The 17th Annual Western Loudoun Art & Studio Tour

WLAST

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, June 7, 8 & 9, 2024

10:00am - 5:00pm NOTE: Not all studios open on Friday, June 7

2024 Tour Applicant FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Deadlines

When are applications due?

The deadline for submission is 12:00 Noon (Eastern Time) January 31, 2024; no exceptions will be allowed. The application will be available on November 15, 2024.

How do I apply?

All applications must be submitted using the CaFÉ™ application system. Help with the online application is available: watch a quick, informative three minute video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aym_y1clw44, read the CaFÉ User Guide here: https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/how-to-apply-artists/, send an email to: cafe@westaf.org

The user-friendly application form and all requirements can be found online at https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=12673.

When will I know if my application has been accepted?
Applicants will be notified of their jurying status by mid-February, 2024.
The tour used to be two days. What do I need to know about the new third day?
Studio locations, either single artists or studios with guests, can be open (and promoted as open!) on the Friday (June 7, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM) in addition to the Saturday and Sunday by indicating "Friday, Saturday and Sunday" in your application.
Are there other important dates and time commitments I need to consider?
YES.

  • WLAST is supported by a 100% volunteer planning committee and funded through a variety of means such as grants and donations. We ask that accepted artists assist where possible in promoting the Tour, volunteering for tasks, and participating in fundraising efforts to ensure that advertising reaches the widest audience possible.

  • If you are new to the tour, you must attend the virtual meet-and-greet Artists Information Meeting held in mid-April, 2024.

  • You, or someone you designate to attend on your behalf, must attend the artist-only reception at Franklin Park Arts Center on May 9, 2024, to pick up Tour signs and supplies.

  • You, or someone you designate, must return Tour supplies during business hours TBD, but likely on the 11th or 12th to the event storage unit at

    37221 E. Richardson Lane
    Purcellville, VA 20132

  • You must complete the online program evaluation form and return it by Saturday, June 15, 2024.

Eligibility

Who is eligible to apply?
Professional and emerging visual artists whose studios in Western Loudoun County meet specified criteria may apply as Studio Artists. Loudoun artists who do not have a Western Loudoun studio suitable for visitors may apply as Guest Artists.
What qualifies as a studio?
A studio is a place artwork is created on a regular basis. The studio must be established prior to the tour application deadline. The studio must be located in western Loudoun County.
My studio is in a space shared with others. What should I do?
If you have a multi-artist studio, all artists must be accepted by the jury in order to participate in the tour. We ask that if an artist is not accepted by the jury that they do not actively promote or sell their work the weekend of the tour in order to ensure a fair and successful tour for the juried artists. The only exception to the rule that each artist must apply individually is when two or more artists collaborate intimately to produce all the work they will offer on the tour (such as two jewelers who share the work of creating each piece). Two artists who produce their work independently, even if married or sharing a studio, must apply individually.
What about galleries and shops?
The tour is about working artists and studios. All artists must be juried and able to demonstrate their process. A retail establishment that is not a working studio does not qualify as a studio.
What about Franklin Park Arts Center and the Round Hill Arts Center?
Franklin Park Arts Center, the Friends of Franklin Park Arts Center and the Round Hill Arts Center are the founders of the tour and with the Town of Purcellville over the years have provided enormous financial and logistical support for WLAST. Because of these longstanding relationships, both Arts Centers are eligible to host guest artists who might otherwise not be accepted on the tour due to space constraints. The planning committee strives to balance the number of artists at these locations with those at participating studios, in order to encourage visitors to explore the tour broadly.

Hosting or Being a Guest

Should I host a guest artist?
Yes, if you have space. We have noticed over the years that studios with multiple artists are popular tour locations.
Do I need insurance for my studio?
Yes, insurance is required for all studios on the tour.
Can I have non-juried artists at my studio demonstrating and exhibiting?
No.
Can I sell others' work in my studio the weekend of the tour?
No.
What should I do if my studio is off the beaten track and hard to get to?
First, consider being a guest with another artist — studios with multiple artists are popular tour locations. Second, market, market, market yourself and your stop — it really helps with traffic.
How do I get placed as a guest artist?
The WLAST planning committee assigns guest artists with host artists who have room, based on medium, size and space requirements, precedent, and variety at each stop. We try very hard to place all guest artists in locations that work best for the tour and the artists. When the planning committee feels that a particular studio is too remote to receive sufficient traffic, we may suggest that the artist consider being a guest at another location instead.

Completing the Application

What photos should I use in my application?
This is a juried show with professional jurors. Submit your best quality high-resolution photos (well-lit, in focus, cropped to exclude distractions). Select images that represent your body of work in the medium or media you wish to show and demonstrate during the tour. Your photos are the most important element used to jury your application and will also be used to promote you and your work if you are accepted on the tour. You must submit exactly ten images of your work.
If your studio is new to the Tour, email us two images of your studio: one showing the outside, and one showing the inside.
Are there technical requirements for my photos?
Yes. Your digital images must be in the JPEG (or JPG) format, under 5MB each, with a minimum of 1200 pixels on the longest side.
I work in multiple mediums. What should I apply for?
You may list up to two mediums on your application. When you apply, you must supply photos of work in each medium you will present on the tour. If you apply in multiple mediums, please submit at least three photos for each medium. During the weekend of the tour, you may not show or demonstrate work in a medium that was not juried and accepted for the tour. (Yes, you may be accepted in one medium but not in another one.)
When will I be notified?
Applicants will be notified of their jurying status by mid-February, 2024.
What is the application fee?
The application fee is $275 for artists applying as a guest and $225 for all others. Artists not selected will be refunded all but $50 of their fee.
How do I pay the fee?
Fees are paid at the time of application either through PayPal in CaFE (credit card) or by mailing a check payable to:
Friends of Franklin Park Arts Center/WLAST
P. O. Box 653
Round Hill, VA 20142
When paying by check, artists will be required to check out in CaFÉ by adding the check number for the payment to the application.
Are there more conditions for participation?
Yes. There are different terms for guest artists and studio artists, and general terms for all artists. All application terms are shown below.

2024 Terms and Conditions

  • Studio Artists:

    • My studio is located in Western Loudoun County.
    • My studio is a place where I produce or create my own artwork.
    • My studio has sufficient parking for at least five visitor vehicles.
    • My studio is covered by homeowners or business insurance and I will acquire an insurance rider if necessary, to cover opening my studio to the public for the weekend of the Tour.
    • During the Tour, I will not permit the display, demonstration, or sale of artwork created by anyone other than myself and any guest artists assigned to my Tour stop.
    • During the Tour, I will not display, demonstrate, or sell artwork in media other than those listed in my application and accepted by the jury for the Tour.
    • I will arrange for at least one studio/sales assistant to be on duty while my Tour stop is open to the public.

  • Guest Artists:

    • I live in and produce my artwork in Loudoun County.
    • I will transport my work to and from my designated studio Tour stop.
    • I will arrange for my own display and demonstration needs.
    • I will be responsible for loading in and out of my own gear.
    • I will assist with general setup and cleanup.
    • During the Tour, I will not permit the display, demonstration, or sale of artwork created by anyone other than my host and any other guest artists assigned to my Tour stop.
    • During the Tour, I will not display, demonstrate, or sell artwork in media other than those listed in my application and accepted by the jury for the Tour.
    • I will assist my host in arranging for at least one studio/sales assistant to be on duty while our Tour stop is open to the public.
    • I am solely responsible for the liability insurance for my own artwork and display.

  • General Conditions:

    • I will have a body of work in my juried media to show and sell during the Tour.
    • I will demonstrate, exhibit, or explain in detail the process for creating my artwork during the Tour.
    • I will adhere to all Tour deadlines (before, during, and after the Tour, including pick-up and drop-off of tour materials).
    • I will attend the virtual mandatory meet-and-greet Artists Information Meeting held in mid-April, 2024 if I am an artist new to the Tour.
    • I will attend (or designate someone on my behalf to attend) the artist-only reception at Franklin Park Arts Center on May 9, 2024, to pick up my Tour signs and supplies.
    • I will help publicize the Tour by distributing ALL printed publicity materials provided to me, by promoting the tour using my social media accounts, and by mailing or emailing news of the tour to those on my contact lists.
    • I will volunteer to assist with Tour tasks.
    • I will be at my designated Tour stop during the publicized hours of the tour.
    • I will help visitors complete the electronic Passport Form during the Tour.
    • I will collect and pay sales tax on sales of my artwork during the Tour.
    • I will complete a program evaluation form at the end of the Tour and return it by the deadline.
    • I understand that my application materials will not be returned.
    • I understand that jurors will rate my application solely on the photos I submit.
    • I understand that the Committee may consider past compliance with these general conditions when reviewing my application.
    • I grant WLAST permission to use my application materials (both text and photos) to publicize the Tour if I am selected by the jury to participate in the Tour.
    • I understand that the Western Loudoun Art and Studio Tour does not carry insurance to cover my personal property or personal injury to me, my family and friends, my assistants, or visitors to the Tour, and I release WLAST, its planning committee members, and its partnering organizations from any liability for damage to personal property or personal injury sustained by me, my family and friends, my assistants, or my visitors while participating in the Tour.