CONTENTS
What is
KSA?
The Kaua'i Society of
Artists (KSA) formed in the mid-1970's, and by 1980 was a
thriving visual arts group. KSA incorporated as a nonprofit
501(c)3 visual arts organization on August 31, 1983 under
the Hawaii Nonprofit Corporation Act. KSA is an organization
dedicated to offering exhibition and educational
opportunities for Kaua'i artists. KSA sponsors art
exhibitions, artists lectures, newsletters, and a website to
support and develop the talents of Kaua'i's visual artists
while also promoting public appreciation for the arts.
KSA is funded in part by a
grant from the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the
Arts, membership dues, show entry fees, and
donations.
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Membership and
benefits
Anyone who pays the annual
dues of $20 or more can become an active member of KSA. Dues
are also accepted when entering any KSA exhibition. Dues and
donations are tax deductible (within the limits of the
law).
KSA members are entitled
to enter KSA exhibitions (note: the Art Kauai juried
exhibition is limited to adult resident Kaua'i artists only,
though KSA membership is optional) and to receive the KSA
Newsletter. KSA also sponsors artist lectures, publicizes
exhibitions, and features member artists in the online KSA
Kaua'i Artists gallery. Off-island members wishing to enter
KSA exhibitions must have a representative available on
Kauai to drop-off and pickup artworks in person. KSA can not
be responsible for unpacking, crating, or shipping of
artworks.
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Volunteers make it
happen
With a limited budget KSA
produces at least three exhibitions, three newsletters,
several artist lectures a year, and a website. KSA is able
to accomplish all of this only through the dedicated work of
KSA member volunteers. They serve as board members,
organizing and handling the general business of the
organization including grant writing, exhibition scheduling,
publicity, mailing, and many other behind-the-scenes tasks.
Volunteers also install and take down exhibitions, receive
show entries, organize receptions and artist lectures,
create signs, handle publicity, and more.
The rewards are in meeting
and working with fellow artists and other influential people
in the arts, envisioning and creating arts projects in our
community, and ultimately expanding one's own creativity and
point of view. Members&endash; Please volunteer in your area
of interest.
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KSA Board members and
officers
KSA officers and directors
are elected by ballot, and appointed at the Annual Meeting
of the Active Members. Board members serve for a one year
period from July 1 through June 30 of the following year.
Board meetings are open to the public and usually held the
second Tuesday of each month. Contact KSA for more
information regarding the current board meeting
schedule.
KSA officers, directors,
and other volunteer duties:
President: chief executive
officer of the organization, oversees the activities and
functioning of KSA.
Vice-President: consults
and assists President on policy and events, in case of
absence performs duties of President.
Treasurer: receives all
funds due to KSA, assists with grants, prepares financial
reports, cashier for exhibits.
Secretary: Records and
distributes minutes of meetings, and logs with newsletters,
correspondence, financial reports, etc.
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KSA Exhibitions
The Kaua'i Society of
Artists sponsors at least three exhibitions a year. Art
Kaua'i is the annual juried exhibition usually held in late
summer or fall, with entry open to all adult resident Kauai
artists (KSA membership is optional) at which the artworks
are chosen for exhibit by someone of renown in the art
world. The KSA Membership Show, open to all KSA members, is
usually held in the spring and is currently a semi-juried
exhibition in which at least one piece per artist entering
is accepted. KSA also currently sponsors a Small Works Show,
also semi-juried, usually held during November and December.
Other exhibits in the past have included a curated group
show held on O'ahu, exhibitions at the Kaua'i Children's
Discovery Museum, and the Mayor's Student Art Show. KSA is
also currently planning to have interim exhibitions on
display between our regular exhibitions. These may include
KSA members and/or other Kauai arts groups.
Active paid members of the
KSA may enter KSA exhibitions. (note: Art Kaua'i is limited
to adult resident Kaua'i artists and KSA membership is
optional). New or renewing members may join on entry day. An
entry is fee is charged for each artwork entered, and there
is no refund for unaccepted artworks.
Artworks entered in any
KSA show must be original and independently created by the
artist, or a collaboration of artists, within the last three
years. No student work created in a classroom or under an
instructor's direction is allowed. Copies or reproductions
of works originally created in a different medium are not
allowed, unless, for instance, such reproduction is an
integral part of a new artistic or conceptual statement.
KSA exhibitions are
generally open to all media. Artworks with special
requirements such as installation or video are acceptable in
some exhibitions however details must be worked out with the
KSA President and Board beforehand.
Generally, no work
previously shown in a judged or juried show on Kaua'i is
eligible, and all work must be complete and ready to hang or
display. For most exhibits an entry fee for each artwork is
requested, and usually a percentage of any sale is donated
to KSA and/or the exhibition space.
More about the shows:
Membership Show- Open to all current KSA members of all
ages. New members welcome to join at entry. In the past,
usually 2-3 entries in all media accepted with all work that
meets entry criteria being exhibited. Depending on
exhibition space some size restrictions may apply. In recent
years due to space limitations, it has become "semi-juried"
with at least one piece per artist being accepted. In recent
years the youth of the Fine Art Program at Hale Opio Kauai,
Inc. have been invited artists and create a group piece.
This show is juried and judged with awards given. Usually
held in the spring or early summer.
Art Kauai- Annual juried exhibition open to all adult
Kauai resident artists only. Resident artists should be
on-island 6 months or more of the year. Some proof of
residency may be required. KSA membership is optional.
Usually between 2-5 entries may be submitted. Depending on
space available there may be a size limit. The juror selects
works for the exhibit, and usually also designs exhibit and
chooses awards. Artists may have all, some, or none of their
works accepted. There is no refund of entry fees for
unaccepted works. Because this is a prestigious juried show,
the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA)
usually purchases works from the exhibit for its public art
collection. Art Kauai is usually held in the fall. In
conjunction with Art Kauai, KSA has, in some years,
presented a Lifetime Achievement Award and exhibition to a
Kauai artist.
Small Works Show- Open to all current KSA members of all
ages, with all works under a maximum size limit which in the
past has ranged from 2" to 18" maximum in any dimension.
Usually between 3-5 works may be entered. Semi-juried in the
past with at least one piece accepted that meets entry
criteria from each artist entering. Works are usually
allowed to leave the space upon confirmed sale, and
sometimes a second tier or selection of works has been set
aside to replace sold works. Usually held in the winter
sometime between November and February.
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Open, judged, or
juried?
The terms open, judged, or juried
define KSA's basic types of exhibitions:
Open - an open exhibition
is open to all KSA members. All work entered is accepted
(within the rules and criteria of the exhibition). An open
exhibition may also be judged.
Judged - A judge, usually
an artist or person of renown in the art community, chooses
artworks in the exhibit to receive awards.
Juried - A juried show is
one in which the artworks are chosen, or juried for exhibit
by a person, like the judge above, with qualifications in
the art world; for example an art gallery owner or museum
curator. A juror designs the exhibition, and often acts as
judge as well, giving awards as they see fit.
Semi-Juried - A show in
which the artworks are chosen, or juried for exhibit, but at
least one piece (that meets entry criteria) from each artist
entering is accepted. A juror designs the exhibition, and
often acts as judge as well, giving awards as they see fit.
A show is usually semi-juried in order to be as inclusive as
possible when there are exhibition space limitations.
A curated
show is another type of exhibition. A curator chooses
artists for the exhibition, usually based on portfolios. The
artists then create artworks, if necessary following the
curators guidelines such as size, number of pieces,
timeline, theme, etc. The curator chooses the works for the
exhibit, and usually designs the installation of the
show.
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The judging
process
Although long discussion
and debate could be waged over the value and purpose of
judging and awards for art, they are a generally accepted
way of recognizing and rewarding quality in our culture. In
art, of course, it is a highly subjective process, based on
each judge or juror's own preferences, qualifications, and
experience in the arts. KSA has chosen a wide range of
judges and jurors over the years, people with strong
reputations and established careers in the art world, in an
effort to insure a variety of quality art exhibits.
KSA has juried shows, in which art
is selected by someone from entries received, because they
are an accepted part of the professional art world and,
ideally, a juried show is a cohesive, consistently high
quality exhibition. Practical considerations such as limited
exhibition space can also make jurying a necessity. Finally,
the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts will
only visit fully juried shows to purchase for their Art in
Public Places collection. The KSA Art Kauai juried
exhibition is the only opportunity on Kauai for Kauai
artists to be considered for the state collection.
Suggestions for jurors come from
the KSA board, members, and others. Some basic criteria for
jurors and judges are:
- they must be from
off-island.
- they must have some reputation
and/or broad experience in the art world.
- they must have background or
qualifications for looking at, critiquing, and jurying a
wide range of art.
- they should also be considered
for any personal experience, skills, insight, artwork, or
professional opportunities that they can present to Kauai
artists in an additional lecture, critique, or workshop.
The board reviews all candidates
and chooses jurors based on their credentials, experience,
and appropriateness for any given exhibit. KSA makes
potential jurors aware of the nature of our group, our
goals, the varied community of artists we serve, and the
type of exhibition involved. KSA always hopes jurors will be
as inclusive as possible, while still preserving the
integrity of their choices and vision for the
exhibit.
By their nature, juried shows are
sometimes an issue for artists, here on Kauai as well as
other places. Sometimes they are very inclusive, other times
not. The judges and jurors chosen by KSA are professionals.
They usually have far more experience and standing in the
arts community than most of us in KSA. KSA does its best to
honor their knowledge and experience by accepting the
choices they make.
The artist must realize that this
subjective process is not the final indicator of quality or
value in art. The artist's self-confidence, belief in their
own artistic expression, and persistence play an important
role in their success. Sometimes an artist's work, rejected
from one show, is accepted, awarded, and sold in the next.
As the artist Ramsay has stated, "The jury process is not
for everyone. If the pleasure of being judged and accepted
does not outweigh the pain of being judged and rejected,
then don't risk entering juried shows."
Awards are donated by
generous businesses, individuals, and KSA reflecting their
support for the arts. Award winning artworks are chosen by
the judge or juror based on criteria which may include
technical skill, creative use of materials, composition, and
other more subjective qualities such as personal vision,
spiritual strength, or sense of humor.
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Rules and
regulations
Each KSA exhibit has its
own criteria for entry eligibility. It is IMPORTANT to
carefully read the entry forms and information for each
exhibit when they are published in the KSA newsletter.
Although exhibition rules
may seem arbitrary and restrictive, there are reasons for
their existence. Exhibit space, installation, and liability
concerns often require certain limitations on the number,
size, and weight of pieces entered or accepted. Wet
paintings or improperly framed pieces (no picture wire, weak
frame) are difficult to hang, and may even pose a danger to
others (art falling, broken glass, etc.)
Some KSA exhibits occur in
public spaces, and certain limitations apply regarding
content. These may include nudity or political imagery. A
general rule of thumb: public laws regarding Nudity and
Disturbing the Peace may be used as guidelines for what is
considered unacceptable for display in public spaces. KSA
reserves the right to not accept any work deemed unsuitable
for an exhibition.
(Note: Without a permanent
exhibition space KSA must rely on donated space. Depending
on the space there may be restrictions on size, weight or
number of artworks entered.)
The integrity and quality
of an exhibit is preserved by rules such as: no work may be
removed before the end of the show, no work may be entered
that has been seen before in a judged or juried show on
Kaua'i, and all work must be created independently by the
artist, usually within the last two or three years.
Penalties will be assessed
for early removal of work from an exhibit, or for late
pickup of work after show's end. It is the artist's
responsibility to retrieve their artwork on time. KSA
volunteers must transport works not picked up, and try to
provide storage or security. Work not picked up in a timely
manner is more likely to be damaged, lost, or stolen. In
addition some exhibit spaces charge a daily storage fee.
Signing the entry forms
for a KSA exhibit means you have read and comply with the
exhibit rules. The importance of following the exhibition
rules and criteria cannot be overstressed. Lack of
responsibility on the part of an artist reflects badly on
all of us. Not following the rules ultimately means more
work for the volunteers who organize and install the shows.
Your help, cooperation, and participation enable KSA to
continue its mission of providing quality exhibitions and
opportunities for Kaua'i artists.
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On being
professional
The art: original and independently created by you.
Be presentable: artwork ready to
hang or install ( i.e. sturdy frame, wire, clean mat and
glass, sturdy base or pedestal, no wet paint, etc.)
Be mindful of the rules: read and
fill out forms correctly, drop-off and pickup work on time,
label work clearly, keep your dues paid up.
Be aware: realize both the
subjective nature of the exhibition process and the
importance of your own discipline, self-confidence,
determination, and persistence in being a successful
artist.
Be involved: volunteer some of your
time, see new art, meet other artists, be active in Kaua'i's
thriving art community.
And most importantly... Be an
artist: make art.
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