Sumi-e Society of America, Inc.
58th Annual Juried Exhibition
Sixth Worldwide Internet Exhibition
September 2021 - September 2022
http://sumiesociety.org
The National Board of Directors of the Sumi-e Society of America, Inc. invite you to enter the 58th Annual Juried Exhibition - the Sixth Worldwide Internet Exhibition. An Internet Exhibition is a virtual exhibition in which paintings and calligraphies are not hung in a physical gallery but rather viewed on an Internet website. The Internet site will be online for one year enabling us to reach a much wider audience. The purpose of the exhibition is to publicly show the best current East Asian brush painting and calligraphy and to further the Society’s mission. A combination of cash and other awards, approximating $4500.00 in value, will be awarded.
ELIGIBILITY: This competition is open to all artists.
Brush painting or calligraphy must be in Asian ink, or Asian ink and watercolor on rice* paper or silk.
*Generic term for those papers traditionally used for East Asian brush painting, but not limited to those containing rice fiber.
PAINTINGS & CALLIGRAPHY - Paintings and calligraphy must be the original creation and composition of the artist submitting it. Copying a painting by another artist or teacher, with a few details changed, is not considered an original work. No touch-ups, changes, or additions by another artist or teacher are allowed.
- Paintings and calligraphy must be painted within the last two years and not previously exhibited in a Sumi-e Society annual exhibition. Previous entry elsewhere is permitted.
- Entries will be accepted only from the artist, not by or through agents.
NON-TRADITIONAL PAINTINGS must be executed with water-soluble Asian ink with or without watercolor on rice paper, gold and silver papers, shikishi boards or silk. The predominant element must be ink and direct brushwork on the base; however, techniques such as monoprinting, suminagashi, spraying, or non-relief collage may be incorporated. If you used one of these techniques, note it under Description.
CALLIGRAPHY other than signature or date must be accompanied by a typed English translation of the calligraphy on both painting and calligraphy artwork.
IMPORTANT DATES IN 2021
June 20 ----DEADLINE for entering at https://www.onlinejuriedshows.com
July 22 ----NOTIFICATION of Acceptance - email reminder
Artist must open their Artist Profile on website at onlinejuriedshows.com
Check each artwork to see which artworks were accepted and which were declined.
The following events will be on Zoom because of COVID 19
August 27, 28, 29 ---CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP with John S. C. Wang - 1:00 to 4pm
August 29 ---AWARDS CEREMONY Sunday - 5:00 - 7:00 pm on Zoom with Remarks about the exhibition by Sungsook Setton and John S. C. Wang
September 17, 18, 19 --- PAINTING WORKSHOP with Sungsook Setton - 1:00 to 4pm
September 2021 ---EXHIBITION OPENS on the Internet www.sumieshow.org
September 30, 2022 ----EXHIBITION CLOSES
JURORS
PAINTING JUROR, JUDGE and WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR
Sungsook Setton is a Korean-American artist whose work draws on traditional and contemporary currents of East Asian ink painting. Besides her training in brush painting and calligraphy under Chinese and Korean masters, she has also studied Western art in Germany, the UK and the United States, obtaining her BA in Studio Art at Stony Brook University and MFA in interdisciplinary art at Goddard College. Setton’s work has been widely exhibited in Canada, the UK, China, Taiwan, Korea and the United States. She has received more than two dozen awards for her work, including three times of Best of Show at the National Juried
Exhibition by the Sumi-e Society of America. In 2010, she represented the U.S. at the Third International Biennial of Modern Ink Painting in Taipei. Her work was recently shown at the Heckscher Museum’s Long Island Biennial 2020. Sungsook serves on the faculty of the China Institute in Manhattan, the Art League of Long Island, and offers workshops across the US. She is the author of The Spirit of the
Brush: Chinese Brush Painting Techniques: Simplicity, Spirit, and Personal Journey (Quarto 2017).
“As the juror for the Sumi-e Society’s annual juried show (painting section), I will be looking for three key elements- -vitality, simplicity, and spontaneity. Vitality is expressed through strong brush strokes which convey a sense of qi (energy). Simplicity puts an emphasis on moving beyond external form, capturing instead the essence of the subject matter through one’s own unique style; relatedly, within any composition, negative space is just as important as positive space. As for spontaneity, a painter’s abilities are most readily seen through ink tonality--the ability to strike harmonious balance between different shades of ink, or between ink and color.”
CALLIGRAPHY JUROR, JUDGE and WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR
John Shun-Chieh Wang was born into a scholarly family in Taiwan in 1947. His father, Wang Jing-Yang (1905-1959), a master calligrapher and painter, began teaching him calligraphy at the age of six. In 1980, Wang settled in the Washington, D.C. area where he is recognized as a master calligrapher and seal carver.
Wang’s work, rooted deeply in traditions and rich with personal interpretation, has garnered accolades in exhibitions in numerous countries. In 2010, he was awarded the prestigious Sixteenth Global Chinese Culture & Arts Award in Taiwan for his contribution in promoting calligraphic arts. In 2014, Wang was designated as a Seal Carving Master by the Maryland State Fine Arts Council, and also as a Resident Artist Mentor at the Strathmore Arts Center in Rockville, Maryland. In 2018 he was selected by China News Service as one of the most influential global overseas Chinese.
Wang has been working as research specialist/volunteer for the Smithsonian Freer/Sackler Galley since 1998, also at Library of Congress (2006 -2012) as consultant on rare books and seals study, and until 2015, taught at George Washington University. Wang currently teaches calligraphy regularly for The Smithsonian Associates and at his 159 Art Studio located in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
“It is not easy to judge an artwork. To me, it is even harder to judge a piece of calligraphy. Everyone has their own taste and opinion, which is their inborn nature.
If we must set up some sort of guidelines in judging calligraphy, what I believe is, first look at the quality of stroke and ink, then the space arrangement between words, lines, and the harmony of the entire piece of work. We should also check if the artwork expresses a vivid and sympathetic resonance. I believe a good piece of calligraphy should be done unrestrainedly, effortlessly, and unpretentiously.
Everyday I compete with myself, trying to overcome the difficulty I encountered yesterday and making it better, if not happening today then challenge myself tomorrow again. Congratulations to all participants. Your participation is contributing to and promoting the calligraphy art. Everyone is a winner!
JURYING: Digital images will be juried for inclusion in the exhibition, using accepted standards of East Asian brush painting. Calligraphy entries will be considered for their artistic merit and not necessarily as a form of communication. This does not exclude classic calligraphy. No withdrawals, substitutions or price changes (except to NFS) will be accepted after a work is juried into the exhibition.
JURYING: This competition will be conducted in three stages, based on accepted standards of photographic quality and East Asian brush painting.
1. The digital images will be screened for photographic quality suitable for a virtual exhibition. Images that do not meet the quality standard required for a virtual exhibition will be disqualified from further consideration.
2. Only images of artwork that meet the quality standard described above will be sent to the juror for consideration for inclusion in the exhibition, using accepted standards of East Asian brush painting.
3. Digital images of works will then be considered by the juror for inclusion in the exhibition and for awards. No withdrawals or substitutions are allowed once a work has been accepted.
ENTER THE EXHIBITION -There are two Categories - PAINTING and CALLIGRAPHY. Artists may enter one or both categories.
MEMBER ENTRY FEES for Members of Sumi-e Society of America, Inc. Paintings - 1 or 2 paintings for $40
Calligraphy - 1 or 2 calligraphy for $40
Painting and Calligraphy - $60 (1 or 2 paintings and 1 or 2 calligraphy)
NON-MEMBER ENTRY FEES
Paintings - 1 or 2 paintings for $85
Calligraphy - 1 or 2 calligraphy for $85
Painting and Calligraphy - $105 (1 or 2 paintings and 1 or 2 calligraphy)
(The Non-Member price includes SSA dues of $40 for 2021)
Fees cover all entries, up to two(2) per category, four (4) per entrant. Pay through OnlineJuriedShows.com using PayPal or Credit Card.
DIGITAL ENTRY PREPARATION:
1. Works must be WET MOUNTED, SIGNED AND SEALED before photographing. Show only the image, no frame or mat in the photo. The digital image should accurately portray the original art. Be sure your images are rotated with the correct side up.
2. IMAGE SIZE must be listed to the nearest inch.
3. DIGITAL IMAGE SIZE must be at least 1920 pixels on the longest side at 72 dpi, but smaller than 4MB. Images must be in JPEG format, RGB color space. If you need help photographing your work or sizing your images click on www.OnlineJuriedShows.com//Help.aspx.
4. SUBMISSION - Go to https://OnlineJuriedShows.com.
Fill out an Artist Profile to register with Online Juried Shows
or Log In if you registered before. Find the Sumi-e Society of America logo on
https://OnlineJuriedShows.com Click on “I want to enter this show.”
Upload your artwork images one at a time. Pay entry fee through Onlinejuriedshows.com
by PayPal or Credit Card.
5. HELP is available from the videos on the website and from Sumi-e Society Board members.
6. EMAIL - Please add Services@OnlineJuriedShows.com and Manager@OnlineJuriedShows.com to your email contact list to ensure notifications are received.
ONLINE ENTRY DEADLINE: JUNE 20, 2021 All digital entries must be submitted online not later than midnight.
SIZE REQUIREMENTS:
MINIMUM UNFRAMED IMAGE SIZE: 9 X 10 inches. MAXIMUM UNFRAMED IMAGE SIZE: Unlimited
Since paintings will be displayed on a computer screen, tall narrow or wide thin paintings will not present themselves well. Thus the maximum ratio that will be accepted will be 1 to 3. To calculate the ratio of the work, divide the largest dimension by the narrowest dimension. A painting that is 8 inches tall and 24 inches wide is 1 to 3. Since a computer monitor screen is a horizontal rectangle the ideal shape painting would have a ratio of 1 to 1.5. An artwork that is 20 inches by 30 inches is 1 to 1.5. This is the same proportion as a television screen. Works that exceed a ratio of 1 to 3 will be disqualified prior to viewing by the juror.
NOTIFICATION / ACCEPTANCE: JULY 22, 2021 - Notifications are sent through ConstantContact from Manager@OnlineJuriedShows.com. To ensure receipt of this notification, please add Manager@ OnlineJuriedShows.com to your contact list, or safe senders’ list. Artists are responsible for checking their Artist Profile at Onlinejuriedshows.com.
CATALOG: The Exhibition Catalog of Award winners and the DVD showing all the exhibited images will be sent to all Society members. Additional copies will be available from the Sumi-e Society for $8.00 in the US, $10.00 to Canada and Mexico, and $15.00 outside North America by airmail.
PUBLICATION: Artists give the Sumi-e Society the rights to use the images of all submitted works in the print and digital publications of the Society.
SALES: All works on exhibit will be offered for sale, unless marked NFS. A donation of 15% should be made to Sumi-e Society of America, Inc for any work sold during and through the virtual exhibition.
WORKSHOPS: There will be two three-day workshops on Zoom
August 27, 28, 29 ---Calligraphy with John S. C. Wang
September 17, 18 and 19 --- Painting with Sungsook Setton
They will be limited to 95 students on Zoom. More information will be emailed to SSA members. Information will also be posted on the Society website http://sumiesociety.org.
QUESTIONS: If you have any questions about the exhibition, please contact:
Carole Yee
National Chair
Rockville MD 20852
240-271-1944
clyee3@verizon.net