Introduction
The established Kirstenbosch Botanical Art Biennale has become a well loved and attended show, drawing diverse and enthusiastic crowds to the gardens bursting with the promise of spring. The 2010 exhibition supported by Old Mutual will focus on rare, endangered and narrow endemic species indigenous to southern Africa. SANBI (South African National Biodiversity Institute) intends to highlight and stimulate interest about the plight of these plants to the public through botanical art. The theme provides an invigorating artistic challenge and encourages artists to build relationships with conservation organisations, scientists, artists and horticulturists. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens and affiliated organisations nationally and internationally will assist artists by providing material, where possible, supplying lists of growers, and indicating flowering times.

Venue
World-renowned Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens has been a centre for the study and appreciation of plants. It is a fitting venue to showcase art that is intimately linked with the scientific work done there. The exhibition has Old Mutual’s generous support and will be held at the Old Mutual Conference Centre at Kirstenbosch.

Supporting the Rare & Endangered Theme
The ethics of engaging with proper procedures when painting plants, particularly rare and endangered ones, in the wild or from live material cannot be stressed enough. It is vital that their habitats are left undisturbed and material is secured through legitimate sources. SANBI would prefer participating artists to become affiliated with a supporting organization for guidance in locating plants in public collections or in the wild. To this end, the Millennium Seed Bank Project (MSBP) and The Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wild Flowers (CREW) and the Botanical Artist’s Association of Southern Africa (BAASA) also support this initiative. The BAASA (www.baasa.co.za) and SANBI (www.sanbi.org) websites both have up to date information about flowering times and available material.

Call for entries
All artists who make botanically accurate, original renditions of the flora of southern Africa are invited to enter the show. There is an non-refundable entry fee of R 150.00. Registration forms and all information can be found on the SANBI website by clicking the Biennale link.

Awards
The judging panel will award individually engraved, sought-after gold, silver and bronze medals to the work which shows excellence in all areas of the judging criteria. Medalists and the Kirstenbosch Biennale Lifetime Achievement Award winner will be announced at the prestigious opening ceremony on 4 September 2010.

Judging Criteria
The panel of judges will consider all original works of art in two-dimensional media. Watercolour, gouache, oil, acrylic, tempera, collage, pen, pencil and limited edition works of etching, engraving, linocut, silk-screen and woodcut are acceptable. FOUR works must be submitted. Each of the four works should demonstrate a high level of competency individually and as part of the group and will be judged on:

• Botanical accuracy
• Technical ability and compositional aptitude
• Creating an exhibit that has unity and aesthetic appeal
• Making a unique contribution to botanical art

Selection Process
All new and second time Kirstenbosch Biennale entrant’s work will be evaluated by a pre-selection panel. These artists will be notified in writing as to the success of their applications, within two weeks after the pre-selection panel has convened. Both panels are comprised of botanists, botanical artists, collectors, art historians and other experts within the field. The judges decision is final and the panel reserves the right to withhold the entry to the show of work of exempt artists. No correspondence will be entered into about the results of either judging process.

Registration Deadline: 5 July 2010 15:00
ALL ARTISTS who intend to submit work must submit their registration form, fee, FOUR scanned works, artist’s biography and artist’s commentary to the secretary by post, hand or email BEFORE or by Monday 5 July 2010. Late or incomplete submissions can not be considered under any circumstances. ALL four works must be scanned or digitally photographed, properly named and emailed or submitted on CD (use guidelines provided). Please make sure the digital images submitted are good quality so as to not prejudice your work negatively. Backgrounds must be clean (not grey) and the image clear and in focus.

Conclusion
The Kirstenbosch Botanical Art Biennale strives to improve botanical art in South Africa. Our artists are held in high esteem internationally and the competition provides a platform for the South African public and visitors to South Africa to enjoy and appreciate some of the best botanical work in the country. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens anticipates a varied, challenging and exciting 2010 show built on the continued dedication and passion of our talented artists. Protea pityphylla, also known as the Ceres Sugarbush, is a narrow endemic of the southwestern Cape, confined to sandstone slopes in fynbos of the Hex River Mountains south of Ceres and thesouthern Olifants River Mountains near Porterville. The term ‘narrow endemic’ is descriptive of a species with a very limited distribution range, usually restricted to a particular habitat.

Important Information
EXHIBITION DATES: 5 – 24 September 2010
ARTWORK SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 26 August 2010 15:00
Submit framed work before or on deadline at the Videorama, KirstenboschVisitor’s Centre.

KIRSTENBOSCH BIENNALE CONTACT DETAILS
Email: botart@sanbi.org  Fax: (021) 761 5626
Courier Address: Kirstenbosch Biennale, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens Visitor’s Centre, Rhodes Avenue, Newlands, Cape Town.

Competition Rules
PLANT IDENTIFICATION: Ensure that paintings are accurately identified using current, correctly spelled botanical names.
LOCATION: Only plants indigenous to southern Africa may be submitted for consideration.
Please note: The official SANBI definition of southern Africa includes only South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Lesotho.
ORIGINAL WORKS: Only works made from live plant material or the artist’s own photographs and sketches will be considered. Any work found to be based on other images, painted or photographic will be disqualified.
PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT: Any artist found to be engaging in unethical behaviour regarding the collecting of rare and endangered plant material will be disqualified from the competition. This includes collecting material without consent from the correct organisations and maliciously damaging or wasting material that has been collected at the expense of SANBI and other co-operating organisations.
RARE, ENDANGERED & NARROW ENDEMIC: Artists must submit four works, at least one work must be of a plant from this list.
LATE ENTRIES will not be considered.
WORKS FOR SALE: Three out of the four works must be for sale.

Explaining Judging Criteria
Botanical accuracy is achieved through observation and knowledge of plant morphology. Artworks should be of sufficient accuracy to allow the identification of the species.

Technical ability and compositional aptitude: the artist should demonstrate a high level of skill in the application of the chosen medium, for example in accurate colour matching, brush control, creation of form and tone as well as good compositional skills.

Creating an exhibit that has unity and aesthetic appeal: the artist should consider the overall impact of the four works together as well as the composition of each piece, aiming to transform accurate and finely rendered illustration into an inspiring group of artworks.

Making a unique contribution to botanical art: the artist should create artworks with a unique and personal approach. The works may be challenging in terms of the material that is chosen to depict, or the rendering thereof or they may be presented in a unique and inspiring way. The artist should demonstrate skill and insight that contributes to the art form. This may be achieved either within the traditional form or by pushing the limits. All four judging criteria hold equal weight and works that demonstrate high levels of skill in all areas will be acknowledged.

Exhibition Catalogue
The catalogue enhances the audience’s experience of the show, it is a memorable keepsake which potentially reaches a wide audience. The catalogue is a powerful promotional tool and a valuable reference. In the interests of striving to improve the catalogue all 4 works, a short passage about the submission and a biography will be included. The artist’s commentary is a short, precise paragraph of 50 – 150 words explaining the thinking behind the submission. This should be comprehensible by people of all ages and walks of life. The artist’s biography (50 – 150 words) should be relevant to the artist’s botanical art career and training. (Include awards, names of collections and publications in which work appears and a summary of important exhibitions including previous Kirstenbosch Biennales. Interesting information about current projects may be included). N.B. Artists who appear in the 2008 catalogue need only update their biography and send a new artist’s commentary.

SCANNING GUIDELINES (please follow carefully)
1] Size: as close to A6 (105 x 148 mm) as the original format allows. 1MB per scan.

2] Format: 300 dpi high quality jpeg. (Don’t spend vast sums on high end scans when 1 MB scans are adequate for the catalogue, and the SANBI server allows max 1MB files).

3] Name: each scan – SurnameInitial_Botanical name
(StewartK_Boophone disticha)

INSURANCE
Artworks are insured against fire, theft and water damage from 29 August 2010 until 27 September 2010. SANBI accepts no liability for works not collected.

Shipping & Delivery of Artworks
Artists are responsible for shipping and courier costs both to and from the venue. Any import/export duties incurred must be covered by the artist. Work must be properly crated for shipping to avoid breakages. Work being shipped must be mounted using acrylic glass. Crates will be returned to artists, so label them clearly. Work that arrives damaged will be re-framed at the artist’s expense.

REGISTRATION FEE: R 150.00
The non refundable registration fee is payable by cash, cheque or EFT

1] Cheques to be made out to: SANBI (S.A. National Biodiversity Institute)

2] Direct electronic transfers: SANBI, Nedbank Cheque Account: 1046 361635 Branch Code (Cavendish Square): 104609, Swift Code: NEDSZAJJ Fax/email proof of payment with reference Kirstenbosch Biennale and artist’s surname

Framing , Mounting
Mount work on neutral boards with complimentary frames, do not use non reflective glass.

Pre -show promotions & publicity
Previous exhibitors are requested to email any work they have already completed for 2010. These images will be utilised in our extensive media campaign to promote and publicise the show. SANBI reserves the right to use any images for the purpose of promotion.

EXHIBITION SALES
Artists are required to submit at least THREE works for sale at the show. SANBI charges 30% commission on work sold. The price you submit on the entry form must INCLUDE 30% commission. Payment will be made via EFT into your account within 30 days of the closing of the exhibition.
After show sales: A commission of 20% should be paid to SANBI on any work sold due to exposure received through the exhibition, after the show closes.

COLLECTION DATE 27 September 2010 15:00
All artwork must be collected by 15:00. Uncollected work will incur a daily storage fee.

SPECIFIC Enquiries can be directed to:
Specimen co-ordinators:
Anthony Hitchcock
tel: +27 (0)21 799 8760
email: hitchcockan@sanbi.org

Millenium Seed Bank: Carly Cowell
tel: +27 (0)21 799 8693
email: cowell@sanbi.org

Details of the biennale team will be released closer exhibition time.

General enquiries about the competition can be directed to
BAASA (http://www.baasa.co.za)

Western Cape Chairperson, Jenny Bryce:
tel: +27 (0)21 788 1593
cell: +27 (0)72 178 8268
email: jen-johnbryce@telkomsa.net

Gauteng Chairperson, Paddy Balsdon
tel: +27 (0)11 2685313
cell: +27 (0)83 251 1125
email: paddyb@telkomsa.net

KZN Chairperson, Fransie Pretorius
tel: +27 (0)31 266 6422
cell: +27 (0)82 929 9685
email: fransiep@telkomsa.net


SOUTH AFRICAN National Botanical Gardens :
Kirstenbosch, Cape Town tel: +27 (0)21 799 8757
Pretoria tel: +27 (0)12 843 5104
KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg tel: +27 (0)33 344 3585
Walter Sisulu, Johannesburg tel: +27 (0)11 958 1750
Halold Porter, Betty’s Bay tel: +27 (0)28 272 9311
Free State NBG, Bloem tel : +27 (0)51 436 3612
Hantam, Nieuwoudtville tel: +27 (0)27 218 1200
Karoo Desert, Worcester tel: +27 (0)23 347 0785
Lowveld, Nelspruit tel: +27 (0)13 752 5531

Registration Form
click here to download

Submission Form
click here to download

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Protea pityphylla, also known as the Ceres Sugarbush, is a narrow endemic of the southwestern Cape, confined to sandstone slopes in fynbos of the Hex River Mountains south of Ceres and the southern Olifants River Mountains near Porterville. The term ‘narrow endemic’ is descriptive of a species with a very limited distribution range, usually restricted to a particular habitat.