THE CALL FOR ART IS NOW CLOSED. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT INFO@THE-SQUARE.ORG.

Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art’s 25th Annual Art Auction is just around the corner! We are excited to announce that it will take place this spring and is slated for May 12, 2023. It is the premiere social event in north central Montana connecting art collectors with contemporary art and artists. It is an evening event filled with lively music, dynamic people, and amazing art!

The Auction will be comprised of a live auction at the Meadowlark Country Club in Great Falls, Montana. Tickets will soon be available for purchase via our website at www.the-square.org. We are excited to bring back this lively social event. The auction will be juried by a team of experts, including a special guest juror; Nicole Maria Evans, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections; and Sarah Justice, Executive Director. The selected works will be on exhibit at the museum for a period of a month before the day of the auction.

This auction is the Museum’s primary fundraising event. Funds raised through this event support the very core of the Museum! Because of your contribution, it is possible for us to provide Free entry to the museum , support operating costs, foster relationships with artists, create critically engaging exhibitions, provide proper care of our collections and historical building, and produce stimulating education programming in the fine arts and the humanities. Thank you!

Juror: Sean Chandler

Sean Chandler is an Artist and enrolled member of the Aaniinen (Gros Ventre Nation).  He is also the President of Aaniiih Nakoda College located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.  In 2016, Dr. Chandler was appointed to the Montana Arts Council and in 2022, he was appointed to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.  

He acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Art in 1997, as well as a Master of Arts in Native American Studies in 2003 from Montana State University-Bozeman.  He also attained a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from The University of Montana in 2014. 

Sean has always been involved in art, starting at an early age when his father taught him the traditional arts of his ancestors, including hide and tipi painting.  Integrating those early teachings, Sean voices his own style to communicate the contemporary life he lives.  Themes of racism, loneliness, depression, anger, humor, stereotypes, sovereignty, dependency, and cultural genocide reside within Sean’s work.  

Currently Sean Chandler’s work is featured in the exhibition The One Defined to Be No One. The exhibition is organized by the Missoula Art Museum (MAM) and is traveling via the auspices of the Montana Art Gallery Directors Association (MAGDA). His exhibition will be featured at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art this Spring opening May of 2023.  

We want to congratulate Sean Chandler for his newest accomplishment. Sean Chandler is among five Native artists selected for the prestigious Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship. Trailblazing mixed media, sculpture, beadwork and photography by the artists will be on exhibit at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art beginning in November 2023.

CALL FOR ART SUBMIT ONLINE  APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

All art submissions are due ONLINE by February 6, 2023 at www.the-square.org under EVENTS

To complement the 25th Annual Art Auction, an exhibition of all art auction selections will be presented in some of the museum’s main galleries. The museum will host a special reception to honor the artists participating in this year’s art auction, on Friday, April 28, 2023 at 5pm.

Please consider the Montana art market carefully when selecting and pricing your artwork. The auction jury is looking for a wide variety of work, representing different styles and media, with pricing that is compatible with the region. We are asking that your reserve be set no lower than $300 and no higher than $3000. This is important because these numbers help support the museum and the artists participating in this event and are compatible with our buyers.

Letters of notification with jury selections will be sent out no later than  February 17, 2023.  Juried artists who choose a full donation will receive one complimentary ticket to the main event. The Square reserves the right to place artwork in either the live or silent auction. Selected artists will be sent an auction contract, which must be signed and returned to the museum with the artwork no later than March 20, 2023.

Artists must be 18 years old and older to apply. Submission does not guarantee a space in the exhibition/sale.

Please contact Nicole Maria Evans, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections if you have any questions at nicole@the-square.org or (406)727-8255                                                   

NOTE: All applications are to be submitted via the internet on our ONLINE website portal please visit us at www.the-square.org under the EVENTS tab

SAMPLE APPLICATION **PLEASE APPLY ONLINE** 

25th Annual Art Auction Juried Submission Form (Please complete all areas)

First Name: ___John________ Last Name:____Doe____________

Address: ____123456 1st Ave, Great Falls, MT 59401__________________________________________

Daytime Phone: __555-555-5555_________ Evening Phone: ________________________

E-Mail: ___johndoe@example. com_________ Artist’s Website:_______________________________

 Auction Submissions:

NOTE: Please label digital files with last name and Number and Title corresponding with the selection number on the form (Example: Doe, 1 Sunset in Blue).

**Application materials will not be returned.**Please call the museum if you need help (406)727-8255

 Please Attach:

1) Two (2) digital images of available work (jpeg format 300 dpi)

2) Artist Bio and 50-word artist statement in first person

3) Current resumé (documents should be submitted in Word format).

Artwork 1

Title: __Sunset in Blue________

Date: ___2015___________________ Medium: ___oil on canvas____________________________

Dimensions (h x w x d): ___23 x 24 x 1_____ Retail Value:____$1500______________

Check one:       100 % Full Donation      50/50 split         70/30 (where 70 is donated to the museum)

Reserve Price: __$900________(no lower than $300 and no higher than $3000)

Artwork 2

Title: ____River Trails___________

Date: ____2020__________ Medium: ____acrylic, gold leaf, ink on canvas__________

Dimensions (h x w x d): ___40 x 60 x 2.5___ Retail Value:___$2500_________

Check one:       100 % Full Donation      50/50 split         70/30 (where 70 is donated to the museum)

Reserve Price: ___$1000______(no lower than $300 and no higher than $3000)

 SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:

Letters of notification with jury selections will be sent out no later than February 17, 2023.  Juried artists who choose a full donation will receive special mention in the auction catalog and given one complimentary ticket to the main event. The Square reserves the right to place artwork in either the live or silent auction.  

Selected artists will be sent an auction contract, which must be signed and returned to the museum with the artwork no later than March 20, 2023. 

Presentation: All accepted two-dimensional works must be appropriately framed and ready to hang. The museum prefers that works on paper be framed under Plexiglas®.  Please do not send a work that is framed with glass. All three-dimensional works must be suitably prepared for hanging or installation.  

Sales: Works will not be sold until they reach the artist’s reserve price (no lower than $300 and no higher than $3000). Once an object reaches the artist’s reserve price, the work will be sold to the highest bidder and proceeds split as indicated above.  

Retail Value / Reserve Price: Retail Value is the highest amount the artist would like their piece to sell for. Reserve Price is the lowest amount the artist will accept for their piece.  

Shipping: Shipping to the museum is the responsibility of the artist. In the event a work does not sell, the Square will cover the cost of return shipping and return insurance. Be sure to insure your art during shipping to the museum to cover any loss or damage. The museum is not responsible for any loss or damage to art that occurs during shipping to the museum.  

Important: If you reside in a country outside the United States of America, or in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or a US territory outside the 48 contiguous US states please send your work with a prepaid return label and packaging. The museum will not be responsible for customs fees or other transport costs. 

Thank you for supporting Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art!