2024 Judged Show: Art in Bloom (currently at Degallery)

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CALL FOR ENTRY

Art in Bloom – A Feast for the Senses

Our 2024 annual spring judged show, “Art in Bloom – A Feast for the Senses,” celebrates the relationship between art and nature in all its forms. How have you been inspired by the natural world to create works of art that reflect the beauty of nature?

ENTRY FORM

IMPORTANT DATES (UPDATED)

  • Online submissions open: January 1, 2023
  • Entry Deadline: Sunday, April 14, 2024 Saturday, April 20, 2024
  • Notification of acceptance: by April 17, 2024 April 21 or 22, 2024 (If your art is family-friendly, it will most likely be accepted). If you need to know sooner, contact shows@visualartsociety.org.
  • Art Drop-off: April 24 10am – 5pm at Degallery, 930 N Rosemary Dr., Bryan TX 77802. Please do not drop them off outside of the this time frame. Degallery has limited storage space. If you cannot make this time for drop off, please email shows@visualartsociety.org. Items may be shipped to Degallery C/O Visual Art Society and must arrive with prepaid return shipping label, properly labeled for show and ready to hang, by April 24.
  • Opening Reception: April 26 (6pm-8pm) All are encouraged to attend.
  • People’s Choice Award Party: Friday, June 28 July 26th (time to be announced). From April 26 to June 28 July 26, all visitors to Degallery will have the opportunity to vote one time only for the three artworks they like the most. The votes will be tallied at a public get-together on Friday, June 28th July 26th (time to be announced). There will be wine involved and lots of fun! All artists will receive the complete tally of the voting results.
  • Unsold Art Pickup: July 3 July 31(10am-5pm) after closing reception at 8pm or a little later, Sat July 27 from 9am-3pm, Monday, July 29, from 9am-5pm. Contact shows@visualartsociety.org if you cannot pick up during this timeframe.
  • The exhibit was extended since Degallery will be closed for a few weeks. This gives more time for the public to view and hopefully purchase our art. If this is an issue for you, please contact shows@visualartsociety.org.

Divisions & Categories

Each Artist entering will make their own division choice based on their level of experience with creating art. Explanations of each division can be found below and on the Explanation of Divisions and Categories page.

Divisions:

Each Artist entering will make their own division choice based on their level of experience as follows. If you have any questions, please contact our show chair, Dary Dega at shows@visualartsociety.org

  • Professional – We will consider you a professional artist if you meet any one or more of the following criteria: (1) you have an art degree (BA, BFA, MFA, MA), (2) you have experience as an art instructor, art teacher, professor of art, or any fine art workshops instructor, or (3) you have artwork available for sale in galleries, on your personal website, on online platforms, or in your art studio.  If you do not meet any of these criteria, you will be considered as a non-professional artist. 
  • Non-Professional – We will consider you a non-professional artist if you are not a professional artist.  Therefore, all of the following statements must be true. (1) You do not have an art degree (BA, BFA, MFA, MA), (2) you have no experience as an art instructor, art teacher, professor of art, or any fine art workshops instructor, AND (3) you have little or no  artwork available for sale in galleries, on your personal website, on online platforms, or in your art studio. 
  • High School Student – This division is for students in grades 9 – 12.

Categories:

There are 10 categories of awards in each of the Artist Divisions. Please read carefully, because changes have been made. Artists may enter pieces in one category, or several categories.  The categories are divided by “types of art”. The judge may award honorable mention awards at their discretion. The judge is not obligated to award place ribbons and may withhold ribbons if entries in a particular category do not merit them. Each artist will decide into which category to place their work.  Note that the Show Chair may decide to combine similar categories if there are not enough entries in a category to warrant a separate category.

  • Abstract/Experimental/Non-Objective – Any art form that does not objectively nor accurately represent visual reality
  • Digital Art – All forms of digital art including photography that has been greatly manipulated or altered using technology
  • Drawing – Drawing with soft pastel, oil pastel, etching, pencil, colored pencil, pen and ink, charcoal and scratchboard
  • Mixed Media – Artwork displaying two or more types of media, including but not limited to collage, encaustic painting and other mixed media
  • Painting – Acrylic (representational)
  • Painting – Oil (representational)
  • Painting – Watercolor (representational)
  • Photography – Includes traditional film photography, hand colored images, emulsion transfers, and digital photography that has not been manipulated to achieve results beyond what could be done in a traditional darkroom. HDR, photo stacking and multiple exposure are accepted in this category.
  • Sculpture – 3-dimensional art done in any medium.
  • Studio Fine Crafts – Original fine crafts created in a studio environment including glass blowing, stained glass, printmaking, pottery, porcelain, woodwork, jewelry, mosaic, weaving, fiber art, metal work, or other finely crafted items.

Ribbons

First, second, & third place ribbons may be awarded in each category for each of the Award Divisions (Professional, Non-Professional, HS Student) Three special ribbons will be presented to the First Place in each division. The judge is not obligated to award place ribbons and may withhold ribbons if entries in a particular category do not merit them. Each artist will choose the category in which to place their work. Note: while the judge is making her/his decisions, all artists’ names will be hidden from view, including the artist signature on the art piece.

Cash Awards

We are starting something new this year; we will have two kinds of cash awards:

  • Judge’s Awards – presented at the opening reception
    • $150 each to the best overall professional artist and the best overall non-professional artist
    • $50 to the best overall high school student
  • People’s Choice Awards
    • From April 26 to July 26, all visitors to Degallery will have the opportunity to vote one time only for the three artworks they like the most. The votes will be tallied at a public get-together on Friday, July 26th (time to be announced). There will be wine involved and lots of fun! All artists will receive the complete tally of the voting results.
      • $150 to the #1 most popular artist
      • $100 to the #2 most popular artist
      • $50 to the #3 most popular artist

About the Judge

We are very fortunate to have Carolina Noemi Dalmas, an acrylic and pastel artist from The Woodlands, TX, as our judge for the 2024 VAS Judged Show, Art in Bloom.

The Artist’s Biography

Argentinian artist Carolina Dalmas founder of “Artistically Painted and Designed” creates art with a deep connection to nature though botanical and floral themes.  Her Contemporary Realism style portrays the texture and color of a vibrant world around us, bringing pure joy to her international art collectors. Her art classes are based on observation, encouraging her students to learn to see first, she believes this journey of discovery helps her students see the world as if they are seeing it for the first time, which not only helps them artistically but also in their everyday lives through creative problem solving.

Acrylic and pastels are her favorite mediums. She likes the freshness of pastels because it helps to keep her work light and simple. Recently, one of Carolina’s pastel works was awarded first place for the Still Life category on the 24th edition of the” Pastel 100 Competition”, hosted by the magazine Pastel Journal.

Artist Statement

My mom sent me to my first art lesson when I was 7, since then I’ve been enjoying art as a nonstop journey. The inspiration for my works comes from nature, especially by the incredible world of flowers. I think that the elements of design are best depicted by nature through flowers. They show us a vast variety of shapes, textures, tones, and amazing colors.  In addition, I enjoy drawing and painting human figures, including people doing spontaneous daily activities. I am also amazed by different and unique cultures and architectures, which I like to capture in my artwork.

ENTRY FEES

Current Members: $35 for 1-3 entries, and $10 for each additional entry up to a total of 6.

Non-members: $50 for 1-3 entries, and $10 for each additional entry up to a total of 6.

High School Students: $5 per entry up to 3 total.

The multi-piece discount will only apply if all of your pieces are included in the same entry form. It is easier to wait until you are ready to enter ALL your pieces. You will be able to save a draft, but the form must be completed and submitted by the deadline. Your entry will NOT submit automatically. Email webmaster@visualartsociety.org if you are having issues.

If you are not a current member, you may join or renew online.

WHAT IS MY FEE USED FOR?

The Brazos Valley Art League, dba Visual Art Society of Bryan-College Station, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization operated by volunteers who are artists and art appreciators, for artists, with no reserve or endowment. All proceeds from entry fees fund project-related expenses. Not unlike paying a fee to enter a marathon race, your entry fee democratically enables our organization’s projects to happen. For over 50 years the Visual Art Society of B-CS has earned a reputation for producing quality exhibits, benefitting the artists involved and the public, on its meager budget. Our all volunteer board of directors and small dedicated team of members work hard to make involvement with VAS projects, including art student scholarships and the Aggieland Art Trail, well worth the effort and cost to do so.

Simply by participating in a VAS project or becoming a member you are helping this grass-roots organization to do its work and achieve its mission.

HOW TO ENTER

Preferably, all entries should be submitted online using the form. It is best to fill out the form in one sitting, but you can save a draft and finish it by the deadline. However, you must open your draft before the deadline and submit your entry, or all data will be lost.

You may also enter by email by providing the following for each entry:

  1. Artist Name
  2. Division (Professional, Non-professional, High School)
  3. Title of artwork
  4. Category of artwork
  5. Selling price or NFS if not for sale
  6. Dimensions in inches: with frame and without frame: Height x width x depth (if needed for 3-D work)
  7. Attach a jpg image file of the artwork
  8. Send to webmaster@visualartsociety.org
  9. Payment must be received prior to entry deadline. Submit a Paypal payment to treasurer@visualartsociety.org or mail a check to Visual Art Society B-CS, PO Box 9346, College Station TX 77842. We can also email you an invoice which you would pay online.

Assistance with Online Entry Submissions

If you need assistance photographing your work and/or submitting the registration form, we are glad to help. Email webmaster@visualartsociety.org for assistance.

CONDITIONS & REQUIREMENTS

The general theme for this show is “Art in Bloom – A Feast for the Senses,” celebrating the relationship between art and nature in all its forms.

Commissions from sales will be divided with 60% to the artist, 20% to VASBCS, 20% to DEGALLERY.

Degallery and VAS kindly request that any artwork displayed for sale in the upcoming VAS show be priced the same as if offered for sale through the artist’s studio, website, or art platform for the duration of the show, and for 30 days after the show closes. If a collector contacts you to purchase a piece on display in the show, please refer them to Degallery. Additionally, if a piece is sold within 30 days of the show closing, Degallery and VAS request that you collect and pay the commissions (20% for VAS + 20% for Degallery) as if the piece had been sold during the exhibition. This will go far to maintain a good faith relationship between artist and gallery.

All works sold and unsold must remain in the show until the closing date. Any works removed early will result in the artist being banned from any future shows. 

All art must be picked up during the allotted time unless special arrangements have been made ahead of time.

2D pieces longer than 60” on any side (including frame) will not be accepted. No more than one 60” work will be accepted from any entrant.

All works must be family-friendly. Entries cannot have been exhibited in a previous Visual Art Society or Brazos Valley Art League show

Images of the entry/entries must be submitted by jpg, jpeg files (SRGB or RGB profile, no larger than 4 MB) for jurying into the show. Uploading of images is part of the entry process and more information is provided on the entry form. Your images should be sharp & clear. Your images must not include matting or framing, only the piece of art itself. It is important that your work be well represented. Images of accepted works may be posted on the VAS website along with award winning artists from the show. By entering you grant permission to VAS reproduce the artwork in the
marketing materials or on the VAS website, for promotional and educational purposes.

VAS reserves the right to refuse to show any entry not accurately represented by the images submitted during entry or not suitably presented for exhibition. 

Accepted entries for the show must be wired properly for hanging so the hanging committee does not have problems. If any of the pieces are extremely heavy or particularly fragile in framing, they will not be included in the exhibit without advanced special arrangements with the hanging committee. No saw tooth hangers or clip on frames will be accepted. All artwork must be completely dry and ready to hang or display when submitted during intake for the show/exhibit. VAS reserves the right to exclude works from the exhibition that are not gallery-ready and professional in presentation.

All sculptures/pottery must have a stable base.

Drawings and pastels must be under glass or acrylic.

The following information must be attached to back of the art work: Artist Name, Mailing Address, Phone, Email, Selling Price, Title, & Medium for this show.  This label form may be downloaded and used but is not required.

Artists are responsible for all delivery, pick up and insurance for the works submitted. 

Entry Form

You will be able to save a draft of your form if you aren’t ready to complete it at one sitting. Here is is the message you will receive:

“Your form has been saved as draft and a resume link has been generated so you can return to the form anytime, but the completed form must be submitted before the deadline. The form will NOT submit itself automatically.  Copy and save the link or enter your email address below to have the link sent to your mail. Captcha, and your uploaded images weren’t saved to your submission draft; kindly fill them out again before submitting the form. YOU MUST RETURN TO THIS FORM, FINISH FILLING IT OUT, AND SUBMIT IT BEFORE THE DEADLINE.  IT WILL NOT SUBMIT ITSELF AUTOMATICALLY.”

Entry Form