Call For Art--Fine Arts Exhibition 2014, Decatur Arts Festival

May 20-June 8, 2014

Dalton Gallery at Agnes Scott College
Dana Fine Arts Building
141 E. College Ave., Decatur, Georgia 30030 (map)

About the Exhibition

The Decatur Arts Alliance invites artists working in all media to participate in the Fine Arts Exhibition at the 26th Annual Decatur Arts Festival. The exhibition is a juried multimedia presentation that contributes a fresh and unique perspective to the festival every year.

The Decatur Arts Festival draws approximately 60,000 people to downtown Decatur for a celebration of the arts that includes a juried Artists Market, Children’s Festival, New Dance, Literary Arts, Performing Arts Stage, and a Concert on the Square, as well as the Fine Arts Exhibition. This large audience represents a broad spectrum of knowledge and appreciation of the arts, and the Fine Arts Exhibition addresses this spectrum with a diversity of styles and media. Works selected for the show reflect a wide range of artists’ experiences and viewpoints, with excellence as a common thread.

Eligibility

Artists are invited to participate in a juried exhibition of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional works. Artwork will be chosen from submitted entries by a panel of three jurors on the basis of creative excellence and quality of execution. All works must be original and completed within the last two years. The sponsors are the final authority on eligibility. Works to be hung must be ready for hanging with any necessary hardware in place. Artwork must fit through a standard door.

Opening Reception and Last Call

The opening reception of the Fine Arts Exhibition is Tuesday, May 20, from 5 until 7 pm, in conjunction with the Decatur Business Association monthly meeting. The exhibition closes with the Last Call party on Sunday, June 8, from 4 until 6 pm, which will include selected artists’ talks. We encourage exhibiting artists to attend both of these functions.

Awards

Best of Show: $1,000
Gold Award: $700
Silver Award: $500

Purchase awards totaling $2,500 are selected by the City of Decatur, Decatur Business Association, and Decatur Downtown Development Authority for the City of Decatur’s public art collection. Additional purchase awards are being solicited.

Sale of Art

Sales are encouraged. The Decatur Arts Alliance handles all sales and collects a 25% commission on all artwork sold as a result of this exhibition. All artwork for sale must be priced by the artist and so stated in the entry. Please be sure to include the 25% commission for the Decatur Arts Alliance in your price. The 7% Georgia sales tax will be added at the point of sale.

An online catalogue is anticipated. Sales from the Fine Art Exhibition have increased each year and works from the exhibition have been added to private, corporate, and non-profit collections.

Jurors

Cynthia Farnell is a visual arts professional who brings her broad experience as gallery director, curator, arts writer, teacher, and artist to her diverse projects in visual arts and arts administration. Educated at the Rhode Island School of Design, The International Center of Photography, and Auburn University, she has curated numerous exhibitions from a variety of time periods and cultures and has taught art and humanities courses at the college level. Farnell’s dynamic projects are guided by her recognition of the vital cultural and economic roles of the visual arts in our global communities. She is the gallery director at the Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design at Georgia State University.

Cinqué Hicks is an art critic based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is senior contributing editor of theInternational Review of African American Art, and during 2012 he served as the interim editor-in-chief of Art Papers. In 2011, he was the founding creative director of Atlanta Art Now and was co-author of its first volume, Noplaceness: Art in a Post-Urban Landscape. From 2008 to 2012, Hicks was an art critic, arts writer, and columnist for Creative Loafing, and he continues to write for a variety of national and international publications including Public Art Review, Art in America, Artforum.com, and Artvoices.

Nick Madden is a visual artist living and working in Decatur, Georgia. He holds a BFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Kennesaw State University. He currently teaches art at Glennwood Elementary in Decatur. Madden’s artwork has been exhibited at Portal Gallery, WonderRoot Art Center, and MINT Gallery in Atlanta. He is a recent recipient of The Creatives Project Artist in Residency program at the Goat Farm in Atlanta, and will be an artist in residence at the Hambidge Center in Spring 2014.

Submission Process

Agreement

Submitting an entry form to this exhibition through Call for Entries (www.callforentry.org) constitutes an agreement on the part of the artist with all conditions set forth in this prospectus.No work accepted for the exhibition may be withdrawn before the close of the exhibition. After acceptance, the artist cannot substitute another work for the accepted one or change the sales price.

The Decatur Arts Alliance reserves the right to refuse to install any work that, upon arrival at the Dalton Gallery, differs markedly from the images submitted or that does not, for any reason, meet the exhibitions standards of excellence.

By submitting images of your work, you give permission to the Decatur Arts Alliance to use the images for publicity in the organization’s website, digital publications, press releases, Decatur Arts Festival publications (both print and electronic), and online catalogue of the exhibition.

Liability

All reasonable precautions will be taken to ensure protection of submitted work upon receipt. Work will be insured for the duration of the exhibition. No liability can be assumed by the Decatur Arts Alliance during storage or by sponsors or personnel connected to the exhibition for damage incurred or loss of work while in transit. Artists are advised to arrange their own shipping insurance.

How to Enter: CaFÉ

All entries are to be submitted digitally through www.callforentry.org (CaFÉ). Please retain a copy of the information you provide on the entry form. See Exceptions Below.

If you have not registered previously with CaFÉ, setting up your portfolio is free. There is a $30 charge for entering up to three items in this exhibition, with up to three images per item. After completing the entry information, a credit card number will be required to confirm the entry process.

Please note: a credit card number is required for the first entry. If entering more than one work, artists should follow the instructions during the entry process for additional entries charged to the first payment.

CaFÉ requires that all images conform to a specific format. The Decatur Arts Alliance encourages all entrants to review the instructions and tutorials for formatting images and entering before beginning the actual entry process.

Entries will be active on the CaFÉ website from January 6 through February 21, 2014, and all entries must be completed by midnight MST on February 21.

For technical assistance with your entry, please see www.callforentry.org/cafehelp.phtml, or contact cafe@westaf.org. For questions about exhibition guidelines, please contactadmin@decaturartsalliance.org.

Participants may enter up to three pieces for one fee. Submissions will include the following:

• Contact information including mailing address, telephone number, email address, and website address (if applicable)
• Title of each work submitted
• Brief statement about the work. This may include descriptive material. Limited to 75 words.
• Up to three images of each work submitted for jurying. If the work is a 2-D work, an overall view and at least one detail are recommended. If the work is a 3-D work, two alternate overall views and one detail are recommended. All submitted images must be formatted to the specifications outlined on the CaFÉ website. (www.callforentry.org/image_prep.phtml).By submitting images of your work, you give permission to the Decatur Arts Alliance to use the images for publicity in the organization’s websites, digital publications, press releases, Decatur Arts Festival publications (both print and electronic), and online catalogue of the exhibition.
• Image list numbered to correspond to the portfolio images submitted. Please include full photography credits as well as title, dimensions, and description of each work.
• Presentation/installation requirements for the work submitted including any special fixtures required

How to Enter: CD

Alternately, artists may submit up to three entries on one CD for $45.

• The CD should be labeled with the artist’s name and the title of each work.
• Up to three images of each of three works may be submitted for jurying. If the work is a 2-D work, an overall view and at least one detail are recommended. If the work is a 3-D work, two alternate overall views and one detail are recommended. By submitting images of your work, you give permission to the Decatur Arts Alliance to use the images for publicity in the organizations’ websites, digital publications, press releases, Decatur Arts Festival publications (both print and electronic), and an online catalogue of the exhibition.
• Images should be high resolution in jpeg format and of print quality (up to 300 dpi, no more than 6” on the longest side).

The CD should be accompanied by an MS Word document or a PDF that provides the information listed below.

• Contact information including mailing address, telephone number, email address, and website address (if applicable)
• Title of each work submitted
• Brief statement about the work. This may include descriptive material. Limit to 75 words.
• Presentation/installation requirements for the work submitted, including any special fixtures required

The CD must be accompanied by a check for $45, payable to the Decatur Arts Alliance. Checks post-dated or returned unpaid by the bank will result in immediate disqualification. No exceptions!

CD entries must be postmarked no later than February 21, 2014, and mailed to Decatur Arts Alliance, P.O. Box 401, Decatur, GA 30031.

Notification and Return of Entries

Notification of acceptance will be by email only, no later than April 1, 2014. Instructions for shipment and retrieval of artwork will follow. Applicants not chosen will also be notified. No phone calls, please.

Images of accepted work will be retained by the Decatur Arts Alliance for archival purposes. The exhibition will hang from May 20 through June 8, 2014, in the Dalton Gallery in the Dana Fine Arts Building on the campus of Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia.

INTERVIEW WITH DEANNA SIRLIN

"Liquid Universe" Terminus 200, Counsins Properties, Atlanta, Georgia

1. Who are you and what do you do, and what is your background?

I am Deanna Sirlin. I am an artist. I grew up in New York City and left after receiving my MFA from Queens College. I currently live and work on a horse farm outside of Atlanta. I have been an artist and writer for 33 years. I just published my first book, Sheʼs Got What It Takes: American Women Artists in Dialogue. I am the publisher and editor in chief of The Art Section: An Online Journal of Art and Cultural Commentary.

2. What's integral to your art and or art career?

For me, it is the daily life of going into the studio.

3. What themes do you pursue and what medium do you use?

Color has always been important to me. I will work in any medium that allows me to explore the possibilities of expressing my thoughts this way.

Retracings High Museum of Art, Atlanta Georgia

Retracings High Museum of Art, Atlanta Georgia

4. What makes you angry, what makes you happy?

Ignorance and intolerance make me very unhappy. Falseness, posturing, and pretension annoy me. And what make me happy are my passion for art and animals and my love for them.

5. Who and what inspire you in your work and or in your life in general?

My spouse is a very good partner and inspiration to me, and the animals in my life have taught me much about being in the moment, love, and happiness.

6. What superpower would you want?

I would love endless energy.

7. What is your favorite artists and or other person?

My favorite artists range from Giotto to Rembrandt to Morandi to Alex Katz to Louise Bourgeois.

8. What advice would you give to other artists?

My advice is to work really hard, be really honest with yourself, and discover who you are.

C- Flow Elevation, Underground Atlanta

9. Contact details if any?

Personal work– www.deannasirlin.com

Book— www.shesgotwhatittakes.com

Online Journal of Art and Cultural Commentary – www.theartsection.com

The Billboard Project

Interview with Temme Barkin-Leeds

Bumble-Bungle Drone

1. Who are you and what do you do, and what is your background?

I am a practicing visual artist working in Atlanta and Lakemont Georgia.  In 2012, I returned from Washington, DC after receiving my MFA in Studio Art from American University. My first training (MA degree from Georgia State University) was in Art History. I taught art history for a while at GSU and soon  after that, I was Associate Curator of Education at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta for four years. I was the owner of an art consulting company, Barkin-Leeds Ltd. for 21 years. (yes, you heard me right). During all of this time and for many years prior, I knew i wanted only to be a practicing artist.  Circumstances and finances prevented me from doing this full time until 2005, when I closed Barkin-Leeds Ltd. 

Call of Duty

2. What's integral to your art and or art career? 

The now-deceased artist Benny Andrews once told me " If you make art, have something to say".  As a person who, from her own instincts and her experience with art history knew, art can indeed convey all kinds of messages, and this comment by Benny was taken by me as a directive to make art about the things I felt most strongly about.

3. What themes do you pursue and what medium do you use. 

I have always centered my work on concepts that relate to issues in societies, how these issues affect people, and my responses to those issues.  In the past, I dealt with the crisis in Darfur ( a series of large drawings that were my portfolio when I graduated with my BFA from GSU); the way cultures replace one another, either through war, the environment, or politics; and most recently my reaction to "shooter" video games which are quite often based on actual war scenes in Afghanistan and Iraq. I produced an animation and am continuing to make  paintings about this recent subject. 

4. What makes you angry, what makes you happy? 

What makes me angry? Liars, war, injustice, cruelty, torture, unfair acts, underhanded people, selfishness, incurable illness. What makes me happy is to be alive (I am a cancer survivor), be able to work, to have family, to love and be loved, to have support from my spouse and friends and family, to live in a country that is not at war, to make progress with my work.

Disquiet 3

5. Who and what inspire you in your work and or in your life in general? 

Anyone who is dedicated to what they do inspires me, especially if it is to the benefit of society as a whole. There are a lot of artists that I admire --Carrie Moyer, Thomas Nozkowski, Goya, Rembrandt, Picasso, Jose Lerma, Katherine Von Heyl, Zoe Charlton, Sam Scharf, Kandinsky, Philip Guston--I could go on and on. What inspires me in my life in general is anyone who has charged ahead when it was risky or difficult to do so--Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, John F. Kennedy, Helen Keller, Louise Bourgeois, Helen Frankenthaler--again not enough space to keep going.

Drone Baby

6. What superpower would you want?

Superpowers scare me a little, but I guess being able to eliminate disease would be high on my list, along with wars, of course.

7. What is your favorite artists and or other person?

See the list above. I will add a few--Marina Abramavicz, Abraham LIncoln, Albert Einstein,  John Glenn, Frank Gehry,Charles Rennie McIntosh, Elizabeth Murray, Katherina Grosse; OK I have to stop.

8. What advice would you give to other artists. 

Follow your passion, and make what moves you. Don't worry about what people say, what sells and what doesn't, who writes about your work and who doesn't.  Be kind to yourself and to others.  Support other artists whenever you can with encouraging words and constructive critique.  Go out and see a lot of work.  Attend openings. Do your work, work ,and then go back and work some more.  

9. Contact details if any? 

Temme Barkin-Leeds, temmebl@gmail.com, www.temmebarkin-leeds.com

Roots----Underground and Up Above but most certainly, on the wall.

A WCAGA Members’ Exhibit
ROOTS

Exhibition Dates: February 3 - April 25 2014
Where: Blue Mark Studios
              892 Jefferson Street
              Atlanta GA  30318

Roots

    Underground and Up Above  but most certainly, on the wall.
    We have our roots in our genetic makeup, in historical stories, in past cultures;
    by evolution and mutation.

    We are made from the stars and formed of earthen materials. As artists we
    investigate, discover and choose many means to express our understanding
    of our roots.

    This WCAGA members’ exhibit is about Roots. It will show the diverse ways
    that our members have chosen to relate our interest and understanding regarding
    this theme.


Calendar
Application Deadline: January 18,  2014
Image Notification: January 20, 2014
Installation: February 2
        Deliver work: Saturday, February 2 from 9:30 to 11:00am
        Or: Contact Barb Rehg to leave work at her studio or with another artists who can deliver for you.
            brehgstudios@bellsouth.net
Opening Reception: February 13, 2014
Artist Share/Talk - March 15 or 16
Take Down: April 26 - 11:00am .
                     Or: Contact Barb Rehg to have the work taken back to her studio to
                           be picked up at a later date or make arrangements to have another
                           artist pick up for you.
                   

General Information
This juried exhibit is open to the first 25 WCAGA members in good standing who apply. Work accepted must remain on view for the entire exhibition.

NOTE: Some images or parts of images may be used for the invitation. If you Do Not wish us to use your image, please indicate this in your submission.

Entry & Fee
Entry fee: $25. This fee will supply the funds for our receptions and artists talks.

Images Submission
Send up to three images by email to brehgstudios@bellsouth.net. The image resolution should be 300dpi. And no larger than 1megabyte.  Only the artwork should be visible, no background, frames etc. Label each image file as follows: number. title, artist initials. jpg, for example, 1.Rework.br.jpg. The number should correspond to the application.

Limitations - please read
All work must be framed and properly equipped for hanging.
Size –  48” max height and width - 2D work only
Wires are needed for hanging properly.
Caution:
Work created out of multiples will not hang properly unless they are bolted together, making one piece. The hanging system is similar to a Walker System but instead of rods, wires are used. Multiplies don’t hang tight.

No sculptures or installations are possible in this space.

Agreement
Submitting an entry form constitutes an agreement on the part of the artist with all the conditions in the prospectus.
Blue Mark Studio takes a 30% commission on work sold. Price with that in mind.
Blue Mark Studio prefers not to handle any marketing merchandise for or during an exhibit of fine art.


Delivery & Return of Work
The artist is responsible for making arrangements for delivery to and pickup from the gallery. If your work will be shipped from out of town please make arrangement with a WCAGA member to receive the work. You will be responsible for the method of return if mailing the work back is required.

I can accept work at my studio.
Barb Rehg
407 Creekview Trail SE
Smyrna GA 30082


ENTRY FORM  for Roots

Name___________________________

Address_________________________

City/State/Zip____________________

Tel:_____________________________

E-Mail___________________________

**Even if you are not selling your work, please indicate NFS and an
Insurance price


Entry, JPG #1:

Title__________________________________________________________

Medium___________________________________

Size____________

Price___________



Entry, JPG #2:

Title___________________________________________________________

Medium____________________________________

Size____________________

Price___________




Entry, JPG #3

Title______________________________________________________________

Medium_______________________________________

Size______________

Price___________

Holiday Party

Happy Holidays A Toast to Women Who Make Art Join your WCAGA friends for a meal and a toast to a year well spent. Callahan McDonough will graciously host our gathering. Bring your significant "plus one",  a dish, and a beverage. WCAGA will provide the primary protein, so please be polite and RSVP by Dec 3. What: End of Year / Holiday Party bring a dish, your preferred beverage, and a friend / spouse/ or housemate When: Sunday, December 8, 2013, 6:00 - 8:30pm RSVP byDecember 3 Where:  Callahan McDonough's home Sager Lofts 455 Glen Iris Dr. unit #L (ground level/end unit & has a side yard) Atlanta, GA  30308 From Glen Iris>Turn onto> ANGIER AVE. & park. Walk in open driveway up granite stairs (gate is unlocked) walked a straight ahead you are at Unit # L, Callahan's loft. Look for Christmas lights to guide you to the right spot.  Important Parking Info-- For easy access to Callahan's loft you must Park on Angier to be on the correct end of the building.  Call Kate Colpitts if you need help finding us: 860-508-7834

Interview with Lynn Mayes

Lynn Mayes, #101

1. Who are you and what do you do, and what is your background?

• First, I am an artist.  I have experimented with many media i.e. paint, clay, marble, wood, bronze, and encaustic.  Currently I am experimenting with acrylic paint and mixed media... I also play golf and duplicate bridge :-).   I have B.A. in Fine Art from Vanderbilt University and have studied privately with lots of wonderful studio artists and at the Art Students League in New York City with Phillip Sherrod. 
• I am in the midst of transition in my art life and am enjoying every minute of it. My new work is abstract and is hanging at Brenau University in Gainesville, and in the Blue Ridge National Art Show in Blue Ridge, GA. 42 Figurative works are at solo show at the Roush Gallery in the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center in Carrollton, GA.

Penumbral

2.What's integral to your art and or art career?

• Integral to my art is my studio!  It is my favorite place on earth.

3. What themes do you pursue and what medium do you use.

• Figurative images have been the focus of my paintings for the last ten years - I think they convey feelings that are inside me, and these feelings come out in the paintings.  In 2012 and 2013 I have turned to abstract and mixed media painting which is now more of a technical challenge. "If you already know how to do it, what's the point?" Robert Rauschenberg.

4. What makes you angry, what makes you happy?

• Anger has a depressing effect of me so I avoid it - if at all possible.  When my anger button is pushed, I just "delete" it.  I'm really happy when my family is around, my husband, children and grandchildren.

5. Who and what inspire you in your work and or in your life in general?

• I collect inspirational writings from philosophers and metaphysical authors such as Rainer Maria Rilke, one of my favorites.  When I need a lift, I look at some of those introspective thoughts.

6. What superpower would you want?

• Superpower?  To see into the future?  or maybe to fly? - there are birds in many of my paintings so maybe there is a secret need to know I can escape.

Trees 201

7. What is your favorite artists and or other person?

• Marc Chagall is my favorite artist followed by Jasper Johns and John Hyche.

8. What advice would you give to other artists.

• Advice - Have no fear.  My best art has been the result of a mistake made.  Ask a favor. "No" is not a scary answer. Enjoy the journey because we will never have all the answers. Probably don't want to have them actually.

9. Contact details if any?

• My cell # is 678-467-0876

     web site with figurative work is www.ceruleanfineart.com

Dance, Theater, Visual Art a Material Witness program event

 Dance, Theater, Visual Art

a Material Witness program event

Join us in the Dalton Gallery for performances throughout the night in the gallery with the Material Witness visual art exhibit.
Free and open to the public

Dana Fine Arts Building, Agnes Scott College
141 E College Ave, Decatur, GA 30030
campus map and directions

Bam, Karma, a humorous 10 minute play directed by Lynn Tharp-Hesse, 6:30 and 8:30p

What's Under There,
Zoetic Dance Ensemble
Directed by Melanie Lynch-Blanchard
7:15 and 9:00p