Call for Artists

Open to all artists or Iowa State University students 18 and over. You are invited to submit five (5) digital images representing up to twenty (20) original works of art for display in the Garden Room Gallery at Reiman Gardens. Solo and group exhibitions permitted. Open to 2D media only (with some exceptions for mixed media/3D work conforming to size/weight guidelines). Only online entries with digitally submitted images will be accepted. Digital entries will be accepted on a rolling basis for exhibition during one of three seasonal displays. Notification will be made via email to accepted artists. Please keep a copy of this prospectus for dates and contact information.

The Garden Room Gallery is open to bodies of work which exemplify Reiman Gardens’ mission to “educate, enchant, and inspire an appreciation of plants, butterflies, and the beauty of the natural world.” Work which relates to our “theme year” will also be considered.  Annual themes with related outdoor exhibit information can be found here.

Three seasonal display terms include

There is no fee to exhibit artwork at Reiman Gardens. Upon acceptance and installation of artwork, any damage incurred to walls and/or display system during exhibition will incur further fees.

The Garden Room Gallery consists of 10 flat wall spaces, separated by wood trim. Work MUST be prepared for hanging with secure picture wire, as it will be suspended from a cable display system. Work must be clean and presentable for a professional setting as determined by staff on review.  At no point may additional hardware or tape of any kind be attached to the walls or any part of the Garden Room for works on display.  Staff are available to assist with finding creative solutions to display work optimally with existing hardware, if needed.

Work may not exceed 40″ in height or width, including frame; total weight, with frame, cannot exceed 25 pounds. Waivers can be requested and may or may not be granted.

Terms

The Garden Room Gallery is a multi-use public space; as such, it is open to the public at all times during open hours unless it has been reserved for a private rental, meeting, education program, or other event.  Every effort will be made to ensure the safety of any art on display, and the room is under video surveillance, but Reiman Gardens does not provide security for this space.  We can only receive and exhibit art at Reiman Gardens on condition that neither ISU, Reiman Gardens, nor its staff shall be liable for any loss or damage to works of art, howsoever caused, which could occur while they are on display at Reiman Gardens.

Liability

Reiman Gardens, its staff and/or volunteers will not be responsible for loss or damage to art work, however caused. Reiman Gardens suggests that participants carry separate insurance. Entry into exhibition constitutes agreement with this understanding.

Online notification of accepted art work only. The submitted work must closely represent the quality of the digital images for showing in the exhibition, must be the size as stated, and must be clean and ready to hang in the manner specified above. If your work is misrepresented in any way – in that the picture diverges greatly from what the work actually looks like in color, shape, or dimensions, etc. – we reserve the right to refuse to hang the artwork if it should be chosen for the show. No changes to title, price, etc. will be permitted after delivery of artwork. Wet or unfinished work will not be accepted. We do accept prints of the artist’s own original work, provided they are of the highest quality.

All accepted art work is to remain on display for the duration of the exhibition. No artwork is to be removed before the closing of the exhibition. Reiman Gardens reserves the right not to display
accepted work that arrives in non-display condition (dirty, damaged, coming out of the frame, over size limits, or otherwise not ready for display). PLEASE review “DISPLAY SPACE AND SIZE LIMITATION” above.

Accepted entries in any exhibition are reviewed for possible use in advertising and promoting the exhibition, as well as the Gardens (invitations, newsletters, press releases, and other advertising).
Your entry into the exhibition will constitute your consent to the possible use of your images for such purposes.

Delivery

Reiman Gardens accepts personal delivery of selected art work only. Shipped artwork will not be accepted. Delivery address: Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University, 1407 University Blvd., Ames IA 50011. Reiman Gardens will accept hand delivery of accepted art work Monday – Friday only, during open business hours (10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. October – April, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. May – September).

• Artwork delivery: All accepted artwork must be delivered and hung by the artist, or a designee.  Any installation requiring a ladder must be coordinated and installed by staff.
• Walk-in delivery: must be arranged with Reiman Gardens’ staff during open hours within the week between display terms.

Removal

All artwork must be picked up by the artist or designee, during the week after the exhibition term closes. Acceptable pickup dates for hand delivered work are Monday – Friday during open business hours. Artists leaving their work after one week will be charged $5 per day, per piece, for storage. Works left beyond 15 days will be considered a donation to Reiman Gardens.

• Artwork pick-up: must be arranged with Reiman Gardens’ staff during open hours within one week after display term close – all artwork MUST be picked up by the artist or a pre-determined designee.

By submitting work for exhibit, the artist authorizes Reiman Gardens to sell such work for the “Show Price” indicated for each work on the entry form. After a sale occurs, Reiman Gardens will reimburse the exhibitor an amount equal to the “Show Price” less 25% commission. Enter NFS in “Show Price” for work that is not for sale. Any work sold during the exhibition must remain on display through the end of the display term.

Digital entries ONLY. Fill out an application to submit artwork for consideration.

• Please adhere to the following requirements for digital images:
• Format: JPG, PNG, or .ppt
• Resolution: 72 dpi with minimum 800 pixels and maximum 2000 pixels on the longest side
• Size: Minimum 100KB; not to exceed 5.0 MB for each image submitted.
• Title: Please label each image thusly: FirstName_LastName_Number (ex. Jane_Doe_01)

For general information, artwork specifications, assistance with entry, or to submit an application via email, contact Director of Education, rgeducation@iastate.edu.

Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University seeks proposals from creative individuals, groups or firms to design, construct, and display unique site-specific fairy doors or creature homes for its 2024 temporary outdoor display in conjunction with Spring Enchantment. Collaboration is acceptable and encouraged.

To download the Request for Proposals (pdf), CLICK HERE.

TO SKIP TO THE APPLICATION, CLICK HERE.

From Monday, April 1st – Tuesday, April 30th, 2024, Reiman Gardens will bring back the outdoor exhibition of fairy doors or creature homes inspired by nature. This show will feature 15 fairy doors or creature homes designed to be site-specific and inspired by the enchantment of nature and spring.

Designers/groups will be selected through a competitive process to exhibit one of 15 fairy doors or creature homes in one of fifteen locations within Reiman Gardens’ 17 acres. These structures, together with interpretive materials, will form a display to celebrate spring and to enchant all visitors to the Gardens and encourage them to explore the landscape as spring emerges.

We hope each designer or group will offer an inspiring take on the theme of spring in the form of a fairy door or creature house, with a design that gracefully integrates into the landscape in one of the fifteen locations that will be selected upon completion. Though not required, we encourage designers to consider the use of sustainable products to fabricate their structures to ensure that the project has minimal impact on the environment, and will offer additional interpretive and educational opportunities related to resource conservation.

Key Exhibition Messages

To create a unique display of site-specific fairy doors or creature homes that explore the themes of spring, exploration, and discovery of the natural world.

• To inspire people with the adventure and imagination behind fairy doors/creature homes as a special place to celebrate plants, insects, and nature
• To increase awareness and understanding of public art, architecture and design
• To promote Reiman Gardens and its mission
• To educate the public about art, design, and its integration with nature
• To provide a showcase for local, regional, and national designers, groups, or firms

Selected designers/groups will receive a $60 honorarium (one per accepted structure) for exhibiting their work for the duration of the show. Honorarium is awarded on successful installation of Fairy Door or Creature Home.

The Spring Enchantment outdoor exhibition is coordinated by Reiman Gardens. To ensure the highest quality exhibition, designs will be chosen by a panel of jurors which includes representatives from Reiman Gardens’ Art Collections Committee.

Please consider the following criteria for the design:

• Creativity, imagination, environmentally friendly
• Choice of weather-resistant materials which will last the life of the event (one month)
• Creative use of materials
• Connection to themes of nature and spring
• Engaging for the entire family
• Durability of structure for weather and heavy use by children and adults
• Flexibility to be at any chosen location in the Gardens

Each submitted design requires the following:

• Identifying information (firm/individual names, logos, etc.) kept out of all designs and supporting descriptive materials. This information should only be provided on the Application, so as to not be visible to the jury panel during design selection.
• Design in the form of digital rendering, schematic, architectural drawing, or other images with plan view showing scale. 3D models are welcome but not required

Reiman Gardens reserves the right to use any and all images, renderings, and models for the promotion of the exhibition in print or electronic formats.

The health and integrity of the plant materials in our collection are vital to our mission and institution. It is necessary to protect and maintain our collections by adhering to the following guidelines for construction and installation of all outdoor structures. 

Up to three entries per designer/group are accepted. An Application Form must be completed for each design. Upon notification, Artists will be required to confirm participation. Artists will receive a $60 Honorarium (one per accepted structure) upon successful installation.

To Apply: Please complete an application here.

Please direct all inquiries to: 
Renee Rule, Director of Guest Services and Events
Reiman Gardens
Iowa State University
1407 University Blvd
Ames, Iowa 50111
515-294-0305
rrule@iastate.edu