JazzFest 25th Celebration: Guitar Art Project
May 1, 2015
I.
Eligibility
Open to all artists from multiple disciplines, age 16 and over, regardless of race, color,
religion, national origin, gender, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or
physical or mental disability.
II.
Project Intent
Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues (SFJB) is seeking to commission qualifying artists to design
artwork on the canvas of a white Fender Stratocaster guitar. The project is to not only join
the music and art communities in Sioux Falls, but also help SFJB bring awareness to
incredible artists in the state, as well as celebrate the 25th JazzFest in 2016.
This artwork should:
•
•
Be creative and share in the celebration the 25th year of JazzFest
Create excitement and awareness in the community
Works in a variety of media and forms will be considered. Examples of media include, but
are not limited to: textiles, paint, glue, lacquer, stamp, and photography. Although the SFJB
does not endorse any restrictions on any particular artistic content, the organization asks the
guitar is kept in one piece and does not include any additional logos.
III.
How it will work
SFJB will have a sponsor for each guitar, which helps cover the cost of the project, including
compensation for the artist. Completed guitars would be displayed in the lobbies of
businesses or in select high traffic locations in the region. Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues will
periodically collect the guitar artwork for specific activities & events throughout the year
(such as the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science, Avera Prairie Center, Augustana
College, etc.).
With each guitar put on display, there will be a plaque prominently naming the sponsor and
the artist of the guitar artwork. SFJB would create a map of where each guitar is displayed,
including sponsor and artist information. For the 25th JazzFest celebration, which will be
July 2016, the guitars and plaques would be brought to JazzFest for display.
The guitar would become the property of Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues and would be auctioned
at the 25th Celebration of JazzFest. Money raised from this auction would go to the SFJB
Education Fund, which helps young musicians receive scholarships to further pursue their
music interests. Any un-auctioned guitars will be used to promote jazz, blues, live music, and
other facets of the organization.
The SFJB reserves the right to reproduce the guitar artwork image in photographs, film,
video, various digital platforms and other similar media. The artist may use these images
as well for self-promotion of work. The SFJB will not assume copyright of the guitar artwork,
but will reserve the right to use the artwork for promotion and benefit of the SFJB.
Guitar artwork will be classified and displayed in two main categories: Professional artists &
Amateur artists.
The guitar artwork will be used for immediate awareness of the 25th Celebration of JazzFest
2016 and of the auction benefiting the SFJB Educational Scholarships. An artist’s inclusion
in this project will begin June 12, 2015 and continue to July 16, 2016. However, promotion
of this project will also be revisited for several months following the festival in 2016. The
SFJB will be promoting artists of the Guitar Art Project, along side promotions for the
festival. JazzFest is attended by an estimated 125,000 people annually and the SFJB
promotes the festival regionally via TV, radio, print, web, social media, press releases, etc.
The artist will be invited to be a part of these promotions.
Artists will be notified of the sponsoring body for their guitar artwork. The artist may
communicate with the sponsor on conceptual designs, or the artist may work independently
of any influence.
IV.
Timeline
June 5, 2015
June 12, 2015
July 15, 2015
August 30, 2015
July 14, 2016
July 16, 2016
Deadline to submit for artist juried selection
Selected artists are notified
Preferred deadline of guitar designs complete – those complete
to be displayed at JazzFest – July 16-18, 2015
All guitar designs complete and on display
All guitars on display at JazzFest 25th Celebration
All guitars are placed on auction for non-profit educational
scholarship funding for Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues
V.
Budget
The guitar would be provided to the artist by Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues. Artists would be
compensated $700 total for supplies and stipend.
VI.
How to Apply
Artists interested in the project must prepare and submit the following:
1. Letter of Interest: This letter should be no more than one page in length and should
explain the artist’s interest in the project
2. Current Resume
3. 3-5 Samples of the artist’s work: this may be shown in form of pdf files or jpegs.
Each sample should include its title, date, medium, size, and location.
4. Conceptual sketch: Artists should provide a conceptual sketch of their design for
consideration.
5. References: A list of at least three references that have an intimate knowledge of
artists’ work and working methods. Must include telephone numbers and complete
addresses
6. Optional: Artist may include up to three selections of support materials such as
reviews, news articles, and other related information.
Artists interested in being considered should submit the listed materials postmarked by June
5, 2015 or delivered by 4:00 pm to:
Mailing address:
Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues
PO Box 1285
Sioux Falls, SD 57101
Or to: [email protected]
**Please be mindful of file sizes if sent by email. If files are large, please submit a link to your
electronic submission.
Physical Address:
Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues located in the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science
301 S Main Avenue, 1st Floor
Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57104
VII.
Selection Process
An artist selection panel consisting of one SFJB staff, one SFJB board members and two
independent outside judges will review all artist submissions and select artists eligible for the
project.
Artists will be notified June 12, 2015.
VIII.
History of Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues
In 1987 the Sioux Falls Jazz Society was founded by a small group of community-minded
citizens with a common passion for jazz music. It simply began with informal gatherings of
jazz artists coming together to jam and collaborate.
This common passion grew into wanting an expansion to the live music venues and genres
present in the city of Sioux Falls. In 1988, the first jazz festival was organized and for the next
few years various locations were attempted for other jazz concerts. It was in 1992 the
organization changed its name to the Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Society (SFJB) and became
incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
In 1994, “Jazzmatazz” was held at the Sioux Falls Canary Stadium with over 3,000 people in
attendance. It was in 1996 when the annual festival was named JazzFest and was held at
Yankton Trail Park, where it continues to be held today. In 2000, JazzFest was extended to
two days and was extended again in 2009 to three days. Approximately 8,000 people
attended in 1996 and the festival has grown ever since. JazzFest had record attendance in
2012 and 2013 when over 125,000 attended the festival over the course of three days both
years.
Though JazzFest started as the focal point of the organization, SFJB extended its
programming to include weekly jam sessions and concerts at various venues throughout the
community. In 1999, SFJB formed the annual Concert Series, which is comprised of five
concerts. These concerts run from the fall through the spring of the following year, giving
jazz and blues fans live concerts throughout the year.
SFJB has continued to expand their outreach by educating people of all ages about jazz and
blues. Starting in 1999, educational activities included educational workshops, master
classes, pre-concert presentations, and Q&A with performing artists. In 2000, SFJB began
the All City Jazz Ensemble, which started with middle school students and expanded to high
school students shortly after.
In 2006, the Jazz Diversity Project (JDP) was launched to teach middle school students about
jazz while tying into the History curriculum being taught in schools. Since its beginning, JDP
has appeared in over 160 communities in South Dakota for over 43,000 students.
The most recent educational component the SFJB has started is the JazzFest Jazz Camp.
Now it its firth year, the jazz camp brings together students from around the region and
United States to expanded their knowledge about jazz. The camp is hosted on the
Augustana College campus and concludes with students performing at JazzFest.
SFJB continually strives to enhance the quality of artists brought to Sioux Falls and seeks to
find opportunities to educate others.
“It is the mission of the Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Society to increase the awareness of jazz
and blues music in the Sioux Falls community and region, through musical events and
education.”
IX.
Additional Information
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please contact the Sioux Falls
Jazz & Blues office at 605-335-6101 or at [email protected].
Robert Joyce, Executive Director
Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues
301 S Main Avenue, 1st Floor
Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57104