INITIAL QUERY:
In June 2027, LRAA wants to hold an open art show within the gallery. Artist from around NH will be able to participate in this event, membership in the association is not required. This exhibit will be for NH artists only. This event is aimed to the more accomplished artists within the state. Their will be ribbons and cash prizes for the 1st and 2nd place winners in each of 10 divisions. The rough structure of the event has artists submitting their art digitally for the initial round of juried review. Semi-finalists will be limited to 100 artwork in any of the 10 divisions. Once this initial judging is complete, the semi-finalists will receive notice via email of their artworks acceptance in the event. Artist will be required to deliver their art to the Lakes Region Art Gallery and to pick up same once the exhibit is finished.
What I would like your help with is as follows:
1) Several suggested catchy titles that will grab attention and entice participation
2) A more detailed structure for the exhibit timeline, detailing steps you feel we need to be aware of throughout the jurying and exhibit.
3) Suggestions of where we should advertise this event where artists are most likely to become aware of the event.
4) A recommended entry fee and whether it should be a double fee, one for the initial digital submission and the second for the formal exhibit.
5) Prize values that will encourage participation. It must be high enough to generate interest and excitement.
AI RESPONSE:
This has the potential to become one of LRAA’s signature annual events, especially if you position it not simply as an “open show,” but as a statewide juried competition showcasing accomplished New Hampshire artists. That distinction should drive the title, fee structure, prizes, jury process, and advertising.
Comparable regional juried shows are charging roughly $25–$50 to enter, and stronger competitions are backing that up with meaningful cash awards. For example, the Guild of Boston Artists’ 2026 New England Regional Juried Exhibition charged $50 and offered $750 for First Place, $500 for Second, and $350 for Third. (Artwork Archive) South Shore Art Center charged $25 for the first work plus $10 for each additional work and offered $200 First and $150 Second in each media category. (South Shore Art Center)
1. Naming the exhibition
I would avoid “New Hampshire Icon Show.” It sounds as though artists must depict New Hampshire landmarks or “icons,” which is not what you intend.
The title should communicate three things immediately: New Hampshire, quality, and competition.
My strongest choices are:
The New Hampshire Juried Art Exhibition
A Statewide Celebration of Fine ArtArt of New Hampshire
A Statewide Juried ExhibitionNew Hampshire Masters
A Juried Exhibition of Fine ArtThe Granite State Juried Exhibition
Celebrating Excellence in New Hampshire ArtArt NH
The Statewide Juried Fine Art ExhibitionNew Hampshire Fine Art Showcase
A Statewide Juried CompetitionThe Granite State Fine Art Exhibition
New Hampshire Art Invitational & Juried Exhibition
The State of Art: New Hampshire
A Juried ExhibitionNew Hampshire Art Excellence
A Statewide Juried Exhibition
Of these, I particularly like:
The New Hampshire Juried Art Exhibition
A Statewide Celebration of Fine Art
It sounds established and important even in its first year. More importantly, it can grow into something recognizable:
2027 New Hampshire Juried Art Exhibition
2028 New Hampshire Juried Art Exhibition
2029 New Hampshire Juried Art Exhibition
That is useful branding.
If you want something more distinctive and marketable, my second choice would be:
The State of Art: New Hampshire
A Statewide Juried Fine Art Exhibition
That gives you a very strong visual concept for a logo.
2. Recommended exhibition structure
I would make this a two-stage jury process, but I would change one piece of terminology.
Rather than calling the selected artists “semi-finalists,” call them:
Accepted Artists or Juried Artists
Once they have survived the digital jury, they are actually in the exhibition. Then a second jury evaluates the physical artwork for awards.
That feels much more prestigious.
Stage One — Digital Jury
Artists submit digital images.
The jurors determine which pieces are Accepted for Exhibition, up to a maximum of 100 artworks.
Stage Two — Awards Jury
After those 100 works arrive at the gallery, the jurors inspect the originals and select First and Second Place in each division, plus any overall awards.
That is a very credible professional-show structure.
Suggested 2027 timeline
Assuming the exhibition opens in early June:
Approximate Date
Action
January 4
Official Call for Artists announced
January–March
Statewide advertising campaign
March 1
Online submissions officially open
April 18
Early reminder campaign
April 30
Final submission deadline
May 1–7
Administrative eligibility review
May 8–10
Digital jurying
May 12
Acceptance/rejection notifications emailed
May 12–25
Accepted artists confirm participation
May 29–30
Artwork delivery to gallery
May 31–June 2
Installation
June 3
Physical artwork award judging
June 4
Preview/Sponsor event if desired
June 5
Opening Reception & Awards
June 5–27
Exhibition open
June 27
Exhibition closes
June 27–28
Artist pickup
I would give artists roughly two weeks between acceptance and delivery. That allows someone from Portsmouth, Keene, Nashua, North Conway, etc. to make arrangements.
Important rules to establish before announcing the show
A strong prospectus will eliminate many headaches.
You should decide in advance:
Artists must be 18 or older.
Artist must be a New Hampshire resident. Decide whether seasonal NH residents qualify.
Artwork must be original.
Establish a creation-date restriction, such as completed within the previous three years.
Artwork should not previously have won an award at an LRAA competition.
Decide whether AI-generated work is permitted. For a show positioned around accomplished artists, I would specifically state that AI-generated artwork is not eligible.
Specify whether reproductions/giclées are prohibited except where the medium itself is photography or printmaking.
Maximum dimensions and weight.
Maximum number of submissions per artist.
Artwork must arrive ready to hang/display.
No sawtooth hangers if LRAA requires wire.
Gallery reserves the right to reject work that differs materially from the submitted digital image.
Establish rules for sculpture/3-D works.
Establish sales commission.
All accepted artwork must remain for the duration of the exhibit.
Artists are responsible for delivery and pickup.
Artwork not collected by the deadline may incur a storage fee.
Artists grant LRAA permission to reproduce accepted work for exhibition promotion while retaining their copyright.
Comparable juried exhibitions commonly establish detailed eligibility, submission, delivery, copyright and promotion provisions in advance. (Art & Photography Calls)
3. The ten divisions
Since you already anticipate ten award divisions, establish these before the Call for Artists is released.
A workable structure could be:
Oil
Acrylic
Watercolor
Pastel
Drawing
Mixed Media
Printmaking
Photography
Sculpture / 3-D
Digital Art
There is one complication, however.
You don't want a category to have 40 entries while another has three and still automatically award equal First and Second Place prizes.
I would include language such as:
LRAA reserves the right to combine divisions receiving insufficient entries or to withhold an award when the jury determines that an award is not warranted.
South Shore Art Center follows a similar approach, reserving the right to limit media-category awards based upon submission levels. (South Shore Art Center)
That protects LRAA.
4. Jury structure
For something aimed at accomplished artists, the jurors themselves will help sell the exhibition.
I would use three jurors, preferably people with recognizable professional credentials:
museum curator/gallery director
college or university art professor
accomplished professional artist
art historian
established gallery owner
I would avoid having all three judges be LRAA members.
Ideally:
Three independent jurors with no organizational connection to LRAA.
That gives the show credibility.
You already use outside judges for the Annual Members Exhibit, so this builds naturally on a practice LRAA already understands.
Digital jury scoring
Each juror could score every work 1–10 in four areas:
Criterion Points
Artistic concept/originality 10
Composition/design 10
Mastery of medium/technical execution 10
Overall visual impact 10
Total per juror 40
Three jurors = 120 possible points.
NHAA uses comparable concepts when assessing artists, including maturity of concept, mastery of medium and composition.
I would not reveal numerical scores to applicants. They are an internal jury tool.
5. Cap at 100 works — one important adjustment
Rather than saying:
“100 artworks in any of the ten divisions”
I would state:
A maximum of 100 works will be selected for exhibition from all submissions.
Don't guarantee ten works per category.
Let quality determine the exhibition.
For example, the final show could contain:
18 photographs
14 oils
13 watercolors
12 acrylics
11 pastels
etc.
The jurors should select the strongest 100 pieces, not fill quotas.
That supports your goal of making this an exhibition of accomplished artists rather than simply a large community show.
6. Where I would advertise
This is where I would be much more aggressive than with an ordinary LRAA event.
Highest priority: dedicated Call-for-Artist platforms
I would list the competition on:
ArtCall.org / ArtCallEntry
Artists already use these sites specifically to locate competitions. ArtCall currently carries calls for juried exhibitions around the country and region. (ArtCall)
Artwork Archive – Calls for Entry
The Guild of Boston Artists' major New England competition is listed there, which demonstrates that accomplished regional artists are already looking at this resource. (Artwork Archive)
These should be among your first placements.
New Hampshire art organizations
Contact organizations statewide and ask them to share the Call for Artists with their membership/newsletter lists.
The New Hampshire Art Association is particularly important. Its website has a dedicated Calls for Art section and its audience is exactly the demographic you want. (New Hampshire Art Association)
Also approach:
League of New Hampshire Craftsmen
New Hampshire art guilds and associations
photography clubs
watercolor societies
pastel societies
regional arts councils
local galleries
college/university art departments
The League has an extensive network of accomplished juried artists throughout New Hampshire, making it especially valuable for appropriate divisions such as fine craft, sculpture, photography and mixed media. (League of New Hampshire Craftsmen)
Colleges and universities
Send the prospectus to art departments and faculty at:
Plymouth State University
UNH
Keene State
Southern New Hampshire University
New England College
Dartmouth
Saint Anselm
Colby-Sawyer
Don't frame it primarily as a student show. Ask faculty to participate themselves and distribute it among alumni and professional contacts.
Social media
Facebook will probably be particularly valuable given the artist demographic.
Rather than merely boosting one post, I would run a geographically restricted campaign:
Location: New Hampshire
Interests: painting, watercolor, pastel, fine-art photography, art galleries, visual arts, plein-air painting, etc.
Then run separate creative:
NEW HAMPSHIRE ARTISTS — CALL FOR ENTRIES
That should be the largest text on the advertisement.
Instagram should use the same campaign but more image-forward.
Earned publicity
Send a press release to:
New Hampshire Magazine
NHPR arts/community calendar contacts
Union Leader
Concord Monitor
Laconia Daily Sun
Portsmouth Herald
Keene Sentinel
Valley News
regional weekly newspapers
local television community calendars
The story angle isn't merely “LRAA holding a show.”
It is:
Statewide Competition Seeks New Hampshire's Accomplished Artists
Much stronger.
7. Entry fee — one fee or two?
I strongly recommend one fee only.
I would not charge successful artists a second acceptance fee.
A second fee can create the impression:
“Congratulations—you've been accepted. Now pay us again.”
For a prestigious competition, I think that weakens the experience.
Charge enough upfront to fund the jurying and prizes.
Comparable competitions are commonly in the $20–$50 range. MIXMASTER charges $20 per submitted work, South Shore Art Center charges $25 for the first plus $10 additional, while the Guild of Boston Artists charges $50. (Mixmaster 2026)
My recommended LRAA pricing
I would use:
$40 for the first artwork
$15 for a second artwork
$15 for a third artwork
Maximum three submissions.
Thus:
Entries Fee
1 artwork $40
2 artworks $55
3 artworks $70
That communicates that this is a serious competition without making the fee intimidating.
No additional acceptance fee.
This also encourages artists to submit two or three works, which gives your jurors a stronger pool.
If 150 artists averaged 2 submissions, average revenue might be approximately $55 each:
150 × $55 = $8,250
That begins to underwrite a meaningful prize pool.
8. Prize money
This is perhaps the most important strategic decision.
If you advertise:
“Cash Awards!”
and First Place is $50, accomplished artists aren't going to drive from Portsmouth or Keene to Tilton because of the prize.
I would aim for a prize pool that crosses the psychological threshold of:
$5,000+ IN CASH AWARDS
That becomes advertising copy.
Recommended division prizes
For each of 10 divisions:
First Place — $300
Second Place — $150
That equals:
10 × $450 = $4,500
Then add:
Best in Show — $1,000
Total:
$5,500 CASH AWARDS
Now you have something substantial to advertise:
More than $5,000 in Cash Awards
Or specifically:
$5,500 in Cash Awards
That gets attention.
For comparison, a current New England juried exhibition offers $750 first, $500 second and $350 third overall, while North Shore Arts advertises more than $8,000 in awards for its regional juried show. (Artwork Archive)
I would add one more award
Consider:
People's Choice — $250
This does something different.
It keeps the public engaged throughout June and gives you a reason to collect visitor contact information:
Vote for your favorite artwork.
Now total awards become:
$5,750
You could advertise:
Nearly $6,000 in Cash Awards
That sounds significant.
Sponsorship can dramatically change the economics
I would try to sponsor every category.
For example:
Watercolor Division — Sponsored by Bank of New Hampshire
Photography Division — Sponsored by Meredith Village Savings Bank
Best in Show — Sponsored by ______
If ten businesses provide $300–$500 each, much of the prize pool could be externally funded.
You could create:
Gold Sponsor – $1,000
Best in Show Sponsor
Division Sponsor – $500
Naming recognition for one division
Exhibition Supporter – $250
This allows you to make the awards exciting without putting LRAA at substantial financial risk.
9. Sales commission
Since this is an LRAA-hosted statewide exhibition rather than rented gallery wall space, I would establish a commission on exhibition sales.
I would suggest:
30% gallery / 70% artist
That is artist-friendly for a juried competition.
For perspective, the New Hampshire Art Association currently lists a 40% gallery commission for at least some of its exhibitions. (New Hampshire Art Association)
A 30% commission therefore would not be out of line and could actually become another selling point:
Artists retain 70% of artwork sales.
I would require all accepted work to be for sale unless there is a compelling reason to permit NFS entries.
10. One change that could elevate the entire exhibition
I would not describe it publicly as an “Open Art Show.”
That phrase sounds casual.
Instead:
2027 New Hampshire Juried Art Exhibition
A Statewide Competition Celebrating Excellence in Fine Art
Then the opening line of the Call for Artists:
The Lakes Region Art Association invites accomplished artists from throughout New Hampshire to submit work for the inaugural New Hampshire Juried Art Exhibition, a statewide competition recognizing excellence across ten fine-art divisions. Up to 100 works will be selected by an independent jury for exhibition at the Lakes Region Art Gallery in June 2027, with nearly $6,000 in cash awards.
That sounds like an event worth entering.
And I would prominently emphasize:
LRAA membership is NOT required.
My proposed model at a glance
Component
Recommendation
Eligibility
NH resident artists, age 18+
Membership / Not required
Submission / Digital
Maximum entries / 3 per artist
Fee / $40 first; $15 each additional
Second acceptance fee / None
Exhibition / Maximum 100 works
Jurors / 3 independent arts professionals
Stage 1 / Digital selection
Stage 2 / In-person awards judging
Divisions / 10
First Place / $300 × 10
Second Place / $150 × 10
Best in Show / $1,000
People's Choice / $250
Total cash prizes / $5,750
Sales commission / 30% gallery / 70% artist
Show length / Approximately 3–4 weeks
Opening
Formal reception + award presentation
I think the combination of an independent jury, only 100 accepted works, nearly $6,000 in prizes, statewide eligibility and a professional prospectus would be enough to move this well beyond an ordinary association exhibition and begin establishing it as a legitimate New Hampshire art competition.
I would also strongly consider making 2027 explicitly the “Inaugural” exhibition. If it succeeds, “Selected for the New Hampshire Juried Art Exhibition” starts becoming something artists can put on their résumés—and that is ultimately what makes a juried show self-sustaining year after year.
From <https://chatgpt.com/c/6aa6e84e-c944-83ea-9a10-0117e9b54a7a>
FEASIBILITY QUERY
Yes. After looking at the current New Hampshire art ecosystem, I think The New Hampshire Juried Art Exhibition is very feasible as an NH-only event, and I would not broaden it to New England for the inaugural year.
The bigger challenge is not whether enough accomplished artists exist. They do. The challenge will be reaching enough of them and convincing them that this is a serious juried exhibition worth entering.
There are several encouraging indicators. The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen currently represents more than 700 juried artisans who have passed a formal standards process, although that population includes fine craft disciplines and some residents near the NH border, so it isn't a direct measure of your eligible pool. Still, it demonstrates the extraordinary depth of professional-level creative work concentrated in and around New Hampshire. (NH Crafts)
The New Hampshire Art Association provides an even more relevant comparison. Its artist membership itself requires digital jurying, and it maintains a sizable directory of juried artists working across painting, photography, mixed media and other visual disciplines. (New Hampshire Art Association)
Most persuasive is that NHAA is already successfully operating substantial juried exhibitions. Its 2025 Biennial was promoted as a premier juried exhibition with nearly $5,000 in prizes, accepting painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, collage, printmaking, fiber and digital art. That particular competition was open to New England rather than NH alone, but it demonstrates that the professional juried-show model and meaningful cash awards already resonate with artists in this market. (NHAA Call for Entry)
I think your 100-work target is realistic
I would distinguish between 100 accepted artworks and 100 participating artists. You don't need 100 accomplished artists each supplying one piece.
With a maximum of three submissions per artist, an inaugural show might reasonably aim for something like:
Measure Healthy first-year target
Individual artists submitting 100–150
Average submissions per artist 2–2.3
Total digital entries 200–350
Accepted physical works 75–100
Acceptance rate roughly 30–45%
I would actually prefer receiving 250 strong submissions and selecting 90 works over receiving exactly 100 and hanging all 100.
The selectivity is part of what creates prestige.
There is also evidence that NH artists will enter serious competitions
NHAA's current Lotte Jacobi Juried Show, for example, offers a $600 first-place award, $400 second, $250 third, a separate $500 photography award and other recognition. It uses digital applications followed by physical drop-off—essentially the same basic mechanism you are considering. (New Hampshire Art Association)
And NHAA's 40th annual Omer T. Lassonde juried exhibition contains work priced well into the thousands of dollars—including pieces listed at $1,500, $2,500, $4,900 and even $12,000. That is good evidence that there is a meaningful population of serious professional and advanced artists operating within this regional market. (New Hampshire Art Association)
Where I see the real risk
The risk isn't:
"Are there 100 pieces of high-quality art in New Hampshire?"
Absolutely.
The risk is:
"Can LRAA make enough accomplished artists throughout New Hampshire aware of a brand-new exhibition in Tilton?"
That requires a different marketing approach from an ordinary LRAA show.
You cannot depend heavily upon your existing membership, Facebook followers, gallery visitors and newsletter. Those audiences should be part of the campaign, but they are not the primary recruiting pool.
For the first year, you will have to deliberately penetrate the established artist networks in:
Portsmouth / Seacoast — Manchester — Nashua — Concord — Monadnock/Keene — Upper Valley — Mount Washington Valley — Lakes Region — North Country.
That statewide reach is essential.
One thing I would change from our earlier plan
After looking more closely at the existing market, I think your prize structure needs to be at least as strong as we discussed—not lower.
The fact that established NH competitions are already offering several hundred dollars for individual awards means that:
$5,000–$6,000 total awards is appropriate.
It doesn't strike me as excessive anymore.
In fact, I would make this one of your principal advertising messages:
CALL FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE ARTISTS
Up to 100 Works Selected
10 Fine-Art Divisions
Nearly $6,000 in Cash Awards
Independent Professional Jury
That will cause an accomplished artist scrolling through opportunities to stop and read.
Your gallery size is actually an advantage
The approximately 3,000-square-foot Lakes Region Art Gallery gives you something many art associations cannot offer: the ability to present this as a substantial physical exhibition rather than squeezing a competition into a small room.
I would therefore avoid automatically committing to exactly 100 works.
Publicize:
Up to 100 artworks will be selected for exhibition.
That gives the jury permission to choose 82 if only 82 meet the standard.
That single phrase protects the prestige of the exhibition.
The ten categories deserve some thought
This is actually where I have slightly more concern than with the total number of artists.
Finding 100 accomplished NH artists is realistic.
Finding enough excellent submissions to support ten equally competitive divisions every year may be harder.
Watercolor, oil, acrylic, pastel and photography will probably be easy to fill. Some smaller disciplines may have substantially fewer entries.
Consequently, I would put something in the prospectus along the lines of:
LRAA reserves the right to combine related divisions when submission levels are insufficient to ensure a meaningful competitive field.
That prevents a situation where someone wins $300 First Place because only three artworks were entered in a category.
I'd set a first-year threshold
Internally—not in the public prospectus—I would establish three checkpoints:
150+ submitted artworks: Proceed. You have enough material to build a legitimate juried exhibition.
200+ submitted artworks: Very good first-year result.
250–350+ submitted artworks: Major success. You can be genuinely selective and potentially establish this as an annual statewide event.
If you received 300 submissions and accepted 100, that gives you a 33% acceptance rate.
Suddenly:
Selected for the 2027 New Hampshire Juried Art Exhibition
means something on an artist's résumé.
And that is how the event starts developing prestige.
I would keep it New Hampshire-only
I wouldn't open it to Maine, Vermont or Massachusetts just to ensure volume.
The exclusivity is actually one of your strongest marketing assets:
A statewide showcase devoted exclusively to artists of New Hampshire.
There are plenty of New England regional competitions. A competition whose stated purpose is to identify and celebrate outstanding contemporary artists working in New Hampshire has a clearer identity.
If the first year draws fewer entries than hoped, you can reconsider later. But I would give the NH-only concept a full opportunity first.
My confidence level
I'd characterize it this way:
Enough accomplished NH artists? — Very high confidence.
Enough artists to fill 100 exhibition positions? — High confidence.
Enough artists will automatically hear about LRAA's new competition? — Low confidence without a dedicated statewide marketing campaign.
Can LRAA generate 200–300 submissions with approximately six months of promotion, credible independent jurors and roughly $5,000–$6,000 in prizes? — I think that is a very realistic objective.
And there is another advantage working in your favor: June is a particularly good exhibition month for Tilton. You are putting the show on as New Hampshire's visitor season gets underway, rather than trying to attract artists and buyers during the winter.
I would therefore proceed with the concept rather than scale it down. The next thing I would work on is the 2027 Call for Artists / official prospectus, because that document will determine whether established artists perceive this as another local art-association show or as a genuine statewide juried fine-art competition. The wording, juror credentials, awards, eligibility rules and visual branding all need to reinforce the latter.
From <https://chatgpt.com/c/6aa6f31d-1114-83ea-8a3f-6d7debc7f2c9>