NOVICE & OPEN

21 CATEGORIES

GOURDS MUST PREDOMINATE.

INDICATE ON YOU ENTRY FORM WHICH DIVISION YOU ARE ENTERING AND SPECIFY THE CATEGORY BY NUMBER AND TITLE.

MASTERS DIVISION

4 CATEGORIES

GOURDS MUST PREDOMINATE.

INDICATE ON YOU ENTRY FORM WHICH DIVISION YOU ARE ENTERING AND SPECIFY THE CATEGORY BY NUMBER AND TITLE.

• Category 1: Hand Carving - Carving on the surface of the gourd. It may be chipped, gouged or chiseled. Other media/embellishments may be used.
• Category 2: Power Carving -Carving on the surface of the gourd. Other media or embellishments permitted.
• Category 3: A to Z - Choose a letter of the alphabet and use it as an inspiration to decorate a whole or cut gourd.
• Category 4:  Inlay - Inlay must be the focal point but other techniques and media may be used.
• Category 5: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Incorporate any recycled item(s) to enhance the design of a gourd
• Category 6: Miniature - May be any subject but may not exceed 3 inches in any direction.
• Category 7: Wearable Gourd Accessory - any wearable item, for example, a purse, hat, or jewelry
• Category 8: Team Work - Create a gourd piece with one or more other CGS members. One or multiple gourds and any media can be used.
• Category 9: Decorated, Long or Short Handled Dipper gourd - Use a single gourd, whole or cut.
• Category 10: Mask - Any type. Eyes may be cut or not cut out. Must be fitted with a hanger for display.
• Category 11:  Dolls and Figures - Create a single piece featuring 2 or more figures using one or multiple gourds. Figures should be unified in some way. For example mounted on a base.
• Category 12: Painting - Use any paint medium on a single whole or cut gourd. Other techniques such as carving or pyrography not permitted.
• Category 13: Pyrography - A single, un-cut gourd featuring wood burning. Coloring may be used.
• Category 14: Clay - Use any type of clay (e.g. polymer, paper, self-hardening, ceramic, etc) to create texture, relief or design on a single gourd.
• Category 15: Indigenous peoples of the world- Create a gourd reflective of the style or culture of any indigenous people anywhere in the world.
• Category 16: “Red” - Create a piece featuring the color red. Any subject or medium acceptable. One or multiple gourds may be used.
• Category 17: The Gilded Gourd - create a gourd using a metallic sheen as a major feature or focal point.
• Category 18: Utilitarian gourd object - May use more than one gourd but must be of practical use.
• Category 19: “Down ‘n Dirty” - Use the natural/uncleaned gourd skin to enhance your design on a single gourd.
• Category 20: Closed coil basketry - Use closed coil basketry on the rim of a gourd as a feature/ focal point . Other decoration to the gourd permitted.
• Category 21: . “Inspired by the art of Larry McClelland” -In honor of our recent loss of this very active CGS member and art competition competitor, Larry McClelland, this special category is added to the 2010 California Gourd Society Gourd Art Competition. Entries should reflect the kind of whimsy, color, imaginative use of gourd forms and creativity that characterize Larry’s work.

• Category 1: Inlay - Inlay of any material must be a focal point but other media and techniques may be employed.
• Category 2: Peoples - Create a gourd reflective of the style or culture of any indigenous people anywhere in the world.
• Category 3: Basketry - Created a closed vessel which features a woven lid made of by some basketry technique. Any natural or man-made fiber permitted.
• Category 4: Size Matters - Create a gourd work that is at least 24 inches tall. Any subject, technique or medium permitted.

CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER

Children and Youth are also eligible to enter any “Novice” Category.

Entries should be created by the artist with minimal adult assistance.

2 CATEGORIES

INDICATE ON YOU ENTRY FORM WHICH DIVISION YOU ARE ENTERING AND SPECIFY THE CATEGORY BY NUMBER AND TITLE.

• Category 1: Animal - Create a gourd animal. (Be sure your animal can stand up for display.) Your animal may be real or imaginary.
• Category 2: My Idea - Create something that is useful or decorative. May be one or more gourds. Any technique allowed. Use your imagination!

YOUTH 13-17

Should be work of entrant only.

3 CATEGORIES

INDICATE ON YOU ENTRY FORM WHICH DIVISION YOU ARE ENTERING AND SPECIFY THE CATEGORY BY NUMBER AND TITLE.

• Category 1: Wood burning - Use a single gourd. May be cut. Color may be added.
• Category 2: Beads - Use any kind of beads to decorate a gourd. Gourd may also be painted or stained.
• Category 3: My Idea - Create something that is useful or decorative. May be one or more gourds. Any technique allowed. Use your imagination!

Growers Division

10 Categories

Note: Gourds submitted in these 10 categories must have been grown by the exhibitor/ entrant. Gourds should be well cleaned and the surface left natural. They must be from last year’s crop. Stems are not required but when present they should be washed, with skin and dirt removed from crevices and the end trimmed. Judging of categories

Categories 1- 7: 50% Cultural perfection, quality, cleanliness, and maturity; 50% Trueness to type/variety.

• Category 1: Hard-shelled / Lagenaria - Group of three different varieties
• Category 2: Ornamentals - Group of three different varieties.
• Category 3: Three of a kind - Any variety. Will be judged for uniformity of size color, and shape.
• Category 4: Largest Gourd - Gourd with largest circumference Category 5: Smallest Gourd - Smallest mature gourd.
• Category 7: Longest Gourd - Measured from stem to blossom end.

Categories 8 - 9: 20% Quality, cleanliness; 80% Unusualness, bizarreness, and or contortedness

• Category 8: Most unusual - The most unusual, bizarre , or contorted gourd due to natural phenomenon.
• Category 9: Hand-Trained - May be tied, molded or manipulated in any way. Winner of this category will be eligible to be submitted to the American Gourd Society Jim Story Award 2010.This competition is open to gourd growers at all levels. The award has been named in memory and in honor of Jim Story, master gourd manipulator.

Category 10: 50% Cultural perfection, cleanliness, and maturity; 50% Attractiveness of arrangement.

• Category 10: Gourd Display - Arrange a grouping of gourds (minimum of 5) in a basket or bowl or free-standing.

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