2023 Art Show & Silent Auction

Following on the footsteps of the unbelievably well-attended and triumphantly celebrated 2022 Bearly Athens Art Show during which nine local artists were selected to show us how it feels to be queer from childhood to nightlife, we are thrilled to, once again, invite submissions from Queer Artists to be considered for inclusion in the 2023 Bearly Athens Art Show & Silent Auction.

General Submission Information

Queer artists can now apply for the 2023 edition of the Bearly Athens Art Show & Silent Auction at the bottom of this page.
Queer artists can apply from any stage of their careers as long as they either live and/or work in Greece or are Greeks living and/or working in any country of the world.
Queer artists must submit five different artworks but each artwork will be judged individually and less than 5 artworks may be selected for inclusion.
There are no geographical nor thematic limitations to artwork submissions.
Artworks can have been previously exhibited or published.
Approximately 10 artists will be selected purely on the basis of the artwork submitted.
Accepted artistic disciplines are not restricted and include works on canvas/board/paper/other supports, mediums such as oil/acrylic/collage/watercolours/mixed media, photography, sculpture, fibre art and installation.
There is no specific size limit but if an intended artwork submission is larger than 200 cm on the largest side please contact us and request specific guidance prior to submitting.
If a single artwork has numerous elements that are integral parts of the same artwork such as a diptych or triptych, then it is considered as one artwork submission.
Artworks that are in a series that can be auctioned or shown individually/separately are regarded as separate submissions.
Selected artists will be announced in mid June on social media and our website. The selected artists will also be contacted by email.
Approved artists will be invited to attend the Bearly Athens Art Show & Silent Auction opening with guests but there is no requirement for artists to be personally present during Bearly Athens 2023: a bear week extravaganza.

Prizes

Submitted artworks will be judged by a panel of art experts and by the attending public - at the end of Bearly Athens 2023 Art Show & Silent Auction, the following awards may be offered:

€500 Bearly Athens 2023 Art Show Grand Woof Award
€250 Bearly Athens 2023 Award for Painting
€250 Bearly Athens 2023 Award for Sculpture/Installation
€250 Bearly Athens 2023 Award for Photography

Copyright and Social Media Permissions

The Art Show & Silent Auction of Bearly Athens 2023: a bear week extravaganza is a celebration of Greek Queer Art and our purpose is to promote art.

Therefore, permission for the posting of artworks on social media and for press publication is automatically granted by an artist when an artwork is submitted.

Images of works may be chosen and published on our social medias to promote the exhibition.

Please note that we can only post some, not all, artwork submissions on social media and that artworks published on our social media during the selection process are not automatically approved for the exhibition.

All artists that are subsequently approved for the Art Show also agree for their work to be published on our printed catalogue for the 2023 edition of the Bearly Athens Art Show.

Silent Auction

Exhibited artworks will be offered as part of our Silent Auction and part of the profits will be donated to selected non-profit organisations serving local LGBTQ+ communities.
Artists may suggest a starting bid for each of their artwork. Bearly Athens may select a higher or lower starting bid.
The Silent Auction will be run and managed by the Bearly Athens Art Show staff.
Artists will receive 50% of the winning bid for each of their artwork. The remaining 50% will be equally divided and donated in full to selected non-profit organisations serving local LGBTQ+ communities.

Printed & Online Catalogue

Each Queer Artist will have at least one work included in the printed Art Show catalogue.
Artworks and artist details will be published on the Bearly Athens website indefinitely.
Printed copies of the Art Show catalogue can be purchased online by participating Artists with a 50% discount.
Printed Art Show catalogues will be included in the Bearly Athens Bear Pass Bags for free.
Printed catalogues will be available for purchase at the Art Show for any members of the public.

Submission Fee

There is no submission fee for the Bearly Athens 2023 Art Show.

Curatorial Study

All artworks are hung and curated by the Bearly Athens 2023 team.
All artworks on canvas, panel or paper must be gallery stretched (at least 35 mm deep) or appropriately framed/mounted and ready to hang with string, hooks or other hanging fixtures.

Artwork Transport

Artworks can be shipped in advance to a designated address or delivered by hand directly to the venue. We will send the designated shipping address in due course to selected artists.
Transport and related costs are the responsibility of the artist.

Artwork Return

For artwork returns, we repack the artwork in its original packaging and add new soft packaging where appropriate for free. Once the artwork is packed, we can provide quotes for return shipping from transporters that cover Athens, Greece. Alternatively, artists can organise their own return transport based on the size and weight of the packed artwork. We assist at every step but we just do not cover the transportation cost.
After the exhibition ends, artwork that was not successfully bid for must be collected - collection must be organised within 4 weeks of an artist being informed that the artwork is ready for pickup.
Artworks that are not collected within 4 weeks will be considered "donated" and will be offered to charity, local hospitals, nursing homes or other care giving institutions.

How to Apply

Submissions can only be made personally by artists - submissions will not be accepted if made "on behalf of artists."
Click on the button “Apply Now” below to enter the application process.
Queer Artists who meet the entry criteria described above can enter the selection process and subsequently send artwork images no later than the 15th of June 2023.

Apply Now