Purpose of art exhibits at RRUUC
The River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation (RRUUC) has for many years supported local artists in our community by providing a venue for artists' exhibits. Displaying art at RRUUC provides beauty and spiritual enrichment for our members and others using the building while also supporting the development of artists in the local community. Because both artists and the congregation benefit from sales at exhibits, at least three-fourths of the art work should be for sale.
Venue
Exhibits are held in the congregation's Fellowship Hall; one small piece of art may also be hung in the foyer above the "Exhibit This Way" sign to help advertise the exhibit. The Fellowship Hall is 42 feet by 43 feet. It has two full walls with approximately 60 feet of wall space available for hanging art. Focus lights provide illumination for approximately 47 feet of wall space in the Fellowship Hall. If you are unfamiliar with RRUUC and would like to see the exhibit space, you may visit RRUUC on Sunday morning during the community hour or during the week. Contact the RRUUC office (301-229-0400) if you wish to speak with someone about seeing the venue.
At present, RRUUC does not have cases to safely exhibit free-standing pieces such as pottery, jewelry, or sculpture. Such pieces may be displayed and sold at an exhibit opening, and they must be removed at the end of the opening reception, unless special arrangements are made.
Exhibits are hung January-July and September-October. November is reserved for a group exhibit of RRUUC members and friends, and December is not available because of the Bazaar and the winter holidays.
Who is eligible?
RRUUC encourages both new and experienced artists to exhibit their work, especially artists who are local to the Washington area. Artists do not have to be congregation members. Several artists may wish to have a group exhibit. In order to be considered for an exhibit, artists need to present a sampling of their art to the RRUUC Fine Arts Committee for review.
Arranging for an exhibit
The first step is to contact the RRUUC office (301-229-0400) and let them know that you are interested in being considered for an art exhibit at RRUUC. The office will contact the Fine Arts Committee, and a committee representative will contact you to arrange review your work by the committee. The committee meets and reviews potential exhibitors approximately four times a year.
For the review process by the RRUUC Fine Arts Committee you will need to submit:
~ 10-12 jpeg images on a CD (at least 1000 pixels on the long side) edited and representative of the quality of art that would be in the show. [* See note below on Photographing Art.] Only submit images that can be opened by a PC without any special vender software, (e.g., software from Ritz Photo). The submitted CD should contain only the images that you would like juried by the Fine Arts committee; please do not include any other images on the CD; and all images to be reviewed should be in the same folder or directory.
~ two examples of your art work that is from work that would appear in your exhibit so the committee can judge the quality of presentation.
~ a statement about the proposed show including the theme or focus
~ a brief biographical statement or resume about you as an artist
After the Fine Arts Committee reviews your proposed exhibit, a committee co-chair will contact you with the committee’s decision. If your art is accepted for an exhibit at RRUUC, please view information about "Preparing Your Exhibit".
*Photographing Art
If your art was not created digitally, we recommend that you enlist someone who is familiar with photographing artwork and who knows how to light it to its best advantage. It is best not use a single on-camera flash as it's likely to create bright spots or reflections. The photograph should not include any part of the frame or the wall, and the artwork should not be obscured by anything in the environment. Snapshots of your art will be to your disadvantage during the review process.