Associated Artists of Winston Salem
Associated Artists of Winston Salem

Elemental Forces

March 7 – April 18, 2025 Salem College, Elberson Fine Arts Center
Deadline is February 17th. 4 weeks left to enter. Members Only.
That Winter Light by Marietta Foster Smith
That Winter Light by Marietta Foster Smith
Open Calls

or to submit.

Deadline for entry: February 17, 2025
The Elemental Forces Exhibition seeks art that captures the various ways in which humanity responds to the awe-inspiring grandeur and delicate balance of our world through abstract expression, representation, or suggestion. In this exciting exhibition opportunity at the Elberson Fine Arts Center at Salem College, artists are encouraged to submit work that excels in the fundamentals of art as a way to interpret the complexities of life. The space is well-suited for sizeable 2D art, but all 2D work will be considered.
This exhibition is juried. A committee of AAWS jurors will select entries. This is an exciting opportunity to exhibit work in one of the most valued exhibit spaces in our community! Awards of excellence will be presented to select artists who creatively interpret the theme of Elemental Forces.

Venue

Elberson Fine Arts Center
Salem Academy and College
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Entry Fees

  • AAWS Members may submit up to 6 artworks, and up to 4 pieces may be selected.
  • The entry fee is $20 for the first 3 pieces submitted and $5 per piece thereafter. No more than 6 pieces may be entered.
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 of Winston-Salem, Inc. to participate.
  • All 2-D work will be considered; however, we are looking for medium-large works, so there are no specific height and width limits. No piece should exceed 40 pounds in weight.
  • 3-D work not accepted.
  • All work must be framed professionally with no visible staples or unpainted canvas.
  • Works on paper should be protected by glass or plexiglass.
  • All work entered must be original art.
  • 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.

Sales will be conducted through a Scan-to-Pay process. A QR code on each exhibit card instructs the purchaser through the process. Artists set their 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 designate the piece as NFS (not for sale) on the Entry Form.

Promotional Images

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

Method of Selection

Pieces in the show are selected using digital images. AAWS reserves the right to refuse any art that does not conform 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 on the pieces chosen for the show.

Artist Notification

Artists are notified of the exhibit selection via email issued by Showsubmit.com no later than February 24, 2025. Art selected for exhibit must be brought to the Elberson Fine Arts Center at Salem College for hanging on Monday, March 3, Time TBA. Attach your name, cell number, 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 “At a Glance” Section to the Left) The 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 we have time to select another.

Artwork Pick-up

All accepted work is expected to remain at the Elberson Fine Arts Center for the duration of the show. Please be prepared to pick up your work on April 19-20 during times to be determined. You will be notified when we have the exact date from the Elberson Fine Arts Center. Pick-up is mandatory. We CANNOT store art.

Insurance

AAWS and the Elberson Fine Arts Center will take every reasonable precaution to prevent loss of or damage to your work but will not be responsible for any loss or damage.

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 will give 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

Please submit images that accurately represent your work and give it the documentation it deserves.
Remember, these images will be used to evaluate your work for acceptance into this exhibit. Upon acceptance, these images will be posted online in our online gallery.
  • Crop your image to only show your artwork, not the background or frame.
  • Make sure your images are not blurry or distorted.
  • When photographing your artwork, make sure you shoot your image head-on and not at an angle.
  • 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.
Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, Inc. 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 February 24, 2025.

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

  • File Format: Submit original, high-quality JPEG image files. Other formats (e.g., PNG, TIFF) are not accepted.
  • Crop Your Image: Ensure only the artwork itself is visible in the image. Do not show any visible matting, frames, or background distractions.
  • Orientation: Make sure your image is oriented correctly (right side up) so that the artwork appears in its intended viewing direction.
  • Image Size: You do not need to resize your image files before uploading. The system will automatically resize them. Smaller images cannot be enlarged to meet the requirements, so ensure your images are high resolution before uploading.
  • File Names: You do not need to rename your files before uploading them. The system will handle any file naming requirements.
  • File Size: There is a 30mb maximum file size limit. Larger image files will take longer to upload and process.

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 (February 17, 2025.)
  • 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

Need Assistance? For questions about the entry process or using this website, please check our Help Center or Entry Guide first for detailed guides and troubleshooting tips. Most answers can be found there quickly.

If you still need help, feel free to email ShowSubmit Support at [email protected], and we’ll respond between 9am and 6pm Eastern Time, Monday to Friday.