Fine Art Merit and Purchase Award Program - The Georgia National Fair Fine Arts Merit Awards Program gives the patron the opportunity to reward an artist for a piece that may not have won a ribbon, but the patron feels has merit. The patron pledges a certain amount which is awarded to the artist, but the artist retains possession of the piece. Patrons may pledge any amount, but there is a minimum pledge of $75.
Preview night for Merit Awards will be held during the week prior to the opening of the Fair, at which time you will place your ribbon and receive your complimentary admission passes. A notice will be mailed to you in September. If you are unable to attend the preview party, please consider sending a representative in your place to make your selection.
Artists-for-Art awards are given by artists to be awarded to artists. A total of $700 was given in 2021 for these special awards, which enabled us to award seven $100 merit awards to Georgia artists. Artists may pledge any amount, but to become a participant in this award program, a minimum donation of $40 is required. Your name will be listed in a special section of our 2022 Fine Arts Brochure which will be posted on our web site at http://www.georgianationalfair.com/home-arts-fine-arts/. You may attend the preview party or you may opt to have your passes mailed to you. Artists for Art Merit Award Ribbons will be placed by the Fine Arts Department.
The Georgia National Fair Fine Arts Purchase Awards Program benefits both the patron and the artist. Patrons have the opportunity to view the art prior to the opening of the show and to purchase some pieces at a rate lower than the price to the general public. And of course, artists are encouraged by additional funds made available for their work.
Patrons may commit a minimum of $50 for a purchase award. (Many amateur artists price some very nice work for that amount.) All amounts promised will be considered firm commitments.
Additionally, a patron may choose more than one piece from a single artist if the amount of money the patron has committed covers the sale price for the two (or more) pieces. Or, the patron has an option of adding an amount to the committed award in order to purchase two pieces from the same artist. For example, if a patron has committed a purchase award of $150 and an artist has one piece for $90 and another piece for $80, the patron may pay an additional $20 and get the two pieces. Once a patron has met their commitment, they may purchase additional pieces from other artists at the regular price or contact the artist regarding a lesser price.
REMEMBER THAT YOU MAY ALWAYS PAY MORE THAN YOUR COMMITTED PRICE, BUT YOU MAY NEVER PAY LESS! PREVIEW AND SELECTION PARTY FOR ALL PATRONS WILL BE HELD PRIOR TO THE OPENING OF THE FAIR, at which time you will receive your complimentary admission passes. (You will receive notification in September.) ALL CHECKS ARE TO BE MADE PAYABLE TO THE ARTIST WHEN THE PURCHASE IS MADE.
If you are interested in either our Fine Art Merit, Artist-for-Art, or Purchase Award Program, you will find our printable forms under the Information heading below. NEW THIS YEAR - Receiving of entries will be on Saturdays only from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To allow for better management of traffic flow and avoid long wait times, we ask that if you are bringing entries for a group, or bringing 20 or more entries, please contact us at
contests@gnfa.com or call 478-988-6555 to make an appointment.
To view 2021 competition results, CLICK HERE.