2021 Central City Plein Air Festival

September 22 - September 26, 2021

Central City, Colorado

Application Dates: January 22 – June 1, 2021

Application Fee: $40

Notification Date: June 15, 2021

Central City Opera, in partnership with the Gilpin County Arts Association, seeks 25 artists to participate in the 2021 Central City Plein Air Festival, Wednesday, September 22 – Sunday, September 26.

Up to 25 artists will be selected to paint the fall landscapes and historic architecture of this Colorado mountain town. The festival culminates in an Exhibition, Sale, and Awards Reception on Sunday, September 26^th in which the paintings created throughout the weekend will be on display and available for purchase in the Gilpin County Art Association’s Washington Hall Gallery. The festival will be an outdoor, physically distanced event.

Entry & Selection Process

The Central City Plein Air Festival is open to all artists 18 and older. Entries must be submitted electronically, along with a non-refundable application fee of $40. Required application information includes 3-5 artwork images and an artist bio/statement that will be later shared with festival attendees. Artists are selected through a blind juried process consisting of one juror. The judge will review all submitted applications and select up to 25 artists to participate in the 2021 event.  The previous year’s Best in Show Award and Quick Draw winners are invited back without jury process. Notification of selected artists will be sent to each applicant via e-mail no later than June 15, 2021. Artist agreement forms will be emailed to those who have been accepted following the announcement.

Image Requirements

Each artist must submit 3-5 images of the Plein Air artwork in JPEG format, color space preferred format with a resolution of 300 DPI (max 4000 pixels on the longest side). Submitted artwork images must be representative of the type, style, and medium of artwork the artist plans to create during the festival itself. Applicants may only submit images of artwork that has been created entirely of their own skill with no assistance of instruction. No digitally manipulated images are allowed. You may only adjust for brightness, contrast, color correction, and to remove scratches and debris.

Event Requirements

All artwork must be completed on-site, within a 2-mile radius of the Central City Opera House area between September 22^nd and September 26^th, 2021. No studio artwork is permitted for judging. Artists are asked to paint 3-5 original paintings for prize judging at the Exhibition and Sale on Sunday, September 26, 2021. Canvases will be stamped with an approved insignia as they arrive. Only artwork with this stamp will be permitted in the Exhibition & Sale and this authentication must be visible on the back of the artwork substrate. Artists are required to attend both the Festival Kick-ff Party on Thursday, September 24, 2021 and Public Awards Reception and Exhibition and Sale on Sunday, September 26, 2021.

Sales

·        This event supports Central City Opera House Association (Central City Opera), and the Gilpin County Arts Association, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. A portion of these sales will go to these organizations.
Gilpin County Arts Association staff and volunteers will be responsible for taking and processing all sales and the will remit artists’ earnings within thirty (30) days after the exhibition closes. Artists are permitted to take commissioned works, but these requests are subject to the same commissioned rate. Payment for any commissioned pieces must also be made at the time the commission is requested by the buyer.

Cash Awards

Best of Show: $1,200

2^nd Place: $800

3^rd Place: $400

Artist Choice Award: $500

Best Opera House Painting: $500

Quick Draw Competition Award: $300

Lodging/Transportation

Lodging is available to each participating for five (5) nights, for the cost of a $25 cleaning/sanitation fee. Lodging is available beginning Wednesday, September 22^nd through Sunday, September 26^th.  Artists will be housed in the historic Victorian homes owned by Central City Opera House Association. Please note, the Victorian Homes available for artist lodging are group accommodations. Artists will share a kitchen and bathroom with up to 11 other artists. Additionally, artists who choose to take advantage of these lodging accommodations will be required to bring their own linens and toiletries (sheets, towels, pillows, shampoo etc.). Artists are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Central City, Colorado.

Important Dates

Licensing For Promotion

Artist acceptance to the event grants Central City Opera a nonexclusive license to use images of participating artists in Central City Opera promotional purposes including, but not limited to, the invitation, website, posters, advertisements, social media account and subsequent year’s prospectus. Participating artists must sign a photo/video release authorizing Central City Opera to reproduce and use said photographs/recordings for use in Central City Opera advertising, publicity, commercial or other business purposes.

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