Call for Entries: Trees. A visual narrative of our enduring relationships with trees through the seasons 

Submission Deadline

February 28, 2025

Venues

TBD

Eligibility

Artists are encouraged to become members of the Rocky Mountain Society of Botanical Artists, but artists nationwide may enter with tiered entry fees. The artwork submitted must not have been entered in a previous RMSBA exhibition.

Media Accepted

Two-dimensional, original botanical art in any medium will be accepted, excluding photographs and computer-generated images.

Fee

• RMSBA members: $25 for the first entry, plus $10 for each additional entry.
• ASBA-only members: $35 for the first entry, plus $10 for each additional entry.
• Nonmembers: $45 for the first entry, plus $15 for each additional entry.

The entry fee is nonrefundable. Retain your "Payment Receipt" email for future reference.

Subject

Artistic Category

Entries should depict the selected tree or part(s) of the tree with botanical accuracy and aesthetic quality based on effective composition, technical mastery of the medium(s), and creative depictions. The tree or part(s) of the tree should be the focus of the plate; other elements such as the setting or affiliated plants and animals should be secondary.

Scientific Category 

Entries should depict a habit of the tree with a minimum of 3 insets that define important morphological attributes. These insets may include scaled details, cross-sections, flower types, or leaf diversity. Effective composition, technical mastery of the medium, and botanical accuracy are required. 

At a minimum, the plate must include:

• a depiction of the whole tree as a simple silhouette/contour, or as a detailed illustration
• clear presentation of important morphological characteristics
• botanical accuracy
• bar scales to show magnification or reduction of the subject

Trees vs Shrubs

Some shrubs with time, can grow into trees. For your work, be sure to depict these subjects in their tree form. For guidance, the National Park Service states, "Generally, trees are over 20 feet tall and have trunks more than 2 inches in diameter at 4.5 feet above the ground. Shrubs are smaller than trees and often have many small, woody, bark covered stems rising from the base."

Number of artworks per entry: Up to 3.

Submissions

All entries will be made through Online Juried Shows at www.OnlineJuriedShows.com beginning August 1, 2024. Images must be digital files only, at least 1920 pixels @72 dpi on the longest side, jpg, under 4 mb, and in sRGB colorspace. Help in photographing your work and properly sizing your images can be found at www.OnlineJuriedShows.com/help.aspx.

If you need help entering your images, please email onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or call 888-666-1351.

At submission, artists will be asked for:

• Title (please use both the Latin/scientific binomial name and Common name as your title)
• Dimensions
• Medium
• Price

Upon being juried into the exhibit, artists will be asked to submit a bio and a brief description of their plant; without this information, the work will not be shown

Presentation

Frame size upper limit is 30" x 30".

Requirements for selected artwork.

Artwork not meeting the following standards will not be displayed.  

• Framed and ready to hang
• Simple, natural-colored wood frame
• Matted with white or off-white mat colors
• If unmatted, use spacers between artwork and plexiglass
• Framed with plexiglass
• Tight-wired for hanging with D-rings positioned 1/5th of the way down from the top of the frame. Wires should be tight and the center point of the wire should be 1½ inches down from the top of the frame. No saw-tooth or clip hangers or projecting screw eyes
• Labeled on the back of your artwork with your name, address, phone number, email, title of artwork, sales status, and price.

Jurors

TBA

Jurying

All artwork will be juried using digital images, which must meet the criteria for OnlineJuriedShows described above under "Submissions." Criteria for acceptance will include botanical accuracy, artistic presentation and skilled technical use of medium represented by high-quality digital images.

Notification

Artists will be notified by email once the results are ready to view in their OnlineJuriedShows artist profiles. Notifications will be sent by March 14, 2025.

Delivery of Work

Selected work may be delivered to the exhibition committee at the General Membership Meeting scheduled for April 2025. If you are unable to deliver the work in person, contact RMSBArtists@gmail.com.

Transportation

All artwork will be transported to venues in RMSBA Fleece Art Sacks. Contact RMSBArtists@gmail.com regarding other transportation needs.

Hanging Rights

RMSBA retains the right to refuse to hang work when received if framing is inadequate, the work is shipped in Styrofoam peanuts, or the quality of the artwork differs greatly from that represented by the submission materials.

Calendar

• Open for entry: August 1, 2024
• Last day to enter: February 28, 2025
• Notifications sent: March 14, 2025
• Deadline for receipt of artwork: General Membership Meeting April 2025
• Shipping deadline, TBD.
• Exhibition dates: TBD
• Opening receptions: TBD

Sale of Works

Artists may choose to sell accepted artworks. It is the artist’s responsibility to make shipping arrangements with the buyer or gallery if necessary. Artists should expect that some venues will charge commissions within the standard gallery range and price their works accordingly.

Publicity and Catalog

Your submitted images may be used in promotional, educational or interpretive materials, either in print or electronic media, before, during and after the exhibition.

Contact

RMSBArtists@gmail.com

Availability

If accepted, artist ensures that artwork(s) will be available for display. RMSBA is seeking multiple venues for this show and pieces must remain in the exhibit venue(s) until the official close of the exhibit in all venues.

Insurance

Insurance is the responsibility of the artist except while art is exhibited at a venue.