Wyoming Arts Council: 2012 Visual Arts Fellowship guidelines

Guidelines for Wyoming Arts Council 2012 Visual Arts Fellowships

Postmark Deadline: MARCH 16, 2012

The Wyoming Arts Council invites you to apply for its 2012 Visual Arts Fellowships, juried by Napoleon Jones-Henderson, Karen Rogers and Leanne Goebel. This year, the WAC will award up to three fellowships of $3,000 each to honor the work of Wyoming visual artists that reflects serious and exceptional aesthetic investigation. Painters, sculptors, printmakers, potters, media artists, craftspeople, video, film and others (see guidelines) are invited to apply by submitting images of their work.

Artist eligibility

You may enter this competition if you meet these requirements:

• You are not a full-time student pursuing a high school, college, or university art-related degree.

• You are at least 18 years of age, have been domiciled within the state borders a total of 20 months in the previous 2 years since July 1, 2010, and are a U.S. citizen or have legal resident status (evidence of U.S. citizenship, resident status and state residency may be required).

• You must be registered for the new Artist Image Registry (AIR) website. If you haven’t registered using the new forms, please call for an application or print a copy online at http://wyoarts.state.wy.us./Artists/AIR.aspx and include it with your fellowship application. We will retain fellowship images for AIR submissions. On the form, include information for which five images should be used.

• You are not affiliated with the Wyoming Arts Council either as a board member or staff member, including their families, whether full-time, part-time or contractual. You are not an employee of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.

• To receive an award, you must remain a Wyoming resident until June 30, 2013, living within the borders of the state for at least ten months of the year.

• You must not have received a Wyoming Arts Council visual arts fellowship in the last four years, and no artist may receive more than two fellowship awards.

Submitting your work

Submission Procedures:

• You may enter this competition once only, in one category, by March 16, 2012.

• Send the required support materials of your work.

• Complete and enclose a signed entry form with a completed artistic statement, using only the space provided (you may use a photocopy) along with your work.

• If you want the Arts Council to acknowledge receipt of your entry, enclose a self-addressed stamped postcard.

After you Submit Your Application:

• If you sent a self-addressed stamped postcard, WAC will acknowledge receipt of your work.

• Your name is not available to the jurors; all work is identified by number.

• Entrants not selected for fellowships will be notified in writing after April 2, 2012.

• The Arts Council will return all materials (unless retained for the AIR). Please provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope of appropriate size and postage with the entry. Entries may also be picked up at the Council offices after April 2, 2012.

Category support materials

Fellowship judging will be anonymous. Decisions are based solely on the merit of the work submitted. Submit all images comprising your entry on CD or DVD. No slides, please!

For the following categories:

Visual & Design Arts includes experimental (conceptual/new media), graphic (printmaking/book arts), painting, sculpture and installation.

Photography includes experimental, color, black and white, photocopy and computer.

Crafts include clay, fiber, glass, leather, metal, paper, plastic, wood, and mixed media.

Submit:

A set of 10 images
Images accepted on CD (PC readable)
Format: .jpg or .png (RGB Color)
Maximum size: 600 pixels (V), 800 pixels (H)
Resolution: at least 300 dpi
Orientation: upright on monitor
Each image must be submitted as a separate file; no PowerPoint files
Include a list of the CD files and number them to correspond with the entry form. Include title of work, media, and dimensions. Include a reference sheet with thumbnail prints of the images on the CD. Beside each thumbnail, write the entry number as indicated on the CD list.
The artist’s name should be on the CD in black permanent marker
CDs with an excess of 10 images will not be viewed.

FOR THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

Media Arts (Film and Video)

SUBMIT:

· DVD with your name, title, date created, sound credits, and total length of work.

· You may recommend that jurors view segments that best represent your work.

The Jurors

LEANNE GOEBEL is a Colorado-based arts writer. “Writing about visual art is my passion,” Goebel says. “My goal is to reflect the myriad ways creativity is expressed and to convey the soul of the artist in a way that is accessible to the reader, yet challenges them. Writing about art completes the artistic process by providing an intelligent viewer reaction. I strive to write informed observation and make judgments that are more than just opinion.” She is an award-winning arts journalist and was selected as one of twelve U.S. Journalists to participate in the 2009 National Endowment for the Arts International Arts Journalism Institute in the Visual Arts. She is a 2007 Creative Capital/Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant recipient, a member of the International Art Critics Association (AICA/USA), the National Arts Journalism Program, and the Society of Professional Journalists. Goebel has a B.A. Degree in English Literature/Creative Writing/Art from the University of Texas, San Antonio. She has been a writer and editor for more than 25 years. She blogs at http://leannegoebel.com and http://adobeairstream.com

NAPOLEON JONES-HENDERSON describes himself as an “Artist, Educator, Activist, and Citizen of the Universe.” He works with a variety of materials to create large sculptures that reflect the African-American experience. He attended the Sorbonne in Paris, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Art Institute of Chicago and completed his graduate studies at Northern Illinois University. He is a founding member of Africobra, one of the most important visual arts collectives to come out of the Chicago Black Arts Movement. He is founder of the Napoleon Jones-Henderson Research Institute of African and African Diaspora Arts in Roxbury, Mass. He has received the Mayor of Boston Award of Recognition for Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, the Massachusetts State Senate Citation for Cultural Excellence, and an Award of Excellence from the National Conference of Artists. He has taught in the art departments of several American institutions, including Malcolm X College in Chicago, Massachusetts College of Art, Emerson College in Boston and Benedict College in Columbia, S.C. “My work in its essence is spiritual; meaning-full,” Jones-Henderson says. “We must be about the business of expressing what is beautiful -- ourselves.”

KAREN ROGERS has been a resident of Santa Fe, New Mexico for twenty three years. A former gallery owner representing the Wyeth and Hurd family of artists for fifteen years, she has also held positions in prestigious art galleries including Gerald Peters Gallery, Allan Houser Inc., Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, and Zane Bennett Contemporary Art. Ms. Rogers founded Karen Rogers Visual Artist Advisory in 2010. Visual Artist Advisory results from over two decades of Ms. Rogers work in the contemporary art market. Offering administrative support and career development services for artists, the mission of VAA is to cultivate and promote the careers of visual artists in the greater art world. Services range from funding research to placement in residency programs, corporate collections, museums and commercial venues. Rogers provides expertise, contacts, and excellence she has gained as a professional in the arts.

Your questions answered

What is the Wyoming Arts Council?

Founded in 1967, the Wyoming Arts Council is a state agency that forges collaborations with artists, arts organizations and communities through grants, technical assistance and promotion.

Why does the Arts Council give visual art fellowship awards?

The WAC annually awards fellowships to honor the work of Wyoming visual artists that reflects serious and exceptional aesthetic investigation.

How Are Fellows Selected?

Fellowships are awarded based on the artistic merit of work as demonstrated in the visual support material and artist’s statement submitted.

How Many Fellowships are Awarded?

Each year the Wyoming Arts Council awards up to three $3,000 fellowships in the visual arts. In addition to the three recipients, each panel identifies two honorable mentions. The Council encourages artists to complete their applications accurately and carefully select their visual materials. Panelists may choose not to award the number of fellowships available.

How is My Work Reviewed?

CD images will be projected in sequence on a screen.

How are Panels Assembled?

Out-of-state jurors are chosen to represent a wide range of stylistic and aesthetic concerns; a broad understanding of contemporary visual art; and ethnic, gender, and age diversity. This year’s judging session will be held in Pinedale on March 30, 2012. Fellowship results will be announced on Saturday, March 31, following presentations by the jurors.

For more information, contact:

Michael Shay, Wyoming Arts Council

(307) 777-5234

E-mail: mike.shay@wyo.gov Web: wyoarts.state.wy.us

Go to application now at http://wyomingarts.blogspot.com/p/2012-visual-arts-fellowship-application.html