after being accepted into an asba exhibition
A thorough understanding of our guidelines makes for a successful entry
by Carol Woodin, Director of Exhibitions, ASBA
Originally appeared in The Botanical Artist - Volume 25, Issue 2
In the previous article, we covered how to enter an ASBA exhibition. Now we’ll discuss what happens when an artwork is accepted, after the cheering subsides. ASBA allows approximately three months from acceptance to artwork delivery, and several time-sensitive things happen in that window.
1. Provide information: Each artist is asked to provide more detailed information, including a 100-word biography, an artist’s CV or resumé, and a signed release allowing your artwork images to be available for use in the catalog, online, and in publicity and interpretation. Volunteers Myra Sourkes and Claudia Lane collect, edit, and post “Stories Behind the Art” on our website, so you’ll be asked to write about your piece for this site. If your artwork will be for sale, you’ll be asked to price your artwork. Please refer to the recent article on this topic in The Botanical Artist, Volume 22, Issue 4. It can be found on ASBA’s website under Exhibition Advice. Artwork sales help to offset some of the costs of producing exhibitions.
2. Frame your artwork according to specifications: Each exhibition has its own specifications for framing requirements; you’ll be notified of exactly what they are when accepted. If the exhibition will travel, all frames must be identical. For Annual Internationals, more latitude is given. However, where mats are used, only white or off-white mats are allowed. Some artists choose to float their artwork on a white backing mat, and others use a shadow-box style. Acrylic glazing is required, and UV protected acrylic glazing is recommended. We have tried to keep framing requirements affordable while presenting a professional quality exhibition when all works are hung together.
When inserting your artwork, matting, and backing into the frame, secure it with framer’s points, and make sure they are not bendable. Do not use glazier’s points. Artworks must be firmly held within the framing, since the artwork is nearly always being shipped, and is often traveling to several venues. Artworks frequently slip out of the framing when numerous points fall out from the back of the artwork or bend, making the artwork vulnerable to damage or accumulating dirt inside the glazing. The last step is to wire your artwork for hanging.
3. Pack your artwork for shipping: Artworks should be packed so the artwork is protected, yet is easily unpacked on arrival and repacked at exhibition close. Work should be wrapped securely in a couple layers of bubble wrap, but not over-wrapped or over-taped. Taping should be easily removed and replaced without the use of a utility knife. If the taping is all around the sides and top, it cannot be removed without destroying the bubble and cutting it off. If too much bubble wrap is put around the artwork, it is difficult to remove, can cause pressure against the glazing, and push out the framer’s points in the back of the artwork.
Cartons for shipping should be sturdy and large enough to allow room between the edge of the frame and the box, and space for padding above and below the artwork. The carton should not flex. At the same time, the carton should not be exceedingly large in comparison to the artwork. Artwork should be packed for safety, resilience, and economy.
4. Ship your artwork: Artists are responsible for shipping to and from the exhibition. The larger the artwork, the more costly the shipping, as many artworks are charged by size rather than weight (dimensional weight). While in transit, any insurance against damage/loss that may occur is also the responsibility of the artist. Some carriers limit coverage for items of “high intrinsic value,” such as artworks, to $500. Use a service that tracks the package while it is in transit. In addition to filling out a label, use a marker to write your address on the carton so that if the label happens to fall off, there is some identification on the package. Place your business card inside the box. The artist is not responsible for insurance once the artwork reaches its destination, nor for shipping between venues for traveling exhibitions.
5. International shipping: An extra layer of complexity and cost is incurred when shipping artwork internationally. Please understand your country’s requirements before entering an exhibition, to be certain that you are able to comply with customs requirements, can complete the paperwork required, and are able to absorb the substantial cost. Your works must be shipped to the exhibition with all the required paperwork correctly prepared, including a commercial or pro forma invoice using the commodity code of 9701.10. We must also be able to return your work to you based on your import documents. The artist is responsible for all these costs, so if ASBA or the venue is charged fees or duties for the importation of an artwork, the artist will be asked for reimbursement.
6. Artwork return: At the close of the exhibition, the venue staff and/or ASBA volunteers and staff will prepare and return ship your work in its original packing. You will be asked in advance for a return shipping label, or for an account number with one of two major package delivery companies.
Exhibitions happen because of the efforts of many people, in addition to all the effort expended by each artist. After each artist ships their work and it arrives at the venue to join its compatriots, quite a few more steps are involved before the work goes up on the wall. Each artwork is unpacked and checked for any problems that may have developed during shipping. Each artwork’s condition is documented, some must be repaired, acrylic glazing cleaned, and hanging hardware readied. Volunteers often get an inside look at what it takes to receive and check incoming work, and to hang the exhibition and its interpretive signage.
By the time an exhibition opens and visitors walk into the gallery, it has already experienced a long history with a series of timed events. What is seen on the walls has been accomplished by artists, staff, and many volunteers over several months. All of this background work allows each viewer to examine the artwork close-up, to learn more about the exhibition’s theme and botanical art, and to revel in its impact. In this way, each artwork begins a new life as botanical art ambassador out in the world!