What Makes a Great Photograph? – An Artist Talk by Delia McCrae

In 2024 the submission fee has been increased to $20 (+GST) per piece, making the total including GST = $21/piece.
The exhibition fee remains at $40 per accepted piece, however GST will be added at the time of payment.

The Sooke Fine Arts Society is a not-for-profit organization, and fees are one part of how we offset the costs of marketing, venue rental, and gallery infrastructure in order to continue nurturing the careers of the region’s fine artists.

The commission is 30% on all art sales.

Yes, please contact the SFAS Office to arrange a visit: 250-642-7256 / sfas@sookefinearts.com

As long as the piece was completed within 18 months of the start of the current show, and has not been shown in any other major, juried shows on BC’s Coastal Islands, it can be submitted. Since our jury panel changes each year, a piece not accepted one year may very well be selected the following year.

Yes, the jurors can magnify the images to see fine detail and texture. This is why we ask images be a minimum of 1500 pixels to preserve details in your work. Please note that selections for awards are made in person, in Sooke, following Art Drop-Off.

The minimum price for artwork is $350. Like any Gallery, there are fees and commissions associated with the show and sale of artwork. Artists are asked to consider the following when setting their price:

• Cost of materials
• Originality/uniqueness of the concept
• Creative time invested
• Framing /presentation costs
• Submission and exhibition fees
• 30% commission fee

All work submitted for adjudication must be available for sale. 

No. Work submitted for adjudication must be completed. We recommend finishing your piece before the Call to Artists ends.

You can make changes to your submission before the deadline. No changes will be accepted after the close of submissions on June 1, 2024.

No, a Certificate of Authenticity (C-of-A) is not required at the submission stage, but if your piece is part of a limited edition run, a C-of-A will be expected if your piece is accepted into the show, and will be required to accompany your piece when delivered to the show.

The stipulation that artwork must be completed in the last 18 months, and not have been shown locally in another major, juried art show on BC’s Coastal Islands is designed to keep our show fresh, with works that have not been seen at other shows in our region, and to encourage artists to share new work.

The more we can present a diverse, unique show, the more we help promote the joy of art in our region.

The requirement specifies the combination of all three elements – major/juried/in BC’s Coastal Islands – for a piece to be ineligible to be shown in the Sooke Fine Arts Show.

Check out our resource page on Photographing Artwork for tips and tricks on getting a clear, representative image of your artwork. If the piece has darker tones, try a lighter backdrop, and vice versa.
Past Sooke Fine Arts Show jurors have recommended placing something next to your piece to offer the viewer a better sense of the scale of your work. In your optional 25-word description, mention the extra object is for scale only.

Jurors are not able to provide feedback on why pieces were not accepted. There are simply too many pieces and jurying is done separately. However it is important to keep in mind that pieces not accepted one year can still be accepted a subsequent year, as long as they were completed within 18 months of the subsequent show.   

In 2024, there will be two drop off dates:
– July 12, 4:00pm – 8:00pm
– July 13, 9:30am – 4:30pm

If artists have trouble with either of those dates, they can arrange for their accepted works & gift shop items to be delivered by a friend, or have them couriered to arrive July 12. Since Art Drop-off involves many volunteers and a very structured process, we are not able to accommodate the receipt of pieces outside of these timeframes.

Once an artist fully moves out of the region they are no longer eligible to apply.
Whilst we support the work of all artists, we have to manage our catchment carefully in order to maintain fairness to the artists in our region.

Artists can arrange to have a friend deliver their work on July 13, or have it couriered to the arena (for arrival July 12), and can sometimes arrange delivery with other artists of accepted works. The SFAS Office can help determine if there are other artists in your area who might be willing to share transportation down to Sooke.

No, you do not need to include tax in your price, as taxes are added on at the time of sale.

All artist fees will have GST added. The total for a each fee type including tax is therefore as follows:
– Submission fee: $21/piece
– Exhibition fee: $42/piece

Applicable taxes on artwork sold at the Sooke Fine Arts Show are added to the price set by the artist; the Sooke Fine Arts Society collects and remits these taxes on behalf of the artist. Taxes do not affect the commission.

Jurors are on-site in the gallery in July to select outstanding pieces for award recognition. Prior to the show, the Sooke Fine Arts Show Designer & Design Committee select the award winning “Designers’ Choice” to be used in all promotional materials for the following year. Award Winners are notified prior to the show.

The People’s Choice and Children’s Choice Awards are both tallied from survey results collected during the show, with winners announced after the show.

Understandably, some patrons may choose to contact artists directly, and while this may seem like an opportunity to provide work at a lower price, we ask that artists encourage patrons to complete their purchases through the show.

The Sooke Fine Arts Society is a not-for-profit entity, and art sales are a very important part of how we offset the costs of marketing, venue rental, and gallery infrastructure in order to continue nurturing the careers of the region’s fine artists.

If your work sells, someone from the Art Sales desk will call you immediately with the good news. If your gift shop items sell out or need to be replenished, you will be informed by someone from the Gift Shop team. Artists can also contact the Sooke Fine Arts office at 250-642-7256, or by email sfas@sookefinearts.com.

Artist payments are scheduled for the last week of August each year, and are sent out by cheque. The process of cross-checking the gift shop inventory, art sales and demos/talks/tours takes time and a lot of careful work to ensure accuracy.

If you haven’t received your cheque by mid-September, please get back in touch. You can contact the Sooke Fine Arts office at 250-642-7256, or by email sfas@sookefinearts.com.

Click here: SFAS Volunteer Code of Conduct. There is also a link to the Volunteer Code of Conduct on each of the team info pages.

Click on the small right arrow at the top of the calendar next to July to view the August calendar.

The volunteer shifts are organized in a calendar-view by default, but you can view all jobs/shifts within a particular area in list format. Simply click on the list icon above the top, right corner of the calendar.

No problem. Simply contact our volunteer coordinator, Gunny: lifeisgoodinsooke@gmail.com, and she will help you out!

Maybe! Please contact our volunteer coordinator, Gunny, to give you a hand:
lifeisgoodinsooke@gmail.com
250-588-5852

Some teams manage their own volunteers and so not all jobs are posted publicly. If you are interested in helping out on a particular team, you can contact our volunteer coordinator, Gunny Tennese:
lifeisgoodinsooke@gmail.com
250-588-5852

You will receive an email notification 2 days before your scheduled shift.

You can contact our volunteer coordinator, Gunny Tennese:
lifeisgoodinsooke@gmail.com
250-588-5852