Thank you for your interest in participating in this year's benefit auction for Washington Project for the Arts (WPA)!
The auction will take place during the last two weeks of April 2023. We plan to hold the auction online on Artsy, and install all the artworks onsite in Washington, DC, for the closing gala event, Collectors' Night, on Saturday, April 29. There will also be a small selection of artworks that will be auctioned in-person only at the gala, not online.
Please read the following selection requirements carefully before selecting and uploading your images.
There is no submission fee.
ARTIST ELIGIBILITY & ARTWORK CRITERIA
- You must have participated in an exhibition in the last 5 years.
- The artwork you submit must have been completed in the last 5 years. Graduate work is acceptable; undergraduate work is not.
- Submitted artworks cannot have been shown in previous WPA auctions.
- Most forms of painting, drawing, photography, collage, printmaking (analog and digital), and sculpture are eligible. We are unable to accept video or sound art.
- You may submit between 1 and 5 artworks for consideration. We prefer to include multiple artworks by each artist, when possible, to provide choice and context for buyers.
- Works must be in good condition and installation-ready (2D works on paper must be framed) for exhibition in April.
SUBMISSION FORM REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES
The information you enter into this online submission form will be used on the auction website and in the printed catalog. Please try to be exact.
High-Resolution Artwork Images: As the auction bidding will take place both online and in person, the quality of artwork images is especially important. Once the artwork selections are finalized, you will have the opportunity to submit additional detail images.
- All image files must be JPG or PNG.
- File must be sized at 300dpi and 2000 pixels on the long side.
- File must be saved as last name, first initial_title. For example: DoeJ_Untitled3.jpg
Submitting photographic artwork: If submitting photographic artwork, please briefly state in the medium description the type of process and medium used in developing and printing.
Submitting an editioned artwork: If the work is an editioned multiple, please indicate the print/edition number and edition size in the appropriate submission field.
Dimensions: Please provide unframed dimensions in inches using the following format: Height x Width x Depth (using decimals rounded to the quarter inch). For example: 8 x 11.75 x 3 in.
Retail Price: We welcome artwork with retail prices between $250 and $10,000. Historically, the majority of artwork that sells is priced under $2,500.
Reserve Price: The reserve price is the price at which the bidding will begin, and should be the lowest price at which you are comfortable with the artwork selling. The reserve price must be lower than the retail value, as per Artsy requirements. Reserve prices are typically set between 50 – 70% of the retail price.
Sales Split: The artist receives 50% of the final sale price, and WPA retains the other 50%. Artists can choose to donate a larger percentage of their final sale price to WPA.
Gallery Courtesy: If you are an artist with gallery representation, it is your responsibility to notify your gallery about Auction participation. If you would like us to give your gallery representative a courtesy in the catalog and the Artsy listing, please include it in this submission.