The New Mexico State Fair will accept artist’s books for judging and exhibition. All the rules are here; PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY:

https://cdn.saffire.com/files.ashx?t=fg&rid=NewMexicoStateFair&f=Bookbinding_-_2023.pdf

Want to enter? You have two options:

Deliver Your Artwork Yourself

At the Creative Arts Building on the fairgrounds (building 7 on this map):

1. Deliver your entries on Friday, August 25, or Saturday, August 26, 9 am to 5 pm. If you cannot go to the Fairgrounds to drop off your entries, you can make prior arrangements with Mita Saldaña, 505-280-9323, to meet or drop off. If you are not going to the fairgrounds, please fill out this form and take a printed copy to Mita along with your work.
2. Pick up your entries on Monday, September 19, from 9 am to 12 noon. (Julie will pick up any work that she delivered.) If you delivered your own artwork and cannot make that time, contact Mita Saldaña at 505-280-9323 for alternate arrangements.

OR, Take it to a Location in Santa Fe to be Delivered on Your Behalf

If you wish to enter your work but don’t want to drive to Albuquerque, please contact Julie Filatoff so you can deliver to her your art to her NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, by 7 pm. (Julie lives near Santa Fe Community College.) Contact her at julie@jirafstudio.com or 505-660-9942. Please fill out this form and take a printed copy to Julie. (You may also bring these items to the August 12 BAG member meeting at SFCC.)

This category is sponsored by Mita Saldaña, of Against the Grain Bindery, and Libros New Mexico Book Arts Guild. They need volunteer artists for 2-hour demonstrations (simple bookbinding) during the fair, especially during the weekends. You get a free ticket for entry into the fair for the day and Libros will reimburse you for parking. Interested? Text or call Mita at the number above.

The State Fair is open from Thursday, September 7, through Sunday, September 17, and at that time you can see if your artwork won a ribbon and view all the other wonderful entries!

Santa Fe Book Arts Group presents

Celebration of the Book

October 2023 to April 2024

The Santa Fe Book Arts Group (BAG) will have several public exhibits during a six-month period to showcase the works of its members. Those scheduled to date include:

• Santa Fe Main Library (October 2023)
• Santa Fe Southside Library (October 2023)
• Santa Fe LaFarge Library (October 2023)
• Santa Fe Community College (March-April 2024)

During that period of time BAG will also hold a number of programs, workshops, and presentations.

Please Note: As part of our partnership agreement with Libros New Mexico Book Arts Guild, its members have been invited to participate in these exhibits and events. All of the guidelines below apply to Libros members as well.

Submission Guidelines

Each BAG member is entitled to submit up to two pieces of book art for the exhibits. If you submit a collaborative, that book will count as one of the two books allowed for each of the submitters (only submit one form, please).

All entries must be clean and dry, and produced by the submitting BAG member. Credit for any books displayed will identify only the member who submits the piece. If some parts of the book have been produced by someone other the member, it is up to you to inform that person that acknowledgement for the piece will be given solely to the submitter.

Because our venues are supported by public funds, entries must be free of political content and explicit sexual content.

Curating the Exhibits

An Exhibits Committee has been formed to curate the exhibits. It is the intent that each piece submitted will be displayed in at least one venue.

Please note that wall pieces will be displayed without any protective display cases or barriers, and depending on space availability, some three-dimensional entries may also be displayed without any protective display cases. Every effort will be made to display all entries securely and safely to minimize the possibility of damage.

By submitting your artwork you do so with the understanding and agreement that that the Exhibit Committee has permission to display the books in a manner that is appropriate for the exhibition and within the space allocated.

For the SFCC Exhibit, pieces will be displayed by the staff at the Fine Arts Gallery.

Entry Fee

There is a non-refundable fee of $10 for each entry. You may pay this through PayPal (see below) or by check (see form).

To pay for ONE entry on PayPal, go here: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=NFBDJWAAAMYHS

To pay for TWO entries on PayPal, go here: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=RN8VATCNDDP5C

Photographs

You must submit one photo of each piece by Tuesday, August 1, 2023. You may submit photos electronically to santafebag.artwork@gmail.com or provide them on a flash drive by August 1. Please name the photos as follows:

yourlastname-yourfirstname-name-of-piece.jpg (or .png—both file types are acceptable)

So for example: filatoff-julie-into-the-briny-deep.jpg

By submitting your photograph you are granting BAG permission to use your photos for publicity purposes such as inclusion in exhibit catalogs, published matter, promotional materials, and websites.

Additionally, you are granting permission for exhibit visitors to take photos of your pieces for their personal and non-commercial use.

A photo of each entry, including the title and the name of the artist, will be published on the BAG website and in the show catalog.

Delivery Guidelines: Hand Deliveries

The deadline for all entries is Tuesday, August 1, 2023.

Please be sure to include the completed and signed Application Form with your entry. If you are paying by check, please include the check with the application form.

You may submit artwork at any in-person BAG meeting prior to August 1.

You may also submit artwork by appointment at any of the following locations no later than August 1.

Central Santa Fe: Helen Fabel, (505) 316-6801 (text only) or (505) 988-1879 (calling/messages), helenfabel@comcast.net

Santa Fe Southside: Will Karp, (505) 231-0054, willkarp@comcast.net

Albuquerque: Susan Wright, (678) 899-0509, wrightsusan277@gmail.com

You must submit each entry in a closed box with any appropriate protective materials. You may include display instructions, photos, and written preferences. Every attempt will be made to present your book as you wish, but there is no guarantee that will occur, and you submit your books with the understating and agreement that the final presentation configuration is at the sole discretion of the Exhibit Committee.

The Exhibit Committee will contact you after April 2024 to arrange the return of your artwork.

You may not remove any piece selected for the exhibit before the shows’ conclusion. Any pieces that you do not pick up will be held and distributed at a future BAG meeting or by appointment.

Delivery Guidelines: Mailed Artwork

The deadline to receive all entries is Tuesday, August 1, 2023.

Please package artwork securely and safely in a box:

If mailing by US Post Office: BAG, PO Box 4332, Santa Fe, NM 87502-4332.

If mailing by UPS or FedEx, please email santafebag.artwork@gmail.com for instructions.

Please include the completed and signed Application Form with your entry. If you are paying by check, please include the check with the application form.

Please send an email to santafebag.artwork@gmail.com when you mail the package with any tracking information (if applicable) so that we can check with the Post Office or UPS or FedEx if the package is slow in arriving.

The Exhibit Committee will mail back your piece(s) to you after April 2024. If your address changes between August 1, 2023, and April 1, 2024, it is your responsibility to inform BAG via email at santafebag.artwork@gmail.com. BAG is not responsible for lost packages. The cost of mailing will be the responsibility of the applicant.

Storage

It is BAG’s intention to store all entries before and between exhibits in a climate-controlled storage unit. Please be aware that entries may be stored or on exhibit until April 30, 2024.

Artistic Guidelines

Entries are meant to “show the artist’s hand”: that is, they demonstrate a high degree of handmade work and limited pre-made components. Techniques encouraged include the judicial use of handmade papers, natural materials, found objects and materials, altered books, calligraphy, photography, watercolor and other original hand-painted images, and embellishments. Spiral bindings and other commercially available binding schemes are discouraged. Minimize the use of pre-fabricated elements, photos, snapshots, logos, or recognizable symbols that might interfere with presenting a unique design.

Size Requirements

Consider the size of your pieces. It is possible that we may be limited in displaying overly large pieces because of limited amount of wall space, pedestals, or other display cases.

Wall Pieces

You are strongly encouraged to consider submitting wall pieces as your entry. There is much more wall space available than vitrines and shelves, and your submittal would be more likely to be exhibited in more than one of the exhibits.

You may use Plexiglas or other protective materials if desired.

Wall pieces must be pre-wired and be ready to hang.

Copyright

All material entered must be free of copyright infringement, and the submitter must certify that it is free of any copyright issues. It is solely up to the artist to take full responsibility for assuring that the piece is copyright-free or clearly documented to be free of any infringements. Care needs to be taken with using poetry, quotes, text, etc., that are generally (but not always) copyright-free 70 years after the author’s death. Some Native American symbols and designs may be prohibited as well as certain cartoons. Rights to use songs, lyrics, and quotes may also have restrictions that need to be verified by the submitter. Please submit documentation with your application that you have permission to use any copyright material.

Insurance and Liablity

Theft and vandalism have not been issues in past exhibits; however, artists need to be aware of the potential for loss or damage to their work.

Between the times the entries are submitted to BAG and returned to the artis, every effort will be made to protect submitted artworks. Please note that BAG and the individuals and facilities holding and storing the submittals prior to or after the show shall assume no responsibility or liability for loss or damage. By signing the Application Form, the owner or submitter of the artwork agrees to relieve BAG and its members from any and all liability for the artwork submitted. You may wish to contact your personal insurer if you have any questions regarding liability insurance.

Sales

The artist has the option to state whether or not the book is for sale. Interested buyers may contact the artist directly or contact BAG (in which case we will notify you of the interested party). BAG has no rights or interest in any negotiations or sales made privately between the artist and the buyer.

Our Hosts

Please keep in mind that we are the guests of the Exhibit facilities. It is not a foregone conclusion that we will continue to be invited in the future, so we ask that when you communicate with our hosts, you acknowledge our appreciation for their hospitality and consideration.

Santa Fe Book Arts Group is leading a joint collaborative book for BAG and Libros New Mexico Book Arts Guild. This will be BAG’s 2023 collaborative book.

The structure will be a drum leaf binding, proposed by Gail Murray, and based on a drum leaf binding designed by Elizabeth McKee for a workshop she taught this year. The theme is “geometry.”  Pages will be 5” x 10”, folded to 5” x 5” for the book. Pages will be attached back-to-back, and only the front side of each page will be visible in the completed book. Participants are expected to use Arches Text Wove paper for their pages.

The deadline to sign up is Saturday, April 15, 2023; email Linda Zwick at lindazwick55@yahoo.com to sign up.

By the end of April participants will be notified of the number of pages to make. Pages will be due by Friday, July 21, 2023. Compilation meetings will be scheduled in mid-August, probably the week of August 14 and/or the week of August 21, on Zoom, in-person, or hybrid.

Participants must be a current member of either BAG or Libros.

Westward Bound II | August 17 – September 10, 2023

This is a national juried exhibition, open to artists at least 18 years of age. Eligible are artists’ book works either created by artists living/working in The American West or artists’ book works with content relevant to The American West.

Westward Bound II will be on view from August 17 – September 10, 2023 at Spark Gallery in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe.

Important Dates

• March 5, 2023: Online submissions open.
• June 18, 2023: Deadline for submissions & payment to be received.
• July 3, 2023: Announcement of accepted works via e-mail.
• July 31, 2023: Deadline for work to be received by Abecedarian Artists’ Books.
• August 17, 2023: First day of exhibit at Spark Gallery.
• September 10, 2023: Last day of exhibit at Spark Gallery.
• Week of September 11, 2023: Unsold work returned to artists.

Details about artists’ reception + other events TBA

Submit work at https://abecedariangallery.com/store/call-for-submission-westward-bound-ii/

Eligibility and Media

This exhibition is open to any artist 18 years of age or older. Artists living outside the United States should email prior to submission so that additional non-US exhibitor guidelines can be discussed.

Eligible are any artists’ book-works (editioned or unique) created by an artist working in The American West OR with content that relates to The American West.

What is The American West?

Virtually every part of the United States except the Eastern Seaboard has been “the West” at some point in American history, linked in popular imagination with the last frontier of American settlement. For purposes of this exhibition, The American West refers to that vast stretch of plains, mountains, and deserts west of the Mississippi and so includes states now considered the mid-west (such as the Dakotas, Kansas, Nebraska, and so forth).

Before submitting, please note that book works that are larger than 16 inches in any dimension when closed may be challenging to display fully open.

Please also note that the number of protective cases is limited – most works will be displayed on open pedestals or shelving.

Maximum of 2 works may be submitted per artist.

Selections will be made by Anna Bernhard, Director, Stanley G. Wold Resource Center and Library, at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Anna is also Director and co-founder of CABIN (Center for Artists’ Books and Inclusive Narratives).

Fees/Submission

Entry fee for this exhibit is $18 for each submission. Full-time students and/or those identifying as BIPOC or LGBTQ can opt to pay a lesser fee of $12 for each submission.

You needn’t enter your submissions all at the same time. Submission for this exhibition is by file upload only.

Each book submission must include 2-6 images. Links to short videos showing the work are also encouraged.

Please send gallery quality images without background clutter or text. DO NOT send composite images or images with embedded text. If your work is accepted for exhibition, the images you submit, along with the text you provide will be used for print & digital publicity.

Please note that you will not be able to change any information submitted at time of entry, including the price, after the submission process.

Sales

It is expected that all work exhibited be for sale. The prices you submit during the submission process are the retail prices Abecedarian Artists’ Books will adhere to throughout the duration of the exhibition. Abecedarian retains a 40% commission on works sold by Abecedarian during and following the exhibit.

Catalog

There will be an online catalog which will remain online during and after the exhibition.

Accepted Entries

Works must be delivered ready for installation/display. Curator reserves the right not to exhibit any work inaccurately represented by the digital entry, that arrives damaged, is not properly prepared for exhibition or is deemed too fragile for effective display

Display/Insurance/Rights

Book works will be exhibited on pedestals or shelving. On acceptance to the exhibition, a consignment agreement, insurance agreement and delivery guidelines will be sent to each participating artist, along with any additional information or updates.

Artists are advised to provide their own insurance coverage and will be asked to complete and return an insurance waiver.

Insurance in transit to and from Abecedarian Artists’ Books is the responsibility of the artist.

It is expected that submitting artists are not violating any stated or implied relationship with another gallery or dealer by submitting work for this exhibition and that the artist/creator of the work is not in violation of any copyright laws.

Agreement

Submission of entry constitutes agreement to all conditions in this prospectus. The artist agrees that images of selected artwork and the submitted text can be used by Abecedarian Artists’ Books and Spark Gallery for promotions and publications.

* Instructions for submission fee payment will be sent via e-mail on receipt of submission.

**Detailed image preparation and naming guidelines can be found on the online entry form.

Libros New Mexico Book Arts Guild and Santa Fe Book Arts Group are having a joint show, “Anything Goes,” at the Tortuga Gallery in Albuquerque.

The show will be held Friday, July 7, through Saturday, July 15, 2023. The show is open to members in good standing only. This is a collaborative show and any member from either group is encouraged to enter. Click here to download the application.

APPLICATION: The deadline to submit application, photo, and NON-REFUNDABLE of $5 fee per piece is May 15, 2023. Each piece entered must be submitted with its own application, photo, and $5 fee. Any type of artwork that is made by a Libros/SF BAG member is allowed, not just artist’s books. All work must be made by the member. All entries will be reviewed by jury for appropriateness and size (due to space). There is no commission fee taken on the sale of any artwork; all sales will go directly to the artist. There is no limit to the quantity of pieces an artist can submit; however, if we get an overwhelming response and space becomes limited, we may have to put a limitation of quantity in place. If pieces submitted require a unique or specialized display prop then the artist needs to provide it. We would like to use the photos submitted for marketing purposes so, if you don’t want your photo used check the box on the form. Note: if any Libros/SF BAG member wants assistance in the application process (whether with photos, forms, or computer assistance), you may contact Susan Wright at wrightsusan277@gmail.com or 678-899-0509 to receive help. We truly want all members to have the opportunity to submit.

In addition to works of art by members, we will allow some selling of materials such as handmade cards, hand-mixed paints or dyes, or handmade papers or packets of interesting ephemera, papers, etc. All materials must have professional-looking packaging. Each artist wanting to sell materials will pay a $5 fee and then a 10% commission on all sold items. Each type of item to be sold must have its own application. There is no commission taken on the sale of any art piece, only on material packets/cards.

We will have the ability to take credit card sales and any transaction fees will be deducted from the artist sales amount. All applicants will be responsible for paying their own gross receipts tax and responsible for reporting the income to the IRS. Libros and BAG take no responsibility for either item. There will be no tax added to the sales price at the gallery. So, sales price must include everything and the artist will be responsible for gross receipts tax (sales tax), income tax, and credit card fees. Send entry applications, photos, and fee to Susan Wright by mail or drop off to 4612 Eastern Ave. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 to arrive no later than May 15, 2023. Make checks out to Susan Wright.

ARTWORK INTAKE: The intake of all artwork and materials to be sold will take place on Thursday, July 6, 2022 from 10 am to 12 noon. Artwork and materials must be dropped off during these hours or contact Susan Wright to make special arrangements. If you live out of the area and want to mail your entries in then send them to Susan Wright, 4612 Eastern Ave. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 to arrive no later than July 1, 2023. Susan will make arrangements to get them back to you if unsold; shipping fees will be due once assessed.

SHOW HOURS: The opening reception of the show will be on Friday, July 7, 2023, from 4 pm to 7 pm. The show will run through Saturday, July 15, 2023 during the hours of 11 am to 5 pm each day except for the last Saturday because we will take down the show starting at 4 pm on July 15.

OPENING RECEPTION: The opening reception will take place on Friday, July 7 from 4 to 7 pm.

SHOW TAKEDOWN: All artists MUST pick up their unsold work/materials on Saturday, July 15, 2023, from 4 pm to 5 pm.

SITTING THE GALLERY: We will need a large team of gallery sitters comprised of the Libros/SF BAG members to sit the gallery all the hours the show is open. Please check the box below if you are willing to help sit the gallery.

LIABILITY: Libros, BAG, and Tortuga Gallery accept no responsibility or liability for any damage or theft of artwork submitted. However, we will be as diligent as possible in caring for the artwork. Libros, BAG, and Tortuga are also not responsible for any accidents. Receipt of your application assumes you agree to this policy.