Call for submissions now open!  Entry fee for NCECA members only $20 (Non members $35 or BECOME A MEMBER)   Flow: The 2014 NCECA Invitational will be on exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Museum from February 22 to March 23, 2014 in conjunction with Material World, the 48th Annual NCECA Conference, taking place at the Delta Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin March 19 – March 22, 2014.


The NCECA Invitational is a themed, curated exhibition that features leading edge, large-scale and often challenging ceramic art. Held in even-numbered years, NCECA’s Exhibitions Director collaborates with the host venue curator to develop an exhibition concept and select a foundational group of artists’ works by invitation. Augmenting this core selection, additional artists may respond to an open call for images of ceramic works that support the theme.  This format brings established reputations and emerging talent to bear on the selected theme and adds vitality and fresh perspectives to ongoing discourse in contemporary art. The exhibition is organized and co-curated by NCECA Exhibitions Director, Linda Ganstrom and Mel Buchanan, Assistant Curator, 20th-century Design at Milwaukee Art Museum.

Concept
The 2014 NCECA Invitational explores the significance of flow in a physical, historical and symbolic sense. Water flows. Glaze flows. Clay flows. To flow is to move in a current, like a liquid. Yet you don’t need water to flow. A line can flow. Air flows. Music flows. Electricity flows. Ideas flow.  Artists can flow in a state of focused motivation that brings a deep enjoyment to the process of their activity. Energy flows. Time flows. Life flows. Our present fluidly becomes our past. The museum promotes the flow of culture through the presentation of artworks and ideas of material culture.

With their spectacular view of Lake Michigan, the dramatic windows of the Baumgartner Galleria in the Milwaukee Art Museum allow the flow of water and light to be a constant presence in the art gallery.  Whether in the atmospheric form of mist, rain, ice or snow, water in its various physical states transforms the elegant space, marking the flow of time and seasons. Set in this dramatic chamber of changing light and color, Flow: The 2014 NCECA Invitational seeks an elite group of memorable ceramic works that embody the spirit and physical properties of flow, as well as connect the contemporary space of the Calatrava architecture with the historic collections of the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Linda Ganstrom and Mel Buchanan, Co-Curators

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Media & Limitations
All works must be primarily ceramic or unfired clay. Mixed media works will be accepted only if ceramic materials are the primary media, although video documentation of projects involving ceramics is encouraged.  The curators will make final determinations.  Large-scale work can be accommodated. Floor works must be firmly stable. Wall-mounted pieces can be accommodated.  Works may be hung from the ceiling in specific places. Work must have been produced within the last five years and not have been shown in previous NCECA sponsored exhibitions, the Milwaukee Art Museum or the greater Milwaukee area.

Entry Guidelines
All entries must be submitted electronically through Juried Art Services.  The initial curatorial phase will be accomplished through review and selection of images of works submitted and available for the exhibition. No substitutions will be allowed.  Artists may submit up to ten pieces with two images of each work, not to exceed 20 images.

Members fee is $20
Non-Members fee is $35
NCECA membership runs 12 months from the date of joining or renewal. NCECA Membership fees are not included in any event registration. Membership is a standalone annual fee. To renew or become an NCECA Member go to: http://www.nceca.net/static/membership_home.php  . If you are unsure of your Membership status, please contact kate@nceca.net

Before beginning submission, applicants must be prepared to provide the following:
o          Biographical statement, up to 100 words.

Each work submitted must include the following image details:
o          Title
o          Catalogue Statement – up to 200 words addressing the theme of “flow” as it relates to this piece.
o          Description – Date of Completion, Photo Credit (if artist, type in ARTIST), Clay body, materials, and decorating/firing methods
o          Sale Status – For Sale or Not For sale
o          Image #s – Image 1, Image 1 detail = piece 1 w/detail
Image 2, Image 2 detail = piece 2 w detail
Etc. for each subsequent piece up to 10 pieces
o          Dimensions (inches) H x W x D
o          Weight (lbs.)
o          Retail Price
o          Insurance Value: Milwaukee Art Museum requires Insurance value to equal Retail Value
o          Estimated return shipping cost

No changes will be allowed once an entry is accepted into the database. Once data is entered in the system, it cannot be altered.  Proofread your data carefully as this information will be used to generate the exhibition budget, catalog, insurance and publicity information. Your submission is considered a formal agreement that the work is available for exhibition, accurately described and priced. 

Calendar
Detailed information and Online Submittal form: Available March 8, 2013
Online Submittal deadline:  June 5, 2013 (midnight EST)
Acceptance notification: August 1, 2013
Contracts and Statements due: August 15, 2013
Delivery of accepted work: January 2 – January 22, 2014
Installation: February 11 – February 21, 2014
Exhibition dates: February 22 – March 23, 2014
Return of work:  By April 23, 2014
Deadline for submission of shipping reimbursement form: May 1, 2014

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Shipping
Artists are responsible for shipping their work to and from the Milwaukee Art Museum and insuring it while in transit.  Works may be shipped or hand-delivered to the museum. The artist must contact the Milwaukee Art Museum registrar’s office in advance of shipment, informing them of the method of shipment and date of shipment. The Museum cannot accept anything over the weekend.  Works should be shipped in reusable containers with photographic documentation for re-packing.

NCECA has a limited budget for reimbursement of RETURN shipping only. Reimbursement amounts payable to individual artists will be determined based on estimated return shipping costs submitted at the time of entry. The reimbursable amount will be calculated on an individual basis and stated in the exhibiting artist’s contract.

Accepted work will be shipped to:
Registrar’s Office c/o
Milwaukee Art Museum
700 North Art Museum Drive
Milwaukee, WI  53202

Insurance and Sales
The Milwaukee Art Museum will insure all work upon its arrival and until departure under its fine arts policy for the amounts specified by the insurance value listed and up to the limits of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s current insurance policy.  Certain restrictions apply.
The Milwaukee Art Museum will not conduct sales.  Work may be offered for sale through the NCECA Office. A 30% commission on sales will be retained by NCECA.  Return shipping reimbursement is available to artists only.  In the event a work is sold, it is the responsibility of the artist to arrange and pay for shipping to the buyer.

Photography and Permissions
Images of entries may be retained for the NCECA archives. Images of works included in the exhibition may be reproduced in print materials and posted on NCECA’s website, blog and social media. NCECA also reserves the right to use images, biographical materials and artist statements in reports and share them with the media. Images of works in the exhibition may also be shared by NCECA within an image library as part of accessCeramics.org

Various other educational and promotional materials may be created by the Milwaukee Art Museum or NCECA. Works in the exhibition may be photographed, telecast, and reproduced for press and publicity purposes including but not limited to reproduction in newspapers, periodicals, magazines, in television programs and on the Internet in connection with the exhibition and the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Participating artists must agree to allow NCECA and gallery visitors to photograph work while on display for educational and publicity purposes.

Catalogue
NCECA will produce a color catalogue documenting the exhibition experience through artists’ bios and statements; color images of artwork, and pertinent essays. The catalogue will be available for pre-purchase and for purchase at the conference. Two complementary copies of the color catalogue will be provided to each artist whose work is included in the exhibition.

Reception
A reception during the NCECA conference will celebrate the exhibition.

LINK TO JURIED ART SERVICES “FLOW” APPLICATION