Application Procedures

The Helen Bumpus Gallery Board of Directors periodically reviews portfolios of established artists interested in having a Gallery exhibit.  In order to be considered for an exhibit, artists should submit biographical information and images of their work.  The latter may be prints or on discs.  Please indicate whether you would like to have an exhibit devoted to a specific theme or a general presentation of your work.

The decision of the Board will be communicated to you as promptly as possible, usually within one or two months of receipt of application.  If your application is accepted, a contract letter will be sent to you, and a possible time period for your exhibit will be suggested.  Most Gallery exhibits run for two months.

Information for Accepted Artists

All exhibits are coordinated by a member of the Board of Directors who will work with you regarding arrangements for your exhibit.

Gallery Space and Facilities

A layout of the Gallery showing dimensions will be sent to you upon acceptance.  If you are not familiar with our facility, we urge you to visit in advance since the configuration is somewhat unusual.  This will give you a better idea of how many pieces of artwork you should bring in for hanging.

Exhibit Set-up

Gallery exhibits are usually hung and dismantled on or near the last day of the month.  Members of the Board will be available to supervise the placement of the artwork and assist you with the installation of your exhibit.  All artwork must be delivered to the Gallery securely framed, wired, and ready to hang.  Our display system has specific weight limits; please advise us if your artwork is unusually large or heavy so that we can determine its suitability for the Gallery.

Exhibit Content

The subject matter/techniques/media of the artwork should conform to that of the materials that were submitted for the Board's approval.  Please note that all artwork must be appropriate for display in the Library (no nudes or controversial subject matter).

Reception

A "Meet the Artist" Reception is usually held on a Saturday during the first month of the exhibit from 2 to 4 PM, in a library meeting room separate from the exhibit.  The Board will make the necessary arrangements and provide light refreshments for this event.  We encourage exhibitors to consider giving a gallery talk, demonstration, or visual presentation at this time.  We have found that such activities are a good way to generate interest in the community and strong attendance at the reception.

Publicity

The Board will organize the printing and mailing of announcement postcards, as well as local publicity, for your exhibit.  In addition, samples of your artwork and information about your exhibit will be featured on our website.  For this purpose we need to have images of several of the pieces to be exhibited.  We prefer these to be submitted on disk (JPEG format, with a range of 300 to 900 kilobytes).  We also need the title of the show, artist's statement/biographical data to be used for a press release, and whether you will present a demonstration/slide presentation/gallery talk.  This information should be forwarded to your exhibit coordinator no later than six weeks prior to your show.

Your exhibit coordinator will send you a supply of announcement cards for your personal use.  We urge you to circulate these widely to ensure robust attendance at both the exhibit and the reception.

Commission

The Gallery will retain a commission of 35% from any sales that result from your exhibit.