[Sponsored Listing] Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) announces a call for artists for the Tephra Fine Arts Festival 2022. Now in its 31st year, the Tephra Fine Arts Festival (formerly Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival) has a long-standing reputation for showcasing high quality, hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind artwork in a dynamic outdoor setting.
Drawing upon a robust exhibitor and collector base coupled with Tephra ICA’s contemporary foundation, the Festival has become one of the region’s most anticipated events, attracting over 20,000 people annually to the unique, outdoor environment of Reston Town Center. The Festival is comprised of one-on-one experiences, performances, and special events that engage visitors with compelling artistic voices — leaving an exciting, thoughtful mark in the region.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 9 Jan 2022 [Extended]
The Festival is a three-day event opening on Friday, May 20, from 11am–6pm, providing first access to the Reston Town Center workforce and attracting an audience in search of world-class artwork for their offices, homes, and as gifts. Executive teams from corporate offices and serious artwork collectors purchase works from Festival artists to add value to their living and working spaces. Outreach to affluent patrons and knowledgeable collectors who recognize quality, original artwork is at the forefront of marketing efforts.
Tephra Fine Arts Festival Artist Benefits
Tephra ICA engages in an aggressive marketing and promotion campaign to better market, recognize, and celebrate Festival artists. They negotiate for well-placed advertising in prominent magazines and newspapers, arts-focused catalogs, and online Going Out Guides. Tephra ICA has a strong outreach campaign for social media, radio, and television, which includes both paid and trade advertising. The Festival audience has been described as “affluent, enthusiastic young to middle aged couples who are not too price sensitive.”
Festival Amenities
- Prior day set-up and convenient load-in and load-out
- Free parking Thursday through Sunday in on-site garages for passenger vehicles
- Reduced hotel room rates for the Hyatt Regency Hotel on-site and Sheraton Reston off-site
- 24/7 site security
- Complimentary bottled water and portable snack options available daily
- Ample artist support with modified booth-sitting options
- Convenient and profitable selling hours for the Festival period (updated this year in response to artist feedback)
- Complimentary tickets to the Festival Cocktail Hour for artists and a guest, including hors d’oeuvres and beverages
- Electronic program with accompanying artwork images, artist booth numbers, and contact information
- Year-round artist promotion on the Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art website
- $5,000 in cash awards
Testimonials
“We love to purchase artwork from the amazing artists at the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival. These works add vibrancy and interest to our home, while helping support the arts and artists who create them. Over the years we have collected over 20 pieces of art at this event and made many connections with artists we now call “friends.” It is one of the best venues for art in the Mid-Atlantic, and also a highly anticipated event for the community and the metropolitan Washington, DC, area.” – Local collectors Bob & Bonnie
“Absolutely I will apply again. It was a great show!” – 2021 artist (Glenwood, IA)
“Been doing shows for 37 years. This is a gem!” – 2019 artist (Omaha, Nebraska)
“We had a wonderful show in Reston, VA, and hope to be part of it this May.” – 2021 artist (Mokelumne Hill, CA)
“We were thrilled with the staff, venue, and customers.” – 2021 artist (Manakin – Sabot, VA)
“Your show is amazing, brings in a good crowd. and is so easy to do!” – 2019 artist (Ontario, Canada)
About Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art
Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art is committed to promoting innovative contemporary art and thinking. Leading with curiosity and care, they are a catalyst, generator, and advocate for visual and interdisciplinary arts. The Tephra Fine Arts Festival is hosted annually by Tephra ICA as its largest fundraiser. The primary goal of the Festival is to connect artists with patrons, and to promote the sharing and selling of the artists’ work (no commission is collected by Tephra ICA from artist sales).
For more information, contact hbarco@tephraica.org.
...
[Sponsored Listing] Innovate Grant is now accepting submissions for the Innovate Grant Fall 2021 Cycle, awarding $550.00 grants to one visual artist and one photographer. In addition to receiving a grant award, winners will be featured and recognized on the Innovate Grant website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 14 Dec 2021
Visual artists and photographers 18 years and older, from all around the world, are eligible to apply for the Innovate Grant Fall 2021 Cycle. All media and genres are accepted. All applicants retain the right to the work they submit.
Innovate Grant supports artists and photographers through quarterly grants. They simplified the grant process, so that artists and photographers can focus on making their innovative work. The work should speak for itself and the application reflects that.
Innovate Grant Testimonials
“I am truly grateful for this grant! It’s rare as an artist to receive this kind of unrestricted funding that so directly supports your practice. This grant will contribute to material costs and the production of my next body of works.”
— Lynnea Holland Weiss, Innovate Grant Recipient Winter 2020
“Receiving this grant will allow me to carry on with my project, which I had to pause in 2020, and start 2021 with more positivity. It makes me so happy knowing that there are people out there who believe in what I do and want to support my practice. Thank you so much Innovate Grant.”
— Giulia Parlato, Innovate Grant Recipient Fall 2020
“The Innovate Grant helps to continue my research and expand my practice. I am profoundly grateful for that. I am constantly seeking out new ways of working and incorporating new materials into my practice and will make great use of this support.”
— Bianca Barandun, Innovate Grant Recipient Summer 2020
“The Innovate Grant will assist me in hiring help to create a series of molds for my next sculpture. In a time where things are particularly tight, I am grateful more than ever for this support.”
— Kylie Lockwood, Innovate Grant Recipient Spring 2020
“I have immense gratitude for the Innovate Grant and the way it will allow me to continue expanding on my current and future series of paintings. This funding will help provide for those needs and will be integral to pushing my practice forward. ”
— Taylor O. Thomas, Innovate Grant Recipient Winter 2019
About Innovate Grant
Innovate Grant supports artists and photographers through quarterly grants. They believe that new ideas come from sparks of inspiration and aim to provide just that, access to small and mighty bursts of financial support so that you can focus on making your important and innovative work.
Innovate Grant was created out of the frustration of applying to grants with time-consuming requirements. These lengthy applications took valuable time and energy away from making new work. Countless hours were sacrificed in either writing artist statements, crafting project proposals, or getting letters of recommendation. Time is one of the most valuable components to fostering creativity and innovation. Their aim is to provide the time you need to be fully immersed in your ideas and in creating your work. Keeping the grant process simple enables Innovate Grant to continue to support you on your important journey of creation, inspiration, and innovation.
For more information, contact email@innovateartistgrants.org.
...
[Sponsored Listing] Castlegar Sculpturewalk announces a call for artists for their 2022 event, which opens next May. Sculpturewalk is open to professional and amateur sculptors of all backgrounds. One of the premiere arts events in Canada, Sculpturewalk attracts artists and viewers from across the world to the beautiful city of Castlegar, BC, the Sculpture Capital of Canada™.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 31 Oct 2021
Completed sculptures or proposed designs can be submitted. For proposed designs, examples of previous work must be included within the application. Open to art beyond what is traditionally viewed as sculpture (i.e. light installations). All sculptures need to be made of a durable material for the yearlong outdoor setting and constructed with safety in mind for display in a public setting.
Castlegar Sculpturewalk Awards
Each artist accepted to the program will receive an $1000 honorarium, payable upon installation of sculpture.
- People’s Choice Awards: Winning sculpture purchased for up to $15,000 plus a $2000 cash award, 2nd place $1000, 3rd place $500
- Artistic Merit Awards: Overall winner $2000, 2nd place $1000, 3rd place $500
- Voting for the People’s Choice award will take place from May-October
About Castlegar Sculpturewalk
Inspired by, and borne of, local artist Pat Field’s participation in the Sculpturewalk program of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Castlegar Sculpturewalk began in 2010 with just ten sculptures. When Castlegar City Council learned of Sioux Falls’ downtown revitalization initiative tied to the cultural economy, they realized that they faced many of the same downtown revitalization issues and agreed to a trial project.
Incredibly, with community and basin support, and a dedicated group of volunteers, this cautious trial project grew beyond expectations into Castlegar becoming The Sculpture Capital of Canada™. Downtown Castlegar is now one of the few venues in Canada where artists have the opportunity to show and sell outdoor sculptural work, bringing international artists to the community, and supporting emerging local and regional talent.
For more information, contact selena@castlegarsculpturewalk.com.
...
[Sponsored Listing] The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) announces a call for artists for Got The Shot, Now Get Creative. The world of photography virtually exploded with the use of digital cameras and cell phones. Millions and millions of images were captured that would never have been taken before. That was only a part of the revolution. A whole new world of artistic possibility opened up with computer software and phone apps enabling the creation of brand-new photographic imagery. Photoshop, Nik, Topaz, Snapseed, and Distressed FX are just a few of the tools photographers can use to express their artistic vision. This call is about images where the original shot was only the beginning. Although this text focuses on digital imagery, after-processing in the darkroom works just as well.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 25 Oct 2021
Got The Shot, Now Get Creative is open to any photographers worldwide and of any age, amateurs or professional. As with all NYC4PA calls, all 2D photographic art is accepted.
NYC4PA gives photographers worldwide an opportunity to participate in themed calls for photographers. Each call offered has a different theme. The prizes total $3000. There is a grand prize, 3 first prizes, 3 second prizes, 3 third prizes, 20 juror’s selections, and 20 honorable mentions. All 50 winners are posted in a gallery on the NYC4PA website and included in an exhibition gallery. A professional photographer, gallery owner, or photography teacher is the juror.
About New York Center for Photographic Art
New York Center for Photographic Art offers 6 to 8 opportunities a year for any and all photographers, from amateur to professional, male or female, young or old. Photographers are encouraged to submit photographs based on the specific theme as laid out in the call. Ten winners receive cash prizes. Twenty submitters are selected as Juror’s Selections and 20 submitters are selected as Honorable Mentions.
For more information, contact nyc4pa@gmail.com.
...
[Sponsored Listing] Innovate Grant is now accepting submissions for the Innovate Grants Summer 2021 Cycle, awarding (2) $550.00 to one visual artist and one photographer. In addition to receiving a grant award, winners will be featured and recognized on the Innovate Grant website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 16 Sept 2021
Visual artists and photographers 18 years and older, from all around the world, are eligible to apply for the Innovate Grants Summer 2021 Cycle. All media and genres are accepted. All applicants retain the right to the work they submit.
Innovate Grant supports artists and photographers through quarterly grants. They simplified the grant process, so that artists and photographers can focus on making their innovative work. The work should speak for itself and the application reflects that.
“I have immense gratitude for the Innovate Grant and the way it will allow me to continue expanding on my current and future series of paintings. This funding will help provide for those needs and will be integral to pushing my practice forward. ”
— Taylor O. Thomas“I am in the process of making a small publication about the trees and ecology of Southern California. It will be quite an undertaking for me and the grant will go towards the creation of the publication. For which I am incredibly grateful.”
— Christine Atkinson“I am truly grateful for this grant! It’s rare as an artist to receive this kind of unrestricted funding that so directly supports your practice. This grant will contribute to material costs and the production of my next body of works.”
— Lynnea Holland Weiss“The Innovate Grant will assist me in hiring help to create a series of molds for my next sculpture. In a time where things are particularly tight, I am grateful more than ever for this support.”
— Kylie Lockwood“The Innovate Grant helps to continue my research and expand my practice and I am profoundly grateful for that. I am constantly seeking out new ways of working and incorporating new materials into my practice and will make great use of this support.”
— Bianca Barandun“Being rewarded with this grant would inspire the continuity of my art practice. The funds would aid with the cost of art materials as well as inspire new projects and collaborations.”
— Yannick Lowery“Receiving this grant will allow me to carry on with my project, which I had to pause in 2020, and start 2021 with more positivity. It makes me so happy knowing that there are people out there who believe in what I do and want to support my practice. Thank you so much Innovate Grant.”
— Giulia Parlato“I’m excited to use the grant for darkroom supplies and for experimenting with new sculptural materials. I’m really grateful for Innovate Grant’s support.”
— Sydney M. King“Innovate Grant will support me to further my practice while there is little to no opportunity out there for emerging painters.”
— Parham Ghalamdar
About Innovate Grant
Innovate Grant supports artists and photographers through quarterly grants. They believe that new ideas come from sparks of inspiration and aim to provide just that, access to small and mighty bursts of financial support so that you can focus on making your important and innovative work.
Innovate Grant was created out of the frustration of applying to grants with time-consuming requirements. These lengthy applications took valuable time and energy away from making new work. Countless hours were sacrificed in either writing artist statements, crafting project proposals, or getting letters of recommendation. Time is one of the most valuable components to fostering creativity and innovation. Their aim is to provide the time you need to be fully immersed in your ideas and in creating your work. Keeping the grant process simple enables Innovate Grant to continue to support you on your important journey of creation, inspiration, and innovation.
For more information, contact email@innovateartistgrants.org.
...
[Sponsored Listing] The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) announces a call for artists for Let’s Play. In the northern Hemisphere, summer is here, the weather is warm, and we have the great outdoors to play in. The truth; however, is we can play indoors and outdoors all year long no matter what the weather. “Play Ball” brings to mind baseball, but sports, including things like polo and volleyball, are only part of how we play. Don’t forget the myriad of other outdoor and indoor games. Consider childhood activities like hit the penny and hopscotch, running bases, playground swings, seesaws and merry go rounds. Indoors adds so much more with all the wonderful games like chess, mahjongg, bridge, and Monopoly.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 29 Aug 2021
Shots that focus on the game, equipment, or players are all part of the theme. Send in your interpretation of this broad and varied theme. As with all NYC4PA calls, all 2D photographic art is accepted. The call is open to any photographers worldwide – any age, amateur or professional.
NYC4PA gives photographers worldwide an opportunity to participate in themed calls for photographers. Each call offered has a different theme. The prizes total $3000. There is a grand prize, 3 first prizes, 3 second prizes, 3 third prizes, 20 juror’s selections, and 20 honorable mentions. All 50 winners are posted in a gallery on the NYC4PA website and included in an exhibition gallery. A professional photographer, gallery owner, or photography teacher is the juror.
About New York Center for Photographic Art
New York Center for Photographic Art offers six to eight opportunities a year for any and all photographers, from amateur to professional, male or female, young or old. Photographers are encouraged to submit photographs based on the specific theme as laid out in the call. Ten winners receive cash prizes. Twenty submitters are selected as Juror’s Selections and 20 submitters are selected as Honorable Mentions.
For more information, contact nyc4pa@gmail.com.
...
[Sponsored Listing] The Decatur Arts Alliance announces a call for artists for the Decatur Artway VII. It kicks off another year as Decatur’s outdoor gallery, featuring five selected sculptures scattered throughout the city of Decatur, Georgia. Sculptures will be displayed on temporary loan for two years, creating a dynamic rotating collection of public art around town. The sculpture must be available for the duration of the two-year contract with $2000 lease payment for the artist.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 6 Aug 2021
All submissions for the Decatur Artway VII must be professionally constructed of durable materials which will withstand the elements. All durable outdoor media are encouraged.
Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Atlanta, Georgia, is a friendly little tree-lined suburb called Decatur. Decatur’s four square miles are a haven for foodies, arts lovers, hippies, families, and all the young at heart. Decatur blends the best of small-town life with the convenience of city living. The City of Decatur’s 25,000 residents represent a diverse population with a wide range of age groups, racial backgrounds, and economic levels. Of particular note – Decatur has one of the highest education levels in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Decatur employees, primarily concentrated in the downtown commercial district, represent an important demographic.
About Decatur Arts Alliance
The Decatur Arts Alliance is a nonprofit partnership of artists, business owners, and residents dedicated to supporting and enhancing the arts in the city of Decatur. The Decatur Arts Alliance sponsors the annual festivals and special art events for members only. It provides a collaborative environment to coordinate the interests of artists, gallery owners, theater groups, dance groups, and performance venues within Decatur as well as develop the city as a strong arts community.
Public art has long been recognized as a community asset, but because many of its benefits seem intangible, it is often treated as a low priority, especially during challenging economic times. The Decatur Arts Alliance has shown that prioritizing public art can lead to increased levels of community engagement and social cohesion.
For more information, contact info@decaturartsalliance.org.
...
[Sponsored Listing] The Central Avenue Special Improvement District Management Corporation (CASID), in partnership with the City of Jersey City and the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs Office, is pleased to announce a new call for artists for a Central Avenue Artwork Installation, aiming to expand the outdoor art gallery along Central Avenue, Jersey City.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 30 Jul 2021
The CASID is seeking well-executed proposals for its main street community. Proposals should be family-friendly and suitable for all ages. Selected artwork will be commissioned for installation late summer/ early fall 2021 and paid upon completion. Central Avenue is a ¾ mile main thoroughfare consisting of 240 storefronts and is centrally located in Hudson County (estimated population 672,400).
The Central Avenue Artwork Installation artwork should complement Central Avenue’s main street environment and contribute to positive energy, boost morale, and upbeat attitudes among residents, visitors, and shoppers. This project will further the neighborhood’s long-term goal of adding art destination to Hudson County’s distinct resume.
The artist with the winning mural design(s) will receive agreed monetary compensation and be featured on the organization’s website and other social media accounts such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Artists will have the opportunity to address the public at a press conference.
“My wife and I found this so appropriate since the people of Jersey City were incredibly friendly and appreciative. People either walking by or shouting from their car windows said Thank You. WOW! I should be thanking them. The people of Jersey City were so engaged; this made the artwork for us. We painted a traffic box, but the people gave it the meaning we intended. That is, people being connected, sharing, and helping one another. Another observation was that the people were wearing their face masks – the caring for one another was evident. Thank you to the people of Jersey City and to Alexa, Executive Director of Central Avenue SID Management Corp.” – Micheal Cooper artist for “Together Again & Again” located off of Central and Bower St in September 2020.
About Central Avenue Special Improvement District Management Corporation
Central Avenue in Jersey City prides itself on the outdoor art gallery along the shopping corridor. New Jersey Advance Media named Central Avenue the most eye-popping one mile walk in Jersey City in 2019. This year will mark Central Avenue’s twelfth consecutive year installing artwork. With over 20 art pieces on the avenue, colorful artwork is appreciated by hundreds of shoppers each day. Heights neighborhood as a hub of culture and commerce. This new installation will add to a flourishing outdoor art gallery which already includes art on seven traffic boxes and five splendid murals. The main street shopping district in adjacent to the Riverview Arts District and this project will further the neighborhood’s long-term goal of adding “art destination” to Hudson County’s distinct resume.
For more information, contact ALima@jcheights.com.
...
[Sponsored Listing] The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) announces a call for artists for Wandering Curves 2021. The world around us is filled with all kinds of shapes. For this call, the focus is on images where a curve or curves is a critical element.
Whether you photograph in the city, suburbs, or country, the possibilities are endless. Is it a winding road, stack of old tires, 1950s automobile head, or taillight? Do you see the curvaceous form of an elephant’s trunk when feeding, curl of a giant wave, or closer view of a head full of curls. Curves are all around us. Capture them as a dominant element of your images and send them in.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 13 Jun 2021
Wandering Curves 2021 competition prizes total $4000. There is a grand prize, 3 first prizes, 3 second prizes, 3 third prizes, 20 juror’s selections, and 20 honorable mentions. All 50 winners are posted in a gallery on NYC4PA’s website and are included in an exhibition gallery. The call is open to any photographers worldwide and any age, amateurs or professional. A professional photographer, gallery owner, or photography teacher will be the juror.
About New York Center for Photographic Art
The New York Center for Photographic Art was conceived and developed by Patricia Gilman and Maddi Ring. It offers photographers from around the world opportunities to exhibit their work in New York. Maddi and Patricia are experienced photographers and exhibition producers who understand the value of showcasing artists work in galleries. They have marketed their own work, both together and individually, in a variety of venues. These exhibitions have been in New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Each has her own images in various venues, including private collections.
For more information, contact nyc4pa@gmail.com.
...
[Sponsored Listing] Smithtown Township Arts Council and Mills Pond Gallery invites artists to submit works for a juried exhibition, Visualizing The Past. The theme is poet Emily Dickinson’s phrase: “Memory is a strange Bell—Jubilee, and Knell.” The exhibition is open to multiple responses to the metaphor: a bell that summons the public to a joyous celebration or rings mournfully to signal loss.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 30 Jun 2021
For Visualizing the Past, artists may explore the role of remembrance—from personal reflections to universal emotions—through abstract, representational, or mixed modalities. Visual evocations of past events, landscapes, people, scenes, objects, or structures can make intangible thoughts, emotions, and concepts visible to the mind’s eye. Images that preserve the past can retard decay and disappearance. Conversely, they could give form to the inevitable ravages of time.
Whether invoking the highs or lows of cultural memory, artists can suggest what remains after a physical presence, event, or emotion has vanished. The exhibition is open to varied interpretations of the subject, from literal or narrative-inspired to far-ranging or symbolic. Representational images of remembered sights, activities, impressions, or atmosphere as well as surrealistic or abstract evocations related to the subject are welcome. Expressions may range from positive images to more melancholy soundings.
Visualizing the Past Artist Benefits
Selected artists for Visualizing the Past will have the opportunity to exhibit in an historic gallery facility that has been in business for more than fifty years and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The building was built in 1838 and has five gallery rooms, 11 foot ceilings, and lots of natural light. Artists will have the opportunity to have their art judged from national entries by art critic and cultural journalist, Carol Strickland for awards $1200 Best in Show, $800 Second Place, and $400 Third Place.
About Smithtown Township Arts Council
Incorporated in 1972, Smithtown Township Arts Council (STAC) offers a unique combination of historical preservation, cultural promotion, and arts exhibition. The Council has been committed to the arts in Suffolk County for forty-six years, working to provide a creative outlet and the opportunity to experience, investigate, and discover contemporary art and cultural issues which are engaging and relevant to the public’s daily lives and civic responsibilities. They believe the arts are indispensable in building good character in the citizens of the community as they foster communication, offer new insights on the world, and add to the greater appreciation of both life and society.
Since 1978, the Council has made its home in the historic Mills Pond House. Occupied by the prosperous Mills family (early settlers of the Town of Smithtown) until 1976, this area is a rare survival of an agricultural hamlet once common on Long Island. William Wickham Mills (a man of wealth and social prominence) inherited the family land and began to construct the Mills Pond House in 1838. This Greek Revival style home is the earliest documented architect-designed house in the area.
About Mills Pond Gallery
The Mills Pond Gallery strives to promote an active process of exploration involving creativity and the arts, providing inspiring and enjoyable opportunities for visitors to explore different points of view, challenge preconceptions and prejudices, and foster critical thinking. They hope that the public will relate the art exhibited to their own life experiences, creating new links and understanding. Dedicated to showcasing the artistic development and achievements of the region and nation, the gallery’s exhibitions provide diverse art experiences for individuals and reach the local communities through classes, special events, and community outreach programs. Focusing on active and collaborative learning through the medium of art, they bring arts and people together to discover, enjoy, and understand the nation’s rich and diverse artistic heritage.
For more information, contact gallery@stacarts.org.