Selma Art Guild calls artists to take part in Juried Art Show
Published 10:47 pm Thursday, May 15, 2014
Selma Art Guild executive director Jo Pate looks over a scrap book she has made chronicling various art shows the guild has hosted since moving to it’s current location in 1994. — Jay Sowers
The Selma Art Guild is once again calling artists from across the state to take part in the annual Summer Juried Art Show.
Jo Pate, executive director of the art guild, said the competition, which has been held annually since the group moved to its current location at 508 Selma Ave., has a history of attracting artists from every corner of Alabama.
“We see a lot from Elmore County and Montgomery, Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. I know last year we had one artist come down from northern Alabama,” Pate said.
After paying the entry fees, artists are welcome to submit up for four pieces in the categories of mixed media, photography, 3-D, transparent paints, opaque paints and works on paper.
Participants will have two days to submit their pieces in person at the Selma Art Guild. Submissions will be accepted from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday, May 30, and from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 31.
Pate said the pieces would be judged between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on May 31, and the public reception for the show would be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 8.
Cash prizes will be awarded for best in show as a well the top three pieces in each category.
Pate said having a limited time to drop off the works can be a hindrance to some artists, but she said it allows the contest judges to ensure each piece meets the contest’s quality standard before being put on display.
“It’s a little inconvenience for everyone to bring their works in on those dates, so we normally have the majority of our artists coming from within an hour’s drive,” Pate said. “But it seems like we’ve always had one or two who will make a big drive to participate each year.”
This year’s contest will be judged by Atlanta-based mixed media artist Lala Mulherin Streett, who Pate said judges with an eye for all forms of artwork.
“She is unlike a professor in that she’s not looking for the style she is teaching,” Pate said. “Some professors can tend to look for a certain artistic direction in the works they judge, but she is an artist’s artist. She is an educator and has great credentials, but she is looking for art.”
Applications for the competition can be found on the Art Guild’s Facebook page.
