Preparations for the 2013 Cotton District Arts Festival set for April 20 are underway. Festival organizers have issued a call to all artists age 18 and above for submissions to the Juried Art Competition, a feature of the annual festival which organizers say drew more than 42,000 attendees last year.
Entry forms for artwork must be postmarked on or before March 4 and be complete with CD, correct fee and any other required materials. Late entries will not be accepted. Media categories are painting/drawing, three-dimensional/mixed media, and photography. All work must have been completed in the last three years and not previously submitted to the festival.
Find complete guidelines and applications on the festival site, CDAFestival.com. For additional information, contact Linda Lee Lodato at 662-648-8245 or email [email protected].
Competition juror
Juror of the 2013 competition will be Alabama native Nan Cunningham.
Cunningham’s artistic career began when she was just a child, under a mulberry tree, where she made dyes from berries and nuts and started painting. The award-winning artist, who makes her home in Auburn, currently serves on the board of the Alabama Art Colony and is a past board member of the Mississippi Art Colony and the Montgomery Arts Council. Her work has been featured in Southern Living, Veranda, Society South, Prime and House Beautiful magazines. She is represented in corporate and private collections throughout the world.
For more information about Cunningham, visit nancunningham.com.
Supporters welcome
Each year the Cotton District Arts Festival Juried Arts Committee offers two opportunities for supporters of the arts to be more involved.
n The Purchase Prize is a pledge by an individual or business to purchase a piece of art at a private reception prior to the exhibit being opened to the public. The check is made payable directly to the artist.
n The Merit Award is a monetary award given in honor or memory of someone. When the first and second places and Best in Show prizes are awarded, the juror will choose artwork worthy of honorable mention and each of those artists receives a Merit Award. Artists retain their artwork and receive the amount of the award.
The prizes are an incentive for artists to enter the competition say organizers. For further information on Purchase Prizes and Merit Awards, contact Betty Jane Chatham at 662-323-3382.
The Starkville Area Arts Council presents the Cotton District Arts Festival, with support from the City of Starkville, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Arts Commission and generous sponsors.
All registration forms and applications are available at CDAFestival.com. Additional information about the arts council can be found at starkvillearts.org. Festival sponsorships and volunteer opportunities are still available. Contact the SAAC at 662-324-3080.
For information about Super Bulldog Weekend activities taking place during the festival weekend, visit HailState.com.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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