INTERNATIONAL SCULPTURE CONTEST - ITALY

The Pro Loco Signa marks the sixth edition of the sculpture award “Maria Grazia Vaccari” reserved for young artists. The competition was set up in memory of Maria Grazia Vaccari, a citizen of Signa, a sculptor at an international level, for many years an Opificio delle Pietre Dure, then deputy director of the Bargello National Museum and finally director of the Palazzo Davanzati Museum of Florence.

Purposes

• bring out young artists
• revitalize, through a contemporary language, the art of terracotta for which Signa was famous thanks to the works of the Signa Manufactory and the ceramic workshops
• make the territory of the Municipality of Signa communicate with contemporary art

Material and Technique

Each artist can present only one sketch, with a maximum height of 50 cm.
The sketch in terracotta should be presented as much as possible with the characteristics that are intended to confer to the final work, from cooking to surface finishes (patinas, colors, etc.).
The work will have to be realized in terracotta, with possible integration of other materials for a possible supporting structure.
The work must appear anonymous and therefore not include in any part names, acronyms etc.

Place

The artists are invited to get acquainted with the natural park of the Renai di Signa, where the winning work will be inserted. ( http://www.prolocosigna.it/notizie/2018/il-parco-dei-renai-disigna ).

Selection method

The sketches submitted in the competition will be examined by a special jury composed of five members appointed by the organization and made up of personalities with specific artistic and cultural skills. The jury's judgment is unquestionable and irrevocable. The jury carries out its activity for free and will decide the winner who will have to make the work as sketched on a larger scale for a height of at least 150 cm. and a maximum of 200 cm., however to be agreed with the oganization before the realization.
By September 2019 the artist will have to deliver the work to place it in the Parco dei Renai, subject to agreements with the organization.
The jury reserves the right not to award the prize if no work worthy of awarding is identified.

Award ceremony
The works will be temporarily exhibited to the public in the historic Pieve di San Lorenzo a Signa.
The award ceremony will take place on November 24, 2018 at 16.00 always in the Pieve di San Lorenzo.
The construction and transport of the work are entirely at the expense of the winning artist, who will receive a sum of € 3,500.00 (three thousand five hundred euros) at the time of installation of the sculpture in the Parco dei Renai.
On the occasion of the award ceremony, a catalog will be printed in which all the works participating in the competition will be presented.
The installation of the aforementioned work will be at the expense of the Associazione Pro Loco di Signa.
All the artists will receive a certificate of participation.
The winning work and the related sketch will be owned by the PRO LOCO Association of Signa.
The works not awarded will be available to be returned to the owners on the day of the award ceremony (November 24, 2018), at the own expense of the participants, or the following week in the ways, times and places communicated by PRO LOCO of Signa. Once the deadline has expired, the remaining works will be considered property of the PRO LOCO of Signa, which will be able to set up an auction and the proceeds will go to support the sculpture contest of the following year. Participants will not receive any compensation, reimbursement of expenses or gratuities, outside the prize provided for the winner.

Variations
The organization reserves the right to adopt supplementary measures or modifiers of this regulation, with an organizational-functional nature without altering its substance, which will be published on the Pro Loco website.
If, due to technical-organizational reasons or due to force majeure, the event can not take place at the scheduled time and place, the organization reserves the right to adopt other appropriate solutions that will be promptly communicated to those directly involved.

How to apply
The application form must be made exclusively in editable electronic format (not scanned) and must be sent by e-mail to: info@prolocosigna.it  by: 25 September 2018.
The application must contain:

• the participation form - in digital Word or PDF format and available on the website www.prolocosigna.it completed in its entirety and signed by the artist. The signing also implies full acceptance of the rules of the regulation and the authorization, for the organization, to the processing of personal data, the withholding of the presented work, which is the winner, and the reproduction of all the works in competition in the photo, video or other.
• The artistic curriculum - in digital Word format - compiled according to the model available on the website www.prolocosigna.it .
• The successful registration will be confirmed by e-mail.

The works must be received from Saturday 3 to Thursday 8 November 2018 - Information Point, P.zza Stazione, Signa - from Tuesday to Friday 15.30 - 19.30 and Saturday 9.30 - 13.30.
It is required that the works, at the time of delivery, are packaged to ensure storage and allow transportation in total safety.
The artists are invited to transport the work presented by the Information Point to the Pieve di San Lorenzo during the exhibition. If these were not possible, the Pro Loco makes itself available for this service, however, assuming no responsibility.

The costs for sending and withdrawing the work are the responsibility of the participant and will not be evaluated and exhibited damaged sculptures.
In addition to sculpture, the artist must send - always in digital Word format - via e-mail to the e-mail address: info@prolocosigna.it a form containing the following data:

• Name and surname of the artist
• Title of the work
• Description of the work
• Technique used
• Dimensions