Art Exhibit Proposal

• Be a showcase for local artists — from novice to professional — living in Lawrence or Douglas County, Kansas
• Be a place for diversity of opinion, voice, and perspective
• Be a place that generates conversation
• Be a place that reflects our community as a whole
• Be a place that inspires us to learn, connect, create, and grow

Our art spaces are public and serve all ages.

There is no option to “opt-out” of seeing art in the library as visitors must pass it to reach their destinations.

Therefore, any submissions containing sexually, verbally, or violently mature content — or works that read as a call to violence — will be declined.

Additionally, work that attacks a person or group on the basis of attributes such as race, religion, ethnic origin, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or gender will also be declined.

Since launching this space in 2014, we've had excellent luck with displaying artwork in a high-traffic, semi-unmonitored space. To-date, we've had no incidents of damage or theft.

However, there is always risk. Please be aware that library visitors could touch, damage, or even remove your work.

• Most spaces are on camera, but we may not notice or catch damage or theft until after the fact.
• We will follow up with our Security Team as best we can if damage or theft occurs.

Art thrives in cool climates with low humidity. Unlike a formal gallery space, the library doesn't have complete control of temperature or lighting.

Additionally, some display space may come in direct contact with sunlight which could potentially damage or fade your work.

We currently can't provide secure display cases for 3D (sculptural) work. Artists are welcome to provide their own.

Lawrence Public Library does not handle sales of atwork.

• We will direct anyone with questions about your work to the contact info you provide with your exhibit
• We recommend including this information at the bottom of your artist statement.
• If you have a brochure or business card, the library can provide a holder for these on the art wall — just ask for one
• If you don’t provide your contact info, we won’t be able to connect potential buyers with you

We cannot permanently affect the walls with nails, glue, hooks, staples, etc.

• FRAMED WORK
  We use a tension wire system to hang 2D work (no damage is made to walls) and not all frames are compatible. It will be up to you to install the suggested D-ring and clip options to your frames.
• UNFRAMED WORK
  We allow the use of Command strips and/or Command hooks. We do not recommend using Sticky Tack, BluTack, or Loctite as these tend to dry out and force artwork off of the wall. If you choose to use this, please provide backup supplies so we can hang pieces back up.

For more info, including suggestions and how-to, see these guidelines.

You will be asked to upload (3) images for consideration and they should show what our visitors can expect to see in your exhibition.

This means that the samples you submit in your application should stylistically and thematically match the work in your exhibit application.

For example, if you submit images of your Kansas landscape paintings and an explicit nude appears in the mix, it will be removed from the wall.

Lawrence Public Library reserves the right to decline or remove work that violates our guidelines even after exhibition approval.

• Images don’t have to be fancy — use a camera phone if you’d like
• If you have mobility issues, a staff person can visit your studio for a walkthrough

Exception: Elementary, high school, and Lawrence Art Center student work is curated by the art educators themselves and will not require advance image documentation.

Lawrence Public Library’s mission is to be a place to learn, connect, create, and grow, and library visitors want to know what motivates you to create and who made the work.

You'll need to provide something about your process, what inspires you, how long you’ve been making art, and what you hope the viewer takes away from seeing your show.

You can design this however you wish, but the easiest is to include your name, contact information if you intend to sell your work, and a brief explanation about your show on an 8.5” W x 11” H piece of paper.

• The library can provide an 8.5” W x 11” H wall mount for your statement.
• You may make something larger if you prefer, but we don’t have a larger wall mount.

Need some help writing a statement? Check these out:

• 8 Artists Statements We Love (includes excellent tips about length and content!)
• The Anti-Artist Statement Statement (great tips and samples)
• Artybollocks Generator (If you can’t bear to write one, this site will do it for you as a joke)

It's a big space! It measures 45.5 feet long x 8 feet high. You should plan to adequately fill the space you are given. If you can't let's discuss.

Consideration will be given to smaller shows if the size of the exhibit is integral to the meaning of the work.

For more info, including suggestions and how-to, see these guidelines.

We have four spaces available for you to show your work, each with different capabilities, but due to Covid, we're only booking 2D artwork in the Self-Check Lobby space until further notice (art that can hang on the wall).

Thank you for your patience.

OPEN

• Self-Check Lobby
  (2D framed or unframed)

TEMPORARILY CLOSED

• West Interior Wall
  (2D framed or unframed)
• Concrete Fins
  (2D; unframed)
• Atrium
  (free-standing; sculpture)

This document includes all of the information you'll need to hang a successful exhibit:

• check-in
• exhibit duration
• installation tips and how-to
• taking your show down
• how to hang framed work
• how to hang unframed work
• supplies the library can provide
• supplies you provide
• how to promote your exhibit
• receptions and Final Fridays
• sales of artwork
• exhibit space dimentions
• hardware you may need
• how to use our tension wire system
• label and signage tips
• how to write an artist statement