Westman Juried Art Show open for submissions

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This article was published 07/04/2021 (1876 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Following a year-long hiatus, the Arts West Council is once again calling on creative minds in the region to submit their best pieces for the Westman Juried Art Show.

According to a Tuesday news release from the council, the entry deadline for this year’s contest is May 7, with entries being capped at a grand total of 75 submissions for adults and 25 submissions for youth (11 to 19 years old).

“People should get their entries in as soon as possible,” event co-ordinator Chris Moore told the Sun over the phone, referencing the fact that artwork will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Moore went on to reveal that this year’s contest is going to be a little different than usual, since all the entries they receive, barring any disqualifications from the jurors, will be displayed on the Manitoba Arts Network website from July 1 to Aug. 31.

Entries from the Norman, Parkland, Eastman and Central Juried Art Show galleries will also be exhibited on this website simultaneously.

This rollout stands in stark contrast to how the Arts West Council normally showcases its submitted artwork for the Westman Juried Art Show, which involves setting up in-person displays at various libraries and community centres scattered throughout the region.

Even though this kind of travelling gallery won’t be possible this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Moore told the Sun that this new online-only format shouldn’t dissuade regional artists from taking part.

“I think this is a great opportunity for people to have their work shown on a wider level than usual,” she said. “Usually the works are toured around the region. But in this case, it’s going to be online, so people from anywhere in the world can have a look at it. I think that’s pretty exciting.”

On a personal level, Moore mentioned how she’s just glad that the Westman Juried Art Show is moving forward at all in 2021, since last year’s contest never took place due to the uncertainty brought about by what was, at the time, a brand new global health crisis.

“We kind of hesitated because at that time everybody thought ‘well, this will be over in a couple of months,’” Moore recalls. “Of course, that turned out not to be true, but it was a relatively easy decision to make at the time.”

But with this new online format to work with, Moore is confident that the Westman Juried Art Show will be able to give regional artists an outlet to showcase the paintings, drawings and mixed-media artwork they’ve been working on throughout the pandemic.

“We’re very pleased that we’re giving them that opportunity,” she said.

In order to submit a piece for the 2021 Westman Juried Art Show, Moore encourages all interested parties to read the rules and fill out an entry form by visiting their website, artswestcouncil.ca.

Each artist is limited to two entries, which must be submitted through photographic images in a Gmail account.

All other inquiries about this contest can be directed to Moore or fellow co-ordinator Margaret Stewart by contacting them at 204-726-0493 or 204-728-9147, respectively.

The Arts West Council has been organizing the Westman Juried Art Show since 1979.

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