Amanda Kings is the administrator and organiser of the National Open Art Exhibition. In this month’s feature she gives us her top tips for entering not only NOA but all types of Open Exhibitions and Competitions from her years of experience.
Background & History of NOA
The National Open Art Competition (NOA) is now in its 18th year and we are going from strength to strength. This year we will be exhibiting for 5 weeks in Somerset House from 18 September to 26 October. We are delighted that our 2014 Artist Private View will be opened by Antony Gormley and one of our Vice Presidents Gavin Turk will also be with us.
We pride ourselves on the fact that we are very much an ‘Open’ competition, therefore we welcome entrants across a broad spectrum of abilities from the whole of the UK including Northern Ireland. All judging is done completely anonymously and as a consequence work is judged purely on its merit.
We are a not for profit charity so all money raised from entry fees and sales are used for prize monies and putting on the annual Exhibitions at Somerset House, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, The Minerva Festival Theatre and The Works on Paper Fair, London.
We are a small dedicated team and have a very active social media, therefore we work with our artists the whole year round promoting their exhibitions and successes, so once you enter the competition we feel you become part of the NOA community.
5 Top Tips for entering Open Exhibitions
1. Read and follow all of the guidelines stated by the organisers. Every competition has specific restrictions that need to be followed. In the case of NOA – size matters! Work submitted must not exceed 183cm x 183cm x 30cm and we do take most mediums (currently not video art). However, for our competition the work must be designed to be wall hung. Every competition is different and if you read the information fully, it could save you time and money if your art is not appropriate.
2. Often, the 1st round of judging is done digitally in Open Competitions, therefore you will need to upload a photograph of your work. Ensure that the photograph doesn’t include any distracting background paraphernalia, or if it is glazed, you are not reflected in the glass taking the photo! A high resolution photograph (300 dpi) that is no larger than 2MB of your artwork will mean that your artwork can be seen to its fullest potential by the judges.
3. Think about how you sign your work – huge signatures across your work really do put the judges off.
4. It’s always good to have an idea who is judging your work and the previous winners of the competition. You cannot predict a judge’s opinion, however, it might help you to decide what piece you should be entering. Check out the judges on our home page under ‘Competition Info’.
5. Price your work sensibly. If you have presented your work in an IKEA frame you really should price your work accordingly! Also, bear in mind the organisers do want to give you an opportunity for your work to been seen and hopefully to be sold – so the presentation of your art does matter.
The Next Steps?
If you are selected to the 2nd round of judging in an Open Competition you are often required you to send your actual piece of work. If you are remember these points:
1. Ensure your work is properly packaged. We often get a lot of damaged work sent to us due to poor packaging. Don’t worry, often if it is damaged it will still be considered and the judges will know it will be repaired, should it be selected for the exhibition.
2. Present your work in the best way you can possibly afford. Remember, unlike some other open competitions we have some very large prize monies you could win and the opportunity to show your work at some amazing venues. So, the extra bit of expenditure could be worth it!
Open Exhibition 