NEW ALTITUDES 2024 Annual Members’ Showcase – Call for Entries

North American Hand Papermakers invites all members to participate in the 2024 Annual Members’ Showcase. This year's theme is NEW ALTITUDES. We encourage members to showcase work that launches the hand papermaking discipline into new heights, enabling us to view a broader world of art and community from above.

As we gain NEW ALTITUDES, we are able to survey from above, glimpse the big picture, and see the threads which connect us: the environment, the blurry border between disciplines and media, and the ongoing pursuit of hand papermaking as human expression. For the 2024 Members’ Showcase, we seek work that speaks to the connectivity and innovation of hand papermaking as an artistic medium.

This year’s member showcase will be displayed at the University of Denver Anderson Academic Commons from August 24 to December 15, 2024. It will thus overlap with the 2024 Conference held in Denver, Colorado, from Oct 17-20, 2024. The members showcase will also be featured on the NAHP website and social media platforms.

EXHIBITION IMPORTANT DATES

• Submissions Begin: Monday, April 8, 2024

• Submissions Deadline: Sunday, June 16, 2024 at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time

• Notifications sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2024

• Online exhibition on NAHP website: Fall 2024

• Artwork Delivery: Delivered to University of Denver by August 19, 2024

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility

• Entrants must be current members of NAHP.

• The call is open to both national and international artists.  If you are not currently a member of NAHP, you can Join TODAY

• Artists who work mainly with handmade paper, such as sculpture, printmaking, artists' books, and installation are invited to participate; this includes artists who are using handmade paper (but not necessarily making it themselves).

• Submitted works must have been created by the artist within the past three years, from 2021 to 2024.

• 24” is the maximum in any dimension. Do note that we have extremely limited space for large, wall-hanging installations. Please pay special attention to size considerations (see below).

Size Considerations

The University of Denver has wall space and display cases. See below to access a link containing the dimensions of display cases and wall space. Work cannot be hung from the ceiling. For the best chances of having your artwork featured in the showcase, we recommend submitting work that is versatile – capable of both being put into a variety of display cases and on the wall. Alternatively, you could submit one piece that is wall-based, and another that is a book or meant for a display case. There is limited room for installation work, but we welcome proposals for this kind of work and will try our best to accommodate. Any work not featured on-site will be featured on our online exhibition page.

Dimensions of display cases and wall space [link]

Please note that committee will decide where each work goes in the space.

Submission and Digital Image Requirements

• There is no submission fee, and only online entries will be considered.

• All entries must be submitted through JotForm in order to be considered.

• File Format: Digital images are required and should be JPEG files with the highest quality. Images should meet professional web standards and be clear, well-lit, and free from any watermarks. Blurry, poorly lit, or watermarked images will be disqualified. Crop the image precisely unless it is circular or of an irregular shape, and avoid including any extraneous backgrounds or frames.

Image Sizes

• Artist Headshot:  Please submit a square image with a 1:1: aspect ratio, minimum size 600x600 pixels.

• Artwork Image Sizes: The recommended size is 1800 pixels on the longest side, and the maximum file size is 5 MB.

• Each artist may submit up to TWO original artworks, with two images per artwork: one image clearly showing the artwork and another showing detail.

• Label image files: Label file with artist's last name, dash, first name, dash, title 1 or 2, dash (For detailed image).

Example for Artwork 1 Image: Rittenhouse-William-Amatte1.jpg

Example for Artwork 1 Detail Image: Rittenhouse-William-Amate2.jpg

Example for Artwork 2: Rittenhouse-William-Mill1.jpg

Example for Artwork 2 Detail Image: Rittenhouse-William-Mill2.jpg

• NAHP may use images of accepted works for promotional purposes, including the invitation, catalog, website, or future years.

 DELIVERY + PRESENTATION

• All work delivered or shipped to the NAHP Conference must have the following information: Artist name, address, phone number, email, the title of the work, year, and medium (Be specific with medium descriptions.)      

• Artworks must be dry upon delivery.

• If mailing your work, you are responsible for providing round-trip shipping, packaging, and postal insurance. Include a prepaid, bar-coded return shipping label, and if you have specific packing/repacking instructions, please include them in the shipping box.

• If there is a specific way a book should be displayed, or a work hung, we recommend the artist include the display mount with the piece. The University of Denver has some book stands and acrylic stands, but they are generic sizes.

• Please include instructions for installing the work.

• We can provide nails, hooks, screws, anchors, and any other mounting hardware you might need, but if it is something specific, it would be best if you send it along with your work.

• No sawtooth hanging systems, please.

GENERAL POLICIES

• The venue reserves the right not to display every piece submitted and will make the final determination in the display arrangement of artwork.

• NAHP and the University of Denver both do not insure artwork; they are not responsible for any damages to artwork. NAHP is not responsible for any loss or damage sustained during transportation.

• Any work arriving damaged due to insufficient packaging will be returned to the artist and will not be exhibited.

We will try to include as many members’ artworks in the physical space as possible, but due to space limitations, your work may be featured only on the website version.

 "NEW ALTITUDES" is more than just a theme; it's a call to explore the vast potential within each of us to create something truly groundbreaking. It's an invitation to challenge ourselves, to grow, and to rise to new altitudes in our creative pursuits.

Questions? Please email exhibitions@northamericanhandpapermakers.org if you have questions regarding the Annual Members’ Showcase Exhibition.