General Rules

Please read carefully.

The following rules apply to each folk-art catagory.

Call the museum at (563) 382-9681 with questions.

Entry Dates

June 1 through June 24, 2011. Paperwork must be received by June 17 for pieces arriving between June 18 and 24. No entry arriving after 5:00 p.m. on June 24 will be considered for judging or exhibition.

Place Of Exhibition

Museum's Main Building, first floor gallery.

Who May Enter

Any living artist who has been a resident of the U.S. or Canada for the past five years and who has not been awarded a Vesterheim Gold Medal may compete for ribbons in the exhibition. Gold Medal winners may compete with regular entrants for Best of Show Award.

Entries

There is a limit of two entries per person in each category (rosemaling, weaving, woodworking, knifemaking). Entries must have been completed in the last three years and not entered in any previous Vesterheim exhibition. No items may be sent as “not judged.” Vesterheim reserves the right to withhold from judging and exhibition artworks that do not sufficiently relate to a Norwegian tradition.

Entry Fees

$15 for each judged piece. There is no fee for Gold Medal Winners submissions for Best of Show Award.

Awards

In each category, judges award red, blue, and white ribbons accompanied by a cash award and a corresponding number of points.

Points can accumulate over successive exhibitions toward a Gold Medal:

Judges may award more than one ribbon of each color, but they are not required to award any ribbons if submitted work does not meet exhibition standards. An artist who accumulates eight points earns a Gold Medal. Gold Medal winners cannot compete for ribbons in subsequent regular exhibitions, but may submit entries for Best of Show. Gold Medal winners are also eligible to win a People’s Choice Award.

Best of Show Award

One Best of Show Award is given by the judges to the single most exceptional piece of folk art in each judged category (rosemaling, weaving, woodworking, knifemaking).

People’s Choice Award

Visitors to the exhibition may vote for their favorite folk-art piece in each category (rosemaling, weaving, woodworking, knifemaking). The vote is tallied at the end of the final day of exhibition. The winner receives a ribbon. This award carries no points toward a Gold Medal.

Judging

For each category there will be two or three judges, including specialists in each area of folk art from Norway and/or America. The judges’ decisions are final. Prize money and/or comments from judges will be mailed about three weeks after the exhibition.

Sales

If you so indicate on the registration form, your exhibition piece(s) may be sold. Vesterheim Museum retains 20% of the sale price. The remaining 80% will be mailed to you about three weeks after the exhibition. Iowa sales tax will be collected from the buyer and paid by Vesterheim to the state. Sales will be in the form of a silent auction. The price you indicate on the registration form will be the starting bid amount. Bids must be made in person and will be accepted on pieces from 9:00 a.m. Thurs., July 28, until 4:00 p.m. Sat., July 30. Any entries that were marked “for sale,” but did not receive any bids, can be purchased for the starting bid amount from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Sun., July 31. Very important: If you indicate that an entry is not for sale (NFS), you still must declare a value on the entry form for insurance purposes.

Return Of Objects

No entry may be removed from the exhibition before 5:00 p.m., Saturday, July 30. Objects may be picked up by the artist between 5:00-7:00 p.m., Saturday, July 30, or 9:00-11:00 a.m. Sunday, July 31, in the exhibition area in the museum’s Main Building, or during the following week between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. in the museum’s Main Building. If you want your entry to be shipped back to you, you must include funds for insured return shipping with the entry. Exhibited objects that are not picked up and for which no return funds are included, will be returned by UPS or other appropriate service and you will be billed for shipping and insurance costs. For pieces that are sold, the purchaser will be responsible for picking up the object or arranging for shipment.