Exhibition

If your work is chosen for exhibition, you will be notified by the week of July 21^st, 2025.

You must provide us with high-resolution files of digital images following the instructions in your acceptance notification.
Exhibition quality prints of your accepted work must be delivered to the San Marcos Activity Center, 501 E. Hopkins, San Marcos, TX 78666 on Saturday, August 23^rd, 2025, from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm.

Presentation

Presentation is all about the framing, matting, and overall cleanliness of your work. A well-presented piece shows respect for the viewer and can enhance the perceived value of the artwork. It’s about ensuring that nothing detracts from the viewer’s experience of the art. Poor presentation can make great art look terrible. Good presentation can make terrible art look great.

Presentation will be a factor in judging this year. Any image being considered for an award must adhere to the following criteria.

All artwork should be presented in a simple, professional manner. Consider yourself a professional and treat your artwork with respect. Always use the best materials.
The finished presentation – front, back, top and bottom – is part of the whole work. It should appear to be new and well crafted, not battered and shopworn or flimsy or fragile.
The overall size of your prints, including the frame, if any, must be at least 11″x14″ and no more than 36″ in each dimension.
Canvas, wooden, acrylic, and metal prints will be accepted as long as sizes are within the guidelines.
If you are framing your work, please use mats with neutral tones (white, gray or black only) and covered with clean, scratch-free glass or Plexiglas, and use frames that complement your work. We recommend a 2-inch mat border on each side of a framed print.
All work must be presented ready-to-hang, with a wire attached to the frame between one-third and one-quarter of the way down the sides of the piece. Sawtooth hangers will not be accepted.
Unframed prints on foam core or use of clips is not acceptable. Do not use “snap on” frames, corner-clips with glass or “easel” frames designed for tabletop use.
All work must have the photographer’s name and phone number, and the print’s title on the back.

Prints may be picked up at the San Marcos Activity Center on Saturday, October 25^th, 2025, from 10:30am to 2:30pm. If you prefer to have your entry mailed or shipped to you, please provide a prepaid, pre-addressed shipping case.

Note: any work without a prepaid, pre-addressed shipping case that is not picked up on time will be sold, with the proceeds going to benefit the San Marcos Area Arts Council.