2016 Niche Awards

Deadline: August 21, 2015 {ONLINE}


2016 Niche Awards
Sponsored by NICHE magazine
The Rosen Group
Baltimore MD




Sponsored by NICHE magazine, the NICHE Awards program began in 1989 to celebrate excellence and innovation in American and Canadian fine craft.

The NICHE Awards competition is open to professional craft artists ages 21 and older who reside in America or Canada and are actively involved in the design and production of craft work supplied to galleries and/or craft stores. All work must have been made and finished in the United States or Canada. Work produced or finished in secondary studios in other countries may not be submitted.

The NICHE Awards Student competition is open to any craft student attending an American or Canadian undergraduate, graduate or certificate arts program, and the work itself must have been produced in the United States or Canada while the student was attending the arts program. Student artists may enter as a student for up to one (1) year after graduation; however, the work submitted must have been produced while an artist was still a student.

The 2015 NICHE Awards competition seeks NEW WORK in all categories, whether student or professional.  Submitted work must have been designed, produced or introduced after October 1, 2014 to be eligible. Work previously submitted to the competition will not be accepted. All work must be designed and made by the artist or a collaboration of artists, with all collaborators identified.


HOW TO APPLY:

The only way to enter the 2016 NICHE Awards or 2016 NICHE Student Awards is by completing an application online. Paper applications will not be accepted.

One application (and one fee) enables you to submit three pieces of work. Only one application is allowed per artist. Each application allows for up to
three pieces of work to be submitted. Artists who submit more than one application or more than three pieces will be disqualified.

No more than two pieces may be submitted in any single category. If you submit three pieces, the third piece must be entered in a different category.  You may choose to submit artworks in three different categories if you wish.

The competition is judged on a per piece basis, not on an application or portfolio basis. It is therefore possible to be a two-time or three-time finalist or winner in a given year.

Artists may enter in either the professional division or student division, but not in both in a given year.


Contest categories include ceramics, fiber, glass, metal, wood, jewelry and more!

Judging of entries is based on three main criteria:

 Technical excellence, both in surface design and form
 Distinct quality of unique, original and creative thought
 Market viability (professional entries only)


ENTRY FEES:

The cost to enter is $40 for professionals, $20 for professionals who will be exhibiting at American Made Show in 2016, and $20 for students.

Visit website for complete details including link to online application: www.nicheawards.com/guidelines

CONTACT:

NICHE Awards
3000 Chestnut Ave., Ste. 300
Baltimore MD 21211
Phone: 410-889-3093
e: awards@rosengrp.com