Call for artists 2020

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York Open Studios is York's largest arts festival which takes place on the 18th/19th and the 24th/25th April 2020. We are inviting applications for our 2020 event.

York Open Studios is a selected event, taking place in artists spaces all across York. You must live or have a permanent studio within a ten mile radius of York City centre to be eligible. We welcome applications from artists at all stages in their career, and recent graduates will pay a reduced fee.

We offer two applications; one for 2D and 3D artists for people working in traditional media such as painting, jewellery, ceramics, printmaking etc, and one for installation, performance, multi-media and digital artists who can apply for our £500 bursary to help them realise a body of work to be shown during our two weekends. Please select the appropriate form to apply.

Costs:

If selected, we charge £110 for 2D/3D applications. Recent graduates (2 years) pay £55. Bursary artists pay nothing.

Artists pay a commission of 10% on their sales above £250.

Make a submission Contact the curator

Who is eligible for this opportunity?

Artists and craftspeople who live within ten miles of York City centre.

When is the deadline?

Midnight, 30th August 2019.

How many images can I submit?

You must submit five print-quality (300dpi) CMYK JPG images of the type of work you expect to show in April. At least three of these must be individual works but two may be details or close-ups.

Your images must be high quality and show your work clearly.

How much does it cost?

If selected we charge £110 for 2D/3D applications. Recent graduates (2 years) pay £55. Bursary artists pay nothing.

Artists pay a commission of 10% on their sales above £250.

Are there payments to artists?

Bursary artists receive £500 towards a body of work.

Is there a private view / opening?

Artists can choose to have a public opening on Friday 17th April 2020 which will be published in the directory and on the website.
There will also be a 'taster' exhibition where each artist will have one piece of work on show to help the public plan their route during the main weekends.

What are the exhibition opening hours?

Friday 17th April 6-9pm
Saturday 18th April 10am-5pm
Sunday 19th April 10am-5pm
Saturday 24th April 10am-5pm
Sunday 25th April 10am-5pm

What publicity will be provided as part of the opportunity?

We publish a directory with a map which is distributed to our mailing list, and copies will be available at Visit York, in York's libraries, galleries, cafes and shops. We employ a PR agency who provide press and magazine coverage and we place adverts in local and national publications. We also use our website and social media channels.

Do I need to be present?

Yes, you would need to be present at your venue at all published times on both weekends.

Where will my venue be listed?

Each artist will have a listing in our directory and a page on our website.

How do you decide on applications/proposals?

We employ an independent panel to select our artists.

Our bursary artist(s) will be selected by members of the committee.

What happens if my application/proposal is accepted?

You will receive a congratulations email and a further form to fill in to ask additional questions for your directory entry. You will also be asked to pay your admission fee.

What are the selection criteria?

The work submitted should arouse a positive response in the judges with the potential to elicit a similar response in the viewing public who will visit York Open Studios. It should be exciting and intriguing and demonstrate a clear direction and vision. The panel will use their knowledge and experience to come to a decision and think about qualities such as use and application of materials and composition. The panel will look for work showing artistic commitment and a professional outlook. Decisions will be based purely on the quality of the applications submitted so make sure your images are high quality and show your work clearly. You are asked for a description of your work and you must make sure that the panel understands what they are looking at. Write about your materials, techniques, scale and inspiration and avoid flowery descriptions.

Artists who submit poor quality images or a too brief description are unlikely to be selected.

Non-selected artists may ask for feedback on their submission, but we will only be able to provide this where the panel have stated specific reasons.

Will I need to attend any meetings?

Yes, you will need to attend a meeting on Saturday 12th October where we will introduce ourselves, welcome new artists and give you important information about the event. There will also be an optional meeting/social prior to the event where new artists and people who have exhibited before can get together to share useful hints and tips on how to get the most out of York Open Studios.

How is York Open Studios run?

York Open Studios is run by a committee of 7 volunteers.

Where can I exhibit?

Borrowed or hired venues will not be permitted. You can use your own studio, workshop, home, an educational establishment where you teach or study or a venue where you are artist in residence. Up to five artists can share one venue as long as at least one artist uses the space on a permanent basis. If there are more than five artists who are all permanently resident in a venue then they will be permitted to show together.

Exceptions - Bursary artists can hire/borrow venues if they do not have a suitable space.

You must have an account to make a submission using CuratorSpace. It's free and only takes a few moments. Once registered you'll be able to keep track of all of your submissions and get updates on upcoming opportunities.

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