Winners of the 27th Annual Thomas Hart Benton Art Competition and Exhibition

Neosho Arts Council is pleased to present the 27th Annual Thomas Hart Benton Art Competition and Exhibition. Works will be displayed at the Big Spring Gallery inside the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce.  Artists are eligible to enter in either the "Emerging" category or "Professional" category. The "Emerging" category is for artists who are students or who are not represented by galleries or have held professional exhibitions. The "Professional" category is open to all artists. Emerging artists who win First Place or Best of Show previously in this competition will be considered Professional Division entrants thereafter. All entries must be original works by the artist, not previously entered in this competition or shown at the Big Spring Gallery, and completed in the past three years.

Open to artists 18 years of age and older | Emerging or Professional
 
Media: Open to original 2D works including painting, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, pastels, etc.  Open to any style.
No photography, digital works, giclees, high relief works, or 3D works.
Picture

Judge:  Kimi Kitada is a curator and arts educator based in Kansas City, MO. Currently, she is the Jedel Family Foundation Curatorial Fellow at Charlotte Street Foundation, where she organizes exhibitions and public programs. Previously, she was Curatorial Assistant at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles in 2019-2020. From 2014 to 2018, she served as Public Programs & Research Coordinator at Independent Curators International (ICI) in New York. Her recent exhibitions include: Moving in Place at Charlotte Street Foundation, Kansas City (2022); With Liberty and Justice at Charlotte Street Foundation, Kansas City (2021); where we came from & where we are going at Transformer, Washington DC (2019); reset at Garis & Hahn, New York (2016). She co-curated Postscript: Correspondent Works at artQ13, Rome (2015); 7×8 Curatorial Conversations at Budapest Art Market, Hungary (2013); and (in)complete at TEMP Art Space, New York (2013). Kitada received a BA in Art History and Classics from Bucknell University and an MA in Museum Studies from NYU.

Entry Fees: Up to two entries per artist will be accepted. Enter online at www.neoshoarts.net. Entry fee is non-refundable.
There will be NO at the door sign ups!
  • Circle of Patrons Artist Members Registration (online only): $15.00 for one entry, $20.00 for two entries.
  • Non-Members Registration Fee (online only): $20.00 for one entry, $25.00 for two entries.
Last Day to enter is August 23, 2022 at midnight!
 
Drop Off/Pick Up: All entries must be dropped off Thursday August 25 from 4:00 to 6:00pm or Friday August 26 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at the Big Spring Gallery located at 216 West Spring Street, Neosho, MO 64850. No early drop off or late entry will be accepted. Works must stay in place the entire show (all of September and October). No early pick-ups. Staff at Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce cannot accept work.

If you would like to enter but need to arrange a contact free drop off/pick up just email [email protected] after you enter, we are happy to work with you. This will still be during the drop off/pick up times but will be totally contact free.
 

Timetable:
August 23 - Deadline for Registration
                     (via neoshoarts.net only)
August 25 - Drop Off of Entries 4:00pm to 6:00pm
August 26 - Drop Off of Entries 4:00pm to 6:00pm

September 22 - Awards Presentation and Critiques 6:00pm
                         with Public reception after
October 27 - Pick Up of Entries 4:00pm to 6:00pm
 

Everyone is invited to attend the Awards Presentation and Critiques at the Community Room of the Neosho/Newton County Library (201 West Spring Street, Neosho, MO 64850). A reception will follow. The exhibition is open to the public of all ages, so be sure to invite your patrons and friends!
 
Awards:
$500 Best of Show (from either Professional or Emerging categories)
 
Professional                                      Emerging
$250 First Place                               $150 First Place
$200 Second Place                          $100 Second Place
$150 Third Place                             $75 Third Place
 
Plus a selection of Merit Awards and the Mary Ellen Pitts Memorial Pastel Award

 
Requirements:

  • The exhibit is open to all artists 18 years of age or older, amateur and professional. Open to anyone no matter your location but art must be dropped off in person.
  • All entries must be original works by the artist, not previously entered in this competition or shown at the Big Spring Gallery, and completed in the past three years.
  • No Diptychs or Triptychs
  • All exhibited work must be: professional-quality framed or gallery wrapped (gallery wrap canvas must have the sides painted, not gesso, with choice of 1) continuation of image, or 2) solid color.) Work must be wired properly and ready for installation. No sawtooth hangers or clips hangers will be accepted. All framed works are strongly encouraged to use plexiglass. Plexi can be found at any local hardware store (Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc.) and most will cut to fit your frame for free if you take the frame in with you to assure correct sizing. Neosho Arts Council is not responsible for damage to art work or frames.
  • Maximum size is 36 inches by 36 inches including frame. Please measure your work before arriving.
         We will measure all works submitted.
  • Maximum weight for work is 15 Lbs. To reduce weight, replace glass with plexiglass.
  • No works exceeding $5,000 sale price, we do actively sell works during the show.
  • All work must be for sale with a 35% commission collected by the Neosho Arts Council.
  • The Neosho Arts Council reserves the right to refuse an accepted work because of unacceptable presentation.
  • All work must be family friendly: no explicit nudity or pornography
  • There is a storage fee of $5 per day for works not picked up by 6:00pm October 27.
 
 
Liability: Neosho Arts Council and Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce are not responsible for loss or damage to artwork while in transit to and from the show, or while on display. The artist agrees to allow the Neosho Arts Council, at its discretion, to utilize photographs of exhibited work for publicity purposes, not for reproduction.

Additional Support By
Neosho Arts Council, P.O. Box 605, Neosho, MO 64850

Big Spring Gallery, 216 West Spring Street, Neosho, MO 64850