OPEN CALL – The Return of the Art Show 2025

Thank you for your interest in participating in the third and final Art of the Rings showcase. The past two years of this exhibition series have been a wild success and I am excited to go out with a “FOR FRODO!” as we charge off into the battlefield. In theme with previous years, this year’s exhibition will be centered around the next part of the trilogy. We did “Fellowship of the Art Show” in 2023, “The Art Towers” in 2024, and finally “The Return of the Art Show” for 2025.

Since there were so many interested in participating the past two years, the decision was made to create a panel of jurors to select artists and their work. THIS YEAR’S SUBMISSION IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

We are sticking with Le Chat Noir for our venue since they are so supportive of having fun events like these. They do not take commission and have a way to process sales at the bar (with an added % to cover the cost of running cards) and cut checks to artists.

Artists will be allowed to submit up to two 2D works that are no larger than 18″ x 24″ framed and weigh no more that 20lbs.  It is a limited space, hence the limit of artwork and size.

Obviously, artworks will need to have a Lord of the Rings/Hobbit theme.Please keep in mind copyright laws on utilizing references. I will leave it up to each artist to get permission from the owner of said reference if they plan to use any copyrighted materials. If we get flagged by said owner for infringement, your work will be removed from the show. Copyright law allows for some uses of existing work without permission, such as if the original work is modified beyond recognition or used in part. Best practice is for artists to be creative, use that imagination and keep it in their own style.

THERE IS A REQUIRED PARTICIPATION FEE OF $30.00 for selected artists. This will help to cover the cost of the food for the opening reception, promotional ads and printed flyers to help make the show a success. Due to the curator, Heather Dunaway, by May 12th by 7:00 p.m.

The hanging system at Le Chat requires all works to have either wiring on the back, a D-ring, or a way to lace monofilament through the frame to hang. Please keep this in mind when getting your works framed.

Selected works will need to be labeled on the back with ARTIST’S NAME and the ARTWORKS NAME. If artists want to leave a contact/business card too, they are encouraged to do so! A simple piece of paper taped or glued to the back will do. No post-its, please. PLEASE WRITE CLEARLY!

Finished artwork would be due on Saturday, June 28th at Le Chat Noir (time TBD, but probably in the afternoon). Must be DRY and ready to hang. If selected artists cannot make this designated time, they should plan to have a friend or family member drop off work. No early drop offs accepted. The show would be up from June 28 – August 2, 2025 with a reception Friday, July 11th from 6-9:00 p.m. Unsold artwork will need to be picked up on August 2nd (time TBD, but probably in the afternoon). If you cannot make pick up, please have a trusted friend or family member pick up your work. Any left behind work will be considered abandoned.

Participating artists will need to sign a Le Chat Noir Gallery contract at drop off or forward a signed copy via email to [email protected]. Contracts will be sent with acceptance emails. We will only need a W9 from artists who have priced their works at a total of $600 or more and it sells.

By Monday. June 23rd, Artwork inventory info is due for the labels. This will be a separate form sent out with the acceptance email and reminder emails. Plan to provide:

-Your name

-The final name of the finished work

-The final medium(s) used

-The final size of the work

-The final price of the work

-Contact info, preferably an email or social media. Patrons will use this to connect with artists.

Artists are responsible for getting their work insured. Le Chat Noir, Heather Dunaway, the jurors, hanging team, and coordinators will not be held liable for any damages or thefts that may occur. Our team will do their best to see that artworks don’t come to any harm or theft. There is a security system in place, with monitoring, at Le Chat Noir. We will leave the insurance to the artist’s discretion. If artists want to take the risk and leave it uninsured, It’s totally up to them.

By submitting this form, artists are agreeing to the above rules and regulations. Once selected, paying the participation fee secures their place in the show. This fee is non-refundable.

The $30 participation fee is due by Monday, May 12th. Payments can be submitted via Venmo (@heatherrdunaway), PayPal (@heatherrenedunaway), or good ol’ cash. Make sure this fee is paid as a friend, not a business. Include a LOTR quote in your comment for fun. Flyers and press releases are due to go out that week for printing and promoting, so paying me on time ensures artists name will be featured. This fee is non-refundable.

-Friday, May 2 by 5:00 p.m.: Submission due

-Monday, May 5: Acceptance emails sent

-Monday, May 12:  Participation fees due.

-Monday, June 23: Final art inventory info due.

-Saturday, June 27 (time TBD): Finished/labeled artwork due at Le Chat Noir for hanging.

-Friday, July 11 6-9 p.m. : Reception

-Saturday, August 2 (time TBD): Art pick up / Check Pick Up at Le Chat Noir