2017 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival
May 20, 2017 to May 21, 2017
Reston, Virginia
Application Dates
Aug 15 to Dec 18 '16
Application Fee
$50.00
(see prospectus for details)
Notification Date
Jan 25, 2017

Prospectus

26th annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival

May 20 - 21, 2017
Reston Town Center
Reston, VA

Every spring the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) invites over 200 artists to showcase their best original contemporary fine art and craft in this competitive, juried outdoor event held in the streets of Reston Town Center, a unique, walkable downtown, filled with a variety of residences, offices, upscale retail shops, and fine dinning. On Festival weekend we draw up to 30,000 visitors. Our clientele is described by Art Fair Source Book as "affluent, enthusiastic young to middle aged couples who are not too price sensitive." Exhibitor Ginny Herzog, from Minneapolis, MN, observes: “This show continues to be one of my favorites and is now my only east coast show” Ceramicist Larry Smith said this year his experience in 2016 was “Small crowds with big hearts and wallets. It was my best rainy two-day show ever!” Layla Messkoub said of the 2016 show “Despite the weather we really enjoyed the show and were impressed with all of the wonderful volunteers/staff that pulled off the event.” Exhibitor Carol Ferony said “I value this show; it has great art patrons. Of all the locations I travel this is still my best market.”

Don't miss your opportunity to be here!

Festival Dates and Hours:
Friday, May 19 10am – 4pm Artist booth set up
6:30 – 9pm Festival Launch Party (ALL artists attend free)
Saturday, May 20 10 am – 6 pm Booths open and ready for business
Sunday, May 21 10 am – 5 pm Booths open and ready for business

HOW TO APPLY:

1. Applications are only accepted through www.juriedartservices.com

2. Applications should consist of original, well-conceived, and expertly executed works, made either by hand or with appropriate tools, by the applicant within the last five years.

3. Submit four (4) high-resolution artwork images and one (1) booth/presentation image fully representative of work you intend to exhibit at the event. With regard to their images artists are strongly encouraged to:

• Obtain professional photography of your artwork to ensure the highest quality representation possible.

• Choose pieces that are unique and exciting and are consistent in their presentation.

• The booth/display image should project a professional, clean “mini-gallery” of your work.

4. Submit an artist statement, limited to 1,000 characters, explaining your creative process, use of materials, and techniques. Artists who are making or using prints of any kind need to disclose their creative process in full.

5. All applications must be categorized according to medium. Some artists find that their works fall into multiple categories. Please choose one of the sixteen categories that most accurately represents your artwork.

6. Artists who have wish to apply in multiple categories 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.

7. Application Deadline – December 18, 2016 (midnight EST)

8. Application Fee - $50.00

JURYING:

GRACE selects new jurors each year to allow for all artists, both new and returning, to have a fair review process. Each application will be digitally reviewed by a panel of three paid art professionals, including at least one working artist, who are experts in the field of fine art and fine craft, as well as by members of GRACE’s professional curatorial staff.

Each application will be scored independently by each of the jurors, and each artist will be given a score from 1 – 7 based on quality, originality, craftsmanship, and overall booth display. The scores are tallied and reviewed and 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:

All artists will be notified on Wednesday, January 25, 2017 via email and your Juried Art Services application will also have a color-coded indicator:

green check mark the invited artists
yellow exclamation point indicates waitlisted artists
red “x” indicates rejected artists.

ACCEPTANCE:

GRACE will begin accepting completed forms, block requests, and payments on Wednesday, January 25, 2017. All forms, requests and payments will be processed online and will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis.

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 Festival Director Erica Harrison 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 25.

ARTIST AMENITIES:

  • Drive-up, set-up/tear down adjacent to booth
  • Reserved artist-only parking for oversize vehicles
  • Convenient and profitable selling hours
  • Complimentary invitation for all participating artists to Friday's Festival Launch Party
  • Ample volunteer support
  • Booth sitters
  • $5,000 in awards
  • Printed program that includes full-color thumbnails for every artist with accompanying booth numbers
  • Continental breakfasts
  • Reduced hotel rates
  • Free bottled water delivery
  • Indoor restrooms
  • Security
  • Artist mentor opportunities

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 20, 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 mark 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 artists with the highest overall score in ten different categories will be selected. The categories are so that the prizes are more equitably distributed. 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 2018 Festival, but the application fee will be waived.

Booth Space: All booth spaces are located on asphalt and measure 10’ x 10’.
All tents must be white and artist 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.

Booth Fee: Participating artists are required to pay a $500 booth fee to secure a standard 10’x 10’ space. Additional options for larger display spaces are limited and given on a first-come, first-served basis. Fees are as follows:

• Corner: 10’ x 10’ = $750 includes 5 additional feet of display area (a walkway) on one exterior side

• Double: 10’ x 20’ = $1,000

• Double with a corner: 10’ x 20’ = $1,250 includes 5 additional feet of display area (a walkway) on one exterior side.

• Double with 2 corners: 10’ x 20’ = $1,500 includes 10 additional feet of display area on both exterior sides (one walkway on either side).

Block Request: Artists may choose to make an optional Block Request in their preferred area of the Festival footprint for an additional $100. Requests are honored on a first-come, first served basis for artists with completed acceptance forms and payment.

Booth Assignments: Assignments will be announced two weeks before the last day for refunds on the Festival website.

Number of Artists Exempt from Jury: 10 previous year Award Winners

Electricity: Artists are allowed to utilize quiet battery-powered lighting systems within their booths. We do not supply electricity.

Security: We hire onsite guards and police to monitor the Festival grounds. However, 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.

Parking: Free for artists and patrons. Reserved parking available on a first-come, first-served basis for oversized artist vehicles (passes will be provided).

Load-In: drive up adjacent to booth, full day set-up

Attendance: 30,000

Who we are: The Greater Reston Arts Center, is a 501(c)3 visual arts organization that annually produces the Festival, which supports our mission of enriching the community through excellence in contemporary visual arts. This video demonstrates our commitment to the event, the dedication of our volunteers and the support of our community to ensure, and elevate, the success of our event. We have an incredibly dedicated Board of Directors, a full compliment of art professionals on staff, and the support of corporate partners, local businesses, members, educators, artists, and patrons.

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 27, 2018. 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 Greater Reston Arts Center website, festival printed material, advertising and other festival-related media, without the express written permission of myself and the Greater Reston Arts Center. Greater Reston Arts Center reserves the right to make final interpretation of all rules.

EVENT CONTACT:

Erica Harrison, Festival Director
Email: ericaharrison@restonarts.org phone: (703) 471-9242 x 113
Mailing Address: 12001 Market Street, Suite #103 Reston, VA 20190

APPLICATION TECHNICAL SUPPORT:

Juried Art Services
561.832.0480
support@jurying.net