes on the canvas, to moss shaded bayous, to hands molding clay, to carved river banks, to tide-influenced creeks snaking back to the gulf - all are continuously shaped by our waterways. Every aspect of Louisiana life is influenced by the waters along our coasts, in our communities, and those that flow in the aquifer beneath our feet - they shape our culture, passions, politics, economy, biodiversity, and quality of life. The creative works in this exhibition should explore how our lives, personally and/or regionally are shaped or influenced by water... literally and figuratively, in all allowed mediums.
Exhibition: The exhibition at the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council will showcase original works of art by the most talented artists in Region 8. Established and emerging artists are eligible to submit up to two entries for consideration. The exhibition will follow regular office hours from June 2nd - July 3rd, 2025, with the opening reception taking place June 5th from 5:00-9:00pm in conjunction with The Downtown Gallery Crawl.
Selection:
Members of the gallery committee will make up the jury selecting which entries are accepted into the exhibition. Committee members include Arts Council board members, regional university art department professors, distinguished artists, and local leaders.
Sales:
Accepted artists may advertise their piece for sale on the label but all transactions and buyer pickup communications are the sole responsibility of the Arts Council. There is a 24% gallery fee on all sales.
Important Dates:
- May 2nd 2025: Submissions are due online by 11:59 p.m.
- May 12th-15th 2025: Selected artists notified via email
- May 19th-22nd 2025: Accepted art drop off week at the Arts Council - please email abigail@nelaarts.org to schedule time
- June 2nd 2025: Water Ways Exhibition opens - exhibition hours follow regular office hours
- June 5th 2025: Opening reception in conjunction with Downtown Gallery Crawl, 5:00-9:00pm
- July 7th-10th 2025: Unsold art pickup week at the Arts Council - please email abigail@nelaarts.org to schedule time
Eligibility:
Established and emerging artists in Region 8 are eligible to submit online up to 2 different objects/artworks for consideration for the exhibition, in line with the theme Water Ways. There is no entry fee at this time. It's encouraged to enter the maximum number (2) of quality photos/video of each object entry. The exhibition is open to two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of original art in most artistic media, including but not limited to, painting, drawing, illustration, photography, print media, ceramic, sculpture, and mixed media. NO AI ART ACCEPTED. Please note accepted artists must drop off and pick up their piece(s) in person if unsold - buyers will be allowed to pick up purchased works. We do not accept shipped artwork at this time. Only entries representing completed works of art will be considered. The Arts Council reserves the right not to exhibit a work if the object received is different from the one presented in the online application or if the work does not meet community standards.
Entry Process:
Each entry must be completed online and must include an application and a high resolution digital image (3 max) of your original art (uploaded below). There is a limit of 2 objects/artworks submitted per artist. Information about the objects should include artist's name, title of the work, description of the piece in relation to the theme, and media used. Selected artists will be given instructions via email to provide information for the display of their work. Digital images should be suitable for publication in promotional materials related to the exhibition: well-lit, well-focused, at least 300 DPI and 1200 x 1800 pixels. All entries must be submitted below by 11:59pm EST on March 24th, 2024.
Exhibition Rules:
- Works must be existing objects completed in the last three years. No substitutions are permitted and the Arts Council reserves the right not to exhibit a work if the object received is different from the one proposed with the application.
- Artwork will be installed by the Arts Council staff and must be available for the entire run of the exhibition.
- Upon art delivery the artist is required to sign an Artist Agreement.
- Two-dimensional art: All accepted 2-D work MUST be wired to hang on our hanging system. No AI Art accepted.
- Three-dimensional art: All accepted 3-D artwork must be self-supporting, stable, no sharp edges, weigh less than 70 pounds, and be no larger than 60”H x 50”L x 36”D. If piece accepted is large or odd-shaped special delivery date and time may have to be set up. Artist is responsible for any display platform needed.
- Image Use / Copyright: Artists retain all copyrights to submitted images and represented artwork. Artists grant the Arts Council rights to use the submitted image(s) on printed materials and on social media for promotional purposes only - both prior to and following the event. The Arts Council retains no copyrights.
- Liquids: Even though the theme revolves around water, the exhibition space is not large and does bring a lot of traffic during reception night. The Arts Council requires any piece to be self-contained, non-breakable, and not able to spill out if liquids are involved in the display or creation.
Delivery and Return of Selected Art:
Accepted works of art must be delivered to the Arts Council during the May 19th-22nd 2025 window. Unsold works must be picked up during the July 7th-10th 2025 window. Time blocks of both delivery and pick-up will be coordinated by emailing abigail@nelaarts.org.
Additional guidelines:
- Any work accepted for exhibition may not be removed or exchanged during the duration of the exhibition
- Works on paper and smearable mediums such as charcoal and pastels must be protected under glass or acrylic
- Unframed stretched canvases must have the sides painted or otherwise finished to be integral to the work and must be dry
- Artwork, sold or unsold, cannot be picked-up until after the show closes.
For other exhibition inquiries please contact the Gallery Curator: abigail@nelaarts.org
Terms & Conditions:
Artists 18 years or older are eligible to submit up to 2 objects for consideration for the exhibition. Only entries representing completed works of art will be considered. Works must be existing objects completed in the last three years. No substitutions are permitted, and the Arts Council reserves the right not to show a work if the object received is different from the one proposed with the application or doe not meet community standards. All accepted artwork(s) must be delivered ready to install. All 2-D artwork, framed or unframed, must be properly wired to hang. All 3-D artwork must be self-supporting, stable, and free of sharp edges. Arts Council staff reserves the right to reject work that is not properly presented for installation according to the guidelines specified in this call. The method of delivery and pickup of the artworks will be the sole responsibility of the artist. If artists fail to claim their work in accordance with the procedures specified in this call, the work will be considered property of the Arts Council and may auctioned after 10 days from the last pick up date of the exhibition. A 24% commission will be retained for any artwork sold during the exhibition. The Arts Council will handle all sales of works in the exhibition. All artworks will be installed by the Arts Council and must be available for the entire exhibition run. Artists must sign an Artist Agreement with the Arts Council upon delivery of work. The Arts Council reserves the right to amend any of the above stated guidelines - notification of any amendments will be found on this page.
