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Submit to Beyond Comfort

Beyond Comfort: Annual Juried Regional Show

Beyond Comfort invites artists to express their perception of beauty and/or the grotesque in contemporary art and society.  This show allows artists to define and explore aesthetics while joining the long debated concept of beauty and its function in art.

In the 21st century, what relevance does the concept of beauty play in your creation and evaluation of art?  What elements of beauty or the grotesque persist in your artwork? Beyond Comfort pushes artists to consider how they view the world around them, provoking the viewer with the immensely beautiful and the grotesque alike.

The Annual Juried Regional Show is the largest juried exhibition at Art Center Sarasota each year, taking up all four of our galleries. 

  • Virginia Shearer, Executive Director at Sarasota Art Museum, will be the juror for Beyond Comfort.
  • Submissions are welcome in all media including painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, mixed media, digital arts, sculpture and video. 
  • AI generated art is not allowed.  
  • All artworks must be submitted ONLINE for jurying.  Awards will be chosen by the juror in person when all works are installed at Art Center Sarasota. 

 

JURIED EXHIBITION RULES & REGULATIONS - READ THIS DOCUMENT FULLY! 

IMPORTANT DATES 

  • Exhibition Dates: Thursday, May 23 - Saturday, July 27, 2024
  • Online Submissions: Tuesday, February 20 - Sunday, April 28, 2024
  • Notification of Acceptance: Artists will be notified by email of their submission status no later than Friday, May 3 by 5pm.
  • In Person Receiving Days for Accepted Work:  Wednesday, May 15 - Thursday, May 16, 10am-5pm.
  • Shipping Accepted Work: Mailed Artwork must arrive between Monday, May 13 - Thursday, May 16. Any work that is delivered after this date will not be included in the exhibition.
  • Award Winners Notified: no later than Wednesday, May 22 at 5pm.  
  • Opening Reception: Thursday, May 23, 6-8pm.
  • Artwork Pickup In Person: Monday, July 29 & Tuesday, July 30, 2024, 10am-5pm


ABOUT THE EXHIBITION 

This exhibition is open to all artists to showcase their work at Art Center Sarasota (ACS). This show is open to all media types. The juror will see all requested information except the artist’s name and the price of artwork. The ACS Exhibition Department asks jurors to make all selections based solely on artistic merit with the exhibition theme in mind. In an effort to maintain best gallery practices, ACS implements the following rules and regulations for this juried exhibition. Observing the following points ensures your artwork is exhibited in the best way possible. We appreciate your support.     

ON CONTENT 

At ACS, we are committed to free exchange of ideas, and believe that art can (and should) expose us to different perspectives, new ideas, and the experiences of others. As a community-based art center, we also seek to be open and welcoming to all. We therefore reserve the right to not display art that contains hate speech; contains racist, violent or cruel images or symbols; encourages racism, violence or cruelty; contains pornographic images; or vilifies or demeans individuals or groups of people. Fortunately, we rarely have to reject art for these reasons. But we reserve the right to do so, at our sole discretion. Thank you for respecting these guidelines.     

SUBMISSION FEES 

All juried exhibitions require a NON-REFUNDABLE entry fee for each submission. 

  • One Piece: $25 Members, $35 Non-members, $10 Student Members, $20 Student Non- Members
  • Two Pieces: $35 Members, $55 Non-members, $20 Student Members, $30 Student Non- Members
  • Three Pieces: $40 Members, $65 Non-members, $25 Student Members, $35 Student Non- Members

AWARDS: 

Awards will be selected by the juror in-person after the exhibition has been hung. All checks for awards will be mailed out to the artists at the close of the exhibition.

  • 1st place: $800
  • 2nd Place: $600
  • 3rd Place: $400
  • Merit: $100
  • Honorable Mention: $50

UPLOADING IMAGES TO SUBMITTABLE 

Submitted artwork images should be:

  • high definition, at least 1mb
  • 2D works should be cropped around the piece 
  • 3D works should be placed in front of a solid background or photo backdrop
  • Please indicate if framed or unframed
  • Image format types are jpg and png and should be no larger than 3MB. 
  • Video submissions: File formats allowed for upload: MP4, MOV, AVI, MPG.  

If you need assis­tance in submit­ting please contact the exhibitions department. We are here and happy to help get everyone's artwork seen by the juror no matter your technology level.     

 

ORIGINALITY & PRINTS:

All entries must be original work completed within the last three years and not previously shown in any ACS show.

  • Copies and reproductions of original works of art, whether embellished or not, are not eligible for submission to juried exhibitions. However, prints such as photographs, lithographs, woodcuts, engravings, etching, screen prints, and digital works are acceptable as long as they are labeled as such, and numbered as an edition.
  • Open editions are not accepted.
  • Please be mindful of copyright infringements – Be original!
  • Artwork submitted must be finished and not in-process upon the time of submission.  All accepted artworks must be dry upon entry, if they are not, they will NOT be included in the exhibition.

DIPTYCHS & TRIPTYCHS

  • A Diptych or Triptych is considered one submission of artwork and must be priced as one individual piece. It must be submitted, charged, and labeled as such.
  • If framed, the frames must be uniform and included in dimensions.

MEDIUM

  • All mediums are accepted.
  • We highly recommend that photographs, prints and digital art be numbered in an edition.
  • Open editions are not accepted.

SIZE

  • Maximum size for 2D artwork is 72 x 60”, AFTER framing.
  • Maximum size for 3D artwork is 48 x 48 x 48".
  • If the work is over 40lbs in weight or requires special hanging materials the artist may be asked to provide those materials and assist in hanging the piece during our installation period.

TWO DIMENSIONAL ART

  • No sawtooth hangers.
  • Please state the surface the work is on, ie. paper/canvas/metal/board/etc., including photographs.
  • All submitted artwork must be dry and ready to hang.
  • Picture frame wire should not be above the frame. Picture frame wire is a multi strand wire.  Do not use monofilament.
  • Stretcher bars are the preferred method for hanging framed canvas works.
  • Screw eyes/D-rings and hanging wire MUST be attached firmly to the back of the piece with screws.
  • All framed artwork with glass/plexi should be clean and scratch free. The mat if it has one should be clean and smoothly cut.
  • Frames must be in good condition (no scratches, chips or loose corners).
  • If the work is unframed, please provide a detailed description of the hanging method in the "Special Instructions" section of the application.  If accepted, please provide any special materials/tools required to hang/mount your work.
  • Gallery wrapped canvas is acceptable, provided that no staples are showing and the edges are clean and free of smudges and smears that are not in keeping with the stylistic intent of the artwork.

THREE DIMENSIONAL ART

  • ACS provides pedestals. However, the artist must provide a sculpture pedestal for oversized work and/or works with special display requirements.
  • Please use the "Special Instructions" section to indicate weight if sculptures are more than 40lbs.
  • Please use the "Special Instructions" section on the application to describe any necessary details of mounting or displaying your work or special requests.  These will be taken into consideration when installing, but may not be executable.
  • Non-ACS Pedestals must have a broad base.
  • Jewelry must be submitted on a display stand or form.

RECEIVING & SHIPPING OF ACCEPTED WORKS

  • All entries shipped to ACS should include a return shipping label. It is the artist’s responsibility to pay for shipping to and from the Art Center.
  • ACS Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 10am- 5pm, Saturday 12pm-5pm.
  • Shipping address: Art Center Sarasota, Attn: Exhibitions, 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota FL 34236.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • The Exhibition Director must be notified in advance if an unconventional method of presentation or hanging is required. Policies of the host gallery will prevail.
  • Should your artwork be accepted and it is discovered to not be in compliance with the rules and regulations, the artist will be notified to collect the work immediately.
  • Placement of accepted artwork will be decided by the Exhibition Director, please do not ask to change its location. Once artwork is installed, it is in its final location and cannot be moved.
  • All artwork must be picked up by 5pm on July 30, 2024. If you cannot pick it up by this date, please contact the exhibitions department to arrange pickup.  Any artwork not picked up by this date will be charged $5 a day holding fee.  Artwork not picked up after 30 days becomes the property of Art Center Sarasota.

WITHDRAWAL 

Work accepted for an exhibition may not be substituted, nor will any be permitted to be withdrawn during the exhibition.  Artworks cannot be picked up before the end of the show due to press and advertising obligations.     

STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY 

Art Center Sarasota will insure the work for the duration of the exhibition period. The Artist (Consignor) and the Consignee (Art Center Sarasota) agree that all claims, whether for full or partial damage, will be based on the Insurance Value, and that the Consignee (Art Center Sarasota) shall be liable only up to such Insurance Value (and only to the extent of the Consignee’s insurance coverage). It is mutually agreed upon that any right of subrogation is hereby waived by the Artist.    

SALES

  • All work on exhibit must be for sale. No POR (Price on Request) or NFS (Not for Sale) is permitted in a juried show unless specified in an exhibition prospectus.
  • Artists who are ACS members receive payment of 60% of selling price.
  • Artists who are Non-members receive payment of 50% of selling price.
  • The artist is responsible for filing sales in accordance with State and Federal Tax regulations.
  • All Artwork on exhibit at ACS must be sold on site or through the ACS website (when exhibits are online). Sales through third party dealers or entities are not permitted. Direct sale via the Artist is not permitted.

SALES OF WORK PRIVACY POLICY 

ACS will ask the purchaser if they would like to share their information with the selling artist. If they agree, ACS will pass that information along to the artist, if not no information of either party will be shared.    

DISCLAIMER / PHOTO RELEASE 

Exhibiting artists consent to the use of their name and the artworks image(s) for purposes of promotion and advertisement by ACS. The artist waives any claim, including any claim for invasion of the right of privacy or copyright, against ACS, its directors, officers, employees, and agents. 

QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions about submission requirements, please contact:

Cassie Andrews, Exhibitions Assistant, at 941-365-2032 or exhibitions@artsarasota.org.   

Art Center Sarasota