International Open Call for Visual Artists & Photographers: Royal Blue 2023
The theme of the contest is Royal Blue.
The contest’s theme is Royal Blue – the color from which the name of our Gallery comes, and Wikipedia defines it as a deep and vivid shade of blue. Legends say it was created in England by clothiers in Rode, Somerset, whose consortium won a competition to make a dress for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines Royal Blue as a “deep, vibrant blue,” while the Cambridge English Dictionary defines it as a “strong light blue color,” and the Collins English Dictionary defines it as a “dark blue color.” American dictionaries describe it as more akin to purple, such as “deep vivid reddish or purplish blue” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary) or “vivid purple blue” (Merriam-Webster).
We love them all! And you?
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Entries for this Open Call are accepted until January 30, 2024.
The Finalists’ Exhibition will be held on March 1-10, 2024.
Grand Prix – solo Exhibition at Royal Blue Visual Arts Gallery and Virtual Exhibition.
Entry FEE: 30 Euro
Before you start applying, read the rules below and prepare the following:
- An artist’s statement/ BIO in a doc or pdf file.
- Up to 3 Photos of Artworks: jpeg or png files, max 1 MB.
- Links to video or sound files – related to the exhibition project.
- Captions for paintings: name, title, technique, size, year, price.
- Imagine winning the Grand Prix. Briefly describe the concept of your exhibition. How many, what size, and type of artwork do you want to present? What narrative would your exhibition have?
Apply here:
Open Call & Finalists Exhibition Conditions:
§ 1
Introduction:
1. Organizer: Royal B AB, owner of the Royal Blue Visual Arts Gallery.
2. Curator of the Exhibition: Mag Nilsson.
3. Gallery: Royal Blue Visual Arts Gallery, LM Ericssons Väg 1, 12636 Hägersten.
4. Artist: Professional or Amateur Visual Artist, Photographer, or Craftsman over 18 years of age with at least two years of artistic achievements.
5. Applicant: an Artist applying in this Open Call and having full copyright and other rights to the submitted Artworks.
6. Participant: an Artist/Applicant qualified to participate in the Exhibition.
7. Artwork: painting, sculpture, graphics, photography, crafts, design, jewelry, etc.
8. Exhibition – an event with specific conditions related to this application.
9. Entry Fee €30.
10. Additional fee for digital artists or photographers who cannot deliver their Artwork to the Exhibition or prefer to save on shipping costs and order a HIQU Print with a temporary frame for the duration of the Exhibition. Cost €15 per print, payable upon confirmation of Participation in the Finalists Exhibition if marked in an application.
§ 2
Exhibition conditions and dates:
1. Sending an application is not tantamount to qualifying for the Exhibition.
2. The Artworks attached to the application are examples of the Applicant’s Artworks. The number of Artworks that will be presented at the Exhibition depends on the medium and size. We recommend smaller artwork sizes at affordable prices for this type of Exhibition, but this is not a condition.
3. Applications:
- Applications will be closed by January 30, 2024, and emails confirming Participation will be sent no later than February 5.
- Only applications completed following the guidelines, with the required attachments, and with the paid Entry Fee will be considered.
4. Artworks:
- Artworks uploaded in the application must be 100% copyrighted by the Artist and cannot be created using AI.
- If third parties, trademarks, other elements, or, e.g., cartoon characters with a registered trademark are presented in the images, the Artist must have appropriate written consent or license. Artists take full responsibility for any possible abuse of the rights of third parties and companies.
- The Artist submits files up to 1MB in size in the application.
- Files could be saved in the sRGB color model with 16-bit.
- Artworks do not contain any material that could constitute or encourage conduct that would be considered a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any law, and the Artist takes full responsibility for it.
- The Artist confirms that no people or animals were harmed or manipulated in creating the Artworks.
- The Artist agrees to fully indemnify and hold the Gallery harmless from any royalties, fees, and other amounts payable to any person or company because of the Gallery’s and the Artist’s use of the Work and/or violation of any law.
5. Decisive factors:
1/ In the evaluation of Artwork and qualification for the Finalists’ Exhibition
- Compatibility and interpretation of the topic.
- Subject, message, and context.
- Relationship: emotion/mood/feeling.
- Composition.
- Technique and style.
2/ One Artist will be selected for the Grand Prix from among the Participants who confirmed the Participation of their Artworks and timely sent additional materials necessary to participate in the Finalists’ Exhibition. In the decision-making process, the most important will be the assessment of Artwork according to the above criteria. Still, additional points for concept and readiness for a solo exhibition evaluation may be awarded.
By the decision of the Contest Jury, a maximum of 40 Artworks from all entries will be taken into account, 1 Artwork from each Finalist.
The Jury’s decision is irrevocable, although in justified cases, e.g., after detecting a violation or failure to comply with the provisions of the contest regulations or a breach of the law, the Jury may disqualify the Participant/Winner and offer his place to another Artist.
6. After qualifying for the Finalists Exhibition, we will contact Apliccants via email:
- We ask the Participant to send a photo of the Artist’s image and a short BIO of up to 300 characters for marketing and promotional purposes.
- Participants who select the option to print graphics or photos in the application will receive an e-mail with a payment link and instructions regarding the file for printing.
- We will ask the Participant to generate and send us a signed QR code for Swish, PayPal, or other local or international payment solution for use in the Artist’s blurb. Code size 3-5cm.
- If the Gallery does not receive a response from the Applicant within the deadline specified in any email. In that case, it will not be able to approve Participation in the Exhibition, and the Participant will be disqualified and replaced by another Applicant.
7. Delivery of works to the Finalists’ Exhibition and collection
- Artwork should be delivered to the Gallery on February 28-29 between 12.00-18.00 or at another mutually agreed time before February 29, 2024.
- Supplied Artwork must be signed on the back and ready to hang (equipped with hook links on the back) or prepared for another presentation.
- Artists are obliged to deliver the Work to the Gallery and its collections at their own expense. As a rule, the Gallery does not return Works to Artists. This is possible at the Artist’s expense in exceptional situations, but only based on individual arrangements with the Artists and under their responsibility.
- Artworks not collected by March 12, 2024 (12:00-18:00) will be treated as abandoned and donated by the Gallery as a charitable gift to some organization, e.g., for children or retirees.
- Artworks printed in the Gallery will be available for collection without frames. The black frame and white passe-partout are temporary solutions and stay in the Gallery.
8. Vernissage of the Finalists’ Exhibition: March 1, 2024, at 18.30. During the opening, participants will be officially awarded Finalists’ Certificates.
9. Participants absent during vernissage may collect the Certificate on any other day of the Exhibition or when collecting Artwork at the end of the Exhibition. If the Artist does not collect the Certificate, we will send a digital version via email.
10. Digital Art or Photography printed by Gallery:
- The Artist can select the option to order HIQU Art Print during the application for an additional flat fee payable after the Artwork is qualified for the final Exhibition before printing.
- The file intended for printing in the Gallery should be high-quality and delivered after qualifying the Artwork for the Finalists’ Exhibition, preferably in JPEG, TIFF, or PNG format, 300PPI, in print size from A4 to A2 and sRBG or ICC color profile. Details of preparing files for printing will be agreed upon individually.
- The Artist accepts that, depending on the quality of the files or the Gallery’s decision, the prints will be made on photographic or artistic paper in one of the following sizes: A4, A3, or A2.
- Regardless of the proportions, the image should be appropriately entered into the ratios of the paper and the margin without cropping. For consistency of exposure, one size of white margins will be determined and provided along with guidelines for preparing files for printing sent by email.
- If the files for printing are not correctly prepared, the Gallery will do it automatically without any additional arrangements with the artists.
- The Gallery prints are of high quality. The Gallery has calibrated equipment, ICC profiles, a high-quality pigment ink printer (12 colors, including Chroma Optimizer for a smooth gradient), and Photo and Fine Art Papers.
- The Artist can manually sign and describe the Artwork before the Exhibition.
- For the Exhibition’s duration, the Artwork will be framed in a black frame with a white passe-partout and marked with an embossed gallery stamp in the right corner.
- The Gallery makes every effort to ensure that the printing effect is consistent with the expected one. Still, the Artist acknowledges that some deviations may occur, e.g., due to differences in computer equipment and individual settings.
11. In this Project, the Organizer does not charge a sales commission. Customers will pay for Artwork directly to the Artist via, e.g., SWISH or PayPal. Additional prints could be sold only by individual arrangement with the Artist.
§ 3
1. Grand Prix – Solo Exhibition
- Grand Prix – The main prize in this Open Call is an individual exhibition of the Artist at the Royal Blue Visual Arts Gallery in Stockholm. Since the contest is international, which may be difficult for some artists to implement, we offer Grnad Prix winners a choice of one of three prize options:
1/ Exhibition in the Gallery – The Artist delivers Artworks ready for the Exhibition and collects them afterward. Virtual Reality/3D online Exhibition – The Artist uploads files and captions to Artworks.
2/Exhibition in the Gallery – The Artist sends the digital files, and we print the Artworks with a 20% discount + free exhibition framing within the available passepartout frames. And online the Virtual Reality/3D Exhibition.
3/ The Artist chooses only the online Virtual Reality/3D Exhibition.
2. Alternatives
- Let’s assume that the Artist declares that he will deliver the Artworks to the Exhibition, sends a shipping confirmation to the Gallery, and the Artworks do not reach the Gallery on the specified date or arrive damaged. In such a case, the Exhibition will be held only in the form of a digital presentation on 2 TV sets and using a projector during the opening.
- If the Artist chooses an exhibition with print and Artworks framing at the Galleria and does not pay the agreed fee by the deadline – the prints will not be made, and the Exhibition will only be held online.
- If the Artist does not send the agreed photo files to the Exhibition by the deadline, neither the Virtual Reality/3D exhibition nor the digital presentation on TV will be possible.
- The Artist is not entitled to compensation for the above restrictions or other unforeseen circumstances.
The Exhibition should take place no later than 3 months from the date of notification to the Artist, considering available dates for exhibitions in the Gallery.
3. Prizes and distinctions awarded cannot be redeemed for cash.
§ 4
Security:
1. The Organizer has valid gallery insurance and exhibition insurance at gefvert.se. The responsibility of the Organizer is at the level of insurance. The amount of the “Reduction” is on the side of the Participant who suffered a possible loss.
2. The Gallery is equipped with the VERISURE monitoring system.
§ 5
Final arrangements:
1. The Participant will receive a refund if he submits his resignation by email no later than 14 days before the start of the Exhibition.
2. The Organizer reserves the right not to change the promotional or marketing content created before the Participant’s resignation, containing the Participant’s name if it will involve costs or any loss for other Participants or the Organizer, such as withdrawing the advertisement from printing or payment for changes in the design and/or production of new materials.
3. In the event of unforeseeable situations, when the Exhibition is canceled due to the Organizer’s fault, the Organizer declares to return the fee to the Participants. In such a situation, Participants are not entitled to any compensation.
4. In matters not resolved by these regulations, the Organizer invites you to contact us by email: info@rbgallery.eu.
§ 6
In matters not covered by these regulations, please contact info@rbgallery.eu