The Hopewell Valley Arts Council invites artists to participate in a unique collaboration of business, art, community and philanthropy. In the Fall of 2014, The Hopewell Valley Stampede, an extraordinary public art exhibit, will arrive in Hopewell Valley, with the display of a breathtaking showcase of life-sized oxen sculptures, painted and embellished by professional and amateur artists. We are delighted to announce this Call For Artists to embellish, adorn, or otherwise enhance our unique fiberglass oxen sculptures into one-of-a-kind, beautiful works of art for the HV Stampede.
Artist Eligibility and Honorarium
The HV Stampede is open to all artists from the acclaimed to the amateur. Painters, sculptors, craftsmen, multi-media artists, and other wildly creative people are encouraged to apply. Designs can be created individually or as teams of up to four people.
An honorarium of $750 will be paid for each selected design to an individual or a team. One half of the honorarium ($375) will be paid upon design acceptance for purchasing materials. The rest of the honorarium ($375) will be paid upon completion and approval of their decorated ox.
Artists may submit up to two designs for consideration, with the requirement that the artist must be able to complete both oxen, should both designs be chosen for execution, by June 30, 2014.
Minors are welcome to submit designs however a parent or guardian must consent to their participation and vouch for the minor’s skill and ability to complete the project should their design be selected.
Artist Responsibilities
Artists whose designs are selected must sign an Agreement assuring they will complete the project as proposed, using appropriate materials and techniques, and that their ox will be completed by June 30, 2014.
It is incumbent upon the artist to appreciate the serious and time-consuming nature of this endeavor. It should only be entered into after serious consideration as to the artist’s ability to fulfill their obligations as stated in the Agreement.
Teams and Organizations
A team consisting of up to four individual artists may submit one design. Each team member will be recognized both individually and as part of the team. Each team may submit up to two designs, and no artist may be a part of more than two teams. Teams will receive the same honorarium as individuals. To facilitate the process, each team must select one member for the purpose of communication with the HV Arts Council. The contact does not need to be one of the team’s artists, but must agree to be the point person for communications between the HV Arts Council and the team for the duration of the Stampede’s design, notification, execution and auction phases.
An organization may submit up to two designs. Organizations will receive the same honorarium as individuals. To facilitate the process, the organization must select one person to be their representative for the purpose of communication with the HV Arts Council. The representative does not need to be one of the artists participating in the design development or execution should the submitted design be selected, but must agree to be the point person for communications between the HV Arts Council and the team for the duration of the Stampede’s design, notification, execution and auction phases.
Prizes and Awards
A prize purse of $2,500 has been established and will be awarded by a panel of impartial judges based on criteria such as artistic merit, workmanship, originality and creativity. Awards are limited to one per sculpture. Specific award categories will be announced at a later date.
Registration
Artists must register online by Tuesday, December 17, 2013. This registration indicates the artist’s intention to submit a design. If an artist is submitting two designs, a separate online registration must be completed for each design.
An artist who has registered online by the registration deadline and later decides to submit a second design, may do so. In this circumstance, please contact us at artists.hvartscouncil@gmail.com.
Design Submission
Final submission of the design is due no later than Friday, January 17, 2014.
Designs will be reviewed for suitability based on the Design Guidelines stated in the HV Stampede Artist Guidelines. Artists are encouraged to express their creativity in decorating an ox in any manner they choose, but it must be resistant to the effects of weather, public attention and use. The materials should be durable, permanent, safe and easily maintained. The sculptures may be sanded, glued, wired, painted, plastered, bejeweled, decoupaged, tiled or otherwise adorned, as long as they are weatherproof and safe to the public.
Artists are required to create a title for their decorated ox. This name will be used as the primary identifier for your work over the course of The Stampede. In other public art projects similar to The Stampede, clever and catchy names became an important element of their events and promotions. Examples from the North Carolina Cow Parade include: CowBot (a robot cow), Cow-laboration, Moo-vie Buff. Please give ample consideration to selection of your name. The name is limited to 40 characters, including spaces and punctuation.
Approved designs will become part of a portfolio shown to the HV Stampede sponsors. Artists will be notified if their design has been selected. Both the sponsor and the selected artists’ names will appear with the ox while on display. Any submitted design may, at the discretion of the HV Arts Council, be displayed prior to final selection for public viewing.
Copyright Assignment
Artists are required to return a signed HV Arts Council Copyright Assignment as part of their submission packet. The Copyright Assignment document will be sent, electronically, to an artist upon registration.
In summary, the Copyright Assignment requires that artists,whose designs are selected are required to transfer all of their right, title and interest in their design, including, but not limited to, all derivative works, to the HV Arts Council. Artists may continue to use images of their design as part of their personal portfolio. Artists may not use the design for any other commercial or non-commercial promotional purposes.
Artists and Sponsors
The HV Arts Council will facilitate the partnering of a sponsor with an artist. In certain cases, the artist may be asked to coordinate with the sponsor to create a mutually agreeable final design.
Alternatively, artists may wish to find their own sponsor by contacting businesses or clients interested in their work. Artists may also finance their own ox. Sponsor packets, outlining the various levels of sponsorship, can be found here.
HV Arts Council welcomes donations by the artist either by forgoing the $750 honorarium or purchasing a sponsorship at any of the available sponsorship levels.
Ox Transportation
A white fiberglass ox will be delivered to each selected artist as a “blank canvas” for the execution of their approved design. The HV Arts Council will transport the ox to and from the artist’s studio or workspace. The HV Stampede Art Committee will visit with artists periodically over the project’s implementation period to monitor progress. Completed oxen must be weatherized as recommended by the HV Arts Art Committee and be ready for pick-up by June 30, 2014.
Public Display and Auction
The public exhibition will take place in the Fall of 2014. Oxen that have not been purchased in advance by their sponsors may be sold through a live auction at a gala event, silent auction or online auction. The HV Arts Council, at its sole discretion, will determine how each ox is sold. All proceeds from the HV Stampede will support the formation of the Hopewell Valley Arts Council and future programs.
Artist Participation Registration Instructions
Artists may register online until Tuesday, December 17, 2013. Registration indicates your intention to submit a design for consideration by our sponsors. If you plan on submitting two designs, you must do two separate online registrations.
- If you are an individual artist who will be submitting a design, please complete the Individual Artist Registration Form.
- If you are a team (of no more than four individuals) who will be submitting a design, please complete the Team Registration Form. Each team member’s name will appear on the display plaque.
- If you are a company, school or other type of organization who will be submitting a design, please complete the Organization Registration Form. Only the organization’s name will appear on the display plaque.
Design Submission Instructions
Design Submission Packets, detailing artist-specific ox designs, are due no later than Friday, January 17, 2014. Designs will be reviewed for suitability based on the Design Guidelines stated int he HV Stampede Artist Guidelines.
If you plan on submitting two designs, you must submit two separate Design Submission Packets. Please remember, you must be able to complete both oxen by June 30, 2014 in the event that both of your designs are chosen.
All materials submitted as part of the registration and design process will become the property of the Hopewell Valley Arts Council and will not be returned.
Your completed Design Submission Packet must be received no later than Friday, January 17, 2014. All materials must be placed in one envelope and delivered via postmarked mail to:
Hopewell Valley Arts Council
P.O. Box 145
Hopewell, NJ 08525
Envelopes can also be hand-delivered to one of the following Hopewell Valley Community Bank (HVCB) locations:
| Main Branch – Ruth Powell, Mgr. 4 Route 31, Pennington, NJ 08534 |
Hours: M-F 8am to 6pm Sat 8am to 1pm |
| County Line Branch – Joe Gerko, Mgr. 280 Route 31, Hopewell NJ 08525 |
Hours: M-F 8am to 6pm Sat 8am to 1pm |
| Hopewell Crossing Branch – Gail Norin, Mgr. 802 Denow Road, Pennington NJ 08534 |
Hours: M-F 8am to 6pm Sat 8am to 1pm Sun 10am to 3pm |
The HVCB Managers have a secure location in their Branches to take delivery of your Design Submission Packet. Please address the envelope to “Hopewell Valley Arts Council” with your name as the return address.
Your completed Design Submission Packet must include the following 5 elements. Be sure to put your name and ox title on the back of all artwork and papers.
- Design Submission Form – Download the appropriate form, complete and sign. Submit the original and one copy.
- Artist’s Design Statement – Attach a separate 8½” x 11” sheet with a typed written description of your ox design and the materials you intend to use. Please limit this statement to 250 words. Submit two copies.
- Completed Ox Outline Drawing – Paint or draw your proposed design on the Ox Outline Drawing. Feel free to enlarge the outline or copy onto another kind of paper to facilitate your artwork; however, you must then reduce the size again and submit a design no larger than 8½” x 11”. Due to the size limitation we realize that small details cannot be represented. The drawing should convey the overall look and feel of your design. Refer to this completed sample for an example. Submit two color copies.
- Close-up of Design Detail – Please create one to four additional 8½” x 11” pieces of poster board or foam board detailing a small part of your design. It is totally up to you what you would like to submit. It may be samples of your paint colors, fabric pieces, a small cross-section of your design, or the technique you will use. Be sure to glue, wire, or mount any items you have attached to the board in order to keep them secure on the backing material. It is important to write your name and the title of your ox on the back of each board. Submit one set of original boards.
- Hopewell Valley Arts Council Copyright Assignment Form – Submit signed original and one black & white copy.
Questions? Need more information? Unclear about anything?
For more information about the Call For Artists and the submission process, please email us at artists.hvartscouncil@gmail.com.