Please read the following carefully.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Will Radford at wradford@tamarackwv.com or by calling 304.256.6743 ext. 157

We seek unique work!  The following is a descriptive list of work sold at Tamarack.  If you feel your work does not fit a single category below, please mark all categories you feel are relevant to your work so we can determine the best available juror to review your work.  
General Craft: Product lines produced in quantities that are available for purchase at a wholesale price, including, but not limited to:  textiles, glass, jewelry, pottery, baskets, seasonal items, dried flowers, and wood.
One of a Kind/Fine Craft:  Craft in any medium that is produced in limited quantities due to uniqueness, difficulty in producing, overall high quality, or by the artists’ choice to limit availability.
Sculpture:  Sculpture produced in any medium such as stone, metal, wood, glass, and mixed medium.
Mixed Media:  Craft that is produced using two or more mediums.
Digital Media:  Any digital-based fine art or graphics.
Painting:  Original paintings produced in oil, water color, acrylic, designers’ gouache, or mixed medium.
Drawing: Original art created in pencil, colored pencil, pen and ink, pastel, markers, or mixed medium.
Print Making:  Original engravings, lithographs, etchings, serigraphs, block printing.
Photography:  Digital or film-based photography.
Apparel:  Clothing, scarves, shoes.
Baskets
Candles
Ceramics:  Including functional, sculptural.
Dried Flowers
Furniture
Glass:  Including blown, hot glass, stained, slumped, fused.
Jewelry
Leather
Metal
Note Cards
Textiles:  Including quilts
Toys
Wood


Overview
      Tamarack is looking for the Best of West Virginia. Every item sold in the Tamarack facility is first approved through a jury process.  In this process, an artist’s product is critiqued by a panel of Master Craftspeople and Artists who look for outstanding craftsmanship, unique design, creativity, and the use of materials that are of exceptional quality. Each artist’s work is evaluated and critiqued by jurors who work within their media type.

Note:  Submitting images of your work for critique will determine whether you will attend the in-person jury.  Evaluation for acceptance occurs at the in-person jury.  If accepted, your work will be placed into the Tamarack System for possible purchase. Only West Virginia residents are eligible to place craft, fine craft, and fine art in Tamarack for sale.

How to Apply for an In-Person Jury Session
       To be considered for an in-person jury, Tamarack accepts digital image submissions of work via Submittable.com.  Submissions will be accepted from now until  10/14/23
To be considered for inclusion for an in-person jury session, each artist is required to submit the following:
      1.        Contact information
      2.       CV/Resume listing education, gallery affiliations, awards, private collections, and other significant accomplishments.
      3.       Exceptional quality images of artwork.  Photography of your work matters.  Substandard images could impair your chances of acceptance to the in-person jury.  Guide to Professional Quality Images from Hariette Estel Berman.
The Power of the Photograph, The Importance of the Image, & Lights, Camera, Action by Scott Mead, from Artsyshark.com
Entrants must submit the required amount of images based on the following categories:
      a.      6 images of craft (general craft, mixed media, fine craft, sculpture, etc.)
      b.      6 images of fine art
      c.      10  images of photography

(Entrants should submit images of a single item that reflects superior craftsmanship as well as images that show a cohesive body of work. Artists may submit in more than one media designation, but each category will be juried separately.)

If you are accepted to the in-person jury, you will be required to provide proof of residency at the time of jury.  Click here for a list of acceptable forms of proof. If e-mailing images is not possible, artists may also send a CD of their entries and contact information to Tamarack, the Best of WV One Tamarack Park, Beckley, WV 25801  attn:  Will Radford

Notification
       Entrants will be notified of acceptance to the in-person jury in a timely manner by a Tamarack staff member with instructions for how to prepare for the jury session.  Should an entrant not be accepted, they will receive a thoughtful evaluation of their digital submissions and information on how to access assistance should they decide to reapply.


Criteria Work is Judged on:
       Before uploading images for consideration, please review the following jury criteria. These specific areas are what Tamarack jurors evaluate when compiling their critiques.

Technique and Craftsmanship
      All work must demonstrate attention to detail.  Construction must be sound and able to withstand normal expected usage.  A piece must show understanding of the properties and limitations of the materials used and demonstrate proficiency in the use of tools and skills in knowledge and technique.  The level of technique involved, and the design in terms of its function, should be considered in the evaluation of the overall quality of any given piece.  Finished work should demonstrate a mastery of the craft.

Design and Creativity
      The design of the work should reflect the intended function of the piece as well as visual appeal.  It demands a combination of creativity, technical proficiency, and awareness of the properties of the chosen materials.  The work must be well designed both technically and aesthetically. Good design requires the consideration of the elements of design (form, line, color, and texture) and the principles of design (contrast, rhythm, repetition, transition, proportion, and scale). The body of work should demonstrate the craftsman’s unique voice.

Materials
      Materials used must be of exceptional quality and suited to the purpose of the piece.  Pre-manufactured components are permitted only if they are minimal in the overall design and craftsmanship of the piece.

Presentation for Fine Art/Photography Only
      You should submit images of fine art and photography without framing. The work should fill the frame of the image. Submitted images should show consistency throughout the entire body of work.  

If accepted for the in-person jury, the work must be properly prepared for professional presentation in a gallery or showcase setting. This includes properly cut matting, framing, backing materials, secure hanging materials, neatly finished gallery wrapped canvases, and backs of unframed work.