2012 WAST Application Instructions

 

*** 2012 RETURNING PARTICIPANTS ONLY:  Send an email to applications@studiotour.net stating you wish to participate in 2012.  You will have an opportunity to change your information and images and you will be informed if you are required to jury this year. ***

 

(New Applicants please read the information and use the links at the bottom of the page.)

 

Table of Contents

1.     About the Studio Tour

2.     Studio Tour Mission

3.     Advertising and Promotion of Tour

4.     Requirements for Acceptance

4.1.        Standards of Work

4.2.        Jury Process

4.3.        Submittal Package

4.4.        Image Specification

4.5.        Jury Submittal Fees

5.     Requirements for Participating Artists

6.     Requirements for Participating Studios

7.     Studio Participation Fees

8.     Important Dates

9.     Link to 2012 WAST Application Form

 

Please read these important instructions for participating in

Whatcom Artist Studio Tour.


 

1. About the Studio Tour

The Whatcom Artist Studio Tour is a self-guided tour open in the first 2 weekends of October.  The Studio Tour offers visitors insight into the creative process, work-life and work-environment of area artists and provides an opportunity for people to purchase original works directly from their makers.  Established in 1995, the Whatcom Artist Studio Tour (WAST) is organizing its 18th annual tour for 2012, to be held October 6 & 7 and 13 & 14.  This is a juried event.  Specific requirements for acceptance are described in section 4.0

Last year the tour featured 61 artists in 42 studio locations.  The tour is widely promoted in the Seattle to Vancouver BC corridor and the visitor count for all the studios in 2011 was over 12,000.  The tour is cooperatively organized and run by the participants on a volunteer basis.  In addition to the applicant fees the tour obtains grant money and ad revenue from the brochure it publishes.

The promoters of the Whatcom Artists Studio Tour are making every effort to create a premier art attraction for visitors, and a successful exhibiting and sales venue for artists in the Bellingham and Whatcom County areas.

2. Studio Tour Mission

The mission of the Whatcom Artist Studio Tour organization is to produce events that arouse appreciation for our art and craft while providing a high quality sales venue and fostering a collaborative arts community among its participants for the benefit of the Bellingham and Whatcom County communities.

3. Advertising and Promotion

Tour participants share in the benefits of group advertising including:

·        Website (www.studiotour.net),

·        A professionally designed brochure and map

·        Studio signs

·        Quality posters

·        Facebook Page

·        A growing list of email requests from our website,

·        Coordinated press releases to area media,

·        Advertisements in periodical publications throughout Whatcom County, the Puget Sound area, and lower British Columbia.

For 2012, we plan to sponsor additional pre-tour group exhibitions at locations in Whatcom County.

 

4. Requirements for Acceptance

4.1 Standards of Work

All work submitted for jury and sold during WAST must be original work, handcrafted by the applicant. Works that have been produced with commercial kits, and prefabricated forms are not acceptable. No more than 40% of works displayed may be sideline reproductions of originals.

4.2 Jury Process

All new artists and previous WAST artists who juried in 2008 (NOT CERTAIN CLICK HERE) must jury for acceptance into the Tour. After acceptance into the Tour, each artist will again be subject to jury every 3 years to ensure that the highest quality artwork is retained within the Tour.  The online application form must be filled out completely for consideration to be juried into the Tour. Completed online application, images and jury fees must be received no later than Midnight, April 1, 2012.

4.3 Submittal Package

The application is completed and submitted online.  At the end of this document there is a link to the application form.  All artists must submit an application even if they are not required to jury this year.  Gathering the digital images and studio information from all artists at this time is critical for a timely preparation of the brochure.

All applications must be accompanied by 5 quality digital photographic images in high quality JPEG format (see Image Specifications in next section). Images should be representative of the work you will be showing on the Tour.

Optional: include at least one photograph of yourself working in your studio.  It is to your advantage to submit this image as we have need of them for advertising purposes.

4.4 Image Specification

All images must be formatted to the following specifications in order to upload them successfully into our system.

  • Images should be representative of the work you will be showing on the Tour. If you do 3-D work, we need one shot each of your best works (not multiple views of the same piece). Only the work of participating Tour artists will be used for publicity purposes.
  • For help with scanning photographs or slides, consult professionals such as Quicksilver Photo or Applied Digital Imaging in Bellingham.
  •  
  • Formatting
    • Dimensions: 1920 x 1920 pixels
    • File Format: Save all images as high quality JPEGs. Do not save as a progressive JPEG.
    • File Size: JPEGs must be under 1.8 MB.
    • Color space: Save images in an RGB color space, preferably sRGB.
    • Naming Your Files: Label each image with artist name (last name first) and number 1- 5. 
      Example: Smith_John_1.jpg   (YOU MUST USE THIS FORMAT)

4.5 Jury Submittal Fees

The jury fee is $20.  You may pay online using PayPal or by check.

Checks should be mailed to:

Whatcom Artist Studio Tour

PO Box 5921

Bellingham, WA 98227

Please Note: Only those artists who are new to the tour this year or who have been in the tour for 3 years have to pay the $20 Jury Fee.

5. Requirements for Participating Artists

1.   All artists (new and continuing participants) must fill out the online application form for the 2012 Tour and forward required images by April 1, 2012.

2.   All artists accepted into the Tour must pay the full participation fees by May 1st, 2012 (see Studio Tour Participation Fees below). No exceptions.

3.   Artists must be willing to attend periodic meetings and contribute time to the planning and orchestration of the Tour by serving on one or more of the organizational committees.  If you are unable to contribute time you can pay an additional $70 fee and this requirement will be waived.

4.   All artists must submit separate applications and fees, unless artists are applying as a team representing work that is collaboratively created.

5.   All artists are responsible for collecting and paying taxes to the appropriate city, county, and/or state tax agencies.

6.   Artist’s studios must be open all days and hours of the Tour. Artists must be present in their studios during the Tour.

7.   Artists must live in Whatcom County.

8.   WAST encourages each artist to provide demonstrations of their artistic processes to the public.

9.   Each participating artist must fill out and turn in to WAST the evaluation and Tour Statistics Form at the end of the Tour (forms provided prior to the tour).

6.0 Requirements for Participating Studios

1.   The studio space must be suitable to show work.

2.   The studio must be large enough to accommodate tour visitors and to offer them parking space.

3.   The studio must be located within Whatcom County.

4.   During the Tour days and hours, the studio must sell only work by participating tour artists who have juried, been accepted and paid the WAST application and studio fee.

5.   Studios must include an actual art production area.

6.   Studios that provide education or instruction as a regular course of business may display but not sell student work during the show (unless the student is a paying WAST artist participant).

 

7. Studio Tour Participation Fees

Upon acceptance into the Studio Tour, artists will be required to pay the participation fee of $230.   The fee is $330 if you are unable to volunteer time for the tour preparation (See section 5.3).  These fees are per artist not per studio.  The fee must be paid by May 1, 2012.  The fee can be paid by check or PayPal (check is preferred since it saves WAST PayPal fees) Checks should be mailed to:

Whatcom Artist Studio Tour

PO Box 5921

Bellingham, WA 98227

The fee provides the following:

1.   A website listing for each artist which includes up to 5 color photographs of work, a tag line, a studio address and a personal website link.

2.   A color photograph of work, name of artist and/or studio, media of work and contact information (name, address, phone & email) and a location on the map in the Tour brochure.

3.   An opportunity to add your personal mailing list to the WAST list for a mass mailing.

4.   An opportunity to participate in pre-tour group shows.

 

8.0 Important Dates

·        April  1st                        Deadline for applications and $20 Jury Fee if Applicable

·        April 10th                       Jury results emailed to participants by this date.

·       May 1                            Deadline for Tour Fees (WAST must receive payment by this date or you will not be able to participate in this year's Tour)

                                  $230 or $300 for Non Volunteer participation fee

·        May 10th                        First General meeting

·        September  8th                Second General meeting

·        October 6, 7, 13, 14       Studio Tour dates

·        October 18th                  Wrap-up Meeting

 

 

                         Step 1        2012 WAST  NEW Artist Application Form

 

Step 2        2012 WAST File Upload Form

 

Step 3            2012 WAST Payment Form