The HoCo Gallery Program

Artists, age 18 and older, working in all media and styles are encouraged to apply, including time-based and installation artists.

Exhibited work must fit through a doorway measuring 54in x 80in and be able to be installed appropriately in the Arts Council gallery.

Artists, groups, and curators wishing to submit a General Exhibit proposal must visit submittable.www.hocoarts.org. Mailed proposals will not be accepted.

General Exhibit Proposals must include the following:

Contact Information

• Artist’s or Curator’s name
• Name of group or organization, if applicable
• Address
• Phone #
• Email address

Images

• 10-20 digital images representative of the work to be included in the exhibition. Files should be named to correspond to the Image List. Still images must be JPG files only, each no larger than 1 MB. Time-based work must be submitted as .avi, .wav,.mov,
  or .m4a files. HoCo Arts has limited technology for use in the gallery, so any special technology needs should be addressed in the proposal. The images should be named using the “LastName_FirstName_01.jpg” format, where the numbers (01, 02, 03, etc…) correspond directly to your image list.
• Do not submit images in a pdf, PowerPoint, or any other presentation format.

Image List

• The image list must include artist’s name (if submitting as a group), title, medium (be specific about mixed media), year completed, and dimensions for each piece.

Resume(s)

• The resume(s) should include education, exhibitions, awards, publications, etc.

Artist Statement

• An artist statement or description of your artistic goals and recent work.

For Individual Curators

• In addition to the above, include a brief description of the proposed exhibit and identify the artists invited to participate. Provide information describing your curatorial experience, organizational skills and samples of written materials used to organize
  a previous show (letters, marketing, etc.).

For Organizations

• In addition to the above, provide your organization’s mission statement and describe your programs and services that meet that statement. Include a brief description of the proposed exhibit and state how it furthers your mission and goals

The Arts Council’s Exhibits Committee meets quarterly to review all submitted proposals and select artists for upcoming exhibitions. Artists may submit individually or in a group. Individual artists selected for a show will be paired or grouped with other artists as determined by the committee. The committee also welcomes proposals from curators, groups, and organizations.

Exhibits are scheduled up to two years in advance. Artwork submitted with the proposal should be recent work (within two years) and representative of the artist’s current body of work. If selected for exhibition, the artist will have an opportunity to submit newer work for consideration.

Work previously shown in the Howard County Arts Council galleries cannot be exhibited again except for retrospective, anniversary, or benefit shows.

The galleries’ walls are primarily made of unbacked ¾in plasterboard with studs available when necessary. (Gallery I has one wall measuring 68ft x 9ft 6in that is backed by ½in plywood for heavier installations.) Walls are 9ft 6in high and the ceilings are open for suspending installation work. Gallery I is approximately 68ft x 22in; Gallery II is approximately 28ft x 22ft. Both galleries have Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) flooring and standard electrical outlets.

The Arts Council galleries are open Monday-Friday from 10am-8pm, Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 12-4pm. The galleries are closed for major holidays and during exhibition installations.

Sales

• The Arts Council manages sales, but work is not required to be for sale. A 20% commission will be retained by the Arts Council and an additional 6% sales tax will be charged on all sales.

Insurance

• All works are insured, less the 20% commission, against physical damage or loss by the Arts Council from the designated drop-off date through the designated pick-up date and time. An insurance value must be provided for all artwork.

Delivery/Shipping

• Shipping and transportation for delivery or pick up of the work is the responsibility of the artist. The Arts Council does not provide funding for shipping costs.

The Arts Council distributes postcards to our mailing list for each exhibit. A limited number of additional postcards are provided to exhibiting artists to send out to their own mailing lists. Press releases for the exhibit are sent to local and regional media and announcements are posted to relevant online calendars, websites, social media, etc. The Arts Council hosts a reception, which is open to the public, and includes light food, beverages, and music.

All work must be received ready for installation with proper hanging devices and instructions where necessary. Artists may choose to install their own work. Artwork with complex installation instructions may require installation by the artist or their representative. The Arts Council will not be responsible for any damage to unframed or otherwise unstable works. All work must remain in the gallery for the duration of the exhibit. Work must be dropped off and picked up on the designated dates. The Arts Council has no space to store artwork. The Arts Council reserves the right to final review and selection of exhibited works.