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Associated Artists of Winston Salem
Associated Artists of Winston Salem

Benton Spring/Summer 2024

April 29, 2024 Benton Convention Center, Winston-Salem, NC
Deadline was April 15th. Members Only.
New Beginning by Sujata Aher
New Beginning by Sujata Aher

Deadline for entry has passed.
View open calls for entry

Deadline for entry was April 15, 2024

Call for Artists

The Benton Convention Center is working in partnership with Associated Artists of Winston-Salem to present a series of curated fine art exhibitions that will be on display at the Benton Convention Center, Salem Foyer. All members of Associated Artists are invited to submit up to 6 works for consideration, but possible selection will be limited to no more than 4 pieces. Artwork will be selected from submitted jpg images by a committee of AAWS jurors.

All work will be considered, but this space is an excellent opportunity for very large 2D work which may not always be practical and allowed in other exhibits. Depending on size, from about 15 to 25 works may be selected.

Venue

Benton Convention Center
301 West 5th Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Entry Fees

  • AAWS Members may submit up to 6 artworks, with possible selection of up to 4 pieces.
  • $20 per artist for up to 6 works per artist
Note: This is a limited space curated show, and not all artists who enter may be selected for this exhibit. Entry fees are not refundable.

Entry Requirements

  • You must be a member of Associated Artists to participate.
  • All work will be considered, but at the Benton, we are looking for fairly large work, so there are not specific height and width limits, but no piece should exceed 50 pounds in weight.
  • All work must be framed in a professional manner with no visible staples or unpainted canvas.
  • Works on paper should be protected by glass or plexiglass.
  • All 2-dimensional fine art media accepted for selection but respect the basic guidelines of the BENTON: No nudes, and nothing controversial, i.e., nothing political religious, or potentially offensive to members of the general public.
  • All work entered must be original art and cannot have been displayed in the BENTON previously, but previously entered/not selected work can be entered again.
  • Printed reproductions of paintings and drawings will not be exhibited.
  • Hand-pulled prints, original digital prints and photographs are all acceptable.
  • All work must be the exhibitor’s original idea and be created by the exhibitor.

Sales

Work may be for sale; NFS is allowed.

Sale prices are not displayed at the Benton, however, there is an AAWS plaque that instructs anyone interested to contact AAWS for information. Artists set their own prices. Artists receive 70% of the sales price; AAWS retains a 30% commission. North Carolina sales tax (7%) is added to the sales price. If your work is not for sale, please include the insurance value and designated as NFS (not for sale) on the Entry Form.

Virtual Gallery/Promotional Images

Accepted images will be retained for publicity purposes during the show and may be archived by AAWS. We reserve the right to use images on our website for the virtual exhibit, for showsubmit.com purposes, and for promotional purposes for AAWS.

Method of Selection

Pieces in the show will be selected by digital image. AAWS reserves the right to refuse any art not conforming to entry representation. Artists may enter up to 6 works, but no more than 4 will be selected from that group. AAWS jurors will make the final decisions of pieces selected for the show.

Artist Notification

Artists will be notified of the exhibit selection no later than Friday, April 19, 2024. Art that has been selected for exhibit must be brought to the Benton Convention Center for hanging on Monday, April 29 between 10am and 12 pm. Attach your name and title of the piece to the back of your work before delivery. You may use a sticky note or a small piece of paper for this.

Delivery of Accepted Art

Please plan on delivering your work during the designated day and hours. (See calendar at the beginning of this prospectus.) Placement of the art on the walls is determined as we make the selections. If you cannot deliver on the assigned date or arrange to have someone else deliver your art for you, let us know immediately and withdraw your entry so that we have time to select another. (Assistance in hanging may be needed, so feel free to ask.)

Artwork Pick-up

All accepted work is expected to remain at the Benton for the duration of the show. Please be prepared to pick up your work at a date to be determined in mid/late August 2024. You will be notified when we have the exact date from the Benton. Pick up can be from 10am until 3 or 4 pm on that date, or per other arrangement. We CANNOT store art.

Insurance

AAWS and BENTON will take every reasonable precaution to prevent loss of or damage to your work but will not be responsible for any loss or damage. The BENTON does not insure art on temporary shows. Your homeowners or renter’s insurance policy may provide coverage of your artwork. Check with your insurance agent. The Benton Convention Center has never had a problem regarding artwork.

Membership Renewal

If you need to renew your membership in AAWS, go to AssociatedArtists.org and fill out the membership form even if your information has NOT changed. This gives us a date stamp.

Questions

For more information or questions, email [email protected] or call the AAWS office number at 336-747-1463 and leave a message. Someone will call you back.

Tips for submitting images

Submit images that are true representations of your work and give your work the documentation it deserves.

  • Crop your image to only show your artwork, not the background.
  • Make sure your images are not blurry or distorted.
  • If possible, take photos of your work when it is not behind glass to prevent reflections.
YouTube videos are an excellent source for information on proper wiring of pieces and framing watercolors without glass.

Benton Convention Center

If you are unfamiliar with the Benton Convention Center, here are some things to know.
  • The Benton Convention Center is located at 301 West 5th Street, at the corner of Cherry Street in downtown Winston-Salem.
  • PARKING – The parking garage on Cherry Street between 5th and 6th Streets, opposite the Benton, is the best and easiest way to access the Benton Convention Center when delivering and picking up your art. The 3rd level walkway over Cherry Street from the garage to the Benton brings you right into the Salem Foyer, main floor, where we hang our work. Park on the 3rd level or use the garage elevator from other levels. The doors at this entrance will be open for delivery and pick up, but the other doors to the Benton may be locked.
  • Street parking is available but may be hard to find. There is a loading zone in front of the main entrance for short-term unloading only. Wherever you park on the street, come through the main entrance at 5th and Cherry Street and walk all the way to the back of the Salem Foyer, towards the 6th Street windows, which is where the AAWS walls are located. The 5th and Marshall Street side doors MAY be open but are not always unlocked. If you enter there, head toward the main entrance and proceed as above. Again, the main doors may be locked.

Associated Artists receives some operational funding from the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, and the North Carolina Arts Council. We also appreciate the donations of other supporters.

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on April 19, 2024.

You may view the notification in your ShowSubmit account by logging in and tapping the Notifications at the top right of the screen, or in your Entry History (Accepted works will be notated by a green check.)

If you do not receive your email, login and view the notification in your account. We cannot respond to inquiries regarding the status of notifications.

Note: Entries made prior to 2023 may not display the View Notification link.

Image and Filename Specifications

  • Submit your original JPEG image files.
  • Crop out all parts of the photo that are not the actual work; do not show mat, frame, etc, only the work itself.
  • Image must be displayed right side up.
  • You do not need to resize your image files.
  • You do not need to rename your image files.

Additional Entry Information

  • You will pay for your entry by credit or debit card using our secure checkout system.
  • After your entry is submitted and paid for, you may log back in to review your entry, edit artist and image information, and add or substitute images up until the entry deadline (April 15, 2024.)
  • Entry fees are not refundable and must be submitted and paid by the entry deadline.
  • Entries cannot be accepted or changed after the deadline. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.

Support

For questions about the entry process or this website please contact ShowSubmit Support at [email protected]. We will get back to you between 9am and 6pm Eastern Time, Monday to Friday. You can also view the Support Center, Entry Guide, or our FAQ.