Prizes, awards, contacts lure artists

Two Craven County arts associations are calling for artist entries, and the siren song is worth $7,000.

Joining resources, the Craven County Arts Council & Gallery and the Twin Rivers Artists’ Association will host the Bank of the Arts 6th Annual Juried Show beginning early July.

In a juried contest, artists submit work to a judge for consideration for both placement in the show and prizes.

The first-time combination of organizations for the contest means more artists will have the opportunity to win more prizes, the executive director of the arts council said.

“What we decided to do was join with the Twin Rivers Artists’ Association and really push the show to the limit,” said Carol Tokarski. “As two organizations, we said, ‘Let’s pull it together.’ We didn’t want to leave any art forms out.”

Except sculpture.

The July show will accept all mediums save that art form. The arts council will host a juried sculpture show later this year.

Joyce Stratton, Twin Rivers Artists’ Association spokeswoman, said the current juried show will help educate local artists.

“A juried show lends credibility,” Stratton said. “It pushes artists in new directions.”

One of those directions includes learning how to enter juried contests and compete for awards, she said.

Those awards are significant. Prizes for the July show include more than two dozen merit, purchase and sponsor awards in addition to a first-place prize of $1,000.

Awards will be presented at a public opening reception during downtown’s New Bern Artwalk July 13.

Entries gaining access to the juried show will be on display and for sale at Bank of the Arts through Aug. 24.

The juror granting such access will be Jerry Jackson. Jackson, trained as a ceramicist, currently focuses on found-object assemblage.

As the former cultural arts administrator at the Arts Center at the Imperial Arts Centre for Arts in Rocky Mount, Jackson said juried events such as New Bern’s allow the opportunity for prizes — and networking between collectors, curators and artists.

“Everybody is focused on the prizes,” Jackson said. “And for eastern North Carolina, this is the best prize money I’ve seen east of I-95. But in my mind, it’s about much more than that. I’ve had shows that have allowed people to be in the Smithsonian. It’s a good opportunity to find new people for shows.”

Yet for artists to make such contacts, they need to enter, he said.

“People need to bring stuff in,” said Jackson, who has juried five shows in the past two months. “It’s not going to happen if you don’t play ball. People need to support it.”

Call for artists

What: Bank of the Arts 6th Annual Juried Art Show

Who: Artists at least 18 years old

Medium: Any medium except sculpture.

When: Delivery of work 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 6 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 7; opening reception and awards July 13

Who: Juror is Jerry Jackson, former cultural arts administrator at the Arts Center at the Imperial Centre for Arts, Rocky Mount

Cost: $25 for one-to-three entries

Contact: Entrance package at Bank of the Arts, 317 Middle St., New Bern; call 638-2577 for information