Marni Siegal, Nederland. We hope you’ve had the opportunity to enjoy the first display from Nederland Community Library’s (NCL’s) previous Open Call for Artists. We are currently displaying paintings by local artist Virginia Unseld. If you haven’t had the chance to view her art, stop by our community room and foyer where her works are displayed before they come down on August 1, 2019! The next exhibit, which will be of local photographer Jim Disinger’s work, will go on display on August 4, 2019, followed by watercolors and acrylics by Linda Jacobson in November. We are fortunate to exist in a community with such vibrant works of art available for our enjoyment, and we are looking for more!

Thus begins our second and final Open Call for Artists for 2019. Generally, artists display 15-20 works, depending on the size, for a period of 90 days. To be considered for display, works must be durable, framed and able to hang with a wire. The maximum weight for any piece is 40 lbs. Displaying at NCL provides great visibility for artists; the library sees over 55,000 visitors and our website receives over 25,000 hits per year! 

The deadline for submitting your work is August 31, 2019. Artists can submit a portfolio or website address to Marni Siegal at the Nederland Community Library. Submissions can be made in person or via e-mail to marnis.ncl@gmail.com. Artists must also complete an Art Exhibit Expression of Interest Form. Forms are available at the library circulation desk and online at nedlib.org (find the “About Us” tab and click on the “Art Exhibit Information” button in the drop-down menu and scroll to the bottom of the page for Expression of Interest Forms and Exhibit Procedures). 

Submissions will be reviewed by the NCL Art Exhibit Committee. Selections will be made by the committee by September 30, 2019. Preference may be given to artists who reside in Nederland or neighboring areas. Ultimately, selections will be made based on the quality and appropriateness of the art and the space available. 

At NCL, we are continually amazed at the artistic talent in our mountain community! We are fortunate that we get to enjoy our local artists’ work each day that we come in to work, and we are excited to see what may be displayed at the library in the new year!

Marni Siegal is a library assistant and gallery curator at the Nederland Community Library.

(Originally published in the August 1, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)