Presented by Washington Sculptors Group & McLean Project for the Arts

Exhibit dates: Thursday, September 12 – Saturday, October 26, 2024

About the Exhibition

Sculpture NOW 2024 is a non-thematic exhibition of new works, finished within the last two years. Three-dimensional freestanding sculpture, wall-hung and ceiling-hung sculpture, and installations as well as multimedia and performance-based works are welcome. Basic technical support will be provided by MPA. The artist must provide any video and sound equipment. The art may be finished or in the form of a proposal. We highly recommend that artists visit the space if they wish to submit installations, site-specific work, or a proposal.

Rooney Prize: an honorarium of $500 will be given to an artist/artist team selected by the juror whose work reflects the best qualities for the overall WSG Sculpture NOW 2024 show.

About the Juror Nancy Sausser is Curator and Artistic Director of the McLean Project for the Arts (MPA). In this position, she has curated over 150 exhibitions, including the work of both emerging and mid-career artists. A sculptor and arts writer as well as a curator, her writing has been featured in publications such as the Washington Post and FiberArts Magazine, as well as in many exhibition catalogs.  Her sculpture has been shown around the Washington, DC area, most recently at IA@A at Hillyer and Brentwood Arts Exchange.  Nancy holds a BA in Studio Art from Kenyon College and an MFA in Sculpture form the University of Washington in Seattle.

About McLean Project for the Arts The mission of McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) is to exhibit the work of emerging and established artists from the mid-Atlantic region; to promote public awareness and understanding of the concepts of contemporary art; and to offer instruction and education in the visual arts. MPA’s history dates back to 1962 with the founding of the Emerson Gallery by a small group of women artists. Many partners, including corporate and community sponsors, individuals, and foundations fund MPA’s exhibitions and educational programs. Each year MPA provides: 15 contemporary arts exhibitions; the MPA’s award winning ArtReach program; partnerships with the Fairfax County Public Schools; Community Centers; and community organizations.

APPLICATION DEADLINE Sunday, August 4 (11:59pm EST)

Participating artists can upload submissions through EntryThingy (www.entrythingy.com) Sculpture NOW 2024 will be juried from digital images submitted through EntryThingy site, and there is a $5 processing fee for uploading images. No entries will be accepted by mail or email.

ELIGIBILITY The exhibition is open to members of the Washington Sculptors Group only. Artists who are not already members may join WSG by paying annual dues of $45 ($15 for full-time students). Prospective members may download a membership form from the WSG website (www.washingtonsculptors.org), and send checks, along with the membership form, to the WSG address, or may join online through PayPal on the WSG website. Existing WSG members must renew their dues for 2024 to be eligible for this exhibition.

Artists can upload submissions through EntryThingy

Please contact exhibits@washingtonsculptors.org with any questions.

Download the Complete Call

Nancy Sausser

Nancy Sausser is Curator and Artistic Director of the McLean Project for the Arts (MPA). In this position, she has curated over 150 exhibitions, including the work of both emerging and mid-career artists. A sculptor and arts writer as well as a curator, her writing has been featured in publications such as the Washington Post and FiberArts Magazine, as well as in many exhibition catalogs.  Her sculpture has been shown around the Washington, DC area, most recently at IA@A at Hillyer and Brentwood Arts Exchange.  Nancy holds a BA in Studio Art from Kenyon College and an MFA in Sculpture form the University of Washington in Seattle.

The exhibition is open to members of the Washington Sculptors Group only. Artists who are not already members may join WSG by paying annual dues of $45 ($15 for full-time students). Prospective members may download a membership form from the WSG website (www.washingtonsculptors.org), and send checks, along with the membership form, to the WSG address, or may join online through PayPal on the WSG website. Existing WSG members must renew their dues for 2024 to be eligible for this exhibition.

Download the Complete Call

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

  • Individual artists or teams may submit three-dimensional freestanding sculpture, wall- and ceiling-hung sculpture, installations, as well as new media and performance-based works. Artists not familiar with the space are highly encouraged to visit before submitting.
  • Each artist or team may submit up to three (3) works, with two images per work (maximum of ten images). Submissions must be made through the EntryThingy website (see instructions below).
  • Submissions MUST be anonymous—please remove any identifying labels from titles, file names, images, statements, etc. Submissions that are not anonymous will be disqualified.
  • Accepted work must be delivered in person from Friday, September 6 – Saturday, September 7 (10am – 6pm)
  • Submissions may be finished works or in the form of a proposal by an individual or an art team. Written proposal must be submitted in a 300-word (max) essay. Please create the document in Word, and upload it as a PDF file as you would upload a photo. Take care not to state your name or the names of your team in the written proposal. The juror will obtain all names of the artists or artist teams involved after jurying. We highly recommend that artists visit the space if they wish to submit installations, site-specific work, or a proposal.
  • All sculptures must fit through the rear entrance 82” x 65” doorway. Wall work hangs directly on the walls and artists are asked to combine the design of a pedestal into the design of their work that will allow it to be freestanding. Walls have electrical outlets.
  • Artists are solely responsible for delivery and installation of their accepted work on the specified installation date and de-installation of their work on the pick-up date. Staff will be available on site to assist artists with installations. All work accepted and exhibited must remain on display for the full duration of the show. WSG and the gallery will not receive shipments of artwork or mail inquiries.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ENTRYTHINGY

  • Submit all images with a resolution of 300 dpi and a maximum of 2MB each. Video files must be smaller than 50MB each (about five minutes).
  • Files should be named with only the title of the work (no first or last names). Use the actual title for each work. Example:

Sculpture 1.jpeg

Sculpture 1 (detail).jpeg

Sculpture 2.jpeg

Installation 1.jpeg

etc.

  • The EntryThingy platform allows you to submit a statement about how your work relates to the exhibition’s requirements. It also offers you a chance to provide a brief description of each work along with a title, dimensions, etc. To avoid being disqualified, do not include your name in either the statement or any of the description paragraphs.
  1. Applicants should go to http://www.entrythingy.com/ and click on the tab (at top) “for artists”.
  2. Click on “list of current calls”.
  3. Scroll down and click on the Sculpture NOW 2024 listing.
  4. Create a login account to http://www.entrythingy.com/ if you don’t have an account, or if you do, login to your existing account with the “Click here to login” button.  After logging in, select the Sculpture NOW 2024 call and complete the entry steps.
  5. There is a $5 entry fee.
  6. All applicants will receive ‘accepted’ or ‘not accepted’ notifications via email.

SALES AND COMMISSIONS: a commission based on the listed sales price of the work will be applied if the work sells either during the exhibition or as a result thereof. MPA takes a 25% commission on sales. Interested buyers will be directed to the Exhibition Director and she will in turn work with a Sculpture NOW 2024 representative to notify the artist involved.

INSURANCE: MPA will insure work while on site, but NOT during transportation to or from the venue. Onsite insurance value will be computed as 75% of retail price, but does not guarantee that the insurer will agree with the value assigned by the artist. Selected artists must sign a loan agreement provided by MPA to be insured.

Please contact exhibits@washingtonsculptors.org with any questions.

CALENDAR

Exhibition Dates: Thursday, September 12 – Saturday, October 26, 2024

Call for Entry Posted: Monday, June 24, 2024

Submission Deadline: Sunday, August 4 (received by 11:59pm EST)

Jurying Period: Monday, August 5 – Thursday August 8

Artist Notification: by Tuesday, August 13

Drop off & Installation: Friday, September 6 – Saturday, September 7 (10am – 6pm)

Opening Reception: Thursday, September 12, 2024 (7pm – 9pm)

Artist & Juror Talk: TBD

Deinstallation/Pickup: Sunday, October 27, 2024 (10am – 6pm)

Submission Deadline: Sunday, August 4 (11:59pm EST, received through the submission site EntryThingy)

About McLean Project for the Arts The mission of McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) is to exhibit the work of emerging and established artists from the mid-Atlantic region; to promote public awareness and understanding of the concepts of contemporary art; and to offer instruction and education in the visual arts. MPA’s history dates back to 1962 with the founding of the Emerson Gallery by a small group of women artists. Many partners, including corporate and community sponsors, individuals, and foundations fund MPA’s exhibitions and educational programs. Each year MPA provides: 15 contemporary arts exhibitions; the MPA’s award winning ArtReach program; partnerships with the Fairfax County Public Schools; Community Centers; and community organizations. www.mpaart.org

1234 Ingleside Avenue McLean, VA 22101