General Information

The Creative Freedom exhibition will be held at the John Muir Trust’s ('the Trust') Wild Space visitor centre in Pitlochry – Station Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5AN. If you are selected to feature in our exhibition in spring 2024, you will be contacted and asked to send or deliver your work (at your own expense). For selected artwork, the John Muir Trust reserves the right to exhibit work in a style and dimension best suited to the space in which it will be exhibited. Further information can be found below.

Artists must look to address the theme "what does freedom for wild places mean to you?"

Eligibility

Submissions of work are invited from UK-based (includes Northern Ireland) artists of any background. Entries must be uploaded digitally, either as links (multimedia), originals or as photos of work (e.g. photos of 2D/3D art). Work must be of the artist’s own creation and contain a statement about the artwork. 

Artists aged 16-years-old and under are eligible to enter the Junior categories. Artists aged under 13-years-old must have their artwork submitted by a parent or guardian. Group entries for U13s must be submitted by an adult (e.g. teacher, instructor) who has the express consent of the parents or guardians of those children involved. Group entries may be submitted under the name of the organisation or institute.

Those aged 17-years-old and above must enter the adult categories.

Collaborative pieces (maximum two artists) are welcome in Adult and Junior categories. Simply select this when entering details.

Group submissions should feature single artworks created by three or more individuals. 

Competitions and prize draws are not open to employees (or members of their immediate families) of the John Muir Trust, or to judges of the call.

Category Information

Writing

• Note: Written entries still require an accompanying image to be submitted. Your entry will not be judged on this image.
• Writing entries should be a maximum of 1000 words
• Entries are encouraged in all languages but must be accompanied with an English translation
• Entries are welcome as prose, poetry, or reportage journalism
• Entries should be titled, and file names must reflect the title and author name

Photography

• Image files should be JPEG or PNG
• File sizes should be under 5MB large
• Original files should be minimum of 15 megapixels to be adequately displayed
• Entries can be digital or film, but must be uploaded as digital files to OESS
• File names should contain a title and the artist’s name

2-dimensional artworks

• Entries welcome for 2D artworks in any medium (e.g. textiles, printmaking, oils, acrylics)
• '2D' is artwork which can be laid flat or hung flat to a wall and is not free-standing
• Entries should feature images of your work as JPEG or PNG
• Entries may be any size, but the John Muir Trust reserves the right to exhibit artworks in a way befitting the Gallery space or to request prints of different sizes. For original pieces, we recommend artworks no larger than A1.
• File names should contain a title and the artist’s name
• If you are unsure which category to enter, or have queries about sizing, contact us at creativefreedom@johnmuirtrust.org

3-dimensional artworks

• Entries welcome for 3D artworks in any medium (e.g. woodwork, plaster, metalwork, paper)
• '3D' is considered as artwork which has a three-dimensional element to it. This can be free-standing or hung (e.g. on string from a ceiling).
• Entries should feature images of your work
• Entries may be any dimension, but the John Muir Trust reserves the right to exhibit artworks in a way befitting the Gallery space or to request photos/videos to feature the artworks on-screen. For original pieces, we recommend artworks no larger than 1m3
• File names should contain a title and the artist’s name
• If you are unsure which category to enter, or queries about sizing, contact us at creativefreedom@johnmuirtrust.org

Multimedia

• Entries welcome in video and audio formats (e.g. podcast and spoken word)
• Entries should be no longer than 5 minutes
• If your entry features music, you should have the rights to be able to use this. If you are selected, you will be asked to provide evidence.
• Entries are encouraged in all languages but must be accompanied with an English translation or subtitles
• Entries should be submitted as a link. Follow the instructions on the platform
• If you are unsure about your entry, please contact us at creativefreedom@johnmuirtrust.org

Consent

Any entries featuring identifiable individuals must be produced with the consent of the individuals involved. If your artwork is selected to feature in the exhibition, you will be required to show evidence of this consent from the persons involved.

Submission Procedure

Submission is by online entry only. Entries should contain a statement about yourself and the artwork to explain your interpretation of freedom for wild places.

Selection

The Selection Committee will select the works for the exhibition. The Selectors will consider all correctly completed submissions. The decision of the Selectors on all matters is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Selections will be made for:

• Overall winner across all categories, excluding Group entries
• Winner for each category (both adult and junior), alongside highly commended entries
• Group winner (across categories), alongside highly commend entries

Our selectors are:

• Writing - Polly Pullar
• Photography - Andy Howard
• 2D artwork - Liz Myhill
• 3D artwork - Roberta Fulford
• Multimedia - Stuart Kenny
• Group entries – Rebecca Logsdon

The Trust reserves the right to amend this list of selectors at any time.

Timings

The timings for this exhibition call are as follows:

• Submissions open: 15 September 2023 at noon
• Submissions close: 30 November 2023 at noon
• Judging closes: 26 January 2024
• Winners announced publicly: 9 February 2024
• Artwork delivered to Gallery by: 10 March 2024
• Private viewing: 16 March 2024
• Exhibition open: 16 March 2024 to 30 April 2024
• Collection of artworks or shipment of sold items: 1 May 2024 to 31 May 2024

Further details can be found below. The John Muir Trust reserves the right to amend these timings as it sees fit. No submissions will be accepted after the deadline of 30 November 2023 at noon.

Communications

All communication will be by email or via the online login process. Applicants will be required to login to see if they have been pre-selected and will be asked to download and print their application details to be delivered with the artwork. The John Muir Trust may contact you to discuss matters relating to your entry, as well as display plans.

Exhibition

Selected artworks (overall winner, category winners, highly commended entries) will first be considered for the physical exhibition in our Wild Space visitor centre in Pitlochry in accordance with the above entry requirements, as well as an online exhibition hosted by OESS. The John Muir Trust will contact artists if changes are required to feature chosen artworks in the physical exhibition. If artworks are unable to be featured in our visitor centre, they will be featured in the online gallery, alongside other notable works selected by the judges.

Sales

Artists are welcome to label their submissions as 'for sale' or 'Not For sale'. There is no preference for either in the selection process. Items listed for sale should be valued at a minimum of £100. Artworks will only be sold in the physical exhibition in the Wild Space in Pitlochry. Items will be sold under The John Muir Trust Trading Company LTD. To support its charitable objectives, The John Muir Trust Trading Company LTD shall claim a 25% commission for items sold during the exhibition (16 March 2024 to 30 April 2024). The artist will receive the income from the sale, minus commission, within 60 days of the exhibition closure, and when the buyer is in receipt of the artwork.

Items will only be sent to buyers after the exhibition closes on 30 April 2024. At this point, buyers can collect the items from the Gallery or arrange postage at the time of purchase. This is limited to UK residents only.

Insurance

If an item is lost, damaged, or destroyed whilst in the care of the John Muir Trust, the Trust shall notify the Artist immediately and shall be liable to pay them the stated retail price. If you have listed your items as ‘Not for Sale’ and are selected for the exhibition, we will request a retail price for the sake of insurance.

Delivery and Collection

Artists are responsible for the delivery and collection of their work at the Gallery at a mutually agreed time, and responsible for postal insurance. Artwork must be received by 10 March to feature in the exhibition. Please consider how you will deliver and collect your artworks within the required times. Work should be collected within 30 days of the exhibition ending (1 May to 31 May 2024) unless sold.

Display

Artists selected for Gallery exhibition are responsible for the presentation and framing of their artwork. 2D and Photography items should be displayed in neutral frames and hangs, with sculptural pieces displayed with consideration for visitor safety and artwork protection. The John Muir Trust reserves the right to exhibit items in a manner appropriate to the Wild Space visitor centre, with consideration for visitor safety and prevention of damage to the Gallery. Writing and Multimedia entrants will be contacted by the John Muir Trust to discuss appropriate display options.

Intellectual Property

Artists will retain intellectual copyright over the work they produce but, as outlined in the below agreement, acknowledge the John Muir Trust and its associated organisations can use artworks submitted to the exhibition for promotional and publicity purposes free of charge.

Agreement

By submitting to the exhibition, you are deemed to accept and agree to the following:

The decision of the Selectors on all matters is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

I understand The John Muir Trust reserves the right to make such changes to the exhibition arrangements and these Terms & Conditions as may be deemed necessary by circumstances.

I authorise The John Muir Trust To process, store, and utilise the data in my submission and agree that images of my work can be freely used by The John Muir Trust, The Wild Space, and associated organisations for promotional and publicity purposes.

I agree to the John Muir Trust’s Privacy Policy outlined on its website, and it's general Terms and Conditions.

All information provided by me is true and accurate and the work submitted is wholly of my own creation.

I have read and understood these terms and conditions and by submitting this application I accept and agree to observe all the Terms and Conditions therein.

Please Note: The above terms and conditions are provided by the exhibition organisers.

For terms and conditions which apply to the use of the OESS entry system please view below:
OESS Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy