Oliver Community Arts Council
OLIVER CREATES TERMS AND GUIDELINES
Oliver Creates is a Collaborative Art Show & Sale presented by the Oliver Community Arts Council.
The OCAC is a not-for-profit, charitable organization run entirely by volunteers whose mandate is to promote all the arts in the community.
VOLUNTEERS
We invite all artists and other individuals to participate in the work of organizing and staffing the show. Please lend a hand by indicating your time preference on the entry form or via our Volunteer page.
ELIGIBILITY
Oliver Creates is open to all artists, with OCAC members receiving an entry fee reduction. Membership applications are here. Group or Business Memberships cannot be applied to multiple individual artist entries. Businesses which are sole proprietorship or limited partnerships may enter as an individual.
Artists may submit in all categories, with a maximum of two entries in each category.
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All artwork must be entirely original and produced entirely by the entrant. No commercial kits, patterns, or artwork produced during instructed lesson are permitted. Entrants are responsible for any necessary third-party releases, e.g. a model. No reproductions or copies of other artist’s work will be accepted. If art is related to work by another artist, a clear statement of acknowledgment must accompany your entry.
Artwork must not have been shown in any previous OCAC Fall Art Show & Sale.
There can be no substitutions of artwork after entry deadline date.
The OCAC reserves the right to disqualify and remove any artwork it deems to be of an inappropriate nature.
PUBLICITY WAIVER
By entering Oliver Creates and signing your registration form, permission is given to the Oliver Community Arts Council to photograph works for publicity and documentary purposes including promotion of the show on the OCAC website, social media and on local media. All unauthorized photographers will be asked to refrain from taking close-up or high resolution photographs of any work without prior artist approval.
VOTING AND AWARDS
Public voting is on Saturday until close. Visitors and artists are eligible to vote for their favourite in each category. One ballot per person.
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Awards are given to the top three entries in each category, provided there are at least five entries in the category. If fewer than five entries are in a category, only the first prize will be awarded. No prizes are awarded when only 1-2 entries are in a category. The Balloting Committee reserves the right to issue Honourable Mention certificates where they deem fit. ALL entries remain eligible for “Best in Show”. An Awards ceremony will take place at 5:00 pm on Saturday.
FEES
Fees are non-refundable. Cash and cheques are accepted and must be payable to: Oliver Community Arts Council. Mail to: OCAC, PO Box 1711, Oliver, BC V0H 1T0. E-transfers are also accepted. Please remit to olivercac@gmail.com with a note in memo “Oliver Creates entry fee.”
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| OCAC Individual/Family/Business member | $20 first entry | $15 second entry |
| **Non-OCAC members | $25 per entry |
| Emerging Artist (age 13-18 as of September 5) | $10 per entry |
| Budding Artist (age 12 and under as of September 5) | No Fee |
| CreateAbility Member | No Fee |
** If you enter two works as a non-OCAC member, why not become a member? The extra $15 you spend could be applied to an individual membership!
REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Submit your entry form by mail to OCAC at address above OR in person at the Oliver Tourism Centre on Station Street in Oliver (during business hours). Maximum two entries per artist.
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EARLYBIRD PRIZE: All entry forms (with fees paid) received or postmarked by 5:00pm August 19, 2026 will be entered into a draw for one FREE entry. That entry form can be marked as a free entry and the fee refunded OR you may choose to enter a second (free) entry.
SALES
Art will be either NFS (not for sale) or for sale. A 30% commission is retained by OCAC on all sales made during the show. Sales of artwork will be handled solely by OCAC. No private sales or sales agreements between artist and purchaser are permitted during the period of the show.
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Standard etiquette is that any private sale resulting from the purchaser previously seeing the artwork displayed at an exhibit still honours this commission paid to the organizer. A cheque for the balance will be mailed to the artist once all aspects of the sale are completed. Every effort is made to finalize payment within 30 days.
INSURANCE
The Oliver Creates committee will take the utmost care in handling the artwork but cannot be responsible for loss or damage. Insurance for loss, damage or theft of artworks is the sole responsibility of the artist and not of the OCAC nor the venue nor the event organizers.
SUBMISSIONS
List all media used on the back of your entry form. This will help us answer questions from viewers and voters at the OC. We expect the artist will choose the most appropriate category in good faith. Be sure to refer to Category Definitions.
LABELLING
Label artwork clearly and firmly on the back or underside with artist’s name and artwork title.
ART WORK DROP OFF
Friday, September 19, 2026 starting at 8 a.m. at the Eastlink Curling Centre, 735 McKinney Road, Oliver BC.
DISPLAY CRITERIA
Artwork must be display-ready: DRY, FRAMED or FINISHED edges, including a HANGING WIRE or ROD.
All information affecting display MUST appear on the entry form. We reserve the right to refuse artwork not display-ready. NO refund will be given. Display Committee decisions regarding placement of artwork will prevail. No artist shall ask to change displays of artwork.
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Two-dimensional (2-D) artwork: dimensions, framed or unframed, not to exceed 48”wide x 48” high. Multi-panel (diptychs, triptychs, etc.) accepted as one entry; however, the whole work cannot exceed the 48” limitations. Hanging wire only is acceptable providing no staples are showing; however, these too must have hanging wire.
A few oversized works may be approved with committee consent before entry deadline.
Three-dimensional (3-D) stand alone artwork: NO dimensions can exceed 60”, nor exceed 40lbs weight. Plinths are available for smaller works. Include any unconventional method of displaying on your entry form. With prior approval, 3-D artists may provide their own display supports in keeping with in the restricted size guideline.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Artists may submit a typed explanation of their entry, an artist’s statement or biography on one single or double-sided letter-sized page. It may include photos (of the artist, the work, the process, and/or other works) with text.
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Statements will be available for viewing in a binder in the exhibit area. A symbol on the art title card will direct viewers to read the statement, so please indicate on your entry form if you are submitting a statement. This allows us to prepare the art title card, including a symbol, in advance.
Longer statements or hand-written notes will not be accepted. It is recommended that statements be presented with artwork on the day of the show. If mailing with your entry form, please mail flat in a stiff envelope.
ARTWORK PICKUP
5:15 – 5:45 Sunday at the Oliver Eastlink Curling Rink, 735 McKinney Rd, Oliver, BC V0H 1T3.
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Your ARTWORK PICKUP TICKET is on the bottom of the entry form. Please leave it attached! Fill in your NAME, artwork TITLE and CATEGORY. List the person (if other than yourself) who will be picking up the artwork on your behalf and their contact phone and email. Your ARTWORK PICKUP TICKET will be reviewed and given to you when you submit your artwork on Saturday morning. Keep it safe or give it to the person retrieving your work. No artwork will be released without this receipt.
Please respect the pickup times listed. No (unsold) artwork is to be removed before conclusion of the show. The venue will be vacated and LOCKED at 5:00pm. Please wait outside for OCAC personnel to secure the exits form 5:00-5:15pm. NO artwork will be removed except by designated OCAC personnel. Please follow the direction of our volunteers to ensure the safety of your artwork. We appreciate your patience very much.
Artwork not picked up at this time will be charged a storage fee of $10 per day to a maximum of 7 days. After this time, the artwork will be disposed of at the discretion of the OCAC.
