2015 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival
May 15, 2015 to May 17, 2015
Reston, Virginia
Application Dates
Aug 6 to Dec 13 '14
Application Fee
$50.00
(see prospectus for details)
Notification Date
Jan 27, 2015

Prospectus

24th annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival
May 15, 16, 17, 2015
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.

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 30,000 weekend visitors plenty to see and do. During the event GRACE assembles interactive contemporary art performances and diverse art-focused activities for families.


NEW for 2015: We are making changes to the Festival in response to direct input we received from participating artists via their artist surveys. These changes are marked “NEW” in this prospectus and reflect our desire to place the emphasis of our event on the art and our artists.

NEW GRACE is committed to elevating the profile of our Festival, and has doubled its marketing budget for 2015 to reach new audiences and promote interest from collectors. To enhance regional appeal and promote an art-focused atmosphere for the Festival, GRACE is also partnering with internationally-recognized earth artist Patrick Dougherty. Mr. Dougherty will construct a site-specific, immersive, temporary installation in Town Square Park, which will be on view during the Festival and will be promoted as part of the Festival activities.

NEW Festival Dates and Hours:

Friday, May 15 10 am – 4 pm artist booth set up
Saturday, May 16 10 am – 6 pm booths open and ready for business
Sunday, May 17 10 am – 5 pm booths open and ready for business

The 2015 Festival will be open to the public on Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, 2015.

NEW Festival Launch Party
Friday, May 15 7pm – 9pm

After Friday set-up, all participating artists are invited to attend a complimentary dinner at the Pavilion on Friday evening. Artists will enjoy food and beverages, and have a chance to mingle with our supporters and special guests. Because there are no open booths on Friday, this event will not distract from sales. It is intended to highlight participating artists, and give everyone, including our sponsors, members, and VIPs, a chance to celebrate the Festival. The event will be casual cocktail attire.

NEW Artist Awards Presentation
Saturday, May 16 6:30pm – 8pm

Last year, for the first time the ten $500 Excellence Contemporary Art Awards were sponsored and recognized in a public forum. This year we are pleased to announce that the awards will again be sponsored by Boston Properties, a committed GRACE partner and Reston Town Center developer, and all artists are invited to GRACE for an awards presentation with complimentary champagne and light hors’d'oeuvres on Saturday evening.

NEW
Artist Award Categories
On Saturday night when Boston Properties proudly announces the ten winners, artists will notice that, once again GRACE has made a change in response to suggestions from our artists. The ten awards will be selected via categories, outlined on page 7 of this prospectus, so that the prizes are more equitably distributed.

The mission of the Greater Reston Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, 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 proceeds from the Festival support our exhibition, education, and outreach programs.

HOW TO APPLY:

To apply for consideration each prospective exhibiting artist must complete an online application at www.juriedartservices.com. 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 1 – December 7, 2014, Midnight EST

Application Deadline Sunday, December 7, 2014, 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, 2014.

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 specified on page 4. 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 regarding reproductions on page 8 of this application prospectus.

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. Rules for prints are listed in the Festival Policies on page 8 of this application prospectus.

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. Rules for prints are listed in the Festival Policies on page 8 of this application prospectus.

Printmaking – Images hand-pulled from stones, plates, glass, or screened surfaces using a printing press, roller or hand brayer. Rules for prints are listed in the Festival Policies on page 8 of this application prospectus.

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 2015 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival.

JAS requires that the images be

• saved as a JPEG (files ending in.jpg)

• between 2000 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 Sunday, December 7, 2014.

• 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, 2014, your application will not be submitted for review by the jurors.

JURYING
Jurying for the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival will go through multiple rounds. Beginning on December 9, 2014 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.

NOTIFICATIONS

The artists invited to participate in the 2015 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival will be notified on Wednesday, January 21, 2015. 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 Wednesday, January 21, 2015. 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 Wednesday, January 21, 2015. All forms and payments will be processed online and 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.

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 2015 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 16, 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.

NEW The scores from the following categories will be calculated separately to ascertain the award winners from each of the following artistic groups.

1. Ceramics

2. Drawing and Printmaking

3. Decorative Fibers and Leather

4. Glass

5. Fiber/Textiles

6. Furniture and Wood

7. Jewelry

8. Metal, Mixed Media 3D, and Sculpture

9. Painting and Mixed Media 2D

10. Photography and Digital & Multi-media art

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 2016 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.

All artists and their team members must comply with general rules of conduct and instructions given by GRACE Festival Staff, Reston Town Center staff and Fairfax County Police. Further details regarding the schedule of booth set-up and artist load out; will be emailed directly to participating artists.

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 6, 2015.
  • 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, and mailed after April 1, 2015.
  • After April 1, 2015 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, 2015.

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.

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, 2015, 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 Wednesday, April 1, 2015.

• 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, 2015. 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.northernvirginiafineartsfestival.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.

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.restonarts.org

APPLICATION TECHNICAL SUPPORT:
Juried Art Services
561.832.0480
support@jurying.net