Prospectus
23rd annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival
May 16, 17, 18, 2014
Reston Town Center
Reston, VA
FESTIVAL DESCRIPTION:
The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is produced by the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) and is a competitive, juried, outdoor event that showcases the best contemporary fine art and craft from around the country. The Festival is held in the streets of Reston Town Center, an upscale, elegant, shopping destination, located in Reston, a vibrant suburb of Washington, DC.
The mission of the Greater Reston Arts Center is to enrich community life by promoting involvement and excellence in contemporary visual arts. The purpose of the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is to help fulfill GRACE’s mission by offering the highest quality fine art and craft to the public in an exciting, easily accessible, and well-managed venue.
The 2014 Festival will be held on May 16, 17, and 18, 2014 and marks our 23rd anniversary. Two hundred artists will be selected on the basis of quality, originality, and craftsmanship by a panel of jurors, who are experts in their fields, and by members of GRACE’s professional staff. Among the selected artists will be ten award winners from the previous year, and a limited number of artists invited by GRACE. In addition to hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind artwork, this top-rated juried Fine Art Festival offers approximately 50,000 weekend visitors plenty to see and do. During the event GRACE assembles interactive contemporary art performances and diverse art-focused activities for families.
GRACE does not charge artists sales commissions, but we do ask that participating artists give a 10% discount on one piece of art over the weekend to any of our 400 members who present an Opening Night Party coupon at the time of purchase. GRACE does not charge admission to the Festival but donations are encouraged and collected by volunteers at our Art Carts. 100% of the funds collected at the Art Carts directly support GRACE’s mission and cover our operating expenses throughout the year.
GRACE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a professional staff, Board of Directors, and more than 400 community volunteers who assist us in making each Festival a success. The proceeds from the Festival support our exhibition, education, and outreach programs.
FESTIVAL DATES and HOURS :
All participating artists are required to have booths open and ready for business during the following hours, rain or shine.
| Friday | May 16 | 5 pm – 8 pm |
| Saturday | May 17 | 10 am – 8 pm |
| Sunday | May 18 | 10 am – 5 pm |
LOCATION : Reston Town Center, Reston, Virginia, 20190
AREA and DEMOGRAPHICS:
Reston is located in Fairfax County, Virginia. In April 2013, Forbes Magazine produced a list of the wealthiest counties in America, and Fairfax was ranked #4. Four neighboring counties were also listed, the closest being, Loudoun County, which is right on the border of the Reston area, was ranked #1 for the second consecutive year. According to Forbes, the DC area held six of the ten wealthiest counties in the nation, all of whose median household incomes are between $93,000 and $117,000 annually. With over sixty thousand residents who value the arts in their community Reston was also ranked #7 out of 100 as America's Best Places to Live by CNN’s Money Magazine in 2012.
The 2013 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival was ranked #22 for Fine Art and #28 for Fine Craft by Greg Lawler's Art Fair SourceBook. Of the 78% of the artists who returned our artist surveys last year, 20.5% said they sold between $5k and $10k, with 5.5% saying they sold more than $10k.
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply for consideration each prospective exhibiting artist must complete an online application. Each application requires four (4) artwork images and one (1) booth/display image fully representative of work they intend to exhibit, an artist statement, limited to 2,000 characters, explaining your creative process, use of materials and techniques, and the application fee. Collaborative work must be submitted as a joint application with each artist’s name listed on the application. Two or more collaborators should be listed in the artist statement.
APPLICATION DEADLINES and FEES:
All applications to the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival must be submitted online through www.juriedartservices.com
Open Application Period: August 16 – December 7, 2013, Midnight EST
Application Deadline Saturday, December 7, 2013, Midnight EST
The non-refundable application fee for all applications is $50, payable online by credit card (Visa, Master Card or American Express) or check via the USPS mail.
NOTICE: Your application is not complete until GRACE receives the application fee.
No applications will be accepted after Midnight EST on December 7, 2013.
GRACE will accept application payment via personal check; however, bank fees for any returned checks will be charged back to the artist.
If paying by check make it payable to the Greater Reston Arts Center, and mail to:
Greater Reston Arts Center
Attn: Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival
12001 Market Street, Suite 103
Reston, VA 20190
MULTIPLE ENTRIES: Individual artists may submit separate applications, fees, and images for each medium in which they wish to be considered. An image of the same work of art will not be accepted in more than one application. Artists may submit only one application per medium. If only one application is accepted, then only work in the media category selected may be exhibited.
ELIGIBILITY: Artists must submit applications in the appropriate media category as described on under the CATEGORIES and DESCRIPTIONS. For all applications the following conditions apply:
• The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is open to all artists 18 years of age and older.
• GRACE is committed to presenting original, well-conceived, and expertly executed works, made either by hand or with appropriate tools, by the exhibiting artists.
• GRACE encourages artists who are exploring the boundaries of their media, by incorporating the use of found objects, repurposed materials, or technology, to apply.
•All exhibited artwork must have been created within the last five years.
Works that include the following are NOT ELIGIBLE:
• Artwork made from or including materials or parts acquired from the killing of endangered species (exotic leathers, feathers, tusks, elephant or mammoth ivory), dried/silk flower arrangements, bonsai, or commercially made objects.
• Artwork produced with commercial kits (e.g. molds, patterns, plans, prefabricated forms) or by other commercial or factory methods.
• Works done by a production studio producing works in volume are not allowed.
• Artists may not sell factory produced items, including but not limited to, commercial clothing, candles, T-shirts, or soap.
• Artists may not sell mass produced materials of their works, including but not limited to, postcards, notecards, stationery, calendars, posters, magnets, or books. Artists who hand make notecards and/or postcards, books and/or journals will be permitted to sell them in small quantities at GRACE’s discretion.
• Artists are permitted to sell prints and reproductions but they must adhere to the criteria listed in the Festival Policies under Rules Regarding PRINTS and REPRODUCTIONS.
CATEGORIES and DESCRIPTIONS:
All applications must be categorized according to medium. Some artists find that their works fall into multiple categories. Please choose the one (1) category that most accurately represents your artwork. Below is a list of the categories and their descriptions. If the jurors have a question about which category you have selected, GRACE will contact you for further discussion.
Ceramics – Objects created out of clay, earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, or terracotta.
Digital & Multi-Media Art – Images made with the primary assistance of a computer and/or featuring technological components. Prints must adhere to the criteria listed in the Festival Policies under Rules Regarding PRINTS and REPRODUCTIONS.
Drawing – Works created using dry media charcoal, crayons, chalk, graphite, pastels, pencils, or fluid media ink, pen, or markers.
Fiber/Textiles – 2D or 3D works created from fibers including batik, basketry, book making, decorative fiber, embroidery, papermaking, quilting, sewing, tapestry, wearable art (not including jewelry), and weaving.
Furniture – Functional and/or decorative furniture made from any material.
Glass – Functional and/or sculptural objects created by blowing, casting, kiln, or molding as well as all cold working processes. (Does not include Jewelry)
Jewelry – Artwork created with the intent to be worn as ornamentation through the fabrication of various materials. All jewelry, whether produced from beads, clay, crystal, fiber, found objects, gems, glass, metal, paper, plastic, semi-precious stones, stones, or other materials should be entered in this category.
Leather – Works hand-tooled from the rawhide of non-endangered species.
Metal – Artwork created through casting, forging, twisting, and fabricating various metals. (Does not include Jewelry)
Mixed Media 2D – Flat works on paper, canvas, clay board, panel, or other flat surfaces, that incorporate more than one type of art material.
Mixed Media 3D – Three-dimensional objects created using more than one type of material. (Does not include Jewelry)
Painting – Works produced on a flat surface using acrylic, botanical, gouache, oil, tempera, or watercolor paint media.
Photography – Works produced with the primary use of a camera. Prints must adhere to the criteria listed in the Festival Policies under Rules Regarding PRINTS and REPRODUCTIONS.
Printmaking – Images hand-pulled from stones, plates, glass, or screened surfaces using a printing press, roller or hand brayer. Prints must adhere to the criteria listed in the Festival Policies under Rules Regarding PRINTS and REPRODUCTIONS.
Sculpture – Three-dimensional work created by the artist using any medium.
Wood – Original works made from wood that are hand-tooled, machine-worked, turned or carved.
IMAGES: Applicants must use Juried Art Services (JAS) to submit an application electronically. Each application requires four (4) artwork images and one (1) booth/ display image that are fully representative of the work they intend to exhibit at the 2014 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival.
JAS requires that the images be
- saved as a JPEG (files ending in.jpg)
- between 1900 pixels and 4000 pixels at the longest dimension.
- saved in the sRGB color space
- 300 ppi (pixels per inch) or higher resolution
Artists are also strongly encouraged to:
- Obtain professional photography of your artwork to ensure the highest quality representation possible.
- Consider improving the quality of previously submitted images to meet these specifications.
- Choose pieces that are unique and exciting and are consistent in their presentation.
REVIEW and EDITING of Applications
• Applicants will be able to edit their applications until submissions close at Midnight EST on December 7, 2013.
• Artists can upload new images, revise statements, check payment status and view the application as it will be seen by the jurors until that time.
• If you have not completed your application, including the $50 application payment, by Midnight EST on December 7, 2013, your application will not be submitted for review by the jurors.
NOTIFICATIONS: Jurying for the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival will go through multiple rounds. Beginning on December 9, 2013 each application will be digitally reviewed by a panel of five jurors, who are experts in the field of fine art and fine craft. The panel will consist of three independent jurors and two members of GRACE’s professional staff. Each application will be scored independently by each of the five jurors, and each artist will be given a score from 1 – 7 based on quality, originality, craftsmanship, and overall booth display. Round 2 will consist of tallying the scores and discussion by the members of GRACE staff. Artists will be invited by consensus of the jurors. GRACE reserves the right to review the juror’s decisions at our discretion. All scores will be confidential and artists will not be given their individual scores or feedback on their portfolios.
The three independent jurors for the 2014 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival are:
Rachel Cozad, former Director of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Jo Lauria, former curator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Michael Monroe, Director emeritus of the Bellevue Arts Museum
All are superb professionalswith extensive experience in various disciplines of Fine Art and Fine Craft.
The artists invited to participate in the 2014 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival will be notified on Tuesday, January 21, 2014. Artists must go into their JAS account to view the results.
Jury results will be posted confidentially on the Juried Art Services website under the “Manage Application” function on Tuesday, January 21, 2014. Those whose application shows a green check mark 
are invited artists, a yellow exclamation point 
indicates waitlisted artists, and a red 
indicates rejected artists.
ACCEPTANCE
On January 21 all invited artists will receive an electronic letter from the Greater Reston Arts Center indicating the process for accepting the invitation. The email will come from ericaharrison@restonarts.org to your email address in the Juried Art Services system. If you change your email, it is your responsibility to access your JAS account and make sure the change is reflected before January 21.
Invited artists can also access the letter by clicking on the green check mark icon for the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival.
The letter will contain instructions on how to accept the invitation. It is important that invited artists who plan on participating access these instructions as early as possible. GRACE will begin accepting completed applications, booth space payments and space requests on January 21, 2014.
All Artist Acceptance forms and payments will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis.
WAITLIST
A waitlist for each media category will be developed based on the jurors’ scores. Waitlisted artists will be notified only when a space becomes available within their medium. The Greater Reston Arts Center reserves the right to balance its show through artists on the wait list. In 2013, 19% of the participating artists were called off the waitlist. Artists who are called off the waitlist will not have an opportunity to request a booth space.
Exhibitor’s Directory
The Greater Reston Arts Center will create an online listing and/or printed materials of all participating artists for the Festival. The listing will include accepted artist name(s), city, state, media category, and images submitted in the application. Information will be taken directly from the artist applications so please ensure its accuracy at the time of application.
AWARDS
• Featured Festival Artist
The Greater Reston Arts Center will select one accepted artist to be our Featured Festival Artist. An image from their application portfolio that exemplifies the qualities of our Festival will be selected to be our marketing piece for the 2014 Festival. The image will be used in online and print advertisements and reproduced on materials, including but not limited to: Festival brochures, magnets, t-shirts, posters and other marketing items. All accepted artists will be considered for this prestigious honor. The Featured Festival Artist application fee will be waived for the 2015 Festival. Artists must agree to GRACE’s unlimited use of their image for marketing purposes.
• Awards of Excellence
The Greater Reston Arts Center also recognizes outstanding work through ten (10) Awards of Excellence in Contemporary Art. A panel of three judges knowledgeable in fine art and craft will visit each artist’s booth on Saturday, May 17, beginning at 10 am. Artists are judged on the whole body of their work, not just one piece. As the judges are viewing an artist’s booth, a dot will be placed on the booth sign to indicate that the judge has viewed that particular booth. Judges will give each artist a score from 1- 7 based on quality, originality, consistency and display. The scores will be tallied and the top ten artists with the highest overall score will be selected as award winners. Awardees each receive a $500 cash prize, a blue ribbon to display on their booth, and are automatically juried into the following year’s festival. Award winners must still complete an application for entry for the 2015 Festival, but the application fee will be waived.
FESTIVAL POLICIES :
Before submitting an application to the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, GRACE encourages you to read through the Festival Policies. The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is a highly selective, fine art and fine craft outdoor exhibition presented as an extension of our arts center. Participating artists’ booths will be visited periodically by the Greater Reston Arts Center Staff and the Quality Assurance Committee to ensure each artist is in compliance with our policies. It is our exclusive right and responsibility to remove work that is not in compliance. Violations of Festival Policies may result in dismissal from the Festival and forfeiture of all fees paid. Our policies are as follows.
ARTWORK:
• All work must be original, handcrafted work which complies with the media definitions listed in this prospectus.
• Artwork on display must be consistent with the images submitted for jurying.
• All work must be produced by the accepted artist(s).
• All artwork must be in the same style and category for which you were accepted.
RULES REGARDING PRINTS and REPRODUCTIONS:
At our Festival it is impetrative that there is no misrepresentation between original fine art and reproductions of original works. “Prints” are defined as images produced by the artist through print-making techniques, such as lithography, or developing prints by use of a negative, as in photography. “Reproductions” are copies of original works also known as giclées. Artists using digital printing as a way to produce their original images must disclose their process at the time of application. We require that all artists selling prints, digital prints and/or reproductions adhere to the following criteria:
• All artwork must be high quality, fine art, and meet “archival quality” standards, printed in limited editions properly signed and numbered by the creating artist.
• Artists must disclose the printing process used at the time of application and have a description on display in their booths if invited to participate.
• Photographic prints must be made from the artist’s original negative and/or image and processed under the artist’s direct supervision by a reputable service.
• Only limited edition prints of no more than 250 from one source, hand-pulled, signed and numbered by the artist, will be permitted.
• Reproductions must not comprise more than 10% of the total art for sale, and must be signed, numbered, and matted.
• All reproductions must be clearly marked “reproduction” on labels and display signs, and must be kept in a browse bin within the designated booth space.
• No reproductions are permitted to be framed or hung within or on a booth.
• Works digitally printed on canvas will be permitted as part of the 10% of total art for sale.
• Artists may not sell mass produced materials of their works, including but not limited to, postcards, notecards, stationery, calendars, posters, magnets, or books. Artists who hand make notecards and/or postcards, books and/or journals will be permitted to sell them in small quantities at GRACE’s discretion.
BOOTH SPACE:
• All booths must be secure ten-foot-square, white, covered tents.
• All booth spaces are located on asphalt and measure 10’ x 10’.
• All tents and displays inside must be constructed to withstand crowds, wind, and inclement weather. This outdoor venue is subject to wind. All booths must be secured with appropriate weights to ensure stability in inclement weather. The use of Pro-Panels, Happy Feet and other professionally made tent equipment is advisable. The use of E-Z Up tents is not advisable.
• Tents may not be secured to the pavement or any permanent structure by any means. In the event of this occurrence, artists are responsible for fines and the cost of repair as imposed by the property owners.
• The use of the booth location is restricted to the assigned artist; no proxies are permitted. Two collaborating artists who produce a single body of work may exhibit together and occupy one booth if they were accepted as a duo.
• All art displayed at the Festival must be set up within the assigned booth space.
• No booth is to be left unattended during Festival hours. All artists, or persons affiliated with the artist, must personally attend their booth at all times. GRACE will arrange short-term booth sitting breaks for artists who request a 30 minute break. The volunteer Booth Sitters will not make any sales on your behalf.
BOOTH FEES for Accepted Artists:
• Accepted artists are required to pay a $500 booth fee to secure a standard 10’x 10’ space.
Additional Options for larger display spaces are as follows:
• Corner: 10’ x 10’ = $750 includes 5 additional feet of display area on one exterior side
Limited number available and given on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Double: 10’ x 20’ = $1,000
• Double with a corner: 10’ x 20’ = $1,250 includes 5 additional feet of display area on one exterior side. Limited number available and given on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Double with 2 corners: 10’ x 20’ = $1,500 includes 10 additional feet of display area on both exterior sides. Limited number available and given on a first-come, first-served basis.
Optional Block Reservation Request Fee:
For an additional $100, artists may choose to make a Block Reservation Request in their preferred area of the Festival footprint with the following provisions.
- Requests must be on the Artist Acceptance Form and submitted to GRACE with full payment by Midnight EST, February 28, 2014.
- Requests will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis. GRACE logs forms and payments by date and time of receipt.
- GRACE will place artist booths based on type of artwork and requests. Two artists making the same request will both need to pay the additional fee. Only in rare instances will GRACE place artists in the same category, or with like work, near each other.
- Block Reservation Request Fees are: $100 per 10’x10’ standard booth or $200 per 10’x20’ double booth.
- There is a two-week period between the announcement of the booth assignments and the last day for refunds. If during that time, and upon review of the festival footprint, an artist who made a request feels that it has been unfilled, then they can email ericaharrison@restonarts.org for a refund.
- If GRACE cannot fulfill your request, the entire Block Reservation Request fee will be refunded to you via check, mailed by April 1, 2014.
- After April 1, 2014 there will be no refunds for booth fees.
POWER:
• The Festival operational hours take place during daylight. Sunset is at 8:15pm.
• Artists are allowed to utilize quiet battery-powered lighting systems within their booths. Artists using such a lighting system assume all liability for its potential hazards.
• Fuel-powered generators are strictly prohibited.
• No equipment can inhibit, block or intrude on any other booth space or impede pedestrians visiting the festival.
• Electricity drawn from permanent external power source(s) on the Festival grounds is prohibited.
SALES TAX:
• Participating artists are responsible for collecting and paying 6% Virginia Sales Tax on all sales made during the Festival.
• Using the ST-50 Form (provided online and in your artist packet) Artists need to submit the required information and payments to the Virginia Department of Taxation by June 20, 2014.
SECURTY:
• All exhibiting artists are solely responsible for the security of their artwork.
• Artists are responsible to maintain appropriate insurance coverage and protection for their work and displays.
• Artists are strongly advised to remove all valuables from your booth each night.
• The Greater Reston Arts Center will not be held responsible for damage, theft, or loss of your work, or that of any other participating artist. However, The Greater Reston Arts Center does hire additional Reston Town Center security personnel and Fairfax County Police officers to patrol the Festival grounds after hours.
SET UP & TAKE DOWN:
• All artists and their team members must comply with set-up and take-down instructions given by GRACE Festival Staff and Fairfax County Police.
• Friday set up is from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
• Sunday booth take-down is from 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
At take-down on Sunday, no vehicles will be permitted on site until Fairfax County Police declare the streets clear of pedestrians and safe for vehicles.
REFUND POLICY:
• Submission of the Artist Acceptance Form is considered a commitment to comply with these Policies and to participate in the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival.
• In the event a registered artist cannot participate and notifies GRACE in writing on or prior to April 1, 2014, the Greater Reston Arts Center, at its discretion, may invite an alternate exhibitor.
• GRACE will retain a $50 administrative fee for any cancellation.
• No refunds will be made after Tuesday, April 1, 2014.
• Violation of Festival Policies may result in dismissal from the Festival and forfeiture of all fees paid.
ARTIST AGREEMENT:
I hereby submit this application to possibly become an exhibitor at the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival. I agree to abide by the Festival Policies and regulations as established by the Greater Reston Arts Center.
I also warrant that the artworks submitted for jurying and the artworks to be shown were produced solely by myself, or in collaboration with the co-artist named, in the category in which I have applied. I also authorize use of the images submitted with my application or duplicates thereof for festival publicity, documentation or archival purposes.
I agree to grant a license to the Greater Reston Arts Center to reproduce electronically, in limited resolution, my original artwork for a period of up to eighteen (18) months beginning January 21, 2014. I understand by signing this agreement, I retain full copyright of my original artwork. My images shall not be redistributed except as anticipated on the www.restonarts.org or www.northernvirginiafinaeartsfestival.org web sites, festival printed material, advertising and other festival-related media, without the express written permission of myself and the Greater Reston Arts Center.
The Greater Reston Arts Center reserves the right to make final interpretation of all rules.
CALENDAR:
August 16 – December 7, 2013
Open Application Period
$50 non-refundable application fee
December 7, 2013, Midnight EST
Application Deadline
December 9, 2013 – January 20, 2014
Jurying
January 21, 2014
Artist notification through Juried Art Services at Midnight EST and via email from GRACE.
February 28, 2014
Deadline for Artists to make a Block Reservation Request
March 1, 2014
Waitlisted Artists contacted of openings
March 17, 2014
Booth Assignments announced on NorthernVirginiaFineArtsFestival.org
April 1, 2014
Last day to submit withdrawal in writing and receive a full refund less a $50 admin fee. No refunds after this date for any reason.
May 16, 2014, Friday
Booth set-up 11:00am – 4:00 pm
Festival OPEN 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm, rain or shine
Details for artist check in and booth set up instructions will be included in the festival acceptance information.
May 17, 2014, Saturday
Booth set-up 6:00 am – 9:00 am
Festival OPEN10:00 am – 8:00 pm, rain or shine
May 18, 2014, Sunday
Booth set-up 6:00 am – 9:00 am
Festival OPEN 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, rain or shine
Booth take-down 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
At take-down on Sunday, no vehicles will be permitted on site until Fairfax County Police declare the streets clear of pedestrians and safe for vehicles.
EVENT CONTACT INFORMATION:
Erica Harrison, Artist Coordinator
ericaharrison@restonarts.org
Greater Reston Arts Center
12001 Market Street, Suite #103
Reston, VA 20190
703.471.9242
www.NorthernVirginiaFineArtsFestival.org
APPLICATION TECHNICAL SUPPORT:
Juried Art Services
support@jurying.net