Never let it be said what local artists do has no impact on the national arts scene: Thanks to Camp Verde Community Library and other area libraries, locals may be featured artists in the Smithsonian Institutions Museum on Main Street program.
The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and research organization. According to the Smithsonian, the Museum on Main Street program provides access to the Smithsonian “for small-town America through museum exhibitions, research, educational resources and programming.”
In operation since 2014, the program’s exhibits have visited more than 1,400 U.S. communities. In cooperation with Arizona Humanities; the Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives and School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University; and Friends of Verde River Greenway, CVCL is accepting art and photography to be featured in Water/Ways, Museum on Main Street’s 2019 traveling exhibition.
The exhibition will feature community water stories and examine water as an environmental asset and cultural element. According to CVCL Director Kathy Hellman, the winning entry will represent the Verde Valley across the state in 12 communities, from June 2018 through April 2020.
The winning entry will be displayed and reproduced in a free coloring book given to visitors at the Museum on Main Street events.
“The Verde Valley Water/Ways Art Contest is open to people of all ages who are residents, community members or simply appreciate the Verde River,” Hellman said. “The purpose of the contest is to select one image that represents the Verde Valley.”
CVCL is allowing ample time for artists and photographers to prepare: From Dec. 18 to 22, one submission per individual may be delivered to CVCL and other participating libraries:
- Beaver Creek Public School and Community Library, Rimrock
- Camp Verde Unified School District Library, Camp Verde
- Clark Memorial Library, Clarkdale
- Cottonwood Public Library
Cottonwood Specifications for artwork and photographs are as follows:
- The image should contain at least two of the following key elements and represent what makes the Verde Valley and its
rivers, creeks and streams distinctive: River/streams, agriculture, riparian forest/spaces, mountains, animals, birds and insects or the natural environment common across the Verde Valley. - Artwork must be submitted in a protective envelope, along with a completed conditions and entry form.
- Submissions must not be smaller than 8.5 inches wide by 5.5 inches high, with a maximum size of 17 inches wide by
11 inches high. - The required orientation is landscape.
- Images must be ready to hang for display at CVCL.
- Captions must accompany all submissions and should include the subject or title of the image and the name of the artist or artists.
This information must be attached to the back of the image with no identifying marks on the front. All entries will be on display at CVCL February through April 2018.
“The winning image will be sent to Arizona Humanities with accompanying text that represents the Verde Valley’s unique water story,” Hellman said.
Credit will be given to the artist on the coloring book page. In addition to Friends of Verde River Greenway and Camp Verde Community Library, partners sponsoring the Water/Ways exhibition include Camp Verde Business Alliance, the city of Cottonwood, Keep Sedona Beautiful, Northern Arizona University, Yavapai College Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Save our Ancient Red Rocks, the Town of Camp Verde, the town of Clarkdale and Yavapai College.
For entry forms and details of the Water/Ways art contest, visit cvlibrary.org/vvwaterways or contact Kathy Hellman at 554-8381. To learn about Water/Ways in Arizona, please visit azhumanities.org/water-ways or call Arizona Humanities at (602) 257-0335.
