2016 Bank of the Arts National Juried Exhibition

The 2016 Bank of the Arts National Juried Exhibition takes place October 8 - November 26 in New Bern, North Carolina. This year's exhibition features an "Ekphrastic Poetry" collaborative project in conjunction with "PulitzerNC: The Power of Words." The Craven Arts Council will host workshops and events promoting dialogue between literary and visual arts. Groups locally and across the state are encouraged to view work on display at the Bank of the Arts or online and use the visual imagery as inspiration to create poetry. Selected poetry entries will be juried by Pulitzer Finalist Alan Shapiro and read aloud at the November 11 Artwalk. The Craven Arts Council will publish a book of the poetry alongside the artwork that inspired it. An opening reception will be held during the downtown New Bern ArtWalk on October 14.

Artists may submit a maximum of three works across five categories: 2D (paintings, mixed media), Photography, Contemporary Crafts (pottery, jewelry, textiles, wood, glass and metal art), Indoor Sculpture, and Outdoor Sculpture. The exhibition offers $6,000 in awards: one $1,500 Purchase Award, four $250 Best-in-Category Awards, five $100 Merit Awards, and three $1,000 honoraria for outdoor sculpture. The juror is Larry Wheeler, Director of the NC Museum of Art. Entry fee is $30 per submission. All artists 18 years or older may submit original works created within the last three years that have not been previously shown at the Craven Arts Council & Gallery.

Eligibility requirements include: all work to be hung must be professionally framed and/or securely wired; hanging pieces must not exceed 8 feet in any direction; gallery sculpture must not exceed 100 lbs; outdoor work must withstand coastal conditions for one year and pose no threat to public safety. All entries are available for sale with a 30% commission taken by the Craven Arts Council & Gallery. No NFS (not for sale) or POR (price on request) pieces will be accepted. Accepted works should arrive between September 17 and October 6, 2016. Artists are responsible for all shipping costs and arrangements. Notification of results will be made Friday, September 16, 2016.