Resources, rules, and other things to know

Details and overview

We recommend you read all the rules before e-mailing us with questions! Don't let the rules scare you – they're just here to help clarify the details!

Please send your sketchbook to:

Art House Co-op
C/o Sketchbook Project
103A N. 3rd St
Brooklyn, NY 11249

Project Overview

After you sign up to participate in the project, we'll send you a package containing a custom-designed Sketchbook Project sketchbook with a barcode on it, your chosen theme, and detailed instructions about the project.

Themes

When you sign up for the project you will be able to choose from a list of 40 themes. The themes are supposed to be a starting point, not a restriction, so remember to keep an open mind and consider the theme to be a guide.

The Exhibitions and Permanent Collection

After receiving the completed sketchbooks, the entire 2012 collection is exhibited on an international tour. Every completed sketchbook that we receive back in time will be included on the 2012 tour and cataloged and displayed in our permanent collection at the Brooklyn Art Library.

All dates and cities for the tour are subject to change.

The Digital Library

For a $20 fee, we will digitize your sketchbook and upload it to our online Library website. This means that people will be able to view your entire book online, leave comments, and tag it with subjects, media and other attributes. Sorry, but we cannot accept your own scanned images for upload to the website. This is a long process and the $20.00 goes toward the costs of manually scanning each page, building and maintaining the online database, and hosting the website.

Your Book

Don't forget that your sketchbook is touring the country with us - we don't want to be stuck in a car with your book if it's covered in foul-smelling chemicals or constantly dispersing glitter! Please try to avoid the use of ties, sharp metal objects, random plastic things, art materials that could smudge, glitter, or any hazardous materials. Please note that although participants are welcome to rebind the books, the overall dimensions should not change and the width of the book should be not more than one inch across.

Notifications

Follow your book as it journeys across the continent! As a participating artist, you'll be able to receive e-mail or text message notifications each and every time your book is checked out and read! Follow your sketchbook from city to city and connect with other artists and visitors as they experience your work. We're not responsible for dropped texts, e-mail notifications that get sorted to the junk folder, or the costs associated with receiving text messages. Please note that notification settings can be changed at any time by logging in to your account.

Entry Fees

This is a massive, international project and there are many costs associated with its operation. Your entry fee isn't paying for a sketchbook – you're helping to offset material and shipping costs while supporting the Brooklyn Art Library. Your entry fee also helps cover expenses related to the maintenance of the website and digital library, supports our dedicated team of librarians, and allows thousands of sketchbooks to travel more than 20,000 miles. Phew! Unlike many galleries, we do not jury work. Everyone who sends us their completed sketchbooks postmarked by January 31st, 2012, will be included in the tour and our permanent collection.

Refunds

We do not offer refunds for artists who do not finish a sketchbook, regardless of the reason for incompletion.

Group Discounts

We offer group discounts for any group over four. We also offer discounts for educational groups – please contact us directly for more information.

Mailing your work to us:

Postmark your work by January 31st, 2012. We'll do our best to get books into the tour that are mailed after this date, but we CANNOT guarantee it.
Please do not send packages that require us to be there upon arrival or require a signature. If you do, we will do our best to receive the package. However, we are not responsible for packages returned to sender if we are not able to receive them.
We try to check in work as quickly as possible. However, it is a lengthy process, especially close to the deadline. Please be patient while waiting to receive a notification that your book has been received and cataloged. Everything we receive will be checked in at least one week prior to the first exhibition date.

Your sketchbook will not be returned

We do not return sketchbooks. Your work will be included in the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Art Library and will always be available for viewing.

NFS

The Sketchbooks are not for sale.

Images on the Art House website

All the images in artists' profiles and the project photos section are uploaded by the artist. Art House does not, and can not, upload or take photos of your work with the exception of official project digitization. If you want to upload your own images, make sure you take photos before you mail us your work.

Unforeseen Circumstances

Here at Art House, we do everything we can to keep your work in pristine condition. Unfortunately, unforeseen problems sometimes arise. We are unable to replace your work in the event of loss or damage. We are not responsible for missing, stolen, or destroyed artwork, but we'll do our best to fix anything that happens. We know sketchbooks are a bit like children and we'll treat them with care and respect!

Copyright rules

Your work is your work. We will never ever sell your physical work without your express permission. We retain the rights to use your work in promotional materials and advertising across all formats. We also reserve the rights to publish your work in an exhibition catalog or other Art House publication. We reserve all copyright to any published materials. Please note that digital images may be shared and disseminated under a noncommercial Creative Commons license, in order to better share the Sketchbook Project with a global audience.

Emailing

We will do our best to respond to your email in a timely manner. However, please remember to read through our FAQs and rules before contacting us. The best way to ask a question is to visit our support board. We cannot respond to all emails, especially around deadlines when things get extremely busy. Our thanks for your patience!

Exhibition Photos

We document each exhibition and encourage participants and visitors to take photographs of the Sketchbook Project tour. Photographs of submitted books may not be used commercially without the consent of both the artist and Art House.

Summary of rules

Everybody likes to skip this part, but we recommend you don't! We've kept it short and sweet:

If you didn't complete last year's sketchbook, we cannot accept it for this year's Project. Please sign up for the 2012 project to participate!
Your book must remain within the dimensions of 1 x 5.25 x 7.25 inches. It can open up to something wonderful (of any size), but it must fold down to the original dimensions. You are welcome to unbind, rebind or alter the book in (almost) any other way. If you want to use a thicker stock of paper, go for it, but please do not make the book larger than one-inch thick.
Your barcode must remain in place on the book – no moving or covering it. An altered or unreadable label means we have to disqualify you from the tour.
You are free and encouraged to alter, design, and work on the cover of the sketchbook!
The theme is a great starting point, but in no way is meant to be a restriction. If you feel limited by it, just loosen up and have fun. It's just a guide!
Your book must be postmarked by January 31st, 2012. No exceptions.
We do not offer refunds (including the fee for digitizing) for people who do not finish a sketchbook.
All sales are final! Please read the rules if you are unsure about signing up.
If you do not receive your sketchbook due to a shipping issue, you have until November 15, 2011, to notify us. After that date, we are unable to issue refunds or resend sketchbooks.
We reserve the right to switch sketchbook books, brands or sizes at any time without notice.