AAW's Professional Outreach Program (POP) is pleased to announce that the theme for its 18th annual exhibition and auction is "Balance." Each year, the POP exhibitions have featured an exciting mix of excellent work created by a roster of national and international established, mid-career, and emerging artists.
POP themes are chosen to provide a dynamic springboard for creative ideas and a showcase for extraordinary small-scale work. Psychology has shown that limits spur creative thinking, and the size restriction (all pieces must fit in a 6"/15cm cube) provides a second creative constraint that we hope will spark your imagination and ingenuity.
Balance is central to almost every aspect of our existence, and as theme balance offers myriad possibilities. It could refer to physical, emotional, or environmental balance; balance as harmony in composition or in materials. Or to work/life balance, bank balance, balance of powers, to name just a few starting points.
Balance will premiere at the AAW Gallery of Wood Art in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and be on view March 15 to May 12, 2024, before traveling to Portland, Oregon, for the 2024 AAW Symposium, May 23-26. The Live/Online auction happens on May 25, 2024.
Artworks will be professionally photographed and compiled in a full-color catalog. Participating artists receive complimentary copies.
Application details:
Apply online here between December 1, 2023, and January 15, 2024, 11:59 p.m. CST. All artists will be notified by January 31, 2024.
For more information contact Tib Shaw at gallery@woodturner.org. To see past exhibition catalogs, visit galleryofwoodart.org.
Eligibility: Current AAW membership at any level, including Affiliate (trial) membership, and to fulltime students in art, design, or industry-related degree programs, regardless of AAW membership status.
Fee: $25 for up to three separate pieces. Fees waived for students in full-time accredited art- or wood industry-related programs or apprenticeships.
Work for the annual POP exhibition is juried through photographs; all entries are anonymous. Accepted works that differ from the submitted images may be refused at AAW’s discretion.
All types of turnings are welcome: sculptural, functional, segmented, ornamental, green-turned, traditional, etc.
Work, as it will be displayed, must fit into the area of a 6" (interior dimensions) cube. No exceptions.
A theme statement of up to 100 words is required. Describe your interpretation of the theme.
You are free to use any media, but the work must be created at least partially on the lathe.
Applications accepted December 1, 2023 through January 15, 2024
Images Submit digital images in .jpg format, maximum size 2 MB per file. There are a number of free, easy online resizing sites, including this one.
You may submit up to three images for each entry. The main image should be an overall shot; the remaining two images can include details or alternative views. Since the show is juried through photographs, it is important that images be clear, properly exposed, and in focus. A plain background is strongly preferred for jurying. Do not watermark or include your name on the images.
Exhibition Dates Balance will premiere at the AAW Gallery of Wood Art, Saint Paul, Minnesota, and be on view March 15 to May 12, 2024. The exhibition will then travel to the AAW International Woodturning Symposium in Portland, Oregon, May 23-26, 2024. The live/online auction will be held May 25, 2024.
Delivery and display Accepted work can be shipped to arrive at the AAW Gallery of Wood Art in Saint Paul by February 14, 2024. Artwork must be in excellent condition, be as shown in the entry images, and ready for installation. Proper packaging for shipping must be included. All work must be freestanding or with an easel or other support provided. Support subject to approval.
Sales/Auction Funds raised support POP programs, including the Instant Gallery awards, critiques, fellowships, Artist Showcase, panel discussions, and other professional development initiatives. Artists may set a reserve price and retain up to 50% of the proceeds.
Catalog Artworks will be professionally photographed and compiled in a full-color catalog. Participating artists receive complimentary copies.
For more information contact Tib Shaw at gallery@woodturner.org. To see past exhibition catalogs, visit galleryofwoodart.org.