Fiberart International – Pittsburgh, PA

Fiberart International 2016 seeks to exhibit the best of contemporary art and invites submissions that reflect a wide range of works related to the fiber medium.
This juried exhibition is recognized around the world as a benchmark that documents trends and innovations in the field. The goal of the exhibition is to include innovative work rooted in traditional fiber materials, structure, processes and history, as well as art that explores unexpected relationships between fiber and other creative disciplines.
Fiberart International is produced by FIBERARTS GUILD OF PITTSBURGH, INC., a non-profit, member supported organization that promotes the appreciation of fiber art and fosters its creative development and continuance. Since 1967, the Fiberarts Guild has sponsored juried exhibitions that bring innovative contemporary works of art in fiber from around the world to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Fiberart International 2016 will feature works by established and emerging artists and will be open to the public from May 6 to July 31, 2016 at Society for Contemporary Craft and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. The Fiberarts Guild is pleased to sponsor this twenty-second exhibition.
Jurors:
Chunghie Lee is a fiber artist and writer, and lectures at many universities including the Rhode Island School of Design, the Evtek Institute of Art & Design in Finland, and Dungduck Women’s University in Seoul, Korea. Chunghie’s interpretations of Pojagi (Korean traditional wrapping cloths) have been displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the American Museum of Art & Design in New York, the Evtek Institute of Art & Design in Finland, and other international venues. She is currently working on the 2014 Korea Bojagi Forum, scheduled to take place on Jeju Island, Korea in August 2014.
Arturo Alonzo Sandoval is a fiber artist renowned for his material innovation. He is a tenured professor at the University of Kentucky who has over 4 decades of experience serving the professional arts community as a panelist, juror, workshop facilitator, and curator nationwide. His work is in the permanent collection of the MOMA in New York, NY, the University of Kentucky Museum of Art in Lexington, KY, and many other institutions.
Tali Weinberg is a fiber artist, writer, curator and educator living and working in Berkeley, CA. She also serves as the Executive Director of the Textile Society of America. Her curating work includes shows at the Craft & Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles, CA, the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn, NY, and the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, CA. Her artwork investigates the politics of gender, labor, home and economy through the common link of textiles.
Awards:
The Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, Inc. will present over $4000 in cash awards, including:

  • Best in Show Award, $1000
  • Second Place Award, $500
  • Third Place Award, $250

Catalog:
A full color catalog of the exhibition will be published. Each artwork will be represented on a full page. It is essential that the image provided is of a quality that will reproduce accurately and meet the high standards of a professional art publication.  Exhibiting artists will receive a complimentary copy.  Catalogs will also be available for purchase.
Calendar:
Submission deadline: August 31, 2015
Notification: by October 30, 2015
Accepted work due: February 5, 2016
Gala Opening: May 6, 2016
Exhibition closes: July 31, 2016
Touring: August 31, 2016 to August 31, 2018
Work will be returned upon tour completion.
Entry Requirements:

  • Entries must be original work completed after December 31, 2013
  • Artists must be 18 years of age or older.
  • Collaborative works will be considered as a single entry. Artists submitting both collaborative and individual works must apply separately, and the collaborative team will be considered a separate artist.
  • Work must not exceed 8’6” (2.60m) in any single dimension. Installations larger than 8’6” will be considered only if crate size requirements are met.
  • Work must be original in concept and design and not be the result of a class or workshop. Student work is accepted if it meets the previous statement.
  • All work must be either fiber in content or executed in a fiber technique.
  • All work MUST be available for touring for up to two (2) years beginning August 31, 2016. Work on tour will be insured.

Entry Fee:
$40 non-refundable for up to three (3) entries must accompany the application.
Selection:

  • Work will be judged from digital images.
  • Selection will be based on the overall quality of the work and its compliance with the standards stated in “Entry Requirements.”
  • A maximum of one (1) entry per artist will be selected. Individual work will be considered separately from collaborative work, and it is possible to have both individual and collaborative work accepted into FI2016. Series and multi-component works may be considered as one entry, at the discretion of the artist, jurors, or the directors.
  • Accepted work will be subject to final approval by the jurors’ representative. Work which differs significantly from the image representing it will be rejected and returned to the artist.

Application:

  • Artists may submit up to three (3) works.
  • Each entry must be represented by two (2) images: One (1) full view and one (1) detail.
  • Works entered as a series must be represented by three images: One (1) full view and two (2) detail.
  • Proposals for installations must be represented by three (3) images: Two (2) full view from different angles and one (1) detail.
  • Please title images with the following format: “LastName_Title.jpg”, “LastName_Title_detail.jpg”
  • For each work submitted, artist must provide a brief description including dimensions, materials, and techniques.
  • Work framed under glass must be photographed without glass, but noted that it will be displayed with glass.

Photographing your work:

  • Use a professional photographer if possible.
  • Each entry should be represented by clearly focused, well-lit images on a neutral background that accurately reflects the work submitted. Color must represent the piece accurately.
  • Proper lighting is essential. DO NOT USE A CAMERA FLASH. It will cause a “hot spot” on the work.
  • Work exhibited in a frame must include the frame in the digital image.
  • Work framed under glass must be photographed without glass, but noted that it will be displayed with glass.

Digital Image Submission:
High resolution, original digital images should be:

  • At least 1920 pixels on the longest side
  • At a resolution of at least 300 DPI (dots/pixels per inch)
  • Saved as BASELINE Standard JPEG. DO NOT save images as a Progressive JPEG!
  • Saved in an RGB color space, preferably sRGB.
  • JPEGs must be under 3 MB.

Selected Work:

  • Artists will be asked to provide HIGH RESOLUTION digital images (full view and detail) for use in the catalog.
  • Acceptable images should be at 3000 pixels on the largest dimension and at least 600 DPI. DO NOT USE INTERPOLATION (software to manipulate the size of a digital image into a larger size.)

Notification:

  • Notification of the jurors’ decision will be sent through CaFÉ to the artist’s email by October 30, 2015.
  • All images (accepted and declined work) will become the property of FI2016 and not returned to the artist.

Questions?
Visit www.FiberartInternational.org for more information.
To apply, click here.