ELIGIBILITY
PATTERN is open to everyone. The only limitation is that entries must represent original works which address the broad theme described above. Submitting specific works shown previously in Manifest's physical gallery exhibits is discouraged.
MEDIA
Open to any and all traditional and non-traditional visual arts 2d or 3d media.
Manifest's carefully assembled juries change from project to project, and have no collective predisposition towards any particular kind or style of art.
SIZE LIMIT
Unless specified otherwise by the exhibit theme (for example, our Small Works exhibit) Manifest has no size restrictions on submissions other than what can fit in our spaces, on our walls, and through our door. Artists considering submitting who have work which may exceed these limits are welcome to contact us to inquire about specific limits (info@manifestgallery.org)
DATE RESTRICTIONS
Unless specified otherwise by the exhibit or project parameters Manifest has no requirements on timeframe when submitted works must have been made. At Manifest we do not believe great art has an expiration date. Furthermore we believe that older work gains new meaning when contextualized in a new space alongside different works by different artists. Why should an exceptional work of art cease being experienced by the public once it is just a few years old? In fact, why should it ever stop being experienced? While most work submitted to our exhibits has been made within the past five years or so, sometimes works are submitted (and accepted) that are older. Our jury process does not consider this information when scoring or selecting works for exhibit.
ANNUAL CASH AWARD
The annual Manifest Grand Jury Prize will result in the awarding of one significant cash prize ($2500) to a single work selected as the 'best of the entire season'. Winner will be determined by a final end-of-year jury from among a pool of all top-scoring works from each exhibit's jury process across the current exhibition season. This process will apply to exhibits from the start of our 17th season on September 25, 2020, and applies to each exhibit through August 2021, including this one. Details on the Manifest Grand Jury Prize can be found here.
SUBMITTING WORK
ENTRY FEE
Starting in season 16 we adjusted our fee structure, reducing the average fee to submit per-work by 25%, and reducing the fee to submit additional works beyond four by 50% per work.
$40 for up to FOUR entries submitted. $5 per each additional entry. Fees are non-refundable. Number of entries is unlimited. For the purposes of this process an 'entry' is an individual work of art, regardless of number of images used to represent it in this submission. Entry fee must be paid by U.S. check or money order made payable to MANIFEST, or by credit card via PayPal. (If paying by PayPal PLEASE use the paypal link provided on the page that follows the submission of the online entry form.)
Any fee payment must reference your name, or we must be notified if another party is paying your fee.
What is my fee used for?
Manifest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and publicly-funded charitable organization operated by artists, for artists, with no substantial reserve or endowment. All proceeds from entry fees fund project-related expenses. Not unlike paying a fee to enter a marathon race, this democratically enables our organization's projects to happen. For over a decade and a half Manifest has earned an international reputation for producing quality exhibits, and benefiting the artists involved, and the public, over time on its meager budget. Our board of directors and small mostly part-time dedicated staff work hard to make involvement with Manifest projects well worth the effort and cost to do so. It is important to note that this jury fee is the only cost charged by Manifest for participation.
Simply by participating in a Manifest project you are helping this grass-roots nonprofit organization do its work and achieve its mission.
HOW MANY WORKS SHOULD I SUBMIT?
The average number of works submitted to a typical Manifest project is roughly 4. Some artists choose to submit more, especially if they have a couple different bodies of work which they'd like our jury to consider, or if they have a suite of works that are interrelated and more compelling seen together. While we have absolutely no minimum number required (other than one), nor do we give an advantage to those who submit more, it is helpful to have a few options to select from. Our jury often gains insight into one work by seeing it in context with a few others by the same artist. And we do routinely accept pairs or sets of work by artists once they are determined to be a finalist.If for any reason you submit the entry form (linked at the top and bottom of this page) more than once, only the most recent form will be retained in our system. All previous forms will be deleted. If you decide to submit additional work later, you’ll need to submit a new form containing ALL the works to be considered for the exhibit.
Detail images should only be included if truly necessary for understanding the nature or quality of the artwork and these files must be named as instructed below.
JURY AND CURATOR
Manifest's selection process involves a complex two-part system. This exhibit will be juried by an anonymous several member panel of professional and academic advisors with a broad range of expertise relative to art and design. The jury will then pass along their recommendations to the exhibit curator who will make the final selections from the jury-approved pool. (Read more about Manifest's jury process here.)
