Call for Artists - Abound Credit Union Celebration of the Arts
This competitive exhibition is open to all residents 18 years of age or older, living in a Kentucky county which falls within a 65-mile radius of Bowling Green. The exhibition is located at the Kentucky Museum on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green.
Important Dates:
- Entries due: Friday, February 7, 2025 by 11:59 pm CST online
- If dropping off a paper form, must submit at the Kentucky Museum by 4:00 pm on February 9.
- Artwork drop off: Friday, February 21, 2024, from 9 am to 6 pm
- Awards Ceremony: March 7, 2025 from 6 to 8 pm
- Show open to the public: March 8 - April 18, 2025
- Note that the Museum will close for WKU's Spring Break, March 17 - 22.
- Artwork pick up: April 19, 2025, from 9 am to 2 pm.
How to Enter
Step 1: Do you either:
(a) live in a Kentucky county within 65 miles of Bowling Green, KY?
or (b) are a current WKU student, faculty, or staff member?
If yes, continue.
If no, you are not eligible to enter this show.
Step 2: Read the Terms and Conditions
Your work MUST meet the "Artwork Conditions" and "Hanging Specifications" conditions. Returning artists:please note that NEW for 2025 are restrictions on size and weight (see "Artwork Conditions").
These are outlined in the accordions below.
Click here to download a PDF of the important dates, terms and conditions.
Step 3: Download, print, fill, and affix this label to your artwork.
Click Here to download a printable label. This must be attached to your work before drop-off.
Step 4: Click the button below to submit ONE work to the show.
To receive an entry form you can download and print, email Mary Lynn Claycomb at mary.claycomb@wku.edu.
Artists
including Community Members, WKU Faculty, and WKU Staff
Registration fee is $20.
Click the button below to register.
WKU and SKYCTC Students
must be currently enrolled to receive a scholarship.
Click the button below to register and receive a scholarship.
All residents 18 years of age or older, living in a Kentucky county within a 65-mile radius of Bowling Green.
Currently enrolled WKU students and current faculty and staff of WKU are eligible to enter, regardless of residence.
ONE ENTRY PER ARTIST.
ALL ENTRIES MUST BE ORIGINAL AND COMPLETED DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS.
2-D works must be no more than 60" square and 40 lbs.
3-D works must be no more than 36" x 36" x 80" and 150 lbs.
Artwork substantially based on existing imagery such as movies, television, literature and all other forms of media will not be accepted. No copies of other artists' work.
Greenware, utilitarian kits, and over the counter craft items are not eligible.
All works created from natural materials must be stable, well seasoned, and insect
and
contaminant free.
No installations accepted.
No works requiring access to electricity will be accepted.
No substitutions, changes in title, or changes in eligibility status for Purchase Award accepted after entry is received.
Exhibit organizers reserve the right to determine appropriate categories and to disqualify work from consideration that does not meet acceptable standards, poses installation issues or is deemed unsafe for the museum environment.
No promotional materials accepted. No QR codes or links to external information sources will be accepted or posted in the exhibition.
No packaging or transportation containers may be left at the museum.
- Ceramics and Glass
- Drawing/Illustration
- Fiber Art
- Graphic Design/Digital Art
- Mixed Media
- Painting
- Photography
- Printmaking
- Sculpture
- Watercolor
AWARDS
One work will be selected for each of the following special awards:
- Kentucky Museum Purchase Award: $700
- Student Purchase Award: $350
- Best of Show: $400
- ArtWorks Merit Award: $200
- World’s Greatest Studio Tour Merit Award: $150
PRIZES
Prizes will be awarded within each category:
- 1st Place: $200
- 2nd Place: $150
- 3rd Place: $100
An experienced art professional from outside of the region will judge the works in all categories listed above. All awards are made at the discretion of the judge.
The following individuals are ineligible for awards: Kentucky Museum employees, Kentucky Museum Advisory Board members, and Celebration of the Arts Committee members.
All framed entries must be prepared for hanging with properly-sized eyelets and wire. Other works intended to hang must have appropriate hanging devices.
All entries must be accompanied by a completed label (click here to download) and affixed to the work.
Entries not properly prepared or those presenting handling or installation issues will not be accepted.
Please inquire for works with special installation requirements.
*NOTE: Plexiglass is strongly recommended for works larger than 24 inches.
All works must be hand delivered and picked up by the artist on the dates listed on the Celebration of the Arts Calendar. A Valid Photo ID is required.
No early drop offs or pickups allowed.
If the artist is unable to pick up the work, a signed release form must accompany the person picking up the work. The designee must also present a valid Photo ID. Please click here to download the release form.
Reasonable precautions will be taken in handling entries, but the Kentucky Museum is not responsible for the loss of or damage to submitted works. Artists should arrange for their own insurance.
Unclaimed artwork becomes the property of the Kentucky Museum fourteen (14) days after the exhibition closes.
Accepted work must remain on exhibition between March 8 - April 18, 2025. The exhibition committee reserves the right to reject any work that does not meet the criteria set forth in the brochure. Organizers reserve the right to reproduce any work submitted for educational or promotional purposes. Submission of any entry to the 2025 Abound Credit Union Celebration of the Arts exhibit will be understood to indicate agreement on the part of the artist with all conditions set forth on this page.
Entries must be received no later than Friday, February 7, 2025.
ABSOLUTELY NO CORRECTIONS OR SUBSTITUTIONS.
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