OPPORTUNITY FOR ARTISTS

EXHIBITION PROPOSAL:

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Deadline for submission for the 2025 exhibition schedule: October 1, 2024

Exhibition Galleries

Umpqua Valley Arts (UVA) invites artists to propose solo or group exhibitions for our three main galleries. The Hallie Brown Ford Gallery, the Corridor Gallery, and Gallery II are spaces managed and operated by UVA and are available for local, regional, and national artists to showcase their work in solo or group exhibitions.

Exhibits in the Corridor Gallery, Gallery II, and the Hallie Brown Ford Gallery help promote emerging, mid-career, and established artists while providing arts and culture experiences for the community. UVA aims to provide innovative exhibitions that engage viewers with arts and cultural experiences through the conflation of ideas and media. Exhibits rotate every eight to ten weeks throughout the year.

Proposal Submissions

As part of UVA’s mission to create and foster a climate that supports arts appreciation, participation, and education, we are dedicated to bringing innovative and thought-provoking exhibitions to our galleries. The goal of each exhibition is to provide our community with opportunities to learn about and participate in the discourse, dialogue, and practices happening with contemporary artists.

For the 2025 exhibition schedule, we welcome all exhibit proposals from artists of all practices, mediums, and stages in their career. Creative approaches and content are always valued, all media is welcome, and superior craftsmanship is an absolute necessity.

To be eligible for consideration, all proposals should contain the required materials and follow the submission guidelines listed below:

• With some exceptions, artwork being submitted on the proposal should be made within the last 5 years. (Please reach out to the Exhibitions and Programs Coordinator to learn more about these exceptions).
• With some exceptions, artwork being submitted on the proposal should not have been displayed at UVA previously. (Please reach out to the Exhibitions and Programs Coordinator to learn more about these exceptions)
• All interested artists must complete an exhibition proposal through the online form on our Calls to Artists page. Click here to be directed to our Calls to Artists webpage.
• Exhibition proposal narrative, including your inspiration and vision for the show, the reason you feel your show has educational value for the region, and any interactive or auxiliary components (such as an artist’s talk or performance). Please be specific.
• If you are applying as an individual artist, state if you prefer to exhibit as a solo artist or are willing to exhibit in a small group exhibition (1-2 other artists), and/or willing to exhibit in a large group exhibition (3-6 other artists).
• Artist bio for each participating artist.
• Artist statement for each participating artist.
• Four digital images of one body of work (created within the last five years) for each participating artist. JPEG files with a resolution of 300 dpi and a file size of approximately 5-10MB are ideal.
• Label each digital file with a number and the artist’s name using this format: LastName_FirstName_01.JPG.

Jury Process

Exhibition proposals open in January and end on October 1st of each year. Proposal applications must be received on or before October 1st to be considered. Exhibit proposals are reviewed by the UVA Exhibitions and Program Coordinator and the UVA Gallery Committee and artists will be notified of their acceptance on a rolling basis throughout the year. All artists will be notified of their acceptance no later than October 31st.

Commission

If an exhibition proposal is accepted, artists may decide if they would like to sell the work or mark it as “NFS” during the exhibition period. If the art is for sale, artists will receive 60% of the retail price from the sale of artworks and UVA retains 40%. If you are a UVA Artist Member, you will receive 70% of the commission and UVA retains 30% of the commission.  In order to receive the Artist Member commission rate, artists must pay their membership dues to activate their membership prior to the sale of the work. UVA advises artists to consider this commission rate in the price of their artwork. Art sales during exhibitions support both the artists and UVA’s educational programs.

Please note: UVA reserves the right to change the commission rates for future exhibits for which an exhibition contract has not been executed. Any relevant changes to the commission policies will be communicated to those submitting exhibition proposals.

Craftsmanship

Umpqua Valley Arts is dedicated to providing exhibition opportunities to artists across mediums and art practices. All applications will be juried by the finished quality of the work submitted in the proposal and expected to meet UVA quality standards and criteria for the work and for educational purposes for the region. Considerations for quality include (but aren’t limited to) skills in craftsmanship, creative ability, ingenuity, design skills, conceptual design, and feasibility for execution. UVA retains the right to reject any or all pieces delivered to the gallery that do not match the quality of what was accepted.

Content
As a cultural and educational organization, we believe that the arts can transform communities, open minds, and unite people. It is important that artworks from multiple points of view, life experiences, ethnicities, cultures, and belief systems are welcomed for display and UVA plays a unique role in bringing diverse voices and perspectives to help our rural population be more socially engaged. UVA is also dedicated to creating a safe space in our programming and services that makes equity and inclusivity a priority, rejects racism and discrimination of marginalized communities, and abstains from explicit content. In line with this dedication, and for the safety of our viewers, UVA reserves the right to reject artworks that do not follow UVA’s Exhibition Content Policy. Click here to read details about our Exhibition Content Policy.

Presentation

If accepted, all artwork must be prepared to be ready to hang/install prior to the scheduled exhibition. Two-dimensional work must be prepared to be delivered/shipped to UVA ready to hang with hanging wires on the back or alternative hanging hardware that can hang from UVA’s gallery hooks. If applicable to the work, framing and matting must be of professional quality with no signs of wear and should complement the work. Three-dimensional work should come with a sturdy base that can adequately hold itself. All installation work must come with thorough instructions or the artist must be present to install the work in the gallery.

Curatorial Management

With the exception of select exhibits, the Exhibitions and Program Coordinator is responsible for curating the works exhibited in all of UVA’s galleries, but input from exhibiting artists is welcome. The works are installed by UVA staff and UVA’s Installation Committee, but artists are welcome to assist staff and committee members if their work requires special installation instructions.

Exhibition Planning

UVA begins preparation and planning for its exhibitions up to a year or more in advance. While this prospectus is for the 2025 exhibition year, we welcome opportunities to plan special exhibition projects for the 2026 exhibition schedule. If you have a specific exhibition that may be a better fit for 2026, please feel free to reach out to the Exhibitions and Programs Coordinator at the email below.