PhotoMuse 24 – Images of Gratitude

Gratitude opens the heart to what we love. Photography in all its forms gives us the opportunity to share that love. It is a powerful medium of human expression that offsets complacency.

This year in PhotoMuse the challenge is simple. Focus your camera on something that you love and produce the best image you can of it. And tell us why you are grateful for it.

CATEGORIES

Friends, Family and Community

Your Environment - Rural or Urban

The Natural World, including its Wildlife.

SUB-DIVISIONS

And to encourage your creativity, there are two sub-divisions in each category: Traditional Photography and Manipulated Photography.

AWARDS

$1500 in prize money is available including Best of Show and the three categories with their two sub-divisions.

Best of Show - $450. Awards in each category sub-division are First Place - $100, Second Place - $50, and Third Place - $25 for a total of seven cash awards. Honorable Mentions and/or Judges’ Recognitions will be awarded ribbons only. Awards will be made at the Opening Reception.

PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMISSION

All photographic entries to be submitted online by October 11, 2024, at Midnight (PDT) through SmarterEntry.com/CallsforEntry/Madera.

ENTRY FEES

$20 for the first (1^st) entry and $10 for each additional entry.

VENUE

Madera County Arts Council & Circle Gallery – 424 N. Gateway Drive, Madera, CA 93637 USA

We recognize that there is a difference between seeing images in the physical, versus on a screen. Circle Gallery honors the process of outputting a photograph on various media for the impact it creates when a person views it. It also provides an opportunity for the photographer to sell their work.

DATES – PhotoMuse 24 – Images of Gratitude

DEADLINE TO ENTER – October 11, 2024

ACCEPTANCE EMAILS – October 14, 2024

INTAKE - Tuesday, October 22 - Friday, October 25, 10 AM–6 PM

EXHIBIT – October 31, 2024 – December 31, 2024

RECEPTION - Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5-7 PM

INTAKE of PHOTOGRAPHY

Please deliver your accepted photographic work to:

Circle Gallery, Tuesday, October 22 - Friday, October 25, 10 AM–6 PM (If you are working you may arrange to have a relative or friend deliver it for you.)  

Remember to attach entry information and photographer contact information to the back of your work.

PICKUP of Unsold Photography at the END of EXHIBIT

Thursday, January 2, 2025, and Friday, January 3, 2025, from 10 AM – 6 PM at Circle Gallery – 424 N. Gateway Drive, Madera, CA 93637 There is no storage at the venue. Neither Circle Gallery nor the Madera County Arts Council are responsible for work not picked up.

EXHIBIT RULES

Entry into the competition and exhibits means the photographer(s) will abide by the rules and any exhibition of their work is at their own risk.

Photography must be the original work of the photographer(s) and must be work that has not been entered in a previous PhotoMuse competition.

Photography that is offensive to any race, creed, or gender will be rejected.

Artist Statement – A simple one sentence statement of the gratitude  expressed in your photograph must be part of your entry.

There are two sub-divisions in each category. They are Traditional Photography (including color and black and white) and Manipulated Photography.

Traditional Photography may have adjustments to the image such as cropping, dodging, burning, and spotting, etc. whether done in a physical or digital darkroom.

Manipulated Photography is where the original image is changed using applications, filters or other techniques that alter the final image significantly from the original single image. This includes the use of artificial intelligence, photo applications, photo montages and multiple images whether created in-camera or in post-production to produce a final image print.

Awards: there must be five entries in a category sub-division to make awards. Only one award per photographer in the competition. A photographer will receive the highest award that they are entitled to amongst all the categories and sub-divisions that they enter.

Photographer(s) will receive notification of works accepted by email by October 14, 2024. Make sure that emails from maderaarts.org are being accepted by your email client.

All framed photographs must be strung with wire for hanging in the upper third of the frame. No saw tooth hangers. All frames must be in good condition. Canvas prints with a “Gallery Wrap” and metal prints may be submitted without a frame, but they must be wired for hanging in the upper third of the back of the work.

Maximum overall size is limited to photographic artwork that will fit through a standard door. The Minimum size including frame is 8x10 inches.  Any art piece larger or smaller may or may not be selected at the discretion of the Exhibit Committee.

Photographer(s) retain the copyright to their work but agree to allow image(s) juried into the competition and exhibit to be posted on the Madera County Arts Council (maderaarts.org) website and social media sites at no charge.

Photographic prints must be properly identified with title, category, subdivision, photographer’s name and phone number on the back of the work. Shipping of photography to the venue and the return of it is the responsibility of the photographer(s).

No work may be removed during the exhibit without permission of the Exhibit Committee.

SALES

All sales at the venue will be made by Circle Gallery for which they will receive a 30% commission. Commission will be deducted from payment to the photographer. Circle Gallery will be responsible for Sales Tax and Credit Card fees.

LIABILITY AT THE VENUE

All entries will be handled with the utmost care, but neither Circle Gallery nor the Madera County Arts Council will be responsible for any loss or damage to any entry from any cause whatsoever, including transportation, fire, storage, showing, or theft.

COMPETITION AND EXHIBIT RULES

All the rules are posted on SmarterEntry.com and maderaarts.org.

The primary function of the Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts Competition and Exhibition is to promote a broader interest in and understanding of agriculture as an industry while showcasing and promoting professional artists in a unique format of exemplary quality. This competition and exhibition was originally funded by a 1994 California Arts Council grant. That first year Madera County Arts Council participated in the statewide California Countryside Festival with agricultural themed art by professional artists of the San Joaquin Valley. It was a resounding success! In 1995, Madera County Arts Council established the agricultural themed art competition and exhibition as an annual event and by 1997, all California artists were invited to participate. Now in its 31st year, this event continues to grow and inspires artists, patrons, and the public to celebrate agriculture