Entries for this Open Call are accepted until January 30, 2024

The contest 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?

Events patrons:

Alex Colard Gallery, Art exhibitions in Stockholm, Charity Art Expo, Designer Magazine.

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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.
• Do you live far from Stockholm? You can present your artwork as print. You send the file, and we will print and frame it. More info is found in the Open Call conditions.

Apply here: Application time has expired. Belated? Don’t worry; new Open Calls are coming soon.

 

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 to the application must be 100% copyrighted by the artist and cannot be created using AI only.
• 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 qualified for the Finalists’ Exhibition, 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 this 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 email 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.
• Suppose the Gallery does not receive a response, appropriate materials, and information from the Applicant within the deadline specified in the email. In that case, it will not be able to consent to Participation in the Exhibition, and the Participant will be disqualified and replaced by another Applicant.

7. Finalists’ Exhibition: Delivery and collection of Artworks

• 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, all Participants will receive Finalist 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 should be prepared for printing and sent by email to the Gallery 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 this depending on the technical parameters of the files or the Gallery’s decision; the prints will be made in one of the following sizes: A4, A3, or A2 on photographic or Fin Art Paper.
• 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. The Gallery does not charge a sales commission in this Open Call. 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: One week Solo Exhibition in the Gallery & one-month Virtual Reality/ 3D Online Exhibition

• Grand Prix – The main prize in this Open Call is a Solo 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/One-week Exhibition in the Gallery – The Artist delivers Artworks ready for the Exhibition and collects them afterward. One-month Virtual Reality/3D Online Exhibition – The Artist uploads files and captions to Artworks.
  2/One-week Exhibition in the Gallery – The Artist sends digital files, and we print the Artworks with a 20% discount + free framing for the Exhibition’s duration in available black frames and white passe-partout. And one month online for the Virtual Reality/3D Exhibition.
• 3/ The Artist chooses only the online one-month Virtual Reality/3D Exhibition.

2. Alternatives

• Let’s assume that the Artist cannot deliver/collect at least 10-20 stylistically coherent or concept-matched and ready-to-hang Artworks for a Solo Exhibition within the agreed deadline. In such a case, the Gallery cannot organize a Solo Exhibition of the Artist at the Royal Blue Visual Arts Gallery. If the Artist sends good-quality Artworks photos, the Gallery will only organize a Virtual Reality/3D Exhibition.
• Suppose the Grand Prix is awarded to a Digital Artist or Photographer. In such a case, the Artist may choose one of the following options:
  – can deliver ready-made and framed works to the Exhibition. The Artist’s obligations include delivering and collecting the Artwork for the Solo Exhibition at their own expense.
  or
  – can order prints with a 20% discount by the Gallery’s official offer, with the possibility of temporarily framing the prints for the duration of the Exhibition.
• Let’s assume that the Artist declares that they 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 printing and framing Artworks at the Gallery 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: