1. Submission Guidelines

2. The Mission of the Helen Day Art Center

3. Exhibition Opportunities

4. The Curatorial Process

1. Submission Guidelines

In order for the artist to submit their work for curatorial review the artist must submit examples of their work in the following format:
-Up to fifteen (15) digital files may be submitted for consideration.
-The digital files must be in JPEG or TIFF format and high resolution (300 DPI with a maximum largest dimension of 10").
-Links to your website are NOT acceptable unless the Internet is part of your practice.
-For video work: submit up to five videos no longer than 3 minutes in length. Work will be accepted via yousendit.com, link to a personal website, or Vimeo.
-Work description sheet including title, year, materials, scale, etc.
-Artist Statement including full contact information: must include full name, email, phone, address (PDF format only please)
-Proposals for new work will be accepted.
-Artist Resume

2. The mission of the Helen Day Art Center- Memberships, Public Programs and Mash-ups

As a non-profit Art Center seeking to enrich the human experience through the visual arts, supporting emerging as well as practicing professional artists is a fundamental goal. We provide numerous, engaging opportunities for artists such as:
Membership benefits: Invitations to Members Only events and previews, 10% off art classes and workshops, discount on First Class Bus Tours to regional museums and art centers, e-News about HDAC events, exhibits and parties, networking connections,...
Lectures and Discussions: The Helen Day introduces the community to a variety of stimulating lectures by artists, art historians, etc. as well as panel discussions on a topic pertinent to contemporary art.
Artist Mash-Ups: The Center hosts gatherings to provide artists with networking and training on topics critical to their success including documenting and cataloging their career; writing about their artwork; strategic approaches for engaging curators, gallerists, and collectors; etc.

3. Exhibition Opportunities

The Member’s Art Show and Sale: This annual event is the perfect opportunity for emerging artists to get their work up on the walls of the gallery and into public view. Eighty percent of the profits go to the artist. The Member Art Show is not juried but is curated by staff or a member of the Curatorial Committee

The Taste of Stowe Arts Festival: Annual festival featuring 120 fine artists and fine craftspeople for a three-day festival in Topnotch field on the Mountain Road in Stowe. The Festival attracts over 4,500 visitors each year.  Artists rent a booth from the Art Center to participate. The Taste of Stowe Arts Festival may be Juried.

Emerging Artists Group Shows: Intermittent exhibitions at the Center that include a number of artists of merit who may not yet have enough strong work to warrant an East Gallery exhibition, or who we wish to exhibit as soon as possible but we are scheduled far in advance. Group shows are professionally curated by staff or guest curators.

East Gallery Exhibitions: The Art Center invites emerging and professional local and regional artists to exhibit in the East Gallery, often pairing artists with complimentary work.  Artists benefit from visitors, sales and exposure. In most cases Artists exhibiting in the East Gallery are invited to present an artist talk on their work. East Gallery exhibitions are professionally curated by staff or guest curators.

Curated Exhibitions in the Main Gallery: The Art Center curates and produces several major exhibitions annually which are generally constructed around a concept, theme or topic that is relevant to the lives of our audience and for which there is substantial high-quality artwork to exhibit. Exhibits often include artists of national and international standing. These exhibits may travel to other venues and may include the production of a catalogue or other permanent record of the exhibition.  Most are accompanied by public programs including artist talks, panel discussions, etc. that enhance the public’s engagement and understanding of the artwork and the topic. Recent examples include:
Entre Amis: Canadian Art curated by Jacquie Mauer
Fine Toon: The Art of Vermont Cartoonists curated by Idoline Duke
Nature Remains: The Artist as Environmentalist curated by Idoline Duke
We Are Vermont: Contemporary Portraits in Photography curated by Idoline Duke
Rafael Cauduro: Sin Fronteras curated by Idoline Duke
Made in China: Contemporary Chinese Artwork curated by Jacquie and Lillian Mauer
The Shape of Things: The Best of Vermont Design 2009 curated by Idoline Duke
The Relentless Eye: Global Cellphone Photography curated by Odin Cathcart
Wafaa Bilal: Agent Intellect curated by Odin Cathcart
If such a thing exists, then yes: Mikey Welsh curated by Nathan Suter
The Best of the North East Masters of Fine Arts curated by Nathan Suter

Exposed: An annual outdoor exhibition of sculpture and other public work  throughout the village of Stowe, along the Recreation Path and in collaboration with local businesses.  The exhibit is seen by over 75,000 visitors.  Exposed is professionally curated.

Special Projects: community, collaborative and experimental projects, residencies, commissions, workshops and happenings that engage artists, the community and our broad audience in the creative process. Recent examples include:
Habitat for Artists project (2010 and 2011) in Partnership with River Arts, Vermont Festival of the Arts and Yestermorrow Design and Build School

4. The Curatorial Process

The Art Center seeks to plan exhibitions well in advance (at least 18-24 months), to produce exhibitions of the highest quality, to exhibit work that is relevant to the lives of our constituents, and to offer a balance of media, artwork, concepts and artists that appeal to our broad audience.  With this in mind the Curatorial Committee meets on a monthly basis with the Curator or Guest Curator to discuss future shows, review recent submissions and prioritize concepts, artists and artwork that we are aware of.  It is the intention of the Center to respond to submissions of work by artists and proposals of curated projects by guest curators promptly and with useful feedback. 
The strength of the Center -and any benefit conferred on exhibiting artists- is based on our consistent curation and exhibition of artwork with significant formal and / or conceptual merit that demonstrates a professional level commitment to creative practice.  This is our standard for artwork that is exhibited in our curated exhibitions in the Main and East Gallery.

In general the Center’s response will fall into three categories:
High level of interest: the Curators will be in touch to discuss the work or the proposal, may schedule a studio visit and or ask you to send more images / documentation.  We hope to include you in an upcoming exhibition.
Interest: The Center sees merit in the work or proposal. The Curator will keep images and statements on file and may contact the artist to discuss the work, visit their studio, etc. the Committee or the Curator may have reservations about the maturity, depth, or craft of the work or the schedule may preclude exhibiting the work in the near future. 
Not interested: In the view of the Committee either the work / artist needs to develop to be considered for a group show, or the work has merit but doesn’t fit into the vision of the Center in the foreseeable future.  ALL ARTISTS are valued by Helen Day Art Center.  We encourage artists to remain engaged with the Center, the community of artists here, to join as a member, to take advantage of the Classes and workshops in the area, to exhibit in the Member Art Show, apply to the Taste of Stowe Arts Festival, and to seek feedback from the Curators, instructors and other artists on their work.