Arrowmont National Juried Exhibition Opportunity 2023
Degrees of Commitment: Climate, Ecosystems, and Society
Submissions: Click here to submit entries via SlideRoom, by midnight on June 23, 2023 EST. The entry fee is $20 for three works. Image files must be .jpg format. Video stills may be submitted for video; please include the video link within the description.
Exhibition dates: September 4 – December 16, 2023
Reception: Friday, October 27, 2023, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Exhibition description: For centuries, artists have put their vision and skill to work for the betterment of society in an effort to effect change and expand our understanding of complex issues. Information based solely on data can often leave people feeling overwhelmed, disempowered, disconnected, and sometimes hopeless in the face of daunting odds. Art has the incredible power to compel thought, elicit feelings, and inspire discourse, which in turn, can motivate engagement and galvanize action; why we make, what we make, and how we make work matters and makes a difference in the world.
For this national juried exhibition, we are looking for works that foster awareness and caring for the environment, advocate for climate action, seek climate justice, or inspire sustainability. As the earth continues to warm, the hazards we face increase; weather extremes, food and water insecurities, pandemics, even allergy season is lengthened and intensified. Collective action is needed. How can art make a difference with such a monumental undertaking? Art doesn’t show people what to do but it can make one feel and inspire one to think more deeply. These thoughts and feelings can motivate people to become more engaged and take action. Every action, no matter how small, has a cumulative effect when many people engage.
Criteria: Submissions are not limited to work that deals only topically with climate change but work created in studio practices that work in harmony with the environment will also be considered. Please submit up to three pieces completed within the past five years and a short statement about the work and/or process for consideration. All media considered, including book arts, ceramics, drawing, fiber, glass, metal, painting, photography, printmaking, wood, mixed media, video, and installations. If a piece contains an electronic component, the artist must indicate if they can provide the necessary technological equipment for installation. Accepted work must be available to be on display for the duration of the exhibition. Artist must be at least 18 years of age.
Submissions: All entries must be submitted to SlideRoom, by midnight on June 23. The entry fee is $20 for three works. Image files must be .jpg format. Video stills may be submitted for video; please include the video link within the description.
Installation Specifications: All work must arrive READY TO HANG. Any unusual hardware, magnets, or specific hanging devices must be provided by the artist. Framed work must be wired on the back, NO SAW TOOTH HANGERS. All shipping containers must fit through an 82” high x 55” wide doorway.
Insurance: Accepted works will be insured by Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts throughout the duration of the exhibition. The artist will be responsible for insuring the artwork during delivery and shipping.
Shipping: Shipping to Arrowmont is the responsibility of the artist. Arrowmont will cover return shipping up to $50. Artworks must be securely packed in reusable containers with reusable packing materials. Please do not use excessive tape on bubble-wrapped pieces; painter’s tape with courtesy tabs is preferred. And please, no unbagged packing peanuts. Works will be returned to the artist as they were received. The artist must include any packing, shipping, and/or installation instructions needed for the safe handling and return of your work.
Publicity:
Arrowmont reserves the right to utilize images of accepted works for publicity purposes.
Jurors:
Gina Siepel (she/they) is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice reflects a deep engagement with place, history, queer experience, and ecology. She integrates conceptual concerns and craftsmanship with a focus on wood as a natural and cultural material. Gina’s objects, installations, drawings, videos, and other works link aesthetic and materially-based modes of artistic production to other forms of inquiry, including collaboration, social engagement, site-based exploration, and research.
Gina is originally from rural western New York, and lived in New York City, Maine, and eastern Massachusetts, before arriving in the Connecticut River Valley of Western Massachusetts (Nipmuc, Pocumtuck, and Abenaki land), where they now live. Their works have been shown in museums and galleries nationally, including the Decordova Museum, Vox Populi Gallery, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, the Center for Art in Wood, and the Colby Museum. Gina has been a fellow/artist-in-residence at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Mildred’s Lane, The Winterthur Museum, The Vermont Studio Center, Sculpture Space, Hewnoaks, and the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. They have received funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Berkshire Taconic Foundation, and the Puffin Foundation, and the Center for Craft. Gina holds a BFA in painting and drawing from the School of Art + Design at SUNY Purchase and an MFA in interdisciplinary studio art from the Maine College of Art, and studied woodworking and furniture design at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. Gina is currently an Artist-in-Residence at the MacLeish Field Station at Smith College and has taught at Mount Holyoke College, Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Gina is a recipient of the 2023 Teaching Artist Cohort Grant from the Center for Craft and lives in Greenfield, Massachusetts with her partner and frequent artistic collaborator, Sara Smith.
Isabel Vargas (she/her) is a Kansas City-based curator and organizer who is dedicated to diversity and equity in the Arts. Born in New York City and raised in Miami, Florida, Isabel is a Puerto Rican curator and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute. Currently, Isabel works as the Assistant Curator of Exhibitions at the Belger Arts Center. Prior to the Belger Arts Center, she was the Exhibitions Director at the Kansas City Artists Coalition. Her curatorial interests focus on craftivism.
Isabel has curated numerous exhibitions in conjunction with organizations such as the H&R Block Artspace and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Fine Art. She has worked with artworks from distinguished artists such as Sonya Clark, Paul Anthony Smith, Kara Walker, Nicky Noudjoumi, and many others.
Awards:
Best in Show $500
Second Place $250
Juror’s Choice $100
Juror’s Choice $100
National Scholarship Award
Permanent Collection Purchase Prize
Sales:
Artworks may or may not be available for sale throughout the duration of the exhibition. Arrowmont takes a 40% commission on all sold works in the galleries. Artwork that is not for sale must be labeled NFS on the exhibition agreement. Payment for work sold will be made to the artist after the exhibition’s closing date.
Calendar:
Submission deadline: June 23
Notification: July 19
Work due: August 21, 2023
Exhibition on view: September 4 – December 16, 2023
Reception: Friday, October 27, 2023, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
