• The National Park Service’s goal is to use this space to engage a wide variety of artists in sharing their unique, creative visions of the park and preserve, so that all visitors may enjoy them and be enriched by different creative perspectives on the park and its resources.• The visitor center exhibit space is primarily devoted to painting, mixed media, and photography. This space is not set up for other mediums such as sculpture, unless it can be safely mounted on a wall in a way that will protect visitors and the work itself from harm. • Images can relate to the dunes, creeks, grasslands, shrublands, wetlands, mountains, forests, tundra, plants, or wildlife of the park and preserve. Some work done outside the park and preserve may be considered. For instance, a painting or photograph of an aspen grove outside the park/preserve can be considered, because aspen groves are found in the park and preserve. Or, images may relate to the cultural heritage of the park/preserve area, such as Indigenous peoples of the San Luis Valley, history of settlement, historic buildings within the park/preserve, contemporary people visiting the park, etc. • The exhibit space is located in the back of the room where the park movie is shown, but there are no doors, and track lighting is always on the artwork even while the movie is playing. Work must fit within the vertical and horizontal dimensions given to each artist and be framed with wire ready to hang on the wall. You will need to create a professional-looking label on sturdy cardstock with your name, contact info, basic biography, and any short thoughts about the work. • The park cannot sell any artwork from the exhibit space, but visitors may contact the artist directly to inquire about purchasing. If a piece is purchased during the year, please be ready to send or bring by a new work to replace it for the remainder of the show. • Artwork is typically up for about one year. To allow the greatest number of artists to show their work, one- person shows are not normally done. The space allows for 3-4 artists to hang their work at one time. Depending on size, most artists can hang fit 1-4 photos or artworks. • Security and Liability: The exhibit space is fairly archival. Spotlights illuminate the work; there is no fluorescent lighting or sunlight streaming on the work. The building is secured at night. While the National Park Service staff makes reasonable efforts to keep the artwork safe and free from theft or damage, we cannot assume any liability. Artists must arrange for their own insurance to cover any damage during shipment and display. • Shipping or delivery of artwork to and from the Visitor Center is solely the responsibility of each artist. You must ship or deliver your artwork to the Visitor Center by the beginning date of the show and pick up your artwork after the ending date of the show. The park cannot pack or ship artwork for you. Your work will be stored in metal art storage drawers until you pick it up. If work is not picked up within 3 months of the show’s end, and no arrangements have been made for its pickup, it will be turned over to the national park’s property officer for disposition pursuant to 36 C.F.R. 2.22. Great Sand Dunes National Park cannot accept donations of artwork. I agree to the above guidelines and policies, and I agree to indemnify the United States and its agents from all claims related to the shipping, display, and storage of my Artwork. I confirm that I have insurance to cover any loss or damage to my Artwork. Artist signature:_______________________ Date:_________________ |
Last updated: February 10, 2025