Prospectus
14th Biennial
NATIONAL ART EXHIBITION
Held in Historic Punta Gorda, FL ♦ February 16 – April 12, 2024
Sponsored by the Mary Ellen Byrd Legacy for the Arts
Best of Show: $3,000
Total Prize Money Over $10,000
Application Dates: July 24 - December 4, 2023
Application Fee: $40.00, Notification Date: December 29, 2023
2024 National Art Exhibit (NAE) At A Glance
Entry into the 2024 NAE will begin July 24, 2023, and continue through midnight on December 4, 2023. All entries must be entered digitally via Juried Art Services (JAS) at www.juriedartservices.com. Use of JAS is free for applicants. JAS provides a comprehensive “help” menu as well as telephone and email support. Artist notification will be made by email on or before December 29, 2023. If accepted into the 14th Biennial 2024 NAE, you will receive further instructions by email regarding receiving and other important information.
The Visual Arts Center
One of the nation’s most prestigious juried exhibitions of two-dimensional media; this show is hosted by the Visual Arts Center, located in the heart of Punta Gorda along beautiful Charlotte Harbor. Punta Gorda is geographically situated in Southwest Florida between Sarasota and Naples, an affluent art-buying market. The show’s dates coincide with our greatest population of seasonal residents.
The 1,000-member Visual Arts Center brings art and culture to its community through multi-media classes; state-of-the-art jewelry, pottery, and glass studios; workshops, lectures, and art festivals. The Visual Arts Center also boasts an outstanding Art and Supply Store, gift gallery and displays exhibits in three galleries year-round.
Important Dates in 2023
- July 24: Online entry begins
- December 4: Online entry closes at midnight
- Notification by email will occur by December 29
Important Dates in 2024
- Receiving for shipped artwork: February 6th,7th, 8th & 9th.
- Receiving for hand-delivered work: February 9th from 10am-3pm and February 10th from 10am-1pm at the Visual Arts Center
- February 16th: Exhibit opens to the public
- February 22nd: Awards Reception at the Visual Arts Center
- April 12th: Last day of Exhibit
- April 13th from 10am-1pm or April 15th from 10am-3pm – Pick up artwork (not sold) in person
- April 15th return shipping begins
- There will be several other events associated with NAE including Poetry night, Docent tours, and zoom critique with juror, Dates TBD
Awards
The works selected for the show will be determined based on digital images. Awards are based upon actual artwork.
- First Prize: $3,000
- Second Prize: $2,000
- Third Prize: $1,000
- Award for Portrait Excellence: $750 (Eligibility limited to paintings, drawings, and pastels)
- Award for Abstract Excellence: $750
- Three (3) Excellence Awards: $500
- Merit Awards $250 each – Up to five will be awarded
- People’s Choice Award: $100 gift certificate awarded near close of exhibit
Total prize money will be in excess of $10,000.
Juror
Jean Pederson AWS, TWSA, NWS, CSPWC, SFCA, ASA
Jean is the author of Expressive Portraits: Creative Methods for Painting People and Mixed Media Painting Workshop. She has served as a contributing editor for The Artist’s Magazine, appeared in several of the Splash best-of-watercolor series, Watercolor Artist, Magazin’Art and has many instructional DVD’s.
Included in Canada’s Who’s Who, Jean has been honored with numerous national and international awards over the years, and has work placed in the Royal Collection in Windsor, England. She was the first recipient of the Federation of Canadian Artists Early Achievement Award, recognizing her many honors and awards for consistently exceptional painting, and for her international writing to promote art education. Jean was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for contribution to the arts.
Jean Pederson has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally in museums and galleries in Jiangsu China, London, England, Stockholm, Sweden, New York, United Nations, San Francisco, Mexico and across Canada.
A popular instructor throughout North America, she has led workshops at colleges, professional organizations, symposiums and has juried national and international exhibitions.
Eligibility
This exhibition is limited to two-dimensional paintings and drawings in oil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, charcoal, colored pencil, graphite, and mixed media. Media for the Visual Art Center Award for Portrait Excellence is limited to drawing, painting, and pastel. The work must have been completed in the last three years and cannot have been accepted into the Visual Arts Center’s 2022 National Art Exhibition. Computer-generated art, etchings, prints (including mono prints), enhanced/embellished or painted giclée’s, photography, glass, and fiber/fabric art are not eligible. No dimension can exceed 6 feet. Work must not weigh more than 60 pounds. Artists must be at least 18 years of age to enter. Artwork from any state or country is eligible for entry.
Entry Procedures
You may enter up to three (3) pieces for jurying, however ONLY ONE ENTRY will be accepted. Entry MUST be made online through Juried Arts Services (www.juriedartservices.com). Your full entry (including non-refundable payment and image uploads) MUST BE COMPLETED by midnight on Monday, December 4, 2023, in order to be considered. No entries or applications will be accepted by email, by regular mail or in person. The entry fee is $40 for the first submission and $15 for each second and third submission.
Displaying of Exhibit Works
All works must be properly framed. Glass and gallery quality plexiglass may be used for framing. Gallery wrapped canvases will be considered properly framed provided stapled edges are not exposed. Art must be ready to hang with securely fastened picture wire. The wire must be taped or secured with no sharp edges. The center of the wire must be at least four inches from the top of the frame when hung.
Accepted Work
All entries will receive an email notification of juried results by December 29, 2023. Artists whose work is accepted into the exhibition will then receive instructions for shipping and delivery. The Visual Arts Center reserves the right to return work that does not meet the specifications herein. Any work that differs from accepted entries will be disqualified upon receipt. No work may be withdrawn before the closing of the exhibit.
Originality Policy
Only original works may be submitted to this exhibit. This means that the subject of the entry must be a concept entirely developed and executed by the submitting artist. Duplications of another’s photograph or art (even if image is copyright-free) whether by machine or paint, are not eligible. Reproductions, including enhanced/embellished or painted giclée’s of your work, are not eligible. Any work found to be duplicated will be removed and any awards revoked.
Release & Agreement Notice
The Visual Arts Center will exercise the same care with respect to the property exhibited as it does in safeguarding its own property but does not accept responsibility for loss or damage to any work during the exhibit and related activities. Each participating artist hereby agrees to release and hold the Visual Arts Center and its agents (including staff and volunteers) harmless from loss or damage to the artist or the artist’s work arising in any way from the exhibit or related activities. For purposes hereof, the phrase “loss or damage” includes, but is not limited to, theft, mistaken labeling, damage by a guest, the Visual Arts Center or its agents or damage due to environmental conditions including shipping and receiving.
Publicity
All participating artists agree to allow the Visual Arts Center to use their artwork in advertising, in press releases, on our website, and in any other promotional activities. Care will be taken to give each artist proper credit.
Sales of Artwork
All artwork must be for sale. Work will be sold at the price originally stated by the artist on the entry form. There will be a 40% commission to the Visual Arts Center on all sales.
The Charlotte County Art Guild, Inc. dba The Visual Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation and enjoyment of the arts. Our mission is to inspire, explore, create, and promote the visual arts.
QUESTIONS?
Please contact the Visual Arts Center at 941.639.8810
or email exhibits@visualartcenter.org