The Gualala Salon and Salon des Refusés returns in May 2021. The Exhibit Opens Saturday, May 15, 2021, 11 am to 7 pm.  A Members Preview is set for Friday, May 14, 11 am to 4 pm. Deadline to enter is May 3, 2021.

The Gualala Salon and Salon des Refusés has earned a reputation as the top judged and juried fine art exhibit on the Mendonoma coast. Organized and curated by the North Coast Artists Guild, the exhibit is held annually at the Gualala Arts Center and will fill three large gallery spaces with over one hundred pieces of fine art. Prestigious artists, art dealers, academics and collectors are recruited to be judges.

The judges decide which artwork will be accepted and shown in the Burnett Gallery. Work not juried into the Salon by the judges is displayed in the Salon des Refusés, located in the Elaine Jacob Foyer and Coleman Hall. Thus, all artwork submitted into the show is exhibited. Which artists have been selected into the Salon is a tightly held secret until opening night.

There is no theme for artwork entered in 2021, but the show’s concept is based on the original Paris Salon des Refusés exhibition, which took place in Paris in 1863, showing works that had been rejected by the official Paris Salon judges. These judges represented the French Academy and were advocates of a traditional, orthodox style of painting and sculpture. In 1863, they rejected almost 3,000 pieces of work, including many now considered masterpieces such as Manet’s Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe and Whistler’s Symphony in White, No. 1. The resulting furor led Emperor Napoleon Ill to mandate that a second exhibition (dubbed the “Salon des Refusés”) be organized, so that the public might judge the merits of the artwork themselves.

The NCAG Board identifies, recruits and selects the show’s judges. The judges decide which artwork will be accepted and shown in the main Burnett Gallery. All work not juried into the Salon by the judges is displayed in the Salon des Refuses, located in the foyer and Coleman Hall. Works in the Salon des Refuses are eligible for a popular vote award. Thus, all artwork submitted into the show is exhibited.

Many artists save their best new art for this exhibit, which showcases outstanding visual art without regard to type of media. The award prizes are the largest offered on the coast.

The original Salon des Refusés exhibition took place in Paris in 1863, showing works that had been rejected by the official Paris Salon judges. These judges represented the French Academy and were advocates of a traditional, orthodox style of painting and sculpture. In 1863, they rejected almost 3,000 pieces of work, including many now considered masterpieces such as Manet’s Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe and Whistler’s Symphony in White, No. 1.

The resulting furor led Emperor Napoleon III to mandate that a second exhibition (dubbed the “Salon des Refuses”) be organized­­, so that the public might judge the merits of the artwork themselves. In the spirit of the original Paris Salon des Refusés, all visitors to the Gualala Salon des Refusés are able to vote for the “People’s Choice” awards. In fact, many artists prefer to be selected as a “refusé” to receive the public’s opinion. This is a wonderful opportunity for artists to stretch themselves and experiment.