Our Art on the Rocks Shopping List
Month: April 2016
Artist Opportunities #318
Every Tuesday, we gather a variety of artist opportunities around the DC area and beyond. Find one below and enter today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.
All on the Wall
Deadline: May 4; spaces may fill earlier. All on the Wall is Washington ArtWorks’ (Rockville, MD) May exhibition. All on the Wall allows any artist from the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area to hang their work on the walls. Your work is guaranteed to get in, provided that it is delivered on time and we have a way to display it. All media types are welcomed for this exhibition.
Maryland residency
Deadline: May 6. Pyramid Atlantic Art Center (Riverdale, MD) is proud to announce a new residency program, In Shift. In mid-June, PAAC will be moving from one home to another. The objective of the In Shift Residency is to provide an opportunity for an artist, or group of artists, to activate and document cultural programming in PAAC for six months during the move, while providing them with full access to studios, equipment, and an artist community for their own work. The residency is open to national and international artists, showing a strong professional working history.
Paintings
Deadline: September 28. “Root to Bloom: Places Artists Call Home” at Principle Gallery (Alexandria, VA) will feature paintings representative of where the featured artists call “home.” Works must be paintings no more than 40 inches along the longest edge (measured unframed).
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Exhibit proposals
Deadline: April 30. The Spartanburg (SC) Art Museum is seeking proposals for solo and group exhibitions for 2017 and 2018. We are interested in all types of work that address contemporary issues and concerns, use traditional materials in unusual ways, and elevate our visitors’ experience to new levels of participation and engagement.
Open call Philadelphia
Deadline: April 30. Every year, during the month of July, NAPOLEON presents a solo exhibition selected by our members from a pool of applicants collected through an open call. We are interested in exhibiting work that is new to our Philadelphia audience, that takes risks, and makes good use of our small gallery space.
Free paint and photo competition
Event: April 30. Words Beats & Life Inc. presents the annual Fine Lines Paint Jam at 514-680 Rhode Island Ave NE, featuring an open 900-foot wall. All artists interested in painting who email before the event may get free paint! Photographers can win $500 and the first cover of WBL’s new unreleased magazine.
Publicly juried exhibit
Deadline: May 1. Projekt30 (Baltimore, MD) is taking submissions for our June 2016 exhibition. This exhibition will follow the “publicly juried” format we pioneered in 2003. All artwork submitted will be presented online prior to the exhibition so that visitors of Projekt30 can select which artists will be included in the exhibition. Visitors have the option of contacting any participating artist with feedback or opportunities. Unlike other juried exhibitions, all participants receive exposure.
Anacostia residency
Deadline: May 1. Anacostia Arts Center seeks proposals for unique arts projects to inhabit one of its 500 sq ft galleries for an artist residency program called IMMERSION. This project is aimed at Individual artists (or groups of artists) who enjoy the challenge of creating site-specific installations and who need time and space to create and share their work.
Texas open exhibit
Deadline: May 1. The Visual Arts Alliance (Houston, TX) seeks entries for a juried exhibition at the BLUEorange Gallery, June 7 – July 2. More than $2,500 in cash will be awarded. Juror: Dan Allison. Open to all artists over 18 years old. $60, up to 4 entries.
Bethany Beach
Deadline: May 1. Applications for the Annual Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival are now open. Join over 100 skilled artisans against the beautiful backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean and the Bethany Beach boardwalk.
Target Gallery
Deadline: May 2. Target Gallery in Alexandria, VA has issued an open call for proposals for an exhibition in the summer of 2016. This call is open to all artists from North America working in all visual media. Proposals for exhibitions by both individuals and groups will be considered. Our jurors this year are Phil Hutinet and Victoria Milko.
Solo opportunity
Deadline: May 2. Sweetwater Center for the Arts invites emerging and established artists who reside within 200 miles of Pittsburgh to submit artwork for an opportunity to have an eight-week solo exhibition in our gallery.
Sculpture
Deadline: May 3. The Maryland Federation of Art invites all artists residing in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico to enter Off the Wall, a sculpture only exhibition. All free standing 3D artwork in any media are eligible for entry.
Online exhibit
Deadline: May 3. The Maryland Federation of Art invites artists around the world to enter original 2D and 3D artwork in Watering Holes, an international online-only exhibition. Works selected will be displayed in MFA’s online gallery from June 1 to July 15, 2016.
Request for proposals
Deadline: May 4. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seeking contract proposals from eligible and qualified contractors to perform VSA programs that provide arts education experiences to students with disabilities.
Workhouse Arts Center
The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA has two upcoming deadlines:
- May 4: Clay International
- May 22: Fine Arts Festival
Functional art
Deadline: May 6. “Tabletop” at The Art League (Alexandria, VA) is an exhibit of ceramics and other functional artforms designed for food, drink, and the table. Jurors: McKenzie Smith (ceramics) and Kate Lydon (other functional art forms). $3,600 in awards.
Botanical art
Deadline: May 12. Smithtown Township Arts Council seeks entries for juried fine art exhibition “Of A Botanical Nature” at the Mills Pond Gallery in St. James, NY. A call for original artwork that reflects the beauty and uniqueness of flora in a realistic or representational style.
Fiber art
Deadline: May 12. The Maryland Federation of Art invites all artists residing in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico to enter its 4th biennial Fiber Options: Material Explorations competition. Any original 2-D or 3-D artwork created with fiber is eligible.
Virginia residency
Deadline: May 15. The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts is currently accepting applications forVCCA residencies. Artists, writers, and composers can apply.
Be My Medici
Deadline: May 15. This is an open call to visual artists wishing to participate in the Be My Medicionline patronage platform launching later this year. Selected artists will be able to create an artist profile on the platform and have the chance to acquire a number of monthly subscribers to support their practice who, in exchange for their patronage, will receive a monthly letter or postcard-sized original by the artist in the mail. At no point will we charge artists any kind of fees.
Prints
Deadline: May 21. The 19th Annual Washington Printmakers’ National Small Works Exhibition features selected prints by artists from across the nation. Hand-pulled prints, digitally printed images, or photographs completed in the past two years are eligible.
Northeast artists
Deadline: May 27. Art of the Northeast (Silvermine Arts Center, CT) is a competition/exhibition highlighting the diversity of work that is currently being created in the Northeast by emerging and established artists. The exhibition is a tightly curated show, where the curator/juror has, at their discretion, the ability to select a suite of three to five works by an individual artist. Open to all artists, 17 years of age and older, residing in CT, DE, MA, MD, DC,ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT.
Open call Richmond
Deadline: May 31. 1708 Gallery invites US-based and international artists, and curators, to submit proposals for the 2017 and 2018 exhibition seasons.
Creative reuse
Deadline: May 31. The inaugural Re:NEW Festival seeks submissions from artists and performers across the U.S. that explore the themes of creative reuse, transformation, and sustainability in thoughtful, engaging, and diverse ways. Maximum project budget: $3,000. Apply early! Deadline isMay 31, but entries will be reviewed on a rolling basis and early application is encouraged.
Nature art
Deadline: May 31. The Allegany Arts Council in Cumberland, MD is holding the first Appalachian Nature Art Competition & Exhibition. This competition is national and open to all artists using traditional media (no photography or digital arts please). The juror for this prestigious competition is Paul Rhymer, a nationally known wildlife artist.
Artists 17–27
Deadline: May 31. VisArts welcomes artists ages 17 – 27 in the DC, Maryland, Virginia, area to submit their application for review for Gen-Y 3.0, our third exhibition by young emerging artists in our Kaplan Gallery from July 22 – August 28, 2016.
Nebraska residency
Deadline: June 1. The LUX Center for the Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska is currently acceptingapplications for artists-in-residence. Four positions are available, two in ceramics and two in other media: metals, fibers, painting, drawing, or mixed media.
Art League members: Installation art
Deadline: June 1. “Not a Box” at The Art League is an exhibit of installation art, juried by Alex Paik. For more information, read our FAQ and the juror’s tips.
MPAartfest
Deadline: June 1. MPAartfest is a one-day juried fine art and craft show and sale featuring the work of more than 50 local and regional visual artists in McLean. $30 application fee, $350 participation fee if accepted.
Young artists with disabilities
Deadline: June 1. (Re)Invention: Art + Innovation + Disability + Design is a juried exhibition of emerging young artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, that aims to showcase artwork created at the intersection of technology, innovation, and disability.
Art about animals
Deadline: June 3. Smithtown Township Arts Council (NY) invites submissions for its upcoming juried fine art exhibition: “Animals in Art – Our Partners on the Planet” at the Mills Pond Gallery. Juror/Judge Tim Newton. Artists are encouraged to share their artistic vision of animals, both domestic and wild.
Cultural viruses
Deadline: June 12. For “Dank Memes” at Non-Fiction Gallery (Savannah, GA), artists are invited to dig deep and decode the cultural viruses that live in you: show us your dank memes. $25 for 4 images.
Public sculpture 1
Deadline: July 1. Art in Place (Charlottesville, VA) is seeking submissions for the Outdoor Sculpture Competition 2016/2017, with sculptures to remain in place for 11 months at selected locations around the city. Each artist selected will receive a $1,500 honorarium.
Public sculpture 2
Deadline: July 1. Four locations around the City of Fredericksburg, VA have been selected for the display of public sculpture from October, 2016 to September, 2017. Liability insurance provided. Stipend of $2000. Artist responsible for delivery and removal.
Harrisonburg juried exhibit
Deadline: August 1. National Juried Art Show at Larkin Arts in Harrisonburg, VA: This is a national juried visual art competition and exhibition that is open to any artist, who is a resident of the United States and is over the age of 18, working in two-dimensional media. Painting, drawing, printmaking, photography or other traditional or non-traditional two-dimensional media, excluding film, are welcome.
Athenaeum
Deadline: August 18. The Athenaeum Invitational in Alexandria, VA is a theme-based event featuring the works of both specially-invited artists who have exhibited in the Athenaeum Gallery in the past, as well as works selected through a call for submissions open to anyone living or working in Virginia, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, or Maryland.
Art League solo exhibits
Deadline: September 23. Entry is now open for 2018 solo artist exhibits at The Art League. Entry is open to all Art League members.
Oil painters
Deadline: ongoing. If you are a high-level oil painter, interested in using your oil-painting skills to animate on a film, and available for training and employment between January and August of 2016, send in your portfolio! Loving Vincent will be the first fully painted feature film.
Restaurant residency
Deadline: ongoing. The Artist-in-Residence program at Palette 22 showcases and promotes the original work of VA- based and regional artists inside and beyond the restaurant.
Intention & Intuition: A Q&A with Deron DeCesare
With its springlike subject matter and strong sense of movement, you might think this piece was made specifically for “Orbit,” our current exhibit exploring cycles and routines. But it actually has its origins elsewhere. Like many works of art, it took some unexpected turns on its journey to The Art League.
Deron DeCesare won the Carol Bruce Pastel Award for Persephone, and we asked him to tell us its story:
What was your goal with Persephone?
Deron DeCesare: I had several goals with Persephone. The most specific was to create a work that fit the theme of an upcoming exhibit. The funny thing is that that show was not “Orbit.” I created Persephone with another gallery’s exhibit, entitled “Green,” in mind. I was thinking spring, plants sprouting through the snow, that sort of thing. Only later did I realize the piece’s sense of movement and the imagery suggesting life and seasonal cycles fit the guidelines for the “Orbit” show as well.
A secondary goal was to continue my ongoing experimentation with ways of combining printmaking and painting. In this case, that experimentation resulted in the piece’s swirling abstracted background. Finally, I’ve been pushing myself to move beyond only producing preliminary works during my weekly Open Life Drawing sessions, to producing some finished pieces as well. It was at one of those drawing sessions that the figure was integrated into the composition.
What were the different media you used? What was the process like?
Watercolor, printmaking, charcoal and pastel are the media I used here. Work took part in two distinct stages. The first stage was to establish the overall green tonality and patterning of the support, in this case watercolor paper. This was executed in my studio in a very spontaneous manner in watercolor, using found objects such as leaves, twigs and pine needles for stenciling. I wanted an animated, mostly abstract background to contrast yet enhance the more developed realism of the figure I planned to add. During the second stage, the piece was completed at the Workhouse Art Center using charcoal and pastel and working from a live model.
In general, what’s your creative process like? As a painter and printmaker, how do you jump from medium to medium?
My creative process functions best when it resembles a kind of controlled chaos. I usually develop ideas through preparatory sketches. I also enjoy experimentation and build it into my creative process. I like a mix of intention and intuition.
When picking what medium to use, I identify the overall feel I’m after for my subject and choose a medium that inherently lends itself well to creating that feel. I find jumping between printing and painting refreshing for the most part, but the downside is it can be disruptive too. It’s a challenge to maintain momentum in both mediums simultaneously.
Lately, I’ve been combining the two mediums in the same piece, using non-traditional printing methods to transfer paint to the paper instead of ink.
What’s your first memory of art as a child?
Finger painting in kindergarten is a strong early memory. The feeling of the thick, squishy paint. I don’t actually remember this, but I found out years later from my mom that the teacher told her I was concerned about getting my hands dirty. My mom apparently had to reassure me that it was OK to get paint on my hands. Thanks Mom!
When and how did you make the decision to become a full-time artist?
The decision to quit my day job, as it were, was made for me in 2005 when my son was diagnosed with a very serious form of cancer in his teens. Driving him to his many treatments and appointments and helping him maintain his strength and studies was a part-time job in itself. Fortunately, my wife and I were in a position to sacrifice one of our incomes allowing me to concentrate on our son and the less lucrative, but more flexible occupation of artist.
Incidentally, my son has grown up to be one of the most artistic people I know. And although (or maybe because) his expertise leans more towards the musical than the visual, I find him to be a good sounding board.
“It’s in the actual doing that growth occurs.”
What are you working on now?
It might seem strange and superficial to say, but I am currently working on increasing both the scale and quantity of my work. The ability to work effectively in large formats is an acquired skill. It’s valuable because it’s another way to increase the impact of a work. As far as increasing the quantity of my output, quantity can actually improve quality. Quantity can only come about by doing and it’s in the actual doing that growth occurs.
“Orbit” is open through this Sunday, May 1.
The Selections Are In for Art on the Rocks!
With the final restaurant having selected its artwork inspiration, the battle lines have officially been drawn for Art on the Rocks on April 29.
Here are the selected pieces — three photographs and three paintings — which will each inspire an original cocktail and bite:
From top to bottom, the artwork was chosen by: Hank’s Pasta Bar, the Light Horse, Chadwicks, DRP Belle Haven, Virtue Feed & Grain, and RedRocks.
To get even more excited, watch the preview videos we’re putting up on our Facebook page! Get your tickets on Eventbrite, and we’ll see you next Friday!
Painting an Album Cover
If you’ve seen the exhibit “Misfits” already*, you’ve noticed that Teresa Oaxaca’s paintings are rich in allegory and imagined stories — sparked by evocative poses, enigmatic objects, and titles like Raving Prince.
But one painting’s backstory takes place very much in the real world. And if it looks familiar to you, you may have seen it on Jimmy Fallon, a New York City billboard, or maybe in your record collection. It all started with a Google search and a phone call from a musician on a mission.
Short version: musician Nate Ruess’s first solo album, Grand Romantic, needed cover art, and Teresa Oaxaca painted it for him. That painting, also titled Grand Romantic, is on view at The Art League as part of Oaxaca’s solo exhibit.
But painting for an album cover has its challenges, quite apart from the short deadline. How to represent a collection of music with just a single image? How do you paint for such a large audience? This is, after all, a 60″ by 40″ oil on canvas that most people will see as a tiny square on their phone — or, delightfully, on TV or the side of a building.
Oaxaca writes:
“I tried to make a portrait of the singer. I only listened to one song, ‘Grand Romantic,’ when I painted it (and his prior bands’ work) because the album had not yet been released. My approach was pretty much the same as that of a commission. I worked with Nate but I also had a lot of free rein to do my own thing.
I did not paint differently, but the original image was cropped to a square. Some background details were left out but it worked fine. Warner Music/Atlantic Records also licensed two charcoal drawings from me and some shots of my palette, so those were also incorporated into the back and insides of the album.”
For the full story, you can read the artist’s blog post and the musician’s account.
*(If you haven’t seen “Misfits” yet, you have until May 1!)
Hanging Out and Unwinding with Sculptor Larry Fransen
Whether it’s the clicking, the clacking, the reflections, or its unpredictable movement, there’s something mesmerizing about Larry Fransen’s sculpture My Turn to Reflect (seen in the video above by the artist). Juror Melissa Staiger recognized it as best in show and awarded Fransen the Marshall Award in this month’s exhibit, “Orbit.”
Fransen’s experiments with beauty in motion started in his wood shop with clocks, as he wrote in this 2014 guest blog post. More recent sculptures have played with shadows, but this one uses reflected light. Hanging by a monofilament, it also takes things in a more off-the-wall direction:
What motivated you to create a suspended sculpture?
Larry Fransen: In my past, I built suspended skeleton clocks. These clocks exposed to a greater degree the inner workings of the clock. My suspended sculpture reduces the external support to a single bolt in the ceiling. This enables one to walk around it, which has great appeal to me.
The cement ceilings in The Art League Gallery prevented me from securing my sculpture to the ceiling. [Instead, it hangs from a counterweighted stand.]
What does the title mean to you?
The geometric structure in the rotating wheels reflects light when they reach a certain point in their rotation, thus My Turn to Reflect. In The Art League Gallery, the sculpture is right under a large fluorescent light that interferes with much of this feature.
You started out with clocks, then created sculptures that move but don’t tell time. What prompted that new direction?
There is much more artistic freedom with sculptures over timepieces. As well, I enjoy the faster movement. The sculptures have been a lot more fun to create.
What were the challenges in creating a piece that’s suspended instead of wall-mounted?
As far as I know, My Turn to Reflect is the first kinetic sculpture with this type of mechanism to be supported by a single line. So, while building it, I wasn’t sure that it would be stable enough for the escapement to work. As it turns out, the rotating members cause some wobble without impairing its operation.
For the sculpture to work optimally, the middle supporting acrylic piece needs to be plumb. To achieve this, each component’s weight is balanced with the same amount on the other side of the support.
One of the features of my suspended sculptures is that there is greater freedom to make them more three-dimensional. The rotating members in my wall-mounted sculptures were more two-dimensional because they had to fit between two narrow belts.
Artist Opportunities #317
Every Tuesday, we gather a variety of artist opportunities around the DC area and beyond. Find one below and enter today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.
Open call Philadelphia
Deadline: April 30. Every year, during the month of July, NAPOLEON presents a solo exhibition selected by our members from a pool of applicants collected through an open call. We are interested in exhibiting work that is new to our Philadelphia audience, that takes risks, and makes good use of our small gallery space.
Free paint and photo competition
Event: April 30. Words Beats & Life Inc. presents the annual Fine Lines Paint Jam at 514-680 Rhode Island Ave NE, featuring an open 900-foot wall. All artists interested in painting who email before the event may get free paint! Photographers can win $500 and the first cover of WBL’s new unreleased magazine.
Virginia residency
Deadline: May 15. The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts is currently accepting applications for VCCA residencies. Artists, writers, and composers can apply.
Northeast artists
Deadline: May 27. Art of the Northeast (Silvermine Arts Center, CT) is a competition/exhibition highlighting the diversity of work that is currently being created in the Northeast by emerging and established artists. The exhibition is a tightly curated show, where the curator/juror has, at their discretion, the ability to select a suite of three to five works by an individual artist. Open to all artists, 17 years of age and older, residing in CT, DE, MA, MD, DC,ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT.
Open call Richmond
Deadline: May 31. 1708 Gallery invites US-based and international artists, and curators, to submit proposals for the 2017 and 2018 exhibition seasons.
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Graffiti artists
Deadline: April 22. The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) in partnership with the DC Department of Public Works (DPW) seeks graffiti artists and artist teams to design, create and install aerosol murals that inspire the various communities in which they will be placed. Selected artists will be required to work with youth interested in graffiti art (ages 14-18) by introducing and refining each student’s artistic skill in the discipline of graffiti style sketch work and aerosol mural painting.
Annapolis festival
Late deadline: April 22. Art @ the Park is a regional festival (Mid-Atlantic Region) located in Annapolis MD in the magnificent setting of Quiet Waters Park. It features original art work from exhibitors throughout the region and includes musical performances, children’s activities, eclectic food, wine and beer. Artists must submit four jpegs of finished work and one image of a booth view.
Art League members: Free artist statement workshop
April 23: Writing coach David Hazard will present Presenting & Selling Your Work: Writing a Powerful Artist Statement, a three-hour workshop, in The Art League Gallery. Space is limited to Art League members only; please RSVP at the link above.
Paint Out Lynchburg
Deadline: April 25 (early bird discount through April 11). The Lynchburg Art Club welcomes you to the first annual Paint Out Lynchburg. Beautiful architecture, flower gardens, and a lively downtown by the James River characterize this historic city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge. The event is open to all artists, including beginners. Cash prizes total $1,500.
Exhibit proposals
Deadline: April 30. The Spartanburg (SC) Art Museum is seeking proposals for solo and group exhibitions for 2017 and 2018. We are interested in all types of work that address contemporary issues and concerns, use traditional materials in unusual ways, and elevate our visitors’ experience to new levels of participation and engagement.
Publicly juried exhibit
Deadline: May 1. Projekt30 (Baltimore, MD) is taking submissions for our June 2016 exhibition. This exhibition will follow the “publicly juried” format we pioneered in 2003. All artwork submitted will be presented online prior to the exhibition so that visitors of Projekt30 can select which artists will be included in the exhibition. Visitors have the option of contacting any participating artist with feedback or opportunities. Unlike other juried exhibitions, all participants receive exposure.
Anacostia residency
Deadline: May 1. Anacostia Arts Center seeks proposals for unique arts projects to inhabit one of its 500 sq ft galleries for an artist residency program called IMMERSION. This project is aimed at Individual artists (or groups of artists) who enjoy the challenge of creating site-specific installations and who need time and space to create and share their work.
Texas open exhibit
Deadline: May 1. The Visual Arts Alliance (Houston, TX) seeks entries for a juried exhibition at the BLUEorange Gallery, June 7 – July 2. More than $2,500 in cash will be awarded. Juror: Dan Allison. Open to all artists over 18 years old. $60, up to 4 entries.
Bethany Beach
Deadline: May 1. Applications for the Annual Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival are now open. Join over 100 skilled artisans against the beautiful backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean and the Bethany Beach boardwalk.
Target Gallery
Deadline: May 2. Target Gallery in Alexandria, VA has issued an open call for proposals for an exhibition in the summer of 2016. This call is open to all artists from North America working in all visual media. Proposals for exhibitions by both individuals and groups will be considered. Our jurors this year are Phil Hutinet and Victoria Milko.
Solo opportunity
Deadline: May 2. Sweetwater Center for the Arts invites emerging and established artists who reside within 200 miles of Pittsburgh to submit artwork for an opportunity to have an eight-week solo exhibition in our gallery.
Sculpture
Deadline: May 3. The Maryland Federation of Art invites all artists residing in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico to enter Off the Wall, a sculpture only exhibition. All free standing 3D artwork in any media are eligible for entry.
Online exhibit
Deadline: May 3. The Maryland Federation of Art invites artists around the world to enter original 2D and 3D artwork in Watering Holes, an international online-only exhibition. Works selected will be displayed in MFA’s online gallery from June 1 to July 15, 2016.
Request for proposals
Deadline: May 4. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seeking contract proposals from eligible and qualified contractors to perform VSA programs that provide arts education experiences to students with disabilities.
Workhouse Arts Center
The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA has two upcoming deadlines:
- May 4: Clay International
- May 22: Fine Arts Festival
Functional art
Deadline: May 6. “Tabletop” at The Art League (Alexandria, VA) is an exhibit of ceramics and other functional artforms designed for food, drink, and the table. Jurors: McKenzie Smith (ceramics) and Kate Lydon (other functional art forms). $3,600 in awards.
Botanical art
Deadline: May 12. Smithtown Township Arts Council seeks entries for juried fine art exhibition “Of A Botanical Nature” at the Mills Pond Gallery in St. James, NY. A call for original artwork that reflects the beauty and uniqueness of flora in a realistic or representational style.
Fiber art
Deadline: May 12. The Maryland Federation of Art invites all artists residing in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico to enter its 4th biennial Fiber Options: Material Explorations competition. Any original 2-D or 3-D artwork created with fiber is eligible.
Be My Medici
Deadline: May 15. This is an open call to visual artists wishing to participate in the Be My Medicionline patronage platform launching later this year. Selected artists will be able to create an artist profile on the platform and have the chance to acquire a number of monthly subscribers to support their practice who, in exchange for their patronage, will receive a monthly letter or postcard-sized original by the artist in the mail. At no point will we charge artists any kind of fees.
Prints
Deadline: May 21. The 19th Annual Washington Printmakers’ National Small Works Exhibition features selected prints by artists from across the nation. Hand-pulled prints, digitally printed images, or photographs completed in the past two years are eligible.
Creative reuse
Deadline: May 31. The inaugural Re:NEW Festival seeks submissions from artists and performers across the U.S. that explore the themes of creative reuse, transformation, and sustainability in thoughtful, engaging, and diverse ways. Maximum project budget: $3,000. Apply early! Deadline isMay 31, but entries will be reviewed on a rolling basis and early application is encouraged.
Nature art
Deadline: May 31. The Allegany Arts Council in Cumberland, MD is holding the first Appalachian Nature Art Competition & Exhibition. This competition is national and open to all artists using traditional media (no photography or digital arts please). The juror for this prestigious competition is Paul Rhymer, a nationally known wildlife artist.
Artists 17–27
Deadline: May 31. VisArts welcomes artists ages 17 – 27 in the DC, Maryland, Virginia, area to submit their application for review for Gen-Y 3.0, our third exhibition by young emerging artists in our Kaplan Gallery from July 22 – August 28, 2016.
Nebraska residency
Deadline: June 1. The LUX Center for the Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska is currently acceptingapplications for artists-in-residence. Four positions are available, two in ceramics and two in other media: metals, fibers, painting, drawing, or mixed media.
Art League members: Installation art
Deadline: June 1. “Not a Box” at The Art League is an exhibit of installation art, juried by Alex Paik. For more information, read our FAQ and the juror’s tips.
MPAartfest
Deadline: June 1. MPAartfest is a one-day juried fine art and craft show and sale featuring the work of more than 50 local and regional visual artists in McLean. $30 application fee, $350 participation fee if accepted.
Young artists with disabilities
Deadline: June 1. (Re)Invention: Art + Innovation + Disability + Design is a juried exhibition of emerging young artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, that aims to showcase artwork created at the intersection of technology, innovation, and disability.
Art about animals
Deadline: June 3. Smithtown Township Arts Council (NY) invites submissions for its upcoming juried fine art exhibition: “Animals in Art – Our Partners on the Planet” at the Mills Pond Gallery. Juror/Judge Tim Newton. Artists are encouraged to share their artistic vision of animals, both domestic and wild.
Cultural viruses
Deadline: June 12. For “Dank Memes” at Non-Fiction Gallery (Savannah, GA), artists are invited to dig deep and decode the cultural viruses that live in you: show us your dank memes. $25 for 4 images.
Public sculpture 1
Deadline: July 1. Art in Place (Charlottesville, VA) is seeking submissions for the Outdoor Sculpture Competition 2016/2017, with sculptures to remain in place for 11 months at selected locations around the city. Each artist selected will receive a $1,500 honorarium.
Public sculpture 2
Deadline: July 1. Four locations around the City of Fredericksburg, VA have been selected for the display of public sculpture from October, 2016 to September, 2017. Liability insurance provided. Stipend of $2000. Artist responsible for delivery and removal.
Harrisonburg juried exhibit
Deadline: August 1. National Juried Art Show at Larkin Arts in Harrisonburg, VA: This is a national juried visual art competition and exhibition that is open to any artist, who is a resident of the United States and is over the age of 18, working in two-dimensional media. Painting, drawing, printmaking, photography or other traditional or non-traditional two-dimensional media, excluding film, are welcome.
Athenaeum
Deadline: August 18. The Athenaeum Invitational in Alexandria, VA is a theme-based event featuring the works of both specially-invited artists who have exhibited in the Athenaeum Gallery in the past, as well as works selected through a call for submissions open to anyone living or working in Virginia, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, or Maryland.
Art League solo exhibits
Deadline: September 23. Entry is now open for 2018 solo artist exhibits at The Art League. Entry is open to all Art League members.
Oil painters
Deadline: ongoing. If you are a high-level oil painter, interested in using your oil-painting skills to animate on a film, and available for training and employment between January and August of 2016, send in your portfolio! Loving Vincent will be the first fully painted feature film.
Restaurant residency
Deadline: ongoing. The Artist-in-Residence program at Palette 22 showcases and promotes the original work of VA- based and regional artists inside and beyond the restaurant.
Watch Teresa Oaxaca’s Drawing Demo
If you missed yesterday’s still-life drawing demonstration in the Gallery, you’re in luck! We live streamed the demo as well, and an archive of that broadcast is on YouTube:
The artist began by setting up one of her still life tableaus: two dolls, parts of which she sculpted herself; a reflective globe ornament; and a skull named Walter.
Oaxaca drew in charcoal and white chalk on toned paper, demonstrating and answering questions all day in the solo room, where spectators were surrounded by her paintings. You can see the results above — and see “Misfits,” her solo exhibit, through May 1.
Curing FOMA: How to Fix Your Fear of Missing Art This April
F.O.M.A. (noun): Fear Of Missing Art.
It’s a term we just invented to describe the nagging feeling that there might be a cool art event flying under your radar. But there’s no need to fear: we’ve collected all the art happenings under one roof and on one calendar. Here’s what’s happening in the next few weeks at The Art League …
Art classes
Right now: There’s no time like the present! You can register online for Spring workshops and Summer Art Camp for ages 5 and up. Not sure which class is for you (or which camp is for your child)? Give us a call at 703-683-2323 and we’ll be happy to help.
Entry deadline
April 15: Friday is the final day to enter the May Open Exhibit. (This deadline was extended from April 1.) The juror is artist Lisa Golightly, who hails from Portland, Oregon. As with all our online-entry exhibits, you can enter only via theartleague.submittable.com.
Invest in The Art League experience
April 20: Spring2ACTion is back! This is the day when your donation can make a huge difference for The Art League by helping us raise $20,000 – and win up to an additional $15,000 in grants and prizes! It all goes to help fund the free visual arts programming we offer the community. Invest in the power of The Art League experience by donating today!
Free workshop
April 23: We’ve invited writing coach David Hazard back to give a reprise of his free workshop, Presenting & Selling Your Work: Writing a Powerful Artist Statement. This is free and open to all Art League members! Space is limited, however, so please RSVP at the link above.
Art. Cocktails. Appetizers.
April 29: Art on the Rocks is inspired this year by “Orbit” — that means that the six participating restaurants are each bringing an appetizer and a cocktail inspired by artwork in this month’s exhibit. Your job is to get a ticket, try all the creative combos, and vote for your favorite. April 16 is the final day to get an early bird ticket and save $10!
On the horizon
May 1: The final day to see our stunning April exhibits, “Misfits” and “Orbit.”
May 9: This is the first day to register for Summer classes and get a jump start on your summer of living creatively.
May 12: The opening reception for our May exhibits, “Rhythms of Time” and the juried Open Exhibit.
Artist Opportunities #316
Every Tuesday, we gather a variety of artist opportunities around the DC area and beyond. Find one below and enter today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.
Annapolis festival
Deadline: April 16 (late deadline April 22). Art @ the Park is a regional festival (Mid-Atlantic Region) located in Annapolis MD in the magnificent setting of Quiet Waters Park. It features original art work from exhibitors throughout the region and includes musical performances, children’s activities, eclectic food, wine and beer. Artists must submit four jpegs of finished work and one image of a booth view.
Lake Cook public art
Deadline: April 17. The City of Alexandria, Virginia invites artists and artist teams to submit their qualifications to be considered for a public art project as part of the Lake Cook Stormwater Retrofit Project. Artists must have experience with comparable projects.
Free artist statement workshop
April 23: Writing coach David Hazard will present Presenting & Selling Your Work: Writing a Powerful Artist Statement, a three-hour workshop, in The Art League Gallery. Space is limited to Art League members only; please RSVP at the link above.
Bethany Beach
Deadline: May 1. Applications for the Annual Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival are now open. Join over 100 skilled artisans against the beautiful backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean and the Bethany Beach boardwalk.
Target Gallery
Deadline: May 2. Target Gallery in Alexandria, VA has issued an open call for proposals for an exhibition in the summer of 2016. This call is open to all artists from North America working in all visual media. Proposals for exhibitions by both individuals and groups will be considered. Our jurors this year are Phil Hutinet and Victoria Milko.
Request for proposals
Deadline: May 4. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seeking contract proposals from eligible and qualified contractors to perform VSA programs that provide arts education experiences to students with disabilities.
Be My Medici
Deadline: May 15. This is an open call to visual artists wishing to participate in the Be My Medici online patronage platform launching later this year. Selected artists will be able to create an artist profile on the platform and have the chance to acquire a number of monthly subscribers to support their practice who, in exchange for their patronage, will receive a monthly letter or postcard-sized original by the artist in the mail. At no point will we charge artists any kind of fees.
Artists 17–27
Deadline: May 31. VisArts welcomes artists ages 17 – 27 in the DC, Maryland, Virginia, area to submit their application for review for Gen-Y 3.0, our third exhibition by young emerging artists in our Kaplan Gallery from July 22 – August 28, 2016.
Nebraska residency
Deadline: June 1. The LUX Center for the Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska is currently accepting applications for artists-in-residence. Four positions are available, two in ceramics and two in other media: metals, fibers, painting, drawing, or mixed media.
Harrisonburg juried exhibit
Deadline: August 1. National Juried Art Show at Larkin Arts in Harrisonburg, VA: This is a national juried visual art competition and exhibition that is open to any artist, who is a resident of the United States and is over the age of 18, working in two-dimensional media. Painting, drawing, printmaking, photography or other traditional or non-traditional two-dimensional media, excluding film, are welcome.
Restaurant residency
Deadline: ongoing. The Artist-in-Residence program at Palette 22 showcases and promotes the original work of VA- based and regional artists inside and beyond the restaurant.
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Sensory art
Deadline: April 12. For “Making Sense” at McLean Project for the Arts, Mid-Atlantic artists are invited to submit work exploring the senses or the experience of sensory perception. Juror: Nora Atkinson.
Art League members
Deadlines: April 15, June 1. The Art League has two exhibits coming up that will be juried by online entry only. To see all current online entry opportunities, visit theartleague.submittable.com.
- May Open Exhibit: open to current Art League members. Artists can enter any work made within the last 10 years. Juror: Lisa Golightly.
- Not a Box: open to current Art League members. An exhibit of installation art. Juror: Alex Paik.
Watercolor
Deadline: April 15. The Pennsylvania Watercolor Society seeks entries for a juried art exhibition at the Ned Smith Center for Nature & Art in Millersburg, PA.
Graffiti artists
Deadline: April 22. The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) in partnership with the DC Department of Public Works (DPW) seeks graffiti artists and artist teams to design, create and install aerosol murals that inspire the various communities in which they will be placed. Selected artists will be required to work with youth interested in graffiti art (ages 14-18) by introducing and refining each student’s artistic skill in the discipline of graffiti style sketch work and aerosol mural painting.
Paint Out Lynchburg
Deadline: April 25 (early bird discount through April 11). The Lynchburg Art Club welcomes you to the first annual Paint Out Lynchburg. Beautiful architecture, flower gardens, and a lively downtown by the James River characterize this historic city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge. The event is open to all artists, including beginners. Cash prizes total $1,500.
Exhibit proposals
Deadline: April 30. The Spartanburg (SC) Art Museum is seeking proposals for solo and group exhibitions for 2017 and 2018. We are interested in all types of work that address contemporary issues and concerns, use traditional materials in unusual ways, and elevate our visitors’ experience to new levels of participation and engagement.
Publicly juried exhibit
Deadline: May 1. Projekt30 (Baltimore, MD) is taking submissions for our June 2016 exhibition. This exhibition will follow the “publicly juried” format we pioneered in 2003. All artwork submitted will be presented online prior to the exhibition so that visitors of Projekt30 can select which artists will be included in the exhibition. Visitors have the option of contacting any participating artist with feedback or opportunities. Unlike other juried exhibitions, all participants receive exposure.
Anacostia residency
Deadline: May 1. Anacostia Arts Center seeks proposals for unique arts projects to inhabit one of its 500 sq ft galleries for an artist residency program called IMMERSION. This project is aimed at Individual artists (or groups of artists) who enjoy the challenge of creating site-specific installations and who need time and space to create and share their work.
Texas open exhibit
Deadline: May 1. The Visual Arts Alliance (Houston, TX) seeks entries for a juried exhibition at the BLUEorange Gallery, June 7 – July 2. More than $2,500 in cash will be awarded. Juror: Dan Allison. Open to all artists over 18 years old. $60, up to 4 entries.
Solo opportunity
Deadline: May 2. Sweetwater Center for the Arts invites emerging and established artists who reside within 200 miles of Pittsburgh to submit artwork for an opportunity to have an eight-week solo exhibition in our gallery.
Sculpture
Deadline: May 3. The Maryland Federation of Art invites all artists residing in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico to enter Off the Wall, a sculpture only exhibition. All free standing 3D artwork in any media are eligible for entry.
Online exhibit
Deadline: May 3. The Maryland Federation of Art invites artists around the world to enter original 2D and 3D artwork in Watering Holes, an international online-only exhibition. Works selected will be displayed in MFA’s online gallery from June 1 to July 15, 2016.
Workhouse Arts Center
The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA has two upcoming deadlines:
- May 4: Clay International
- May 22: Fine Arts Festival
Functional art
Deadline: May 6. “Tabletop” at The Art League (Alexandria, VA) is an exhibit of ceramics and other functional artforms designed for food, drink, and the table. Jurors: McKenzie Smith (ceramics) and Kate Lydon (other functional art forms). $3,600 in awards.
Botanical art
Deadline: May 12. Smithtown Township Arts Council seeks entries for juried fine art exhibition “Of A Botanical Nature” at the Mills Pond Gallery in St. James, NY. A call for original artwork that reflects the beauty and uniqueness of flora in a realistic or representational style.
Fiber art
Deadline: May 12. The Maryland Federation of Art invites all artists residing in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico to enter its 4th biennial Fiber Options: Material Explorations competition. Any original 2-D or 3-D artwork created with fiber is eligible.
Prints
Deadline: May 21. The 19th Annual Washington Printmakers’ National Small Works Exhibition features selected prints by artists from across the nation. Hand-pulled prints, digitally printed images, or photographs completed in the past two years are eligible.
Creative reuse
Deadline: May 31. The inaugural Re:NEW Festival seeks submissions from artists and performers across the U.S. that explore the themes of creative reuse, transformation, and sustainability in thoughtful, engaging, and diverse ways. Maximum project budget: $3,000. Apply early! Deadline isMay 31, but entries will be reviewed on a rolling basis and early application is encouraged.
Nature art
Deadline: May 31. The Allegany Arts Council in Cumberland, MD is holding the first Appalachian Nature Art Competition & Exhibition. This competition is national and open to all artists using traditional media (no photography or digital arts please). The juror for this prestigious competition is Paul Rhymer, a nationally known wildlife artist.
MPAartfest
Deadline: June 1. MPAartfest is a one-day juried fine art and craft show and sale featuring the work of more than 50 local and regional visual artists in McLean. $30 application fee, $350 participation fee if accepted.
Young artists with disabilities
Deadline: June 1. (Re)Invention: Art + Innovation + Disability + Design is a juried exhibition of emerging young artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, that aims to showcase artwork created at the intersection of technology, innovation, and disability.
Art about animals
Deadline: June 3. Smithtown Township Arts Council (NY) invites submissions for its upcoming juried fine art exhibition: “Animals in Art – Our Partners on the Planet” at the Mills Pond Gallery. Juror/Judge Tim Newton. Artists are encouraged to share their artistic vision of animals, both domestic and wild.
Cultural viruses
Deadline: June 12. For “Dank Memes” at Non-Fiction Gallery (Savannah, GA), artists are invited to dig deep and decode the cultural viruses that live in you: show us your dank memes. $25 for 4 images.
Public sculpture 1
Deadline: July 1. Art in Place (Charlottesville, VA) is seeking submissions for the Outdoor Sculpture Competition 2016/2017, with sculptures to remain in place for 11 months at selected locations around the city. Each artist selected will receive a $1,500 honorarium.
Public sculpture 2
Deadline: July 1. Four locations around the City of Fredericksburg, VA have been selected for the display of public sculpture from October, 2016 to September, 2017. Liability insurance provided. Stipend of $2000. Artist responsible for delivery and removal.
Athenaeum
Deadline: August 18. The Athenaeum Invitational in Alexandria, VA is a theme-based event featuring the works of both specially-invited artists who have exhibited in the Athenaeum Gallery in the past, as well as works selected through a call for submissions open to anyone living or working in Virginia, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, or Maryland.
Art League solo exhibits
Deadline: September 23. Entry is now open for 2018 solo artist exhibits at The Art League. Entry is open to all Art League members.
Oil painters
Deadline: ongoing. If you are a high-level oil painter, interested in using your oil-painting skills to animate on a film, and available for training and employment between January and August of 2016, send in your portfolio! Loving Vincent will be the first fully painted feature film.
Upgrade Your Artist Statement on April 23
Presenting & Selling Your Work: Writing a Powerful Artist Statement
Saturday, April 23 at 1:00 pm
The Art League Gallery
Do you dread looking at your artist statement? Do you struggle to find the right words for your website, exhibit entries, or CV?
Help is here: David Hazard, a writing coach who’s worked with artists and authors for over 30 years, will be teaching the above workshop on April 23. He’s taught free workshops for us in the past, and we’re excited to welcome him back this month!
This workshop is open to all current Art League members, but space is limited, so an RSVP is required. We’ll see you there!
New Exhibits and Events for April
What’s new in the Gallery? We’re thrilled you asked.
Through Sunday, May 1, we have two extraordinary exhibits on view: “Orbit,” juried by Melissa Staiger, and “Misfits,” an exhibit of paintings and prints by Teresa Oaxaca.
Larry Fransen’s kinetic sculpture, above, won the Marshall Award for Best in Show in “Orbit.” This kind of graceful, cyclical movement was just one successful interpretation of the orbital theme, as the juror discusses in this video.
On Wednesday, April 13, Oaxaca will give a live drawing demonstration in the Gallery. You’re invited to watch in person or online.
The artist behind “Misfits” gave some background on the exhibit on her blog. This is her second solo exhibit at The Art League, made up of paintings rich with color, detail, and allegory — as well as a handful of etchings. Some of the paintings are presented in frames designed and painted by the artist.
Here’s a different look at the exhibit, in a drawing by the artist’s sister:
Finally, on Friday, April 29, “Orbit” comes to life in cocktail form. It’s the return of Art on the Rocks, the cocktail party that pairs works of art with bites and drinks from six local restaurants created for the occasion. Ticketholders get to sample each combination and vote on their favorite.
It’s a packed month — we hope to see you soon!
Artist Opportunities #315
Every Tuesday, we gather a variety of artist opportunities around the DC area and beyond. Find one below and enter today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.
Chelsea open call
Deadline: April 9. Emerging and mid-career artists are invited to submit their work for consideration in the May 2016 exhibition, Show #31, at Field Projects (Chelsea, NYC). All submissions will be considered by our Guest Curator Jesse David Penridge (Director, James Cohan Gallery, NY) for Show #31 and the accompanying online show.
Exhibit proposals
Deadline: April 30. The Spartanburg (SC) Art Museum is seeking proposals for solo and group exhibitions for 2017 and 2018. We are interested in all types of work that address contemporary issues and concerns, use traditional materials in unusual ways, and elevate our visitors’ experience to new levels of participation and engagement.
Publicly juried exhibit
Deadline: May 1. Projekt30 (Baltimore, MD) is taking submissions for our June 2016 exhibition. This exhibition will follow the “publicly juried” format we pioneered in 2003. All artwork submitted will be presented online prior to the exhibition so that visitors of Projekt30 can select which artists will be included in the exhibition. Visitors have the option of contacting any participating artist with feedback or opportunities. Unlike other juried exhibitions, all participants receive exposure.
Anacostia residency
Deadline: May 1. Anacostia Arts Center seeks proposals for unique arts projects to inhabit one of its 500 sq ft galleries for an artist residency program called IMMERSION. This project is aimed at Individual artists (or groups of artists) who enjoy the challenge of creating site-specific installations and who need time and space to create and share their work.
Texas open exhibit
Deadline: May 1. The Visual Arts Alliance (Houston, TX) seeks entries for a juried exhibition at the BLUEorange Gallery, June 7 – July 2. More than $2,500 in cash will be awarded. Juror: Dan Allison. Open to all artists over 18 years old. $60, up to 4 entries.
MPAartfest
Deadline: June 1. MPAartfest is a one-day juried fine art and craft show and sale featuring the work of more than 50 local and regional visual artists in McLean. $30 application fee, $350 participation fee if accepted.
Cultural viruses
Deadline: June 12. For “Dank Memes” at Non-Fiction Gallery (Savannah, GA), artists are invited to dig deep and decode the cultural viruses that live in you: show us your dank memes. $25 for 4 images.
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Bower Center
Deadlines: April 6. The Bower Center for the Arts in Bedford, VA has two exhibits with the same deadline.
Trawick Prize
Deadline: April 8. The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District invites eligible artists to enter the Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards. Artists must be 18 years of age or older and permanent, full-time residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, DC. All original 2-D and 3-D fine art including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, fiber art, digital, mixed media and video will be accepted.
Art about underground immigration
Deadline: April 8. The Center for Women in the Arts and Humanities invites all self-identified women artists to submit artwork for possible inclusion in Living in the Shadows: Underground Immigrant Communities, a group exhibition that will be on view from January to April 2017 in the Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series Galleries-Douglass Library, Rutgers University.
Touchable art
Deadline: April 11. Please Touch, an all-media exhibition at Target Gallery in the Torpedo Factory, invites national and international artists to submit interactive works. Visitors will be encouraged to touch and engage with the artwork, so all work must be safe to touch. The juror is Virginia-based artist and curator, Cynthia Connolly.
Workhouse Arts Center
The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA has four upcoming deadlines:
- April 11: Outdoor sculpture
- May 4: Clay International
- May 22: Fine Arts Festival
Sensory art
Deadline: April 12. For “Making Sense” at McLean Project for the Arts, Mid-Atlantic artists are invited to submit work exploring the senses or the experience of sensory perception. Juror: Nora Atkinson.
Art League exhibits
Deadlines: April 15, May 6, June 1. The Art League has three exhibits coming up that will be juried by online entry only. Artists do not need to be Art League members to enter “Tabletop.” To see all current online entry opportunities, visit theartleague.submittable.com.
- May Open Exhibit: open to current Art League members. Artists can enter any work made within the last 10 years. Juror: Lisa Golightly.
- Tabletop: open to all artists. “Tabletop” is an exhibit of ceramics and other functional artforms designed for food, drink, and the table. Jurors: McKenzie Smith (ceramics) and Kate Lydon (other functional art forms). $3,600 in awards.
- Not a Box: open to current Art League members. An exhibit of installation art. Juror: Alex Paik.
Watercolor
Deadline: April 15. The Pennsylvania Watercolor Society seeks entries for a juried art exhibition at the Ned Smith Center for Nature & Art in Millersburg, PA.
Graffiti artists
Deadline: April 22. The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) in partnership with the DC Department of Public Works (DPW) seeks graffiti artists and artist teams to design, create and install aerosol murals that inspire the various communities in which they will be placed. Selected artists will be required to work with youth interested in graffiti art (ages 14-18) by introducing and refining each student’s artistic skill in the discipline of graffiti style sketch work and aerosol mural painting.
Paint Out Lynchburg
Deadline: April 25 (early bird discount through April 11). The Lynchburg Art Club welcomes you to the first annual Paint Out Lynchburg. Beautiful architecture, flower gardens, and a lively downtown by the James River characterize this historic city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge. The event is open to all artists, including beginners. Cash prizes total $1,500.
Solo opportunity
Deadline: May 2. Sweetwater Center for the Arts invites emerging and established artists who reside within 200 miles of Pittsburgh to submit artwork for an opportunity to have an eight-week solo exhibition in our gallery.
Sculpture
Deadline: May 3. The Maryland Federation of Art invites all artists residing in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico to enter Off the Wall, a sculpture only exhibition. All free standing 3D artwork in any media are eligible for entry.
Online exhibit
Deadline: May 3. The Maryland Federation of Art invites artists around the world to enter original 2D and 3D artwork in Watering Holes, an international online-only exhibition. Works selected will be displayed in MFA’s online gallery from June 1 to July 15, 2016.
Botanical art
Deadline: May 12. Smithtown Township Arts Council seeks entries for juried fine art exhibition “Of A Botanical Nature” at the Mills Pond Gallery in St. James, NY. A call for original artwork that reflects the beauty and uniqueness of flora in a realistic or representational style.
Fiber art
Deadline: May 12. The Maryland Federation of Art invites all artists residing in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico to enter its 4th biennial Fiber Options: Material Explorations competition. Any original 2-D or 3-D artwork created with fiber is eligible.
Prints
Deadline: May 21. The 19th Annual Washington Printmakers’ National Small Works Exhibition features selected prints by artists from across the nation. Hand-pulled prints, digitally printed images, or photographs completed in the past two years are eligible.
Creative reuse
Deadline: May 31. The inaugural Re:NEW Festival seeks submissions from artists and performers across the U.S. that explore the themes of creative reuse, transformation, and sustainability in thoughtful, engaging, and diverse ways. Maximum project budget: $3,000. Apply early! Deadline isMay 31, but entries will be reviewed on a rolling basis and early application is encouraged.
Nature art
Deadline: May 31. The Allegany Arts Council in Cumberland, MD is holding the first Appalachian Nature Art Competition & Exhibition. This competition is national and open to all artists using traditional media (no photography or digital arts please). The juror for this prestigious competition is Paul Rhymer, a nationally known wildlife artist.
Young artists with disabilities
Deadline: June 1. (Re)Invention: Art + Innovation + Disability + Design is a juried exhibition of emerging young artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, that aims to showcase artwork created at the intersection of technology, innovation, and disability.
Art about animals
Deadline: June 3. Smithtown Township Arts Council (NY) invites submissions for its upcoming juried fine art exhibition: “Animals in Art – Our Partners on the Planet” at the Mills Pond Gallery. Juror/Judge Tim Newton. Artists are encouraged to share their artistic vision of animals, both domestic and wild.
Public sculpture 1
Deadline: July 1. Art in Place (Charlottesville, VA) is seeking submissions for the Outdoor Sculpture Competition 2016/2017, with sculptures to remain in place for 11 months at selected locations around the city. Each artist selected will receive a $1,500 honorarium.
Public sculpture 2
Deadline: July 1. Four locations around the City of Fredericksburg, VA have been selected for the display of public sculpture from October, 2016 to September, 2017. Liability insurance provided. Stipend of $2000. Artist responsible for delivery and removal.
Athenaeum
Deadline: August 18. The Athenaeum Invitational in Alexandria, VA is a theme-based event featuring the works of both specially-invited artists who have exhibited in the Athenaeum Gallery in the past, as well as works selected through a call for submissions open to anyone living or working in Virginia, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, or Maryland.
Art League solo exhibits
Deadline: September 23. Entry is now open for 2018 solo artist exhibits at The Art League. Entry is open to all Art League members.
Oil painters
Deadline: ongoing. If you are a high-level oil painter, interested in using your oil-painting skills to animate on a film, and available for training and employment between January and August of 2016, send in your portfolio! Loving Vincent will be the first fully painted feature film.
Alper Initiative
Deadline: none. The Alper Initiative for Washington Art accepts general exhibition submissions from Washington area artists and curators of all ages, medium, and backgrounds.
Exhibit proposals: Richmond
Deadline: ongoing. Artspace in Richmond, VA has an exhibition season running from January to December. The Exhibition Committee reviews proposals throughout the year. Proposals may be submitted at any time. Proposers will be notified whether they have been placed on the exhibition calendar for the coming year.
Open call
Deadline: ongoing. The Craddock-Terry Gallery at Riverviews Artspace accepts submissions from 2D, 3D, performance, and video artists on a continual basis. The Craddock-Terry is a 2,500 square foot; street-level contemporary exhibition space in Lynchburg, Virginia’s revitalized downtown.
Juror’s Tips for Entering “Not a Box”
Alex Paik is an artist using cut and folded paper to explore visual counterpoint and repetition as a tool for development. His work is inspired by polyphonic musical structures such as fugues. He is currently represented by Gallery Joe in Philadelphia and is the director of Tiger Strikes Asteroid, a network of artist-run spaces with locations in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Los Angeles. Paik currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.
Paik will act as juror for “Not a Box,” The Art League’s first group exhibit focusing on installation art. He wrote down his thoughts on jurying the exhibit, below. For more about “Not a Box,” visit the exhibit page.
In addition to having a strong conceptual foundation, I’m looking for installations that activate the space both through the material as well as through the space that’s created between the materials. The work should be an extension of the questions that the artists are exploring in their other work and should reflect the artist’s serious interest investigation into materials, art history, politics, philosophy, etc. In other words, the work shouldn’t be just “pretty” or visual in nature but rather should try to marry the visual execution of the piece with the concepts and questions that generate the work.
Since the space that each artist is given will be limited, I’d encourage everyone to make a mock-up version in their studios as a way to take excellent documentation for your application (installations live and die by their documentation!) but also as a way to test out adhesives and hanging methods before-hand.
In terms of the application, good images are a must. Vague descriptions of what the installation will look like are unhelpful. Instead, you should try to provide images from multiple angles that closely approximate what you envision the installation looking like. The closer you can get the images to look like your final vision, the better. If such photos aren’t possible, sketches are ok, but please keep in mind that I will be judging the work primarily on the visual impact it has. The more I can see, the better.
I’m very excited to be jurying this exhibition. I hope that the application process will encourage artists to try something new and open up their practice to new questions. I am envisioning this exhibition as a truly immersive environment that transforms the gallery and highlights some new and experimental work by the artists.
— Alex Paik
Art of the Air: Fritz DesRoches on the Airbrush
The airbrush is a tool that we associate with makeup and photo retouching — but it can be used for fine art, too, as Fritz DesRoches’ paintings prove. This month’s solo artist has been using the airbrush for decades, and he wrote this guest blog post to share what he’s learned about it.
About the author: Fritz DesRoches was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and grew up in Boston. After 20 years in the US Army, he retired and stayed in Germany for nearly 30 years. In February 2013, he returned to the US. He is a member of the Torpedo Factory Artists Association and The Art League. His solo exhibit, “The Caribbean — How Beautiful,” is on view at The Art League Gallery through Sunday, April 3.
Since my childhood, as far as I can remember, I have always liked art. I have always found a way to draw or paint something, whether it was a face, a landscape, seascape, or any human shape in that nature. I love photorealism, as shown in my paintings.
I love the airbrush better than the brush because of the smooth transition of the paint to the canvas.
I first started with the airbrush in the early seventies. I purchased a small Badger airbrush kit, including a compressor, and found later that kit was for hobby painting. Well, I had fun with it. It wasn’t until 1989 when a friend introduced me to the real “art of the air” airbrush paintings. It was then I saw what one can achieve with the airbrush, and I fell in love with this instrument right away. I love the airbrush better than the brush because of the smooth transition of the paint to the canvas.
The airbrush is not an easy instrument to master. Once you have a good understanding of its usage, I believe realism close to perfect can be achieved. I paint on canvases, which is much harder to airbrush on. It requires a thicker paint that will not run on the canvas. The .3mm nozzle on my airbrush fits that purpose, it allows the paint to flow freely, but with one major obstacle: clogging.
Clogging is the airbrusher’s nightmare. It destroys the mood, the concentration and everything. If not properly approached, it can destroy an expensive airbrush. One must know how to fix this problem and this is where patience plays an important role in airbrushing. So far, I can’t find anything in the market that can prevent clogging.
For over 25 years, I have been using the airbrush intensively. With hard work, tenacity, a never-give-up attitude, I self-taught in airbrush techniques. It was a matter of practice and “learn as you go.” I now feel very comfortable that I can airbrush any photo to any surface with minimal help from the shield or masking. My style is unique; it depicts the everyday lifestyle of the Caribbean people, mainly of Haiti.
— Fritz DesRoches
