Call for Artists: Third Annual Northampton Chalk Art Festival Cash Prizes!

The Center for the Arts is seeking artists to participate in the third annual Northampton Chalk Art Festival scheduled for Friday, September 14, 2012. Participation is selective and requires the completion of an application form with supporting materials. Please see Rules and Information below. You can pick up an application form at the Center for the Arts or at Guild Art Supply at 102 Main Street. Or request an application via email . Please put “Chalk Art” in the subject line and include your name in the body of the message.

This year’s festival is scheduled from 8 am until 8 pm and is a part of Northampton's Arts Night Out. Selected artists will be invited to work from 8 am until 4 pm, rendering drawings in chalk on 5’x5’ cement canvases located throughout downtown Northampton. All who participate receive a $100 stipend. In addition, cash prizes of $250, $150 and $100 will be awarded by a panel of judges for the top three creations. A brief awards ceremony takes place at 5 pm on the steps of City Hall. The public is welcome to watch the chalk art pieces develop and to view the completed works during the city's monthly gallery walk from 5-8pm on Friday evening. All of the chalk art will remain for the public to enjoy throughout the weekend.

Rules and Information
This event is selective. Please include a description and a sketch or image of your proposed chalk art piece. In addition, please supply some examples of relevant work (in any medium) with this application. Supplementary materials are acceptable in hard-copy or digital format on a single CD suitable for either Mac or PC. Please use jpg images no larger than 500x500 pixels. You may reference a website for examples of relevant work.

Submission deadline is Friday, August 24. Applications should be mailed to Northampton Center for the Arts, 17 New South Street, Northampton MA 01060. Hand-delivered materials will also be accepted at the Center’s third floor office, 11am-4pm, Tuesday thru Friday. (Note: The Center is closed during the first week in July.) We cannot accept applications or supporting materials via email. Applicants will be notified of acceptance by August 31st.

There is no fee to participate. Artists are provided with several boxes of sidewalk chalk. You will probably want to bring your own supply as well. Only non-oil based soft chalk/pastels in a solid form may be used. Your canvas will be a 5’x5’ section of cement located along Main Street in downtown Northampton. Specific sites will be assigned at random.

The Northampton Chalk Art Festival is sponsored by the Northampton Business Improvement District, Chartpak Inc. and PeoplesBank. It is produced in cooperation with the City of Northampton, the Northampton Center for the Arts, and Arts Night Out.