Three simple words – birds in art – took on a life of their own when they became a Woodson Art Museum exhibition title. Over the years, Birds in Art has morphed and grown and is now recognized around the world as the exhibition that sets the standard for avian art.

The “how” and “why” of the Birds in Art phenomenon have a lot to do with serendipity and even more to do with the remarkable talents of more than 850 artists whose artworks have comprised the exhibition since 1976. In short, artists who present their very best work interpreting birds and related subject matter can be credited for the success of Birds in Art.

The Woodson Art Museum again invites contemporary two- and three-dimensional artists working in all mediums other than crafts and photography to submit artworks for jury consideration for Birds in Art 2010.

Specifications

1. No one dimension shall exceed 72 inches [183 centimeters].
2. No work shall exceed 150 pounds [68 kilograms].
3. All work must have been executed in 2008, 2009, or 2010.
4. No work shall have been previously exhibited at the Woodson Art Museum.

Entry Procedures

1. All entries must be postmarked by April 15, 2010, and received at the Museum no later than April 23, 2010 OR submitted online by April 15, 2010. [Overseas artists: Even air mail can take up to two weeks to reach Wisconsin. Don’t wait until the postmark deadline to send your entries since they may not arrive by April 23.]
2. A maximum of two works may be entered per artist; however, artists selected for Birds in Art will be represented by only one work.
3. A maximum of one digital image per two-dimensional work and two digital images per three-dimensional work may be submitted. NO TRANSPARENCIES OR 35 MM SLIDES WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR THE JURY PROCESS. NOTE: All images are projected on a large screen using an LCD projector; please take this into consideration when selecting digital images for submission.
4. Each entry must be represented by digital images: 300 dpi (pixels/inch); jpeg or tiff format; CMYK or RGB; largest dimension must be 7 inches (pixel dimension 2100).
   a) Images can be submitted online along with completed entry form and fee OR
   b) Put on a CD and mailed to the Woodson Art Museum along with completed entry form and fee.
5. Artists are encouraged to remove frames and matting for photography and to mask out any extraneous background that might impact the jurors’ ability to view the image.
6. Digital files must be identified by artist name and entry number [Joe Smith Entry 1; Joe Smith Entry 2]. Please be sure to write artist’s name on exterior of CD.
   
7. For one entry, a $50.00 processing fee payable in U.S. Dollars drawn on a U.S. bank must accompany the entry form, or the fee may be charged to your Discover, Visa, or Mastercard. For two entries the fee is $60.00. [Entries accompanied by payment made in currency other than U.S. Dollars will not be accepted.]
8. All artists submitting images for consideration will receive a voucher for a complimentary copy of the 2010 Birds in Art catalogue (approximately 134 pages; full color).
9. The Woodson Art Museum is not responsible for the loss or damage of CDs.
10. Your canceled check or credit card charge will be notification of receipt of your entry.

Notification

1. All submitting artists will be notified by e-mail of selection decisions. No selection decisions will be released over the telephone.
2. Images of artwork selected for display will be retained by the Museum.
3. CDs of artwork not selected for display will not be returned. Remember to have duplicates made for your files prior to sending your entry.
4. The Museum reserves the right not to display any selected work that does not correspond to the quality or configuration indicated in the submitted images.
5. Packing and shipping instructions will be sent with selection notification.

Artists’ Responsibilities

1. Artists selected for Birds in Art will be responsible for either a $75 or $200 imaging fee. [The $75 fee covers a digital file conforming to the Museum’s specifications; the $200 fee includes photography of the artwork.]
2. Mounting, matting, and framing are the responsibility of the artist. In the case of sculpture, the work must be ready for display.
3. Artists are responsible for all packing and crating costs.

Museum’s Responsibilities

1. Based on the jury review, approximately 100 artists will be invited to participate in Birds in Art 2010.
2. The Museum provides each exhibiting artist with five complimentary Birds in Art 2010 catalogues.
3. The Museum pays all costs associated with wall-to-wall fine arts insurance.
4. The Museum pays for inbound and outbound shipping of artwork to and from the Museum.
5. The Museum coordinates the Birds in Art tour following the presentation of the exhibition in Wausau. Artists are encouraged to make their artworks available for the tour; however, it is not mandatory. Notification of an artist’s inclusion in the tour occurs in mid-September.
6. The Museum generally acquires four to five artworks from Birds in Art each year.