Fivesparks
Fivesparks

Destination: Nature

November 16, 2024 – January 4, 2025 Fivesparks, Harvard, MA
Deadline was September 20th. Open to all artists.
Triptych: Dark Descending 1 by Judith Schutzman
Triptych: Dark Descending 1 by Judith Schutzman

Deadline for entry has passed.
View open calls for entry

Deadline for entry was September 20, 2024
The Harvard Conservation Trust and Fivesparks invite you to participate in Destination: Nature 2024. A juried art show featuring works inspired by the natural landscapes and their relationships with communities of the Nashua River Watershed.

Juror of Selection and Awards

Submissions will be judged for selection and awards by Jane Winchell, Sarah Fraser Robbins Director of the Peabody Essex Museum’s Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center and Curator of the museum’s historic Natural History collection.

Jane Winchell is the Sarah Fraser Robbins Director of PEM's Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center and Curator of the museum's historic Natural History collection. She led the multiyear development and creation of the original interdisciplinary Art & Nature Center, which opened in 2003, and the reimagined and expanded Center which features a new space - The Pod - that opened in 2019. During her tenure, Winchell has curated over 25 exhibitions for the museum about our evolving relationship with the more-than-human world, ranging from shows about biomimetic design to art made from trash. These interdisciplinary exhibitions and projects regularly feature works by contemporary artists, designers, and scientists. Since 2021 Winchell has been spearheading the institution's new Climate + Environment Initiative that features a series of exhibitions, program offerings and institutional undertakings to address the planetary crisis. Her most recent exhibitions include Our Time On Earth, Bats!, Climate Action: Inspiring Change, and Down to the Bone: Edward Koren and Stephen Gorman.

Awards

  • 1st Place: $750
  • 2nd Place: $500
  • 3rd Place: $250
1st Place winner is also awarded a future exhibit at Fivesparks' gallery space.

Additional Awards and Honorable Mentions to be announced

Who Can Submit

The show is open to all artists 18 years and over.

Submission Process and Fee

  • Submit your original image file. You do not need to resize it or rename it.
  • The submission fee is $35 for up to 3 pieces.

Submission Requirements

  • All artwork must depict, or be inspired by, the varied landscapes and/or waterscapes of the NRWS and/or the relationships with the communities they interact with. Ideas for various was to explore the NRWS can be found here.
  • Media accepted are: Acrylic, Alcohol Ink, Assemblage, Ceramics, Chalk, Charcoal, Collage, Colored Pencil, Crayon, Digital Art, Encaustic, Fiber Art, Gouache, Graphic, Graphite, Intaglio, Mixed Media, Mosaics, Oil, Oil Pastel, Pastel, Pen & Ink, Photography, Printmaking, Scratchboard, Sculpture, Silverpoint, Soft Pastel, Stained Glass and Watercolor.
  • All artwork must be original. Participating artists must be the legal owner of all title and interest in the artwork submitted and exhibited.
  • Works cannot exceed a weight of 50 pounds.
  • Work cannot exceed 48” in any direction, including frame. There is no minimum size.
  • Work must be based exclusively on the artist’s own photo reference or plein air experience, concept, and composition. Work need not be created on site at the property.
  • Work must be directly and individually created by the artist, not traced or otherwise created over a base photo.
  • Work must be exclusively the product of the artist. Work done in a class or workshop, online venue, or otherwise under the guidance or advice of an instructor, is not permitted.
  • Artists of 3D works must provide presentation fixtures (e.g. pedestal, stand, etc.).
  • All artwork will be installed by Fivesparks exhibits staff. Works that require special installation must come with clear written instructions and any special installation equipment (i.e., hooks, wire, chain, etc.). If Fivesparks staff deems it necessary, they may request the assistance/guidance of the artist in the installation of their piece(s). If installation of artwork is determined to be too complicated or incompatible with our historic building, Fivesparks reserves the right not to include the artwork in the show.
  • ALL WORK MUST BE HANG/PRESENTATION READY. Exhibitors reserve the right to reject work that differs significantly from the submitted images.
  • 2D work must be firmly wired for hanging. NO SAW TOOTH HANGERS AND NO SANDWICH/CLIP FRAMES.
  • Artists will be asked, during the submission process, to provide a brief artist statement and, for each submission, a brief description of the work including what part(s) of the NRWS inspired it.
For additional criteria, please download the prospectus.

Delivery of Accepted Work

Artists accepted into the exhibition will receive detailed instructions via email with their acceptance notification for hand-delivering work to the venue according to the dates in the above calendar. The address for hand delivery is:

Fivesparks
7 Fairbank St
Harvard, MA 01451.

Shipped work will not be accepted.

Pricing and Sales

Work must be for sale; NFS is not allowed.
  • All artwork must be for sale exclusively through the Exhibitors (Fivesparks and Harvard Conservation Trust) for the duration of the show. Art may not be marketed as available for sale through any other venue during the exhibit time frame.
  • Prices cannot be changed from those stated at submission. Please take careful consideration in the price you indicate during submission to accommodate framing/display costs, sales tax, 35% sales commission and any other considerations that may affect your prices. Prices will not be changed after submission.
  • Artists are responsible for reporting and managing any sales tax they deem to be applicable to the selling of their artwork. Tax should be accounted for in submitted prices, if/when applicable; tax will not be calculated or added by the Exhibitors at time of sale.
  • Artists will be required to pay the Exhibitors 35% of any sales resulting from the exhibit. Artwork prices should include and account for commission. Artists’ commission payments will be due no later than the appointed date for artwork pickup from the exhibit space.
  • Prices should reflect market value for similar work by the artist.
  • The Exhibitors will accept checks from buyers, payable to the artist, and hold payment to the artist until the exhibit ends.
  • Artworks may be marked as "On Hold" until a buyer submits payment. Artworks will be marked as “Sold” once payment is received.
  • All artwork must remain on display at the exhibit through the exhibit close date.
  • Buyers are required to pick up (or arrange for delivery at their cost) purchased work upon show closing. Exhibitors will communicate the pickup process to buyers.

Notices and Liability

  • Artists whose work is selected for inclusion in the exhibit will be responsible for personal delivery and handoff of the artwork to the exhibit space during appointed dates/times. Shipped artwork will not be accepted.
  • Artists are responsible for the delivery, pack, transport, and return of their artwork at their own risk and expense.
  • The Exhibitors (Fivesparks and the Harvard Conservation Trust), their staff, and the owner of the building in which the artworks are exhibited are not responsible for any damage that may occur during the transport, installation, exhibition, or de-installation of art works. The Exhibitors' insurance does not cover damage to artwork during transit to or from the exhibit space.
  • Artists agree to assume all risk of damage to or loss of their own art from whatever cause.
  • Artist further agrees to release and to hold harmless the Exhibitors, their officers, directors, employees, volunteers and agents from any and all liabilities and damages to artwork and/or persons as a result of any part of artist’s participation in the exhibit.
  • Insurance for artwork in the exhibit is the artist's responsibility, and it is strongly recommended that artists insure works themselves.
  • Exhibitors reserve the right not to hang work that: arrives damaged; is not properly wired for hanging; is not equivalent to the image submitted for selection; otherwise does not conform to Submission Requirements. Damaged work will be reported to the artist and, if needed, returned at the artist’s expense.
  • Submission fees are nonrefundable.
  • All hand-delivered work must be picked up on the show closing date by either artist or buyer. Art cannot be stored and hand-delivered work cannot be return-shipped.
  • By entering the show, artists grant exhibitors the limited right to use images of the artist’s work, labeled with artist name and painting title, for promotional and news purposes related to the show.

Questions

For questions about this prospectus: [email protected]

Show Staff
Abbe Alpert, Gina Ashe, Karen Rahman, Mark Mikitarian, Mamie Wytrwal, AnaMaria Nanra

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on October 11, 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 (September 20, 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.