2024 Benefit Online Auction Challenge (Download prospectus and entry form here)

The Enticing World of Plants!

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN FROM JULY 15 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

Deadline: September 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM PST

The Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts Open Call for Art for our Benefit Art Online Auction returns this year for the first time since 2013! We invite visual, embroidery and textile artists to submit works to be included in our 2024 Auction. A portion of the work will be on exhibition within our booth at the International Quilt and Fiber Art show in Everett October 3-6, and the full body of work will be available to see in person at an Open House at the Center and online at https://gailcreativestudies.com.

ABOUT THE AUCTION

The Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts Auction is a fundraising event bringing together artists, community members, our students, collectors, donors, and friends, while supporting the activities of the Center to share educational opportunities within our community. This is a wonderful way to have collectors and fellow students see and be able to obtain your work.  All proceeds will go to benefit the Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts.


Parameters for Submission:

Theme:  The Enticing World of Plants!

Think of the beauty of our natural world and everything green and growing.  Or maybe you’re fascinated with the concepts of entropy and decay and want to explore skeletal leaf forms.  Do you like to magnify and look at things close-up?  Or would you rather do a scene of an entire garden? Whatever stage of plant life excites you, we want to see it in your artwork!

Size: All artwork to be 5” x7” finished size (either horizontal or vertical orientation).

Finishing: You can have finished, zigzagged, or raw edges.  Please do NOT frame or mat.

Number of Allowed Submissions: No limit on how many pieces you submit/donate.

Mediums and Techniques: 2-D Art, design, and stitch using any art medium and any substrate.  (Not accepting 3-D pieces.)  Suggestions:

  • Textile art
  • Collage (paper or textile)
  • Embroidery
  • Paper with paint, felt pens, crayons
  • Textures from mediums/papers/silk paper/ flower petals or leaves
  • Natural dye pieces or botanical printmaking on either cloth or paper
  • Stitched photographs (printed on paper or fabric)
  • Hand-made block prints
  • Beaded artwork
  • Let your imagination go wild!

Entry Form:

Please submit an entry form with your submissions (download prospectus and entry form here).  Feel free to add additional sheet for more than 3 entries.

Here are some words and phrases which might inspire you (or you can choose your own):

  • Burgeoning, growing
  • Germinate, sprout
  • Climbing, twining
  • Tree of Life
  • Exuberant
  • Elegant
  • Tangled
  • Fantastical
  • Imaginary plant forms
  • Winter plants
  • Seasons
  • Life cycles
  • Humid, arid
  • Edible
  • Poisonous
  • Herbal
  • Botanical
  • First sign(s) of spring

  • Leaves
  • Seeds
  • Branches
  • Dimensional
  • Burls
  • Roots, bulbs, rhizomes
  • Stamen, Pistil, Anther, Petal
  • Jungle
  • Tropical
  • Desert
  • Aquatic
  • Elegant
  • Tangled
  • Fantastical
  • Flourishing
  • Imaginary plant forms
  • Dormant
  • Entropy, decaying

Delivery:  Please send or arrange to drop off artwork to:

Mail:   Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts
PO Box 1000
La Conner, WA 98257

Drop Off either in La Conner or Bellevue:

Email gail  gailcreativestudies   to drop off at the Center (503 Morris St., La Conner)

Email christina christinaerickson to drop off in Bellevue WA 98005

Online Auction Information:

All pieces will be displayed online for the online auction.  There will be a follow-up sale of any pieces that are not sold during the auction.  The auction will be run before the Winter holidays. More information to come soon!

Past Online Art Auctions:

You can see the pieces from our “Red, White, and Black” auction at Gallery- Black, White & Red Exhibition 

You can see the pieces from our “Joy of Circles” auction at Gallery – The Joy of Circles