LOST ARTS: A Call for Works By or About Legacy Creative Processes

About the Open Call

A lost art is a skill or process that has fallen out of use: wet-plate colloidal photography, punch-card coding, cursive writing. As technologies develop, old ways of doing things fall out of memory in favor of what is newer, more fashionable, faster, or cheaper. The world moves on, leaving behind the detritus of tools and machines made to complete work that is no longer done. The knowledge of how to process film, how to weave, to mix egg-tempera paint, takes on a sacred, rarified, or even provincial quality. Where does the knowledge go when the industrial, technologically-advanced world thinks it doesn’t need it anymore? How has being forgotten freed it? Who are the stewards of these lost arts? LOST ARTS is a call for work made about or using skills and materials the world may have moved on from, but still contain depth of potential, and unappreciated value. Feel free to email us here if you have any questions about submitting work to this exhibit. AFTER REVIEWING THE FULL PROSPECTUS BELOW, FIND THE REQUIRED ENTRY FORM HERE. <<<< SUBMISSION AND EXHIBITION AGREEMENT TERMS ELIGIBILITY LOST ARTS is open to everyone internationally. The only limitation is that entries must represent original works which address the broad theme described above. MEDIA Open to all traditional and non-traditional genre and media. Manifest's carefully assembled juries change from project to project, and have no collective predisposition towards any particular kind or style of art. SIZE LIMIT Unless specified otherwise by the exhibit theme (for example, our Small Works exhibit) Manifest has no size restrictions on submissions other than what can fit in our spaces, on our walls, and through our door. Artists considering submitting who have work which may exceed these limits are welcome to contact us to inquire about specific limits (info@manifestgallery.org) DATE RESTRICTIONS Unless specified otherwise by the exhibit or project parameters Manifest has no requirements on timeframe when submitted works must have been made. At Manifest we do not believe great art has an expiration date. Furthermore we believe that older work gains new meaning when contextualized in a new space alongside different works by different artists. Why should an exceptional work of art cease being experienced by the public once it is just a few years old? In fact, why should it ever stop being experienced? While most work submitted to our exhibits has been made within the past five years or so, sometimes works are submitted (and accepted) that are older. Our jury process does not consider this information when scoring or selecting works for exhibit. JURY AND CURATOR Manifest's selection process involves a complex two-part system. This exhibit will be juried by an anonymous several member panel of professional and academic advisors with a broad range of expertise relative to art and design. The jury will then pass along their recommendations to the exhibit curator who will make the final selections from the jury-approved pool. (Read more about Manifest's jury process here.) SUBMISSION OF IMAGES Manifest accepts only digital images/files for consideration. See specifications below. The Gallery will retain the submitted images of accepted artwork and reserves the right to use the images in publications and gallery publicity. Beyond such use, the artist retains full copyright of exhibited work. NOTE! Images must be uploaded using the Dropbox link provided after entry form submission. This link will also be included on the emailed copy of your entry form. Digital Format: Hi-Res, print-quality images will be requested for accepted works upon conclusion of the jury process. If suitable images are not provided, the work may not be included in the exhibit or season publication annual. Entry images must meet the following specifications: FILE NAMING: All entry files (regardless of type or media) must be named with artist's last name (underscore)first name , followed by the entry number as noted on the entry form (for example: Jones_Mike_1.jpg). Please DO NOT include any other information in the file name, such as title of work, etc. Detail, installation, or alternate view images must include the word 'detail' in the filename (for example:Jones_Mike_1detail1.jpg). If you do NOT include the term DETAIL as part of the filename for any additional, extra, installation, or closeup images supporting your entry these will be counted as additional separate entries and our system will expect a corresponding fee for them. The copy of your entry form sent by email will provide samples for file-naming. Information for detail images should NOT be included on the entry form. The image files should be in HIGH QUALITY JPEG format, images should be no smaller than 1000 pixels in any direction (about 13”) and be 72 dpi. This should result in most image files ranging from 700kb to 2mb in file size but this is only approximate. EXAMPLE: Be ABSOLUTELY sure you are sending files at the correct size. Additional Entry Image Info: Images must be oriented properly (i.e. top of image is top of artwork) and should not include text or borders that are not part of the actual work. When uploading images, it is preferred that you do not include anything other than the entry images in the upload (no resume, bio, receipts, signature image, or statement) unless this prospectus specifically calls for it. Any essential information regarding the nature of entries should be included in the notes section for each work on the entry form. Any communications should reference the exhibit title in the subject of the email. Artists should keep in mind the importance of very good photographic documentation of the works being submitted. In many cases the nature of the presentation of the work in a gallery setting is critical to our jury's judgment of the work for our projects. This is especially true for works that are presented in any way that could be considered non-traditional (unframed, suspended from ceiling, floor-based, etc.). Good detail images should convey the actual physical nature of the work as displayed. This also holds true for photographic works, which vary widely in presentation options from traditional frames, to aluminum prints, to raw paper, and so on. Keep in mind that presentation matters! How a work is presented is critical to its success in a gallery setting. Choice of framing, mounting, etc., is paramount in delivering an experience of the work to an audience. Take advantage of the 'notes' fields for each entry on the entry form to explain in simple terms how your work is presented (especially if this is not already evident in your submission images). Regardless of various choices the artist may make, Manifest's bottom line is always to present a museum-quality exhibition. IF YOUR WORK IS VIDEO-BASED OR REQUIRES VIDEO TO CONVEY ITS NATURE INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING VIDEO, MOTION, and INTERACTIVE, ENTRIES or DETAILS Manifest requests that all video or interactive submissions, or video details illustrating an entry, be in the form of a link to a viewable online copy of each work AND a single representative jpeg image loaded to the project Dropbox. The work should be shown online in its full length. Note that a jpeg still image must still be submitted to represent the entry in addition to the video material. Please email us if you have any uncertainty about this (info@manifestgallery.org) Video links should be provided on the entry form for each work in the VIEWING LINK section, and should link directly to online or downloadable content that does NOT require a login, password or membership to view. These may be in the form of Youtube, Vimeo, Dropbox, or other similar links. Effort should be made to eliminate confusion or extraneous information that may interfere with the jury's viewing of the work. Any extraneous information, or material not considered to be 'the work' will inevitably detract from the jury score for that work. Links to video entries must remain valid and active through the notification of jury results. AGREEMENT TO PARTICIPATE Submitting the entry form indicates that you agree with the conditions of entry and exhibit as outlined in this prospectus, that you are reserving spots in our jury, that you will send the entry fee, and that you agree to make your work available and will ship/deliver it to the gallery should it be selected for exhibit. DO NOT submit an entry form if you cannot follow through. Do not double-book your work, commit it to other conflicting exhibitions, or sell it and compromise its availability for our exhibit after submitting to this project. Doing so will significantly impact our efforts to create a cohesive exhibition, cost valuable resources, and result in delays and further complications. PUBLICATION Through nine seasons Manifest Press produced 74 full-color catalogs documenting the works selected for every exhibit presented in our galleries. A decade ago, starting with season 10 (fall of 2013) we shifted to the design of one much larger high quality hard-cover publication documenting each entire season of exhibits, artists, and works shown. This continues Manifest's commitment to long-term documentation and dissemination of our projects, and the expansion of physical exhibits into a broader geography and time frame, while also bringing all exhibits together under one cover each year to create a better product which will be more valuable to the public, teachers, libraries, and exhibiting artists. The book is much larger in size than our INDA, INPA, and INPHA publications (which themselves are quite hefty), and is designed, printed, and distributed with the same quality and attention to detail as those other award-winning volumes. The MEA for Season 10 won a Silver Medal IPPY Award from the Independent Publishers Association, and MEA for Season 17 won a Bronze and was also recognized with an American Graphic Design Award! All solo exhibitors receive a copy of the MEA for free. The publication will generally be designed and printed within the first quarter of the following year after the close of season, and planned to ship by the following spring, although production timeframes can vary. (Manifest's exhibit season runs September to September each year.) Visit Manifest Press to see past catalogs (the old style) and our award-winning INDA, INPA, and INPHA books. Become a supporting member here. DELIVERY AND RETURN OF WORK All work accepted for the exhibition must arrive ready to install. Works not gallery-ready, or not exhibiting good craftsmanship, may be omitted from the exhibit. Accepted work that differs significantly from the entry images or suffers from poor presentation, will be disqualified. Please note that professional-level presentation and craftsmanship is a must. Work may be hand delivered or shipped. Shipped works must be sent in an easily reusable container/packaging with return shipping prepaid. Works will be returned in the same manner as delivered or via UPS/USPS. All work must arrive at Manifest by the specified date (see calendar below). Accepted work will remain on display for the duration of the exhibition. Works not claimed within 30 days of the end of the exhibit will become the property of Manifest. The artists are responsible for all shipping costs to and from the gallery. INSURANCE Works will be insured while on gallery premises. Insurance covers theft, vandalism, damage caused by gallery patrons or staff (in accordance with insurance policy). PLEASE NOTE: Insurance does not cover damage caused during shipping due to any reason, including mishandling by carrier or failure of packaging to protect works in transit. Also not covered is damage caused to work by failure of the work itself, its mounting systems installed or provided by the artist, disintegration/degradation due to the nature/quality of materials or craftsmanship, or incidental damage to works whose artist-directed presentation methods put them at risk. For any claim the artist may be required to provide proof of value. In general artists are encouraged to insure their works in transit with the carrier, and/or obtain personal articles insurance that covers works sent for exhibit (not just with us, but anywhere the artwork will travel in the future.) SALE OF ARTWORK Artworks are not required to be for sale in order to be included in our exhibitions. It is required that works are indicated as either "for sale" or not for sale (NFS) on the submitted entry form. Manifest Gallery will retain a commission of 30% of the sale price on all artwork sold during the exhibition. Artists set the sale price on the entry form, and in doing so should account for all logistical costs, framing, etc. related to making the work exhibit-ready. Sale price and status cannot be changed after the deadline to submit.

What is Offered

Every exhibiting artist receives a $50 cash honorarium. Opportunities for Grand Jury Awards totaling $9,000 across the season ($1,000 per exhibition period). Exhibiting artists can purchase the Season MEA publication at half price, and solo exhibitors receive a free copy.

Requirements

Open to everyone internationally. Entries must be original works addressing the theme of legacy creative processes. Open to all traditional and non-traditional genre and media. No size restrictions other than what fits the gallery space. No date restrictions on when works were made. Accepted works must arrive ready to install, demonstrate professional-level presentation and craftsmanship, and not differ significantly from entry images. Artists are responsible for all shipping costs to and from the gallery; return shipping must be prepaid.

How to Apply

Submit via the online entry form. The entry fee of $45 for up to three entries ($5 per additional entry) can be paid by U.S. check/money order mailed to Manifest Creative Research Gallery, P.O. Box 6218, Cincinnati, OH 45206, or by credit card via PayPal using the link provided after form submission. Digital images (JPEG, min 1000px, 72 dpi) must be uploaded to the project Dropbox. Video/interactive entries require an online link and a representative JPEG image.