BAYarts' new spaces offer area artists new opportunities

BAYarts' annual art festival offers artists an affordable alternative to sell their work. This year's festival will be held June 18.

With the opening this year of the Fuller House, BAYarts is able to offer more outlets for Ohio artists to showcase their work, beginning with the Annual Spring Juried Show, this year entitled ”Essentials.” The show, which opens March 11, grows in popularity with artists each year thanks to prestigious judges, the quality of the submitted work and available prize money.

This year's judges are Mary Lou Ferbert, award-winning painter and author, and H. Scott Westover, curator of the Progressive Art Collection. Artists 18 and over may submit up to two pieces of work beginning March 5 (details and entry form at www.bayarts.net or by calling BAYarts). Because of the abundance of photography entries in past years, it will not be accepted this year; but a second juried show in October will accept all mediums.

Artists who prefer to sell their work have many opportunities at BAYarts: the Gallery Shop offers year-round handmade work on consignment and the annual "Artistic by Nature" Art Festival provides an affordable alternative to other art fairs with sometimes prohibitive entry fees. This year’s festival will be held June 18 and the musical guests will be local favorite Alex Bevan and the world-music group Uzizi. In addition, artists are invited to submit work to “553,” a July fundraiser for BAYarts educational programming.

The new Sullivan Family Gallery in the Fuller House will feature new, professional and experimental shows, while the original Dianne Boldman gallery will highlight the work of BAYarts teachers, students and the annual Youth Scholarship Show (open to students K–12, details and entry form on our website). And there’s more to come. Stop in to see the colorful new Fuller House. You can download all current newsletters at www.bayarts.net.

Nancy Heaton is Executive Director of BAYarts.