General Rules and Divisions for All Gourd Entries |
- Any Washington State Gourd Society (WSGS) member or any non-member may enter with payment of the appropriate entry fee/fees (see Entry Form for amount).
- More than one entry per category is allowed.
- Art work for each entry must be made by the exhibitor.
- No entry will be allowed which has been entered in a previous WSGS Gourd Show.
- This festival is a family event; any item which may be offensive to young attendees may be removed or covered by the judges.
- Photography will be allowed at this competition. If you don't want photos taken of your work, please do not enter.
- Deadlines are firm to allow volunteers time to set up the display prior to judging on Friday. Entry Forms should be turned in at the earliest date possible to allow us to order tables.
- Entries will be registered at the fairgrounds on Thursday, July 14, 2011, from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and on Friday, July 15, 2011, from 8:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. (judging starts at 4:00 p.m.). Please fill out your Entry Form completely beforehand. One form per entry (make additional copies as needed).
- No mail-in gourd art will be accepted.
- All entries must stay in place until 3:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon to allow the public to enjoy the show throughout the weekend. Pick-up time will be Sunday, July 17, 2011, between 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. No one is allowed to remove their entries before 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. If you cannot leave your art until the stated time, do not enter it. Claim tickets must be presented to pick up your art.
- Any competition item sold must remain on the display table until the close of the show at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 17, 2011.
- The committee/judges reserve the right to disqualify or reassign gourds that do not meet class criteria. They may also change, subdivide, or combine categories as necessary to fill categories.
- Judging will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, July 15. All judges’ decisions are final.
- Judging will be done using the American Gourd Society guidelines and criteria. The AGS Judging Rules are available on the AGS website. We will be judging entries using scoring option A.
- Ribbons will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category, at the judges’ discretion. A category with only one entry does not necessarily guarantee a blue ribbon. Special Ribbon Awards will be: Best of Show (1); Best of Division (4); People’s Choice (1); Judge’s Choice (9); President’s Choice (1); and the Mayoral Choice Award (1).
- One small business card may be placed next to the entry after judging has been completed.
- Washington State Gourd Society and the Grant County Fairgrounds will provide reasonable security but assumes no responsibility for damage or theft.
- Gourds should predominate in all entries.
- There are four Divisions:
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| YOUTH DIVISION (Y) – Juniors: 12 years old and under. Teens: 13 -17 years old. |
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| NOVICE DIVISION (N) - A true beginner is one who has limited experience in gourd crafting and other related arts and crafts (please be honest). Teachers and artists who sell their art or exhibit in galleries do not qualify as Novice. If you win a Blue Ribbon in any Novice Division category, you may not enter in that category in future WSGS Novice Division competitions. |
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| OPEN DIVISION (O) - This is open to all ages and skill levels. If you win a Blue Ribbon in any Open Division category, you may not enter in that category in future WSGS Open Division competitions. |
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| MASTER CRAFTSMAN DIVISION (MC) - Intended for the advanced to professional gourd crafter whose work has been exhibited in galleries, previously won a Blue Ribbon in art/gourd competitions, or has reached the level of fine art/craft. An artist skilled enough to enter the Master Craftsman category may not enter in the Novice or Open categories. The use of patterns is not allowed in this division. Entrants in this category should provide a short biography to be displayed with their entry. |
- Entrants may enter gourds in the Novice or Open Divisions according to the above definitions, as long as the categories entered are different. For example, a beginning gourd crafter with previous decorative painting experience might enter the "Painted" category in the Open Division and enter the "Pyrography" category as a Novice.
- It is the responsibility of the artist to enter his/her piece in the correct category. Please use your best judgment as to which division is most appropriate for your work – all entrants should strive to make the competition fair by not entering at a level below their abilities!
- Display equipment required for any work must be supplied by the artist.
- Turntables cannot be moving during the judging. They can be turned on for the show but must be battery operated.
- Candles can be used for the show but must be battery operated and will not be lit for the judging.
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2011 WSGS Competition Category Listing Please be certain that you have read the specific criteria outline below for the category and make your decision accordingly. If you have questions about proper category placement, contact entry registration by email or phone. |
YOUTH EXHIBITORS (Y) |
JUNIORS - Youths ages 12 and under | Category # | Criteria | Y-1 | Any technique, functional or decorative. Gourds must predominate. (Youth exhibitors may also enter in the open or novice divisions.) | TEENS - Youths ages 13 – 17 | Category # | Criteria | Y-2 | Any technique, functional or decorative. Gourds must predominate. (Youth exhibitors may also enter in the open or novice divisions.) |
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NOVICE DIVISION (N) |
A true beginner is one who has limited experience in gourd crafting and other related arts and crafts (honor system). Teachers and artists who sell their art or exhibit in galleries do not qualify as novice. If you win a Blue Ribbon in any Novice Division category, you may not enter in that category in future WSGS Novice Division competitions.
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1. Decorative gourds crafted in a class, use of a tutorial, or design taken from a book or publication that uses another artist's design. The limited use of coloring, stains or finishes is permitted, but the listed technique must be the predominate feature. | Category # | Criteria | N-3 | Cut or carved (this would include chip carved, chiseled or carved) Pyrography (may be shaded, line, or dot pyrography, colored or non-colored) Inlayed, beaded, woven (any type inlay or beading technique may be used; any type of material and technique may be used on woven gourd) Painted only |
2. Decorative Crafted Gourds, using your original design - The limited use of coloring, stains or finishes is permitted, but the listed technique must be the predominate feature. | Category # | Criteria | N-4 | Cut or carved (this would include chip carved, chiseled or carved) | N-5 | Pyrography (may be shaded, line, or dot pyrography, colored or non-colored) | N-6 | Inlayed, beaded, woven (any type inlay or beading technique may be used; any type of material and technique may be used on woven gourd) | N-7 | Painted only | N-8 | Functional Gourd (may include masks, musical instruments, purses, hats, jewelry, bird houses, lamps, or any other usable item) Note: Masks without a display stand must have a loop or hanger so they may be hung for display. | N-9 | My Way Gourd – any technique allowed. This is a “catch all” category, only for gourds that do NOT fit in any other category. If you have a gourd creation that doesn’t fit anywhere else, this is the place for it – NO HOLDS BARRED! |
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OPEN DIVISION (O) |
For those who do not consider themselves a beginner and is open to all ages and skill levels. If you win a Blue Ribbon in any Open Division Category, you may not enter in that category in future WSGS Open Division Competitions.
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1. Decorative gourds crafted in a class, use of a tutorial, or design taken from a book or publication that uses another artist's design. The limited use of coloring, stains or finishes is permitted, but the listed technique must be the predominate feature. | Category # | Criteria | 0-10 | Cut or carved (this would include chip carved, chiseled or carved) Pyrography (may be shaded, line, or dot pyrography, colored or non-colored) Inlayed, beaded, woven (any type inlay or beading technique may be used; any type of material and technique may be used on woven gourd) Painted only |
2. Decorative Crafted Gourds, using your original design - The limited use of coloring, stains or finishes is permitted, but the listed technique must be the predominate feature. | Category # | Criteria | O-11 | Cut or carved (this would include chip carved, chiseled or carved) | O-12 | Pyrography (may be shaded, line, or dot pyrography, colored or non-colored) | O-13 | Inlayed, beaded, woven (any type inlay or beading technique may be used; any type of material and technique may be used on woven gourd) | O-14 | Painted only | O-15 | Holiday theme – any technique or form allowed | O-16 | Musical instruments – any technique or form allowed | O-17 | Masks – any technique or form allowed Note: Masks without a display stand must have a loop or hanger so they may be hung for display. | O-18 | Functional Gourd (may include purses, hats, jewelry, bird houses, lamps, or any other usable item) – any technique or form allowed | O-19 | Animal or fantasy creatures – any technique or form allowed | O-20 | Human figures – any technique or form allowed | O-21 | Americana or patriotic theme or scene – any technique or form allowed but Americana or patriotic theme must predominate | O-22 | Pacific Northwest design – any technique or form allowed but Pacific Northwest design must predominate | O-23 | My Way Gourd – any technique allowed. This is a “catch all” category, only for gourds that do NOT fit in any other category. If you have a gourd creation that doesn’t fit anywhere else, this is the place for it – NO HOLDS BARRED! |
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MASTER CRAFTSMAN DIVISION (MC) |
Intended for the advanced to professional gourd crafter whose work has been exhibited in galleries, previously won a Blue Ribbon in art/gourd competitions, or has reached the level of fine art/craft. An artist skilled enough to enter the Master Craftsman category may not enter in the Novice or Open categories. The use of patterns is not allowed in this division. Entrants in this category should provide a short biography to be displayed with their entry.
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Category # | Criteria | MC-24 | Pacific Northwest design – any technique or form allowed but Pacific Northwest design must predominate | MC-25 | Sculptural Gourds -- a fine art sculpture using more than one gourd, gourd parts and/or other materials. | MC-26 | Vases, Bowls or Containers -- any technique allowed. | MC-27 | My Way -- any technique or form allowed. |
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