SLIDE TIP SHEET: General Tips
Note: Artist Trust only accepts slides for the Twining Humber Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement and the EDGE Professional Development Program for Artists.

Labeling and Presentation

• Take care to ensure the quality of your slides. Plastic slide mounts are preferable. Cardboard mounts will bend and split. Bent slides and slide mounts that are too thick will jam a carousel and destroy your slides.

• Always put your name on each slide in case any get separated from your slide sheet or the carousel (accidents do happen!). Also include the title, medium, date completed, and dimensions. Slides with no name usually cannot be returned to the owner and will be tossed out. Include copyright: © and year.

• When labeling your slides, always do so on the front of the slide or the non-screen side of your slide. Almost all manufacturers indicate on the slide mount which side is the screen side. This is the back of your slide. You may be requested to indicate the “FRONT” of your slide. For slides for Artist Trust grant applications write "Top and Front" on the top and front of your slide. Read all grant applications carefully for specific slide instructions.

• Indicate the TOP of each slide. Some applications direct you to place an arrow indicating the TOP, others request a red dot in the lower left hand corner of the slide, and some require you to write the word "TOP" on the slide.

• Number your slides in the order you would like them viewed. Make sure these numbers correspond to your annotated slide list (aka Work Sample Descripition). It is helpful to find out how your slides will be reviewed, i.e. two at a time, side by side, or three or four at a time. This information can help you organize and number your slides. Take the time to plan how you would like the jury/selection panel to see your work. Artist Trust views slides side-by-side, two at a time.

• It is OK to write directly on your slides when labeling them. If you use self-stick computer labels, use those that are designed specifically as slide labels. Make sure they are securely attached to your slide. Do not use masking tape or any other kind of tape to label your slides. You can also get your labeling information preprinted on your slide mounts.

• When indicating dimensions of an artwork, the standard measurement is height x width x depth, recorded in inches. An example – 12 x 6 x 2”.
  
  
• Do not send original slides or your only copy. If they get lost or damaged you will be out of luck.
  

• Using professional photographic silver tape to mask out an unwanted backdrop is acceptable. Silver tape can be purchased at a photo supply shop or through mail order. Silver tape is not duct tape.

• To organize your slides and to protect them during mailing or transport, use a plastic slide sheet with your name, address, and telephone number clearly indicated on the slide sheet.

• Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope to better ensure the return of your slides. If you are submitting more than 4 slides, do not use a #10 business envelope. It is very difficult to try to fit 20 slides in a business envelope.
  

• Before you select you slides review them on a projector. It is also helpful to see other artist's slides for ideas and to make comparisons.

• Make sure your slides are in focus and properly lit. The panel must be able to see your work. The image of the art should be clear, and the backdrop or background should not be noticeable. Avoid fancy backdrops and do not take slides of your artwork propped up against a trash can or on your living room sofa.

• Submit slides that clearly represent what your work is about.

• All the slides you submit for a grant should work together as a whole; the medium, style, subject and content of each slide should compliment each other.
  

• Always include an annotated slide list with your slides unless specifically directed not to.

• Make sure your name is on the Description Sheet/Slide List.

• This list should be in numerical order and correspond to the numbers on the digital files as you have ordered them.

• Include this information for each image: title, medium, date completed, and dimensions (H” x W” x D”). You may also include an annotation, which includes any other details about the piece that are not apparent in the slide (in a sentence or two).

Additional Tips on Submitting Slides of Your Art:

Keep in mind that jurors, museum curators, art dealers, and art administrators are sometimes looking at thousands of slides at one time. The less time they spend trying to answer the following questions, the more time they will have to look at your art:

“Where is the art in this slide?”

The image of the art should be clear, and the backdrop should not be noticeable. To achieve this, have the work photographed with a plain or neutral background. Avoid dramatic or fancy backdrops and block out everything that is not part of the art with silver slide tape. This silver tape is available at all photo stores.

“Are these slides by the same person?”

Even if it represents only a segment of your work, choose pieces that are similar in style and medium. This will give you a clear and memorable identity.

“Which way is up?”

No matter how obvious it is to you, it is extremely crucial that you mark “TOP” on each slide, indicating the top when you hold the slide in your hand and view it. Using dot stickers is ineffective because people place dots in many different places.

“Who’s Work? How Big? What is it made of?”

Always put your name on your slide in case it gets separated from your group or the carousel (these accidents happen frequently!) Slides with no name usually cannot be returned to the owner. Don’t make the jurors guess! It is smart to put the medium and dimensions on the slide label for easy reference in case the slide isn’t handy. Sending a slide list doesn’t guarantee it is handy when the juror looks at your slide. Also include the title of the work and the date of the work in the slide.

Other things to think about when submitting slides for review:
Follow the directions of the program. If the request is for four slides, do not send six. The extra slides will not be seen and are at risk of getting lost.

If additional materials are requested (such as a resume), send only those materials requested. Chances are any additional materials will never be seen.

Do not send original slides or your only copy of them. Slide duplicates are fairly inexpensive and you will never have to fear permanent damage or loss.

Keep in mind that your slides may be looked at in a completely random order.

Bent slides and loose labels will jam a carousel and destroy slides. Take care to ensure the quality of your slides and labels.

Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return of your slides.

There are reasons other than winning to submit slides to a jury…
Most members of a jury want to know who’s out there. They follow your development as an artist from year to year and keep their own lists of people to track and can recommend you to curators and collectors. It can be a very effective way to make your own work known, and to stay visible, especially if you do not get many opportunities to exhibit publicly.