Call For Submissions Open!
START: Wed. March 12, 2014.
DEADLINE: Tues. April 22, 2014 at 12:00 Midnight.
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Quiet Zone at The Gallery at Queen Elisabeth |
Memento mori at Sheridan Gallery, Oakville, |
About Submissions
Festival Dates: Nov. 1 -
Nov. 30, 2014
We are really excited to see your new work! Artists from around the world are invited to submit bodies of work, installations or individual pieces to the festival. Multiple curators will draw from the submissions to create different exhibitions. Rather than having predetermined curatorial ideas, we are going to develop thematic shows entirely out of the work we receive. In Festival 2012 we curated using this process and it worked very successfully. Your artwork could potentially inspire an entire exhibition.
Check out our previous exhibitions.
Read Interviews with our Curators.
Please help spread the word!
Facebook Invite for 2014 Call for Submissions.
Festival 2014 will be focused around Queen Elisabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. In addition to the beautiful gallery, we will also be using the display area, hall galleries, and lobby areas of the entire facility. We have considerably more hall space than last time. Festival 2014 will be in Oakville only and not in Toronto.
Weekly Fibre Artist Interviews: Some artists who are accepted will be invited to participate in our interview series. So far we've interviewed 110 artists.
Previous festivals have featured artists from:
Countries: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Canadian provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.
Galleries for 2014
Queen Elizabeth Park Community & Cultural Centre, Oakville
The Gallery: This beautiful space is our principle gallery. We will be mounting a major thematic group exhibition based on the submissions we receive.
The Display Area: This large open gallery can be used for both wall works and installations.
The Hall Galleries: For the first time we will be mounting SOLO shows in the halls. This is why we are encouraging artists to submit full bodies of work. We plan to dedicate entire hallways to individual artists. Note that the halls are open to the public at all times. Work in the halls is secured to prevent theft.
Public Spaces: The facility has many open public spaces where we plan to exhibit installation work. Theses spaces are open at all times.
The Living Arts Centre Gallery, Mississauga: This is a new venue for Festival 2014.
The Gallery at Sheridan Institute, Oakville: This is a regular festival venue, but has not yet been confirmed. If they do join on we will mount a major group exhibition based on the submissions.
Curators:
Chair & Festival Curator: Dawne Rudman
Festival Curator: Gareth Bate
Living Arts Centre Gallery: Megan Press
Email: dawne@worldofthreadsfestival.com
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Artist Eligibility
- We are open to artists from all countries.
- All artwork must have been made after Jan. 2012 (the date of our last call for submissions)
- All work must be available for exhibition during the Festival: Nov. 1 - Nov. 30, 2014 and the two weeks prior and after these dates for installation and take down.
- No entry can be withdrawn from the exhibition once it has been accepted.
- All work must be original – No patterns or commercial kits are acceptable.
- Artists cover the cost of shipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is Oakville?
Oakville is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is situated 40 km west of Toronto on Lake Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. Oakville has a population of 170,000 and is well served by public transit to and from Toronto. It has a small but solid arts community. The World of Threads Festival is one of the most important events in the town. We hire buses to bring art lovers from Toronto out to Oakville during the festival.
Downtown Oakville on Google Street View
Oakville Harbour on Google Street View
- How do I get updates about the Festival?
Subscribe Here. - How can I share the Call for Submissions?
Facebook Invite - How many submissions do you get?
On average we receive about 225 submissions each festival. - If I exhibited last time can I get in again?
Absolutely. We look at all submissions equally. - When will I hear back about my submission?
You'll hear back by the end of May. - Can I submit more than one application?
Yes, you can submit as many as you want. - If I didn't get in last time, do I have a chance this time?
Yes. If you submit new work we will be looking with fresh eyes. - What form can the work take?
We accept regular 2-D work, wall works, sculpture, installation, and performance. - What kinds of media have you exhibited?
Paper, quilting, weaving, hooking, knitting, embroidery, lace making, crocheting, felting, mixed media, soft sculpture, wearable art, basketry, recycling materials, plastic manipulation. We are also open to "fibre inspired" artwork. - What do you mean by "fibre inspired"?
This is a term we coined to encompass artworks that use the techniques, forms or history of fibre arts but are not made from traditional soft or perishable fibre materials. (See Memento mori exhibition), - What Counts as Fibre Art?
Fibre art is incredibly diverse and our definition is continuously shifting. We are open-minded. Our website has hundreds of examples of fibre artwork located under Artist Interviews and Artwork. Generally fibre art is made from perishable materials that use traditional techniques that include, sewing, tapestry and papermaking. However, more and more artists are using synthetic materials. - What Doesn’t Count as Fibre Art?
We would probably not include works on paper that are essentially drawing or painting, unless the paper itself is somehow being manipulated. If you are unsure if your work counts as “fibre” please contact the Festival Chair: Dawne Rudman. - Do you have opening receptions?
Yes! We have had hundreds of guests attend our openings. We also have buses that we rent to drive people from Toronto. - Can I sell my artwork?
Yes. - Is the artwork insured while on display?
All work displayed at Queen Elisabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre is insured. If we do exhibit at Sheridan Gallery that work is not insured. - What is an Artist Statement?
An Artist Statement is a description of your artwork and art practice. You are telling the story of your artwork. Ex: Gareth Bate - What is the difference between a Bio and a CV?
A CV is a chronological listing of your career achievements. A bio is a narrative outlining your career path, purpose for making art, etc. Some of the information is the same, but it is presented as a narrative. It should be written in third person.
Examples: Carolyn Dinsmore | Gareth Bate - Will you acknowledge my submission and payment?
Yes, give us a about a week to sort through the submissions and we will let you know that we received everything. - Will I get feedback on my submission?
We don't offer feedback about work or submissions. We will tell you if you didn't get in because the work didn't fit within the themes the curators came up with.
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How to Submit
Three Options for Submitting
- Body of Work – Maximum 10 pieces + details.
- Individual Pieces – Maximum 10 pieces + details.
- Installations – Maximum 10 pieces + details and renderings.
Submission Fee: $40 (Canadian)
This fee covers a maximum of ten pieces (10 full images and 10 details). If you would like to submit an additional round of pieces you may do another submission by paying an additional $40 (Canadian). Payment methods include PayPal, international money order and cheque.
The submission fee covers our costs and time for processing the submissions and contributes to the festival. Please note that the World of Threads Festival is organized by two dedicated volunteers. It is a not-for-profit organization. Because we don't have the revenue of a gallery we need to charge submission fees to make this event happen. Running the festival involves paying for exhibition space, promotional materials, professional installers, liability insurance for the galleries, sponsored buses and opening receptions. We receive a small grant which helps to cover our annual costs but is not sufficient to run an international art festival. We do not charge artist fees.
Submission Process
1) Basic Info
2) Support Material
3) Image List
4) Images
5) Send Your Entry
6) Pay Submission Fee
1) Basic Info
FORMAT: Word Doc submitted via email.
Answer the Following Questions:
Basic info:
- Your Name:
- Phone Number (home, mobile):
- Email:
- Website:
- City:
- Province/State:
- Country:
What type of Submission are you sending?
1) Body of Work
2) Individual Pieces
3) Installation
Other Info:
- Does your work require any special installation? (Give details)
- Are you available to help install the work yourself?
- Has the work been exhibited in the Greater Toronto Area before? If so where and when?
- Are you open to being exhibited as a solo show in the public Hall Galleries?
- If submitting installations are you open to being exhibited in the public spaces of the building?
Payment Method?
PayPal, Cheque, International Money Order
2) Support Material
FORMAT: Word Doc submitted via email.
Make sure your name and contact info are at the top of each page.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Bio (200 words. In third person, explain your artistic career and background as it relates to your submitted work.)
- Artist Statement (You can submit multiple statements if necessary.)
3) Image List
FORMAT: Word Doc submitted via email.
Make sure your name and contact info is at the top of the page.
Describe each image:
Title, Date, Dimensions (H x W x D cm), Medium, Technique (e.g. woven tapestry), Photo Credit.
* Please indicate everything that the work is made of. Our viewers love this. Do not say mixed-media.
* Please indicate if the work is framed or mounted.
The image list should look like this:
IMAGE LIST
1) Woven Dreams, 2013, 24 H x 32 W x 1D cm, cotton warp, mixed weft including: jute, linen, metallic threads, raffia, silk, synthetic and wool, Technique: Haute-lisse (aka Vertical or High warp) Woven Tapestry. Photo: Man Ray. Framed.
2) Detail: Woven Dreams, 2013, 24 H x 32 W x 1D cm, cotton warp, mixed weft including: jute, linen, metallic threads, raffia, silk, synthetic and wool, Technique: Haute-lisse (aka Vertical or High warp) Woven Tapestry. Photo: Man Ray. Framed.
4) Images
Note: Submitted attached in an email.
- Maximum 10 images (per submission).
- Submit one detail image for every piece submitted. (So a total of 20 images.)
- jpgs only. (No TIFF or PSD files)
- Saved as 72 dpi resolution. Do not save as 300 dpi resolution.
- Maximum 1024 pixels wide.
- If submitting an installation you may submit multiple images.
- Jpg titles must correspond to the image list. Please indicate when an image is a detail.
Jpgs should be numbered and labeled like this:
- 001_title_your_name.jpg
- 002_detail_title_your_name.jpg
Documentation Guidelines:
- High quality documentation is more likely to be accepted.
- Please do not photograph work against black or coloured backgrounds. All work should be photographed against a white, off-white or light gray backdrop only. The exception is if it is already mounted in a frame.
- Please include the edges of all artwork. Do not crop the edges, show us the full form. This is crucial for fibre work.
- We may ask you individually to submit an informal "in context" photo if we have trouble visualizing the work.
- If framed or mounted, we may ask you to submit an informal photo with the frame or backing visible.
NEW NOTE: The specifications against dark or coloured backgrounds and including the edges are our ideal for looking at the work. If the work has been photographed in advance and it is impossible to reshoot them, then we will accept it. But we will probably ask you to submit a casual photo against white in advance of confirming your acceptance. We have found in the past that dark and coloured backgrounds can greatly distort the look of the work by presenting it in a way that it would never appear in a gallery.
5) Send Your Entry
- Send the complete submission to: worldofthreadsfestival@gmail.com
- In the email subject line write:
Your Name: 2014 Submission 1
- Applications must arrive by Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at 12:00 Midnight. Applications submitted after this time will not be accepted.
- When will I hear back about my submission?
You'll hear back by the end of May.
6) Pay Submission Fee
Methods of Payment:
- PayPal: To pay via PayPal click below:
- Note: The PayPal button says, “donate” – this is because we are a not for profit organization.
- International Money Order (payable to World of Threads Festival)
- Cheque (payable to World of Threads Festival). No post-dated cheques will be accepted.
Awesome! We look forward to seeing your new work!
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Questions
First check our Frequently Asked Questions.