About the Call

Calling all children! VSA arts and CVS Caremark All Kids Can encourage you to share your creativity by submitting artwork to All Kids Can…CREATE!, a national call for children’s art. The theme, State of the Art, invites young people with and without disabilities across the United States to explore their environments and discover the roles they play within their communities.

All artwork submitted before the February 5, 2009 deadline will be included in an online art gallery and considered for display in a national touring exhibition that will debut in Washington, D.C. The exhibition will be on view during the month of June and will feature one piece of artwork from every state and the District of Columbia. All submissions to the call will be included within the exhibition in an interactive kiosk even if they have not been selected for the touring show. The 51 selected artists will be invited to a reception to celebrate the opening of the exhibition. While in Washington, D.C. for the opening reception, these young people will have a chance to join in the largest celebration of the arts and disability in the world: The 2010 International VSA arts Festival.

guidelines

• Open to all children, ages 5-15, from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

• Only visual art will be accepted.

• Art must be an original work that has been completed within the last year and attributable to the artist.

• Artists are encouraged to create artwork using art supplies that can be purchased at their local CVS/pharmacy stores. Non-traditional supplies are also encouraged. Please see “Suggested Materials.”

• Two-dimensional artwork can range in size from 3 x 5 inches to a maximum of 18 x 24 inches. Three-dimensional artwork should not exceed 18 x 18 x 18 inches.

• Applicants are asked to submit one (1) digital JPEG image of their artwork through the CaFE™ ( www.callforentry.org) Web site. DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL ARTWORK. EACH ARTIST MUST COMPLETE THE SUBMISSION PROCESS ONLINE WITH A COMPUTER AND, IF NEEDED A PARENT OR ASSISTANT.

• It is extremely important to submit good images of your artwork. When selecting the artwork for the exhibition, we will need to be able to see the image of your artwork clearly and without unnecessary distraction. Fill the entire frame with the artwork. The images look best when you see the artwork and nothing else. For more tips on photographing your artwork, please visit www.vsarts.org.

• Art selection will be at the discretion of VSA arts affiliates and based on their evaluation of the works submitted.

• If your artwork is selected, you will be contacted with further instructions for shipping the artwork to Washington, D.C.

• Selected artwork becomes the property of VSA arts and will not be returned.

• The artist’s guardian agrees to allow VSA arts the right to use their submission for public relations purposes, including broadcast, print, and electronic media.

entry instructions

• There is no entry fee.

• All materials should be submitted in digital format through CaFE™ at www.callforentry.org. Interested artists or their parents or guardian, will be required to create a CaFE™ profile to apply.

• No slides, photographs, or hard copy materials will be accepted for this call. Applicants must allow enough time to prepare their images to CaFE™ specifications and finalize the electronic submission process prior to the midnight (MST) deadline of Friday, March 14, 2008. The submission process should take approximately one hour to prepare images and submit the application, depending on a variety of factors.

• You may begin a CaFE™ profile, save it, and return to it at anytime prior to the deadline.

• Applicants are strongly urged to allow enough time to compensate for any unforeseen technical difficulties during the application process.

• THREE-STEP PROCESS TO USING THE CaFE™ SYSTEM:

• Register on CaFE™ to create a user name and password that allows you to save information and return to it at any time.

• Create a portfolio by uploading the JPEG image of your artwork.

• When logged in to the CaFE™ system, click on “Apply to Calls,” find “All Kids Can… CREATE!” and click on “Apply to This Call.”

• Applicants will be asked to provide contact information and artwork information to include the title, media, dimensions, year created, plus a short statement about the artwork submitted.

If someone other than the artist completes the online submission, please gain input from the artist rather than asserting your own interpretation. He or she should also list his or her contact information in the event that the artist is selected and we have questions. Information within the online profile is used to write an artist’s biography and for information purposes. Short or incomplete responses do not place the entry at a disadvantage.

VSA arts and CVS Caremark All Kids Can are not responsible for submissions that are incomplete or that fail to upload to a CaFE™ profile.

agreement

THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF THE STUDENT ARTIST MUST READ AND CONSENT TO THE FOLLOWING FOR ENTRY TO BE PROCESSED:

In the CaFE™ system, you will be required to click “Yes, I Agree” to the following conditions: I acknowledge that I am the parent or guardian of a child between the ages of 5 and 15 whose artwork is being submitted for the VSA arts and CVS Caremark “All Kids Can…CREATE!” call for entries, that I am over 18 years old and that I fully understand the terms and conditions set forth in the call for entries, and agree with and support my child’s submission. I understand that if my child’s artwork is chosen for the All Kids Can CREATE! Exhibition we will be required to supply VSA arts with the original work of art which will become the property of VSA arts and will not be returned and we will be required to complete additional release forms. Selected artworks will be publicly displayed in Washington, D.C., along with the child’s name, age, city and state of residence and, if applicable, a statement regarding the child’s disability and inspiration for the artwork.

photographing your artwork

It is extremely important to submit good images of your artwork. When selecting the artwork for the exhibition, we will need to be able to see the image of your artwork clearly and without unnecessary distraction. Here are a few tips to follow:

• Use a digital camera that you can hook up directly to the computer. Taking the picture with a digital camera is easiest so you can download the image directly to the computer. If you need to take the picture with a traditional camera, you will need to have the developed photograph scanned into a JPEG digital file for submission. (please see Preparing Images for Uploading)

• When photographing art outdoors, take the shots as close to midday as possible. Put the art in the shade, avoiding direct sunlight. Make sure it is evenly lighted.

• Shooting artwork indoors requires good lighting. Position two lights aimed at 45 degree angles on either side of the art, pointing each light at the opposite side of the art will achieve a good result. The camera lens should be parallel to the art and the camera aimed at the center of the artwork.

• Fill the entire frame with the artwork. If a background is absolutely necessary, use only a clean white or off-white surface like a wall. The images look best when you see the artwork and nothing else.

• If you find glare on shiny paintings or pieces under glass/plexi, try repositioning the lights. Remove glass or Plexiglas whenever possible.

formatting your images

Following are generalized instructions for formatting your images to CaFE™ specifications. The steps may vary depending on the photo editing program you are using.

• Open the image file in the photo editing program.

• Go to the Image Size or Resize dialog box located within the toolbar menu options.

• For web purposes set the image resolution to 72 ppi or dpi.

• Set the image size to 1920 pixels first, set the canvas size to 1920 pixels second.

• Set the background color to black or fill with black so that the image is bound by black, either vertically or horizontally.

• Click Ok.

• Save As or Save for Web.

• Save it as a JPEG file format. Name the file correctly including the .jpg file extension.

Additional tips and image requirements can be found on the CaFE™ website: http://www.callforentry.org/imaging_tips.phtml

notification

Artists will be notified by Friday, April 18, 2008.