International Society of Glass Beadmakers

Hands of the Maker III: Avant-garde

In preparation for the 2017 Gathering in Las Vegas, Nevada, the ISGB is excited to

announce a Call for Entries for the next installment in the Hands of the Maker series,

Hands of the Maker III: Avant-garde. In this juried exhibition, the focus will be on

pushing the boundaries of the norm; the nontraditional and esthetic innovation of

wearable and functional art.

Hands of the Maker III will be launched in Las Vegas and will be on display during the

celebration of our 25th annual conference. The ISGB Gathering will coincide with

Glass Craft & Bead Expo and will provide an unsurpassed opportunity for exposure

and audience view into our world of glass art.

For this exhibition, as in the previous Hands of the Maker projects, our focus is on the artist’s hands and their breathtaking capabilities. The hands are everything. They help bring a story to life, capture a moment in time, evoke the spirit of our creative process, and they speak through our creative calling.

You are invited to submit finished wearable or functional pieces that speak with an avant-garde voice. Work submitted should provide a focused look at the extraordinary concentration of artistic endeavor and multi-media crossings considered when creating glass art. It should celebrate experimentation and evidence each artist’s skillful ability to exceed beyond past limitations while exploring new possibilities in their work; think progressive, off-beat, unconventional.

Participants must be ISGB members by the date of submission. Glass in any form may be used with complementary mediums, diverse materials, and/or novel variations in technique.

A fee of $25 is due with each submission. An additional fee of $25 is due if selected for the exhibition. Full details on the exhibition are available on our exhibitions page.

Specifications

Submit two or three color images of the pieces. Include two black and white images of the artist’s hands during the creative process, showing the execution of the finished piece(s). Include a single, brief description (paragraph form, 200 words or less) describing the creative process used to complete each piece, the reasons for selecting types of materials used, inspiration behind the finished work, and the ways in which this represents an avant-garde departure from the artist’s previous voice.
Images should be high resolution (minimum 300 dpi or 1600 pixels), uncropped, unadjusted and in jpeg format. All images must have sharp focus, proper exposure, and a neutral backdrop (graduated, gray, white or black smooth). Not accepted: Images with textured backgrounds, watermarks, text, copyright notice, edited frames, edited backgrounds, or other Photoshop effects.
Up to three pieces may be submitted if you are accepted into the exhibition. At least two pieces must be for sale. An inventory list with all artist contact information and retail price(s) must be included with the pieces when they are submitted. No exceptions will be made and pieces will not be displayed if the inventory and price sheet is not included with the shipment.
If selected for the exhibition, all pieces, any additional photography required, inventory and retail price lists, and artist information must be received by March 1, 2017. Shipping instructions will be sent out with notification of acceptance.
Artists selected for the exhibit will receive a percentage of the retail price of the sold items. Payments and any unsold pieces will be returned via insured mail.

Timeline

January 9, 2017 - $25 fee due with submission. Send color images of the pieces, black & white images of artist hands, and a brief description of the finished work. Images of the work will go through a jury process. If accepted for the exhibition, notifications regarding any photography that needs to be retaken will be sent.

January 20, 2017 - Exhibition selections and jury comments and scores sent out on all submissions.

February 2, 2017 - $25 acceptance fee due. ISGB strives to keep our commitment to maximize exposure for our member artists. Due to a rise in shipping fees, we are forced to offset these costs with an additional acceptance fee. We think you will find that the value received by participating in ISGB exhibitions is worth this fee.

March 1, 2017 - Finished pieces, a full retail price list, and artist contact information due.

To Submit
Pay your entry fee online.
Complete the online application form here.
Upload your images here.

Photo courtesy Beth Williams, Artist

Photo courtesy Diane Sepanski & Kathryn Guler, Artists