Welcome to Artful Weekend At Home, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy and engage in art as you shelter-in-place.
This weekend: An illustrator talks maps, artists chronicle the pandemic, transporting art books for kids, and more!
Remapping the Familiar
Illustrator and League instructor Chris Bonnell at work on our first interactive installation.
Visitors became artists for “Outside the Lines.”
Back in March, Art League illustration instructorChris Bonnellwas commissioned to create Outside the Lines, a 19-foot coloring book style map of Washington, D.C. and Alexandria landmarks on the wall of The Art League Gallery. The map reimagined these familiar places taken over by trees, plants, and wild animals, creating a whimsical interactive experience that allowed viewers to color on the map and make real and imagined animals to add to it. Watch Bonnell’s artist talkwhere he explains his process for this mammoth undertaking, and a Q & A where he discusses his career as an illustrator. The closure of our gallery prevented many from seeing this major map, but you can help Chris and the League complete his vision with these fun coloring pages that you can download here. Share your completed masterpieces on the social media platform of your choice: @theartleague #artfulweekend.
Art in the Time of Coronavirus
Christine Sun Kim is one of the artists featured in “Artist Diaries.”
As cultural institutions began to close due to Coronavirus precautions, Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden director Melissa Chiu asked artists to share how they are living and working during the global pandemic. “We felt a responsibility to respond to an unprecedented historical moment by giving a voice to our community of artists,” she toldArtnet. The result:Artist Diaries, a living archive of diary-style video shorts noted artists share their creative practices views of the world.
Kid Relief
This period of sheltering-in can be tough on school-aged children who no longer get be around classmates or play with friends. Keep them upbeat and inspired with an art-themed book or two. Staff members at the Modern Museum of Art compiled this list ofclassic and newer works, for tots to teens, that are among their favorites.
Takeout From the Barnes
Paul Gauguin’s “Mr. Loulou (Louis Le Ray)”
The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia is producing Barnes Takeout, a series of YouTube shorts featuring the organization’s curators, scholars, and educators giving off-the-cuff musings about some of their favorite works in the collection. See a recent episode onPaul Gauguin’s Mr. Loulou with Gund Family curator Nancy Ireson.
Virtual Judd
Installation view of the exhibition “Judd” online at the MoMA.
Sculptor Donald Judd’s revolutionary approach to form, materials, working methods, and display changed the language of modern sculpture. Judd,an exhibition of his work, is currently part of the Museum of Modern Art’s “Virtual Views” series. It features the artist’s work and legacy through conversations with MoMA curator Ann Temkin, the artist’s own writings, audio from contemporary artists reflecting on the impact of his work, and more.
Even during difficult times, creativity persists. Throughout this period of social distancing, we will begin our listing with opportunities that uniquely address the coronavirus pandemic—be they calls for art that specifically speaks to it, or virtual exhibits that are cropping up as a result of it. Some have definitive deadlines and others are more flexible, so be sure to check guidelines carefully. We encourage you to share these and other opportunities with your creative circle.
Opportunities in Response to COVID-19
Bloom + Grow Brilliant Botanicals Call For Artists
Deadline: May 8 Bloom & Grow is a lush, colorful, and wide-ranging celebration of floral and botanical art. From biblical depictions of the Garden of Eden, to the plein air art of the Impressionists, to the bold stylized motifs in pop culture, depictions of flowers are plentiful throughout art history and visual culture. Due to the current COVID-19 pubic closures, we have altered our schedule and developed a two-part plan. We will start with an online show on our website and social media accounts, and then move to a physical gallery show once the public gathering restrictions have been lifted. Learn more here.
Athenaeum Call For Entries for A Very Weird Time
Deadline: August 14 Artists are invited to submit works that represent the full gamut of how the global coronavirus pandemic and its associated social distancing has affected them. Fear, uncertainty, anger and doubt are certainly typical responses but we are also interested in evidence of the creative benefits of solitude and reflection and the time to process them. For more information click here.
Las Laguna Gallery
Deadline: September 31 In response to COVID-19, Las Laguna Gallery has launched its first online exhibition of art in all media, “A Light in the Darkness.” All submissions will be accepted and posted in an online gallery. Click here to learn more.
Downtown Baltimore Partnership Call For Artists – Baltimore
The #ArtOfBaltimore campaign was launched to help support local artists and spark positive energy as we adjust to the economic and cultural impact of the COVID-19 virus. Selected works by local artists will appear on digital signage throughout Downtown Baltimore, and artist will receive a licensing fee and additional promotion of their work on DPOB social media channels. For more information click here.
Insider Art Fair Call For Submissions
In response to our extraordinary circumstances, the Willow Street Gallery is seeking artwork from local artists to showcase on our digital platforms for an online exhibition titled “Insider Art Fair.” This exhibition allows us at the WSG to continue our mission to provide a platform for local and emerging artists, and make meaningful connections while the community remains indoors and isolated. Click hereto learn more.
Social Distance Gallery For Thesis Exhibitions
Social Distance Gallery is posting BFA and MFA thesis exhibitions that are canceled or limited in access due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The digital exhibitions will be hosted on Instagram at @socialdistancegallery. Click here for submission instructions.
Amplifier’s Global Open Call For Art
In response to COVID-19, Amplifier is launching an emergency campaign with top art curators and public-health advisors from around the world. They are looking for public health and safety messages that can help flatten the curve through education, and symbols that help promote mental health, well-being, and social change work during these stressful times. Click here for more information.
Other Opportunities
Baltimore County Public Library Artist-in-Residence Program – Hereford, MD
Deadline: April 30 Are you an artist or maker? Do you want to share your skills and artistic vision with the Baltimore County community? The Hereford Branch is now accepting applications for its 2020 Artist-in-Residence program. Residency terms are one or two months in duration between June and December. Artists-in-Residence will receive a monthly stipend, along with additional resources for supply costs. For more information click here.
Salisbury University Here/Not Here Call For Artists – Salisbury, MD
Deadline: May 1 Beyond the many beautiful vistas of sandy beaches and bucolic farm land along Maryland’s Eastern Shore, there is also suburban sprawl, filled with strip malls and chicken houses. The art depicting our area often captures our picturesque beaches, birds, barns, and boats but rarely do we see images of the forgotten and overlooked spaces which are equally a part of this place. HERE/NOT HERE calls on artists to capture, explore, and depict those unscrubbed and often unseen places. For more information click here.
Site: Brooklyn In the Abstract Call For Artists – Brooklyn
Deadline: May 4 Abstraction still presents the possibility of enchantment. It is the limb of 20th century modern art, stretched out into the present day. Not trying to represent visual reality but instead using the colors, shapes, and processes that create its effect, abstraction invokes questions of space, order, simplicity and the limits of art itself. Site:Brooklyn is looking for work across all media. For more information click here.
Site: Brooklyn Video/New Media Call For Artist – Brooklyn
Deadline: May 4 Site:Brooklyn’s Video/New Media exhibition is seeking artwork that explores artistic applications of new media and technologies as well as work that examines the relationship between media, technology, and culture. This includes video, digital, sound, animation, virtual reality, and all other new technologies. We are looking for work that does not conform to traditional boundaries of form, medium, or genre. Click here to learn more.
Site: Brooklyn Realism: Encountering the Real – Brooklyn
Deadline: May 5 Realism is the art of everyday life. Historically, realism heralded a move away from the historical and academic modes of art making and towards a concern with both naturalist styles and realistic subjects. Now, realism’s position in the art world is more complex. Once considered dated, more and more artists are using realist techniques in incisive and original ways. Site:Brooklyn is looking for works across all media that engage with the renewed importance of realism today. For more information click here.
Innovative Grant Call For Artists
Deadline: May 7 Innovate Grant is a new initiative that supports artists and photographers through quarterly grants. We believe that new ideas come from sparks of inspiration and aim to provide just that, access to small and mighty bursts of financial support so that you can focus on making your important and innovative work. They are now accepting applications for the Spring 2020 cycle. Learn more here.
Shop 53 Board Game Call For Submissions – La Plato, MD
Deadline: May 18 Virginia, D.C., Maryland, and Pennsylvania artists, age 16 and older, are invited to go old-school and doe a twisted version of your favorite board game character; redo a piece or card from a game; or make something new with old games. Paintings, illustrations, drawings, sculpture, photography, digital media,mixed media etc are all acceptable. For more information click here.
Glen Echo Park Partnership Gallery Request for Proposals 2021 – Glen Echo, MD
Deadline: June 12 The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture requests proposals from individuals, groups of artists or curators to present exhibitions in the Popcorn Gallery, Stone Tower Gallery and Park View Gallery venues at Glen Echo Park for the calendar year 2021. Learn more here.
Call for Proposals, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site – Philadelphia
Deadline: June 17 We seek installations that will explore Eastern State Penitentiary’s history and evoke a broad range of emotions. We seek installations that will make connections between the complex history of this building and today’s criminal justice system and corrections policies. Clickherefor more information.
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Call For VisArts Studio Fellowship – Rockville, MD
Deadline: April 22 VisArts invites applications and proposals from local, national, and international artists for a six-monthStudio Fellowship at VisArts at Rockville. The Studio Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for a dynamic individual artist or collaborative artist team to create a new body of work, evolve an existing body of work, or develop a project in a stimulating, supportive environment. Learn more here.
OCA Mocha Call to Artists: Non-Figurative Portraiture – Arbutus, MD
Deadline: April 22 Portraiture is a way of studying others, whether it focuses on the fleeting moments we share of encapsulating people’s essence whole. This online exhibit highlights portraiture through a non-figurative lens that depicts subjects through means other than physical features, forms, or visage. Learn more here.
Doylestown Art Festival Call for Submissions – Doylestown, PA
Deadline: April 24 In its 29th year, the Doylestown Arts Festival, September 12th-13th, is a vibrant scene of art and creativity that attracts tens of thousands of visitors. Submissions are reviewed by a volunteer jury of artists, curators, and local residents.To learn more and apply, click here.
Target Gallery Call For Artists
Deadline: April 26 Target Gallery invites artists working in all visual media to apply to Mythos, an all- media group exhibition that presents work by artists who illustrate contemporary interpretations of mythology, folklore, and legends. This exhibition takes the symbolism and allegory of mythology and recontextualizes them in terms of current perspectives. For more information click here.
2020 Aperture Summer Open – New York
Deadline: April 29 The curators of the 2020 Aperture Summer Open, Information, seek new bodies of work by photographers and lens-based artists who seek to portray experiences of globalization, technology, and politics, and the dynamic changes to personal and social identity charted by mass media today. Inspired by the Museum of Modern Art’s 1970 exhibition Information, in which artists directly engaged with pressing global issues, this year’s Summer Open seeks exciting works that broadcast new ways of viewing our present—and our future. Click here for more information.
The Beacon Celebration of the Arts 2020
Deadline: April 30 The Beacon invites new and veteran artists over age 50 to submit works in our online art competition “Celebration of the Arts.” Categories include painting, drawing, sculpture/carving, ceramics,/pottery, mixed media/textile, stained glass/jewelry, and film and digital photography. Learn more here.
Create! Magazine Open Call
Deadline: April 30 Artists, 21 and older, from any country are welcome to apply with works that include painting, sculpture, digital, printmaking, fiber, photography, mixed media, installation and more. Learn more here.
Women’s Jewelry Association 2020 Student Scholarship
Deadline: April 30 (apply by April 10th and your application fee will be waived)
The Women’s Jewelry Association Foundation provides scholarships to female and female-identifying students enrolled in jewelry or metalsmithing programs at an accredited college, university, or training school between August 1, 2020 and July 31, 2021. Recipients are awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $7,000. Learn more here.
Call For Mural Proposals, Baltimore County Public Library – Towson, MD
Deadline: April 30 The Towson Chamber of Commerce, working with The Towson Creative Partnership, seeks proposals for the design and production of a large scale mural to cover the west facing facade of the Baltimore County Library located in Towson MD. The mural is a unique opportunity for an artist to merge creative vision into classic modern architectural elements. To apply click here.
Call For Women Artists: Why I Vote – Gaithersburg, MD
Deadline: April 30 The City of Gaithersburg and the Washington Women’s Art Caucus invite women artists to submit work for a juried exhibition titled “Why I Vote.” This exhibit commemorates the one-hundredth anniversary ratification of the Constitution’s 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, while exploring the contemporary topics that galvanize women voters and drive them to the polls. For more information click here.
2020 Project for Empty Space 2020 Artist in Residence Program – Newark, NJ
Deadline: May 1 The PES Artist In Residence Program is an annual initiative that invites four visual or multidisciplinary artists to Newark, NJ, to create work around social impact. The mission of the program is multifaceted and is intended to benefit both artists-in-residence and a larger audience or public. Additional details can be found here.
2020 Hamilton Artists Fellowship
Deadline: May 15 The Hamiltonian Artists Fellowship serves as a steppingstone for visual artists who have an active studio practice and are seeking assistance in creating a sustainable professional art career. The fellowship program seeks to create a stimulating environment for continued artistic and professional growth. Click here to apply.
Women’s Studio Workshop Residency – Rosendale, NY
Deadline: June 1 The Studio Workspace Residency is an opportunity for artists to create new work and fully immerse themselves in WSW’s supportive environment. We invite applications from artists at any stage of their careers. This residency gives artists the gift of time, an uninterrupted period to live and work away from the stresses of daily life. Artists may choose to work in any one or more of our studios: intaglio, letterpress, papermaking, screenprinting, darkroom photography, or ceramics. For more information click here.
MPAartfest Call For Submissions – McLean, Virginia
Deadline: June 15 McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) currently seeks submissions for MPAartfest. Artists from throughout the mid-Atlantic region are encouraged to apply. Artists retain 100 percent of sales. Additional details can be found here.
Sculpture Center 2021 In Practice Call for Artist Proposals – New York
Deadline: June 15 The Sculpture Center invites artists to submit proposals each spring for new projects to be presented in January 2021. Artists selected for the In Practice exhibition will receive an honorarium and production support. The level of production support will depend on the scope of accepted works and available funding. Click here for more information.
Sea of Change Mid-Atlantic 2020 Call For Submissions Extension Virginia Beach, VA
Deadline: August 3 There is beauty in all the waterways that surround us, but our climate is changing and perhaps our lives as well. The Virginia Beach Art Center invites artists from South Carolina to Pennsylvania to submit to our a showcase of all media artwork from the Mid-Atlantic that celebrates our present and warns of our future. For more information click here.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo Downtown Baltimore — Baltimore, MD
The Maryland Art Place (MAP) is working with Hotel Indigo in downtown Baltimore to offer rotating exhibitions in the hotel’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats restaurant. This opportunity is open to visual artists living or working in Maryland. ’s public art partnership projects (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo, is pleased to announce an open call to artists. MAP will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Click here to learn more.
Solo or Group Shows in Athenaeum Gallery – VA
The Athenaeum Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia exhibits visual arts created solely by artists living or working in the region (DC, Maryland and Virginia) and strives to present visitors with a wide variety of excellent art and unique experiences. In addition to the shows curated by the Gallery Director, the Athenaeum Gallery invites artists and curators to submit show proposals. For more information, visit https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=6876.
The Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland (MD)
Deadline: Rolling. The purpose of the Creativity Grant Program is to strengthen the vitality and sustainability of artists and small organizations to maintain a strong and stable arts infrastructure in the State of Maryland. The Creativity Grant also provides opportunities to serve the growing needs of relevant arts projects and collaborations within Maryland communities. For more information regarding eligibility and funding timelines, please review the Creativity Grants Guidelines. For more information about the program, and to apply visit the Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland website.
Artist/Writers: Cover Art for Academic Medicine
Deadline: Rolling. Submit original works of art inspired by, but not necessarily representative of, an academic medicine experience from any perspective: caregiver, researcher, teacher, learner, or patient (for example, learning how to be a physician or scientist, caring for patients, exploring research questions, making a new discovery, being a research participant, teaching, or being cared for in a teaching hospital). The journal welcomes photography, sculpture, painting, textile work, and other visual media. Images may be cropped or resized to fit into the allotted cover space. Artists must also submit a related Cover Art essay as a narrative companion to the artwork, to explain the connection between the work and the “academic medicine experience.” The related narrative should be 250 to 600 words and is subject to editing. To apply for this opportunity, and to learn more, visit the Academic Medicine website.
The Awesome Foundation Accepting Applications for Art Projects
Deadline: Open. The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences is a worldwide network of people devoted to forwarding the interest of “awesomeness in the universe.” Established in 2009, the foundation distributes $1,000 grants on a monthly basis to projects and their creators. The money is pooled from ten or more self-organizing “micro-trustees.” The chapters are autonomous and organized by the trustees around geographic areas or topics of interest. Apply on the Awesome Foundation website.
Call for Artists: Maryland Art Place Seeks Proposals for Rotating Exhibition Partnership with Baltimore’s Hotel Indigo (MD)
Deadline: rolling. Maryland Art Place (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo is pleased to announce an open ‘Call to Artists’. As an extension of MAP’s annual IMPACT public art partnership projects, MAP is working with Hotel Indigo to offer rotating exhibitions in Hotel indigo’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats. This opportunity is available to visual artists living or working in Maryland. Maryland Art Place will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Guidelines and information here.
Peripheral ARTeries – Biennial Contemporary Art Publication
Deadline: Rolling. Peripheral ARTeries is looking for artists to be featured in the new special Biennial Edition of their art publication, that comes to its 10th edition. This opportunity is great for both established and early career artists who need a boost to their artist portfolio. The 10th edition will once again explore and show current trends and tendencies in Contemporary Art: Peripheral ARTeries cultivates a spirit of openness through a unique collaborative and participatory approach.Each artist may submit a maximum of three works or projects made in any technique: painting, drawing, video art, experimental cinema, fine art photography, experimental media, mixed media, installations, public art, performance. The call is open to all proposed kind of art and media capable of challenging the viewers’ traditional perspective on art itself. To submit, visit the Peripheral ARTeries website.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo (VA)
Artists works will displayed in the hotel’s gallery (220 S Union St, Old Town Alexandria) for a six-month period. Two-dimensional, framed works only. Artists will install the work using the hotel’s mounting hardware. Labels will be provided by the hotel. All sales handled by artist, no commission. Preference for local or locally influenced selections but not required. The space measures approximately 7’10” by 8’3.″ If interested, contact Kate Ellis, General Manager, [email protected].
The New Project Studio – Ongoing Opportunity (VA)
Ongoing. Located in Studio 8, the New Project Studio is a community-focused arts incubator space that offers a short-term location to test new program ideas, spotlight underrepresented voices, and enhance community engagement. Projects rotate on a regular basis. For more information, clickhere.
Public Arts Grants & Opportunities (VA)
Ongoing. The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts provides grants for nonprofit arts organizations as well as individual artists. See all current opportunities and online applications here.
Residency: Maryland
Deadline: ongoing. Montgomery College, Rockville and Germantown Art Department is seeking proposals for its Artist-in-Residence Program, encouraging proposals that cultivate collaborative work between artists and students.
Looking for artists: Foundry Gallery (DC)
Deadline: ongoing. Foundry Gallery is seeking a few artists in the greater Washington, DC area. If interested in applying for membership please send up to five images (jpg attachments) and an email letter to: [email protected]. The oldest cooperative in Washington, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows at its beautiful space north of Shaw near the 9:30 Club.
Looking for artists: Printmakers (DC)
Deadline: ongoing. Washington Printmakers Gallery is seeking artist members specializing in printmaking, photography and book arts. An active cooperative for over 30 years, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows in its lovely space in upper Georgetown. Distant and shared memberships are available. If interested in applying for membership please email [email protected].
Welcome to Artful Weekend At Home, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy and engage in art as you shelter-in-place.
This weekend: The League’s online bounty, Degas on your screen, artist ah-ha! moments, and more!
Art League Online Offerings
Drawing Animals, taught by Milena Spasic, is a family-friendly online art course.
Spend some downtime this weekend checking out the cool things that we are doing online. To keep your creativity flowing, we now have online classes—drawing, painting, weaving, and more— that you can take from home. There is even a prompt for ordering the supplies you’ll need. Several of our instructors are creating short video demos in their areas of expertise. Here’s one by ceramics chair Blair Meerfeld. Stay tuned for more! Haven’t viewed our April Open Exhibit yet? You can see it in its entirety on our Flickr album. After you are done, read juror Dana Self’s comments about her award-winning picks, and Teresa Oaxaca’s explanation of her best-in-show painting. Stave off at-home boredom with fun and interesting art projects devised by our Creative Minds Squad. The latest one, Mapping Your Day, was created by gallery director Ali Wunder. Keep abreast of the latest open calls, fellowships and residencies on our weekly Artist Opportunities listing.
Artists at Work
Jack Whitten, Daniel Gordon, Shahzia Sikander, Marina Abramović, and Eleanor Antin are featured in the six-series digital documentary “Artist Pivots.”
Art21’s digital documentaries reveal the working lives of today’s most innovative artists. Tune in for ArtistPivots, which captures the “big pivot” moments of six individual artists as they bounce between mediums, experiment with techniques, and introduce new approaches to their creative practices. Artist Pivots airs at 11:30, 3:30, and 7:30 Eastern Time daily on Art21.live through April 22.
Degas Virtually
Edgar Degas, The Orchestra of the Opéra, 1870, oil on canvas, Musée d’Orsay, Paris
The much anticipated Degas at the Opera was open for less than two weeks before the National Gallery of Art closed. Fortunately, the museum has gathered a selection of opportunities to experience the first show dedicated to Edgar Degas’s fascination with the Opéra—its spaces, the music, and the people involved with the thriving theatrical life of 19th-century Paris. The online presentation includes research on the Gallery’s collection of works by Degas (the world’s third-largest), a video discussion with curator Kimberly Jones, and footage of the exhibit captured on the last day the Gallery was open.
An Artist Rediscovered
“Ave de paraiso florecido (Flowering bird of paradise)” by Feliciano Centurión
The colorful works of the late Paraguayan textile artist Feliciano Centurión have been largely overlooked until recently. He created textile works engaging with folk art and queer aesthetics in 1990s South America. Through the embroidery and painting of vernacular objects such as blankets and aprons, Centurión rendered poetic readings of his youth in the tropics, his love experiences in the metropolis, and his spiritual reflections before his untimely death of AIDS-related illness in 1996. See Abrigo, the first U.S. solo exhibition of his work, on virtual display at Americas Society.
This creative exercise is all about mapping. Not maps in the conventional sense, but a map of your day to day experience in a time when there is no clear path to normal.
What would a map of your daily movements look like now that you are confined to one place? Do you find yourself moving more, or less? This exercise is a process oriented visualization of how you, and your family members move around your space.
Materials:
Sketchbook or blank sheets of paper
Favorite drawing or painting materials
A ruler (or not)
Draw a blueprint style schematic of your home, or where you are sheltered, including any outside spaces you have access to on a daily basis.
Select a different color for every person and or animal living in your space.
Create a key that displays the colors designated to each person.
Start with yourself at the beginning of your day and draw a continuous line that represents the path you make in, and around your space each day.
Continue by adding the other members of your household, overlapping lines and colors. Or you could draw your path over the course of a week, with a different color representing each day.
Ali’s completed map
I ended up choosing different colors to represent parts of my day. I find that my time is very compartmentalized now. My mornings are full of kid-centered activities and my afternoons are a flurry of work tasks and domestic chores. This exercise could potentially be the start of an abstract painting, or just a way to reflect on your day.
And while we’re on the subject of maps…
Here are some inspiring, unconventional maps that other artist are making:
Mark Bradford
“Scorched Earth”
Mark Bradford creates lush abstract paintings that closely resemble maps of his hometown Los Angeles. Bradford constructs his works from signage and other materials found in his old neighborhood that create a physical manifestation of his memories of the place.
Paula Scher
“US Geography and Climate”
Renowned graphic designer Paula Scher has a series of painted maps that synthesize large bodies of information. In one she creates a map of the united states made entirely of the median home prices of each area and in another, counties and zip codes. She uses text and other typographic elements to construct these massive maps, each giving a different informational lens through which to view the country.
Chris Bonnell
“Persian War Map”
Finally, our very own Chris Bonnell, who teaches illustration at the League School, makes fascinating illustrated maps that plot out historical events.
Dana Self’s love of the arts has led her to careers where she promotes them in some form or fashion. Currently, she directs marketing at the esteemed University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. Before that she spent over a decade as a contemporary art museum curator at the Kemper Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, where she resides, as well as museums in Wisconsin, Kansas, and Tennessee.
During her stint as a curator she organized about 100 exhibitions of emerging and mid-career artists. “Just working with art, and finding out what artists are thinking and talking about, whether it’s commentary on a general zeitgeist or a commentary on something internal that they are struggling with, is my passion,” Self says. Writing about art is another passion. She’s been a critic for the weekly alternative newspaper The Pitch, a reviewer for The Kansas City Star, and now covers art for KC Studio magazine.
Self says when she received artwork for the April Open Exhibit, “I thought, ‘Wow! There are a lot of submissions.’ There was good work in all media, so it was hard to narrow down.” In addition to Journey of Life, her best-in-show pick by painter Teresa Oaxaca, she selected ten works for honorable mentions. She spoke with blog editor Julia Chance about curating, writing, art in the time of corona, and what delighted her about April’s show.
The Art League: You were a museum curator for a number of years. What did you enjoy about it?
DS: I was a museum curator for about 15 years in contemporary institutions for the most part. I just love the process of working with living artists—getting to sit and talk to them and organize an exhibition of their work, then interpreting that work for the museum audience.
TAL: And now you write about art. What’s that like?
Dana Self: I love to think about what artists are trying to communicate and how whatever media they’re using and whatever message that they are trying to convey resonates with me and the greater culture.
TAL: Is there a particular art topic that you consider your specialty?
DS: What interests me most are artists who deal with, identity—their own identity, cultural identity, any kind of identity. How that is understood, how it’s interpreted, how people interpret an artist’s own self-identity has always fascinated me.
TAL: It is still early, but are you noticing any emerging art trends during this period of social distancing?
DS: I have noticed more positive imagery on a couple blogs that I follow. I don’t know if I can identify that as a trend. Maybe that’s just the people I pay attention to.
TAL: Do you think that this period will change or affect how we engage with art?
DS: I don’t know. I worry about lots of things with regard to the economy, but if we’re solely talking about art, I certainly worry about how any kind of arts institution is going to be able to go forward unless they’re an arts institution with a giant endowment, but we’re not talking about those. We’re talking about smaller museums, smaller galleries, smaller nonprofit arts spaces. How are they going to survive this economic problem created by this virus and how are the artists going to carry on? The main goal is to survive economically and physically, and then [figure out] how you move forward. I don’t know if everything will be different. I can’t help but think it will be, but how it’s going to be different is a big question.
TAL: What did you think about the artwork submitted for the April Open Exhibit?
DS: My general impression was that people were doing really good work. There was a lot of really passionate landscape that I enjoyed. I was really blown away by people’s watercolor skills. Watercolor is not easy. There was a lot of good in all media. Overall, the quality was quite high and that made me happy.
My process was just going through all of [the submissions] many, many, many times and thinking about media. I wanted to make sure that I was inclusive of three dimensional objects and try to get a good representation of all the various media because nobody wants to come in and see all [of one kind of medium]. You want a really holistic, well-rounded representation across the field.
TAL: What should artists be mindful of when submitting their work for exhibition?
DS: The main thing is make sure that you have excellent photography. You don’t have to hire a professional photographer because most people can’t afford that. But make sure you have taken excellent photos of your work, that you’ve cropped them nicely, that the lighting is good, the colors are as true as they can be, and images are crisp and not blurry at all. Be very careful about how you submit your images because people like me are just looking at photos on our screens and if they’re not good then that makes a difference.
Aside from that, keep working at your craft and keep the faith. It sounds cliché, but it is important for everybody to keep working at what they love and submitting their work to shows everywhere that they can.
Best-in-Show Award winner Journey of Life by Teresa Oaxaca
“This painting is very unusual and has a level of wild imagination that really struck me. She packed so much in to it, so much imagery that didn’t seem to be there just randomly. It is very deliberate. I like what she has said about her painting. I thought, wow, there’s something extra going on here, and that’s what made it extra special for me.”
Honorable Mentions:
Tidal Reflections by Kathleen Best Gillman
“I love the perspective. I thought the color was really good and I thought it was really well executed. It has an emotional moodiness that I responded to.”
Gazelle by Stephanie Chang
“I have always loved drawing, and you don’t see a lot of just straight up drawing. This is really sophisticated and beautiful, and I loved the way she did the face and how the rest of the body just sort of faded away but it’s still there.”
Round-About by Octavia Frazier
“I love the dynamic quality of this painting. It’s very strong. The composition is really exciting to me, and I like the color palette too.”
Blue Corner by Janet Hakeen
“This also has a very strong composition. I love the snappy little size, a giant abstraction on a small scale. It’s only 12″ by 12.” That’s what attracted me to it, and that little blue corner. That was clever.”
Ghost Ship by Dave Mann
“It’s print making, which I never see enough of. It’s an intaglio etching, so I liked that because I think it’s really well done, and it had an interesting story to it. There is something very haunting about it.”
Here and Always by Marta Nammack
Though Nammack described what was happening, just looking at it you don’t know what’s happening. You can only guess at what’s happening. I found that really intriguing because it could be something really good or it could be something kind of frightening. I like the way that the triangle of light goes across the top third of the image and the darkness behind the trees.
Steel Town by Craig Nedrow
“If you know anything about steel in this country, you already know part of this story. You can just feel the grittiness of the whole scene, and then apply what you know about steel in this country to it, and it tells a very interesting story. I love the color palette, the black and white and the power lines.”
Desi by Jacqueline Saunders
“Portraits are hard to do. I love that with a few of these minimal strokes of watery paint and some pencil or charcoal, the artist completely shows me who this person is.”
Roofs of Rome Florence Setzer
“Here’s another watercolor, but very controlled, completely the opposite [of the previous one]. It is a very good drawing and the control that Setzer has with her watercolor and the whole composition is very pleasing. Obviously she loves Rome. It’s a like a little love letter.”
Moving Forward by Jan Sherfy
“Excellent composition. I love the colors and the detail in this work. I love there’s a whole lot of different textures. I think Sherfy really nailed it.”
Artist Teresa Oaxaca hanging out at The Art League Gallery.
By Haven Ashley
Teresa Oaxaca’s The Journey of Life is charming as it is brutal, a visual confection with layers of silk and ribbon in tones of taffy, petal, and pearl. A realist painter with a surrealist sensibility, her work is often sherbet-sweet but never saccharine. Ever the innovator, she discards the mantle of tradition, imbuing her luxurious visions with symbolic narrative, historical reference, and contemporary significance.
“Journey of Life” is the Best-in-Show Award winner in the April Open Exhibit.
Oaxaca’s best-in-show winning painting in our April Open Exhibit began as a still life chronicling the four ages of man, which are represented on the table-turned-ship as impish 19th-century dolls and a human skull. It is a reference to Thomas Cole’s four painting series The Voyage of Life whose subject journeys through life’s stages from childhood to old age while riding on a boat. As Oaxaca’s painting evolved, she chose to set the composition in the open ocean, rather than a closed interior. The artist out at sea—at the mercy of the tides, the moon, Posiden’s hand—is a metaphor of the unknowingness of life.
“The Voyage of Life: Manhood” by Thomas Cole
Oaxaca combines the follies of Rococo excess with the fearsome form of two great whites to create an allegory for human anxiety. “In this painting, the sharks represent what it feels like to be anxious,” she says, describing it as a feeling of nebulous danger lurking behind you. “Fear can be logical, but it shouldn’t control your life.” Oaxaca demonstrates this mindset in her self portrait by directing her gaze confidently to her viewers (and perhaps her former self, too) rather than the serrated mouths of the sharks. “I’ve always been interested in sharks,” Oaxaca continued, “They’re beautiful and ancient. They’re part of a world we don’t fully understand, the ocean, so they’re mysterious creatures as well.”
“Watson and the Shark” by John Singleton Copley
Oaxaca’s The Journey of Life takes inspiration from another nautical painting:Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley. It depicts a young man seemingly doomed to death by teeth and terror, and is viewed by many as a reference to salvation. The subject, Brook Watson, not only survived the attack, he went on to have a successful business career and it is believed he even commissioned the painting. To Oaxaca, Watson’s likely commissioning of Copley’s painting was an act of resilience, proof of what the human spirit can endure and overcome.
Oaxaca’s “Jester Self-Portrait”
The Journey of Life was not a commissioned piece and holds great personal significance to Oaxaca as a representation of her career’s progress. Here, her blue gown and butterscotch-blonde wig recall her own Jester Self Portrait, a painting that she considers one of her most iconic. “I’ve been requested to make so many versions of that portrait over the years,” she commented. The treasured totems and present-day references in The Journey of Life are many, from the harrowing image of Notre Dame aflame to the pert goldfinch (an allusion to Donna Tartt’s 2013 novel The Goldfinch) to the decadent flower arrangements. “I always paint live flowers, but these particular ones are even more special, more personal,” She remarked on the saffron and lychee hued blooms, which were painted from her own garden’s bevy of David Austin roses, peonies, and tea roses.
Despite these insights into Oaxaca’s sumptuous, candy-colored world, much of her work maintains its veil of ambiguity. To demand answers from her oeuvre would be asking an alchemist to reveal their secret chemistry. “Bring your own experiences, play with your imagination,” the artist instructed her audience, with a note of mischief. “Art should still be mysterious, even realist art. I think we’ve become a bit too literal. You can’t understand everything. Maybe I don’t even understand my own work completely.”
Even during difficult times, creativity persists. Throughout this period of social distancing, we will begin our listing with opportunities that uniquely address the coronavirus pandemic—be they calls for art that specifically speaks to it, or virtual exhibits that are cropping up as a result of it. Some have definitive deadlines and others are more flexible, so be sure to check guidelines carefully. We encourage you to share these and other opportunities with your creative circle.
Opportunities in Response to COVID-19
Bloom + Grow Brilliant Botanicals Call For Artists
Deadline: May 8 Bloom & Grow is a lush, colorful, and wide-ranging celebration of floral and botanical art. From biblical depictions of the Garden of Eden, to the plein air art of the Impressionists, to the bold stylized motifs in pop culture, depictions of flowers are plentiful throughout art history and visual culture. Due to the current COVID-19 pubic closures, we have altered our schedule and developed a two-part plan. We will start with an online show on our website and social media accounts, and then move to a physical gallery show once the public gathering restrictions have been lifted. Learn more here.
Athenaeum Call For Entries for A Very Weird Time
Deadline: August 14 Artists are invited to submit works that represent the full gamut of how the global coronavirus pandemic and its associated social distancing has affected them. Fear, uncertainty, anger and doubt are certainly typical responses but we are also interested in evidence of the creative benefits of solitude and reflection and the time to process them. For more information click here.
Las Laguna Gallery
Deadline: September 31 In response to COVID-19, Las Laguna Gallery has launched its first online exhibition of art in all media, “A Light in the Darkness.” All submissions will be accepted and posted in an online gallery. Click here to learn more.
Downtown Baltimore Partnership Call For Artists – Baltimore
The #ArtOfBaltimore campaign was launched to help support local artists and spark positive energy as we adjust to the economic and cultural impact of the COVID-19 virus. Selected works by local artists will appear on digital signage throughout Downtown Baltimore, and artist will receive a licensing fee and additional promotion of their work on DPOB social media channels. For more information click here.
Insider Art Fair Call For Submissions
In response to our extraordinary circumstances, the Willow Street Gallery is seeking artwork from local artists to showcase on our digital platforms for an online exhibition titled “Insider Art Fair.” This exhibition allows us at the WSG to continue our mission to provide a platform for local and emerging artists, and make meaningful connections while the community remains indoors and isolated. Click hereto learn more.
Social Distance Gallery For Thesis Exhibitions
Social Distance Gallery is posting BFA and MFA thesis exhibitions that are canceled or limited in access due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The digital exhibitions will be hosted on Instagram at @socialdistancegallery. Click here for submission instructions.
Amplifier’s Global Open Call For Art
In response to COVID-19, Amplifier is launching an emergency campaign with top art curators and public-health advisors from around the world. They are looking for public health and safety messages that can help flatten the curve through education, and symbols that help promote mental health, well-being, and social change work during these stressful times. Click here for more information.
Other Opportunities
Washington Sculptor’s Group Call For Entry – Sandy Spring, MD
Deadline: April 20 For LIGHT: A Sculptural Solar Dance, artists will use renewable energy sculptures to represent a need for better environmental responsibility. Work proposed for this exhibition will re-imagine solar energy as an art form. For more information click here.
Call For VisArts Studio Fellowship – Rockville, MD
Deadline: April 22 VisArts invites applications and proposals from local, national, and international artists for a six-monthStudio Fellowship at VisArts at Rockville. The Studio Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for a dynamic individual artist or collaborative artist team to create a new body of work, evolve an existing body of work, or develop a project in a stimulating, supportive environment. Learn more here.
OCA Mocha Call to Artists: Non-Figurative Portraiture – Arbutus, MD
Deadline: April 22 Portraiture is a way of studying others, whether it focuses on the fleeting moments we share of encapsulating people’s essence whole. This online exhibit highlights portraiture through a non-figurative lens that depicts subjects through means other than physical features, forms, or visage. Learn more here.
Call For Mural Proposals, Baltimore County Public Library – Towson, MD
Deadline: April 30 The Towson Chamber of Commerce, working with The Towson Creative Partnership, seeks proposals for the design and production of a large scale mural to cover the west facing facade of the Baltimore County Library located in Towson MD. The mural is a unique opportunity for an artist to merge creative vision into classic modern architectural elements. To apply click here.
Call For Women Artists: Why I Vote – Gaithersburg, MD
Deadline: April 30 The City of Gaithersburg and the Washington Women’s Art Caucus invite women artists to submit work for a juried exhibition titled “Why I Vote.” This exhibit commemorates the one-hundredth anniversary ratification of the Constitution’s 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, while exploring the contemporary topics that galvanize women voters and drive them to the polls. For more information click here.
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
15th ARC Salon Call For Entries
Deadline: April 14 The Art Renewal Center is now accepting entries to the 15th International ARC Salon Competition. Categories include: figurative, portraiture, imaginative realism, landscape, still life, drawing, sculpture, fully from life, plein air painting, animals, and a special category for teens. For more information click here.
Filmmakers, Video, and Projection Artists Call For Concepts – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: April 17 The Alexandria Film Festival and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra are partnering to produce “Homegrown: American Stories in Music and Film,” a unique blend of orchestral music and original film. Both organizations will commission five new films to be screened “live to picture” with American orchestral pieces performed by the symphony at its November 7 and 8 concerts, and then screened during the 14th annual film festival November 12–15. For more information click here.
Call For Graffiti and Aerosol Muralists – DC
Deadline: April 17 The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), in partnership with the DC Department of Public Works (DPW), seeks graffiti and aerosol mural artists and artist teams to design, create and install aerosol murals as part of the MuralsDC program. Selected artists will be expected to engage designated youth (ages 14-18) to help them understand the art of aerosol graffiti mural painting and provide youth with opportunities to assist in activities such as site preparation and mural outlining. This is an International Call for Graffiti and Aerosol Mural Art Artists and Artist Teams (selection preference will be given to artists that are residents of the District of Columbia). Click here to learn more.
The Harpo Foundation Grants For Visual Artists
Deadline: April 17 The Harpo Foundation seeks to stimulate creative inquiry and to encourage new modes of thinking about art. Applications are evaluated on the basis of the quality of the artist’s work, the potential to expand aesthetic inquiry, and its relationship to the foundation’s priority to provide support to visual artists who are under-recognized by the field. To apply click here.
Contemporary Art Gallery Online 2020 Art Competition
Deadline: April 19 Contemporary Art Gallery Online is proud to announce their 2nd Annual “ALL Planet Earth Theme” Online Art Competition for 2020. Contemporary Art Gallery Online encourages entries from all 2D and 3D artists regardless of their experience, education in the art field or where they may reside. Learn more here.
Doylestown Art Festival Call for Submissions – Doylestown, PA
Deadline: April 24 In its 29th year, the Doylestown Arts Festival, September 12th-13th, is a vibrant scene of art and creativity that attracts tens of thousands of visitors. Submissions are reviewed by a volunteer jury of artists, curators, and local residents.To learn more and apply, click here.
Target Gallery Call For Artists
Deadline: April 26 Target Gallery invites artists working in all visual media to apply to Mythos, an all- media group exhibition that presents work by artists who illustrate contemporary interpretations of mythology, folklore, and legends. This exhibition takes the symbolism and allegory of mythology and recontextualizes them in terms of current perspectives. For more information click here.
2020 Aperture Summer Open – New York
Deadline: April 29 The curators of the 2020 Aperture Summer Open, Information, seek new bodies of work by photographers and lens-based artists who seek to portray experiences of globalization, technology, and politics, and the dynamic changes to personal and social identity charted by mass media today. Inspired by the Museum of Modern Art’s 1970 exhibition Information, in which artists directly engaged with pressing global issues, this year’s Summer Open seeks exciting works that broadcast new ways of viewing our present—and our future. Click here for more information.
The Beacon Celebration of the Arts 2020
Deadline: April 30 The Beacon invites new and veteran artists over age 50 to submit works in our online art competition “Celebration of the Arts.” Categories include painting, drawing, sculpture/carving, ceramics,/pottery, mixed media/textile, stained glass/jewelry, and film and digital photography. Learn more here.
Create! Magazine Open Call
Deadline: April 30 Artists, 21 and older, from any country are welcome to apply with works that include painting, sculpture, digital, printmaking, fiber, photography, mixed media, installation and more. Learn more here.
Women’s Jewelry Association 2020 Student Scholarship
Deadline: April 30 (apply by April 10th and your application fee will be waived)
The Women’s Jewelry Association Foundation provides scholarships to female and female-identifying students enrolled in jewelry or metalsmithing programs at an accredited college, university, or training school between August 1, 2020 and July 31, 2021. Recipients are awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $7,000. Learn more here.
2020 Project for Empty Space 2020 Artist in Residence Program – Newark, NJ
Deadline: May 1 The PES Artist In Residence Program is an annual initiative that invites four visual or multidisciplinary artists to Newark, NJ, to create work around social impact. The mission of the program is multifaceted and is intended to benefit both artists-in-residence and a larger audience or public. Additional details can be found here.
2020 Hamilton Artists Fellowship
Deadline: May 15 The Hamiltonian Artists Fellowship serves as a steppingstone for visual artists who have an active studio practice and are seeking assistance in creating a sustainable professional art career. The fellowship program seeks to create a stimulating environment for continued artistic and professional growth. Click here to apply.
Women’s Studio Workshop Residency – Rosendale, NY
Deadline: June 1 The Studio Workspace Residency is an opportunity for artists to create new work and fully immerse themselves in WSW’s supportive environment. We invite applications from artists at any stage of their careers. This residency gives artists the gift of time, an uninterrupted period to live and work away from the stresses of daily life. Artists may choose to work in any one or more of our studios: intaglio, letterpress, papermaking, screenprinting, darkroom photography, or ceramics. For more information click here.
MPAartfest Call For Submissions – McLean, Virginia
Deadline: June 15 McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) currently seeks submissions for MPAartfest. Artists from throughout the mid-Atlantic region are encouraged to apply. Artists retain 100 percent of sales. Additional details can be found here.
Sculpture Center 2021 In Practice Call for Artist Proposals – New York
Deadline: June 15 The Sculpture Center invites artists to submit proposals each spring for new projects to be presented in January 2021. Artists selected for the In Practice exhibition will receive an honorarium and production support. The level of production support will depend on the scope of accepted works and available funding. Click here for more information.
Sea of Change Mid-Atlantic 2020 Call For Submissions Extension Virginia Beach, VA
Deadline: August 3 There is beauty in all the waterways that surround us, but our climate is changing and perhaps our lives as well. The Virginia Beach Art Center invites artists from South Carolina to Pennsylvania to submit to our a showcase of all media artwork from the Mid-Atlantic that celebrates our present and warns of our future. For more information click here.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo Downtown Baltimore — Baltimore, MD
The Maryland Art Place (MAP) is working with Hotel Indigo in downtown Baltimore to offer rotating exhibitions in the hotel’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats restaurant. This opportunity is open to visual artists living or working in Maryland. ’s public art partnership projects (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo, is pleased to announce an open call to artists. MAP will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Click here to learn more.
Solo or Group Shows in Athenaeum Gallery – VA
The Athenaeum Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia exhibits visual arts created solely by artists living or working in the region (DC, Maryland and Virginia) and strives to present visitors with a wide variety of excellent art and unique experiences. In addition to the shows curated by the Gallery Director, the Athenaeum Gallery invites artists and curators to submit show proposals. For more information, visit https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=6876.
The Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland (MD)
Deadline: Rolling. The purpose of the Creativity Grant Program is to strengthen the vitality and sustainability of artists and small organizations to maintain a strong and stable arts infrastructure in the State of Maryland. The Creativity Grant also provides opportunities to serve the growing needs of relevant arts projects and collaborations within Maryland communities. For more information regarding eligibility and funding timelines, please review the Creativity Grants Guidelines. For more information about the program, and to apply visit the Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland website.
Artist/Writers: Cover Art for Academic Medicine
Deadline: Rolling. Submit original works of art inspired by, but not necessarily representative of, an academic medicine experience from any perspective: caregiver, researcher, teacher, learner, or patient (for example, learning how to be a physician or scientist, caring for patients, exploring research questions, making a new discovery, being a research participant, teaching, or being cared for in a teaching hospital). The journal welcomes photography, sculpture, painting, textile work, and other visual media. Images may be cropped or resized to fit into the allotted cover space. Artists must also submit a related Cover Art essay as a narrative companion to the artwork, to explain the connection between the work and the “academic medicine experience.” The related narrative should be 250 to 600 words and is subject to editing. To apply for this opportunity, and to learn more, visit the Academic Medicine website.
The Awesome Foundation Accepting Applications for Art Projects
Deadline: Open. The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences is a worldwide network of people devoted to forwarding the interest of “awesomeness in the universe.” Established in 2009, the foundation distributes $1,000 grants on a monthly basis to projects and their creators. The money is pooled from ten or more self-organizing “micro-trustees.” The chapters are autonomous and organized by the trustees around geographic areas or topics of interest. Apply on the Awesome Foundation website.
Call for Artists: Maryland Art Place Seeks Proposals for Rotating Exhibition Partnership with Baltimore’s Hotel Indigo (MD)
Deadline: rolling. Maryland Art Place (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo is pleased to announce an open ‘Call to Artists’. As an extension of MAP’s annual IMPACT public art partnership projects, MAP is working with Hotel Indigo to offer rotating exhibitions in Hotel indigo’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats. This opportunity is available to visual artists living or working in Maryland. Maryland Art Place will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Guidelines and information here.
Peripheral ARTeries – Biennial Contemporary Art Publication
Deadline: Rolling. Peripheral ARTeries is looking for artists to be featured in the new special Biennial Edition of their art publication, that comes to its 10th edition. This opportunity is great for both established and early career artists who need a boost to their artist portfolio. The 10th edition will once again explore and show current trends and tendencies in Contemporary Art: Peripheral ARTeries cultivates a spirit of openness through a unique collaborative and participatory approach.Each artist may submit a maximum of three works or projects made in any technique: painting, drawing, video art, experimental cinema, fine art photography, experimental media, mixed media, installations, public art, performance. The call is open to all proposed kind of art and media capable of challenging the viewers’ traditional perspective on art itself. To submit, visit the Peripheral ARTeries website.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo (VA)
Artists works will displayed in the hotel’s gallery (220 S Union St, Old Town Alexandria) for a six-month period. Two-dimensional, framed works only. Artists will install the work using the hotel’s mounting hardware. Labels will be provided by the hotel. All sales handled by artist, no commission. Preference for local or locally influenced selections but not required. The space measures approximately 7’10” by 8’3.″ If interested, contact Kate Ellis, General Manager, [email protected].
The New Project Studio – Ongoing Opportunity (VA)
Ongoing. Located in Studio 8, the New Project Studio is a community-focused arts incubator space that offers a short-term location to test new program ideas, spotlight underrepresented voices, and enhance community engagement. Projects rotate on a regular basis. For more information, clickhere.
Public Arts Grants & Opportunities (VA)
Ongoing. The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts provides grants for nonprofit arts organizations as well as individual artists. See all current opportunities and online applications here.
Residency: Maryland
Deadline: ongoing. Montgomery College, Rockville and Germantown Art Department is seeking proposals for its Artist-in-Residence Program, encouraging proposals that cultivate collaborative work between artists and students.
Looking for artists: Foundry Gallery (DC)
Deadline: ongoing. Foundry Gallery is seeking a few artists in the greater Washington, DC area. If interested in applying for membership please send up to five images (jpg attachments) and an email letter to: [email protected]. The oldest cooperative in Washington, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows at its beautiful space north of Shaw near the 9:30 Club.
Looking for artists: Printmakers (DC)
Deadline: ongoing. Washington Printmakers Gallery is seeking artist members specializing in printmaking, photography and book arts. An active cooperative for over 30 years, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows in its lovely space in upper Georgetown. Distant and shared memberships are available. If interested in applying for membership please email [email protected].
"Blue Corner" by Janet Heekin, received an Honorable Mention Award in The Art League April Open Exhibit.
Welcome to Artful Weekend At Home, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy and engage in art as you shelter-in-place.
This weekend: Our April Open Show online, Easter eggs to dye for, a virtual Hockney exhibit, and more!
April Open Exhibit Online
“Gazelle” by Stephanie Chang, an Honorable Mention awardee in our April Open Exhibit.
As we do our part to follow social distancing guidelines, we will continue to present great art by our member artists. Exhibiting now online: our April Open Show juried by art writer Dana Self of KC Studio magazine.
Artful Easter Eggs
Tie-dye easter eggs courtesy of Crouton and CrackerJack.
In lieu of their annual Easter egg hunt, our friends at Anthenaeum Gallery shared this tutorial for making groovy tie-dye Easter eggs that are bound to be an Easter basket standout!
Image courtesy of The Kitchn.
Don’t have dye or food coloring? Make some from pantry staples. The digital food magazine Kitchn shows you how to dye eggs naturally using things like onion skins, purple cabbage, ground turmeric and good old Red Zinger tea.
Insta Art Games
“JeopARTy,” hosted by The Student Art League of NY
Test your art knowledge and have fun playing these art-themed games on Instagram: The the Brooklyn Museum’s Art History Pop Quiz, appearing on their Instagram story every Friday, features questions about the museum’s famed collection. For “JeopARTy,” hosted by The Student Art League of NY on Sunday, April12 at 7 p.m., contestants who are selected from their Instagram Live audience compete for prizes.
A Virtual Hockney Exhibit
This portrait of pop sensation Ed Sheeran is one of 18 charcoal, crayon, and acrylic on canvas portraits featured in David Hockney’s latest exhibit.
Octogenarian artist David Hockney’s investigations into how to depict more truly how we ‘see’ is unwavering. His latest exhibit, Video Brings Its Time to You, You Bring Your Time to Paintings and Drawings, includes the two two multiple perspective videos, portraits on canvas of Hockney’s friends and associates, from fellow artists to well-known musicians, as well as images and items from his studio. Catch it on GalleriesNow, an online guide with installation and virtual reality views.
Support Student Artists
A sampling of MFA thesis submissions from MICA on @SocialDistanceGallery.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought another in-person art activity to a halt: student thesis exhibitions. Artist and adjunct professor Benjamin Cook is helping to fill the void and giving young artists a wide-reaching platform with his increasingly popular @SocialDistanceGallery on Instagram. It’s a great way to see work by emerging artists from around the globe.
Masks Made Easy
With face coverings now a social-distancing requirement in the DMV, here’s an easy, no-sew version you can make with a bandana or any other tightly woven fabric. Once your mask is finished, follow these instructions for wearing and caring for it.
Even during difficult times, creativity persists. Throughout this period of social distancing, we will begin our listing with opportunities that uniquely address the current pandemic—be they calls for art that specifically speaks to it, or virtual exhibits that are cropping up as a result of it. Some have definitive deadlines and others are more flexible, so be sure to check guidelines carefully. We encourage you to share these and other opportunities with your creative circle.
Opportunities in Response to Covid-19
Bloom + Grow Brilliant Botanicals Call For Artists
Deadline: May 8 Bloom & Grow is a lush, colorful, and wide-ranging celebration of floral and botanical art. From biblical depictions of the Garden of Eden, to the plein air art of the Impressionists, to the bold stylized motifs in pop culture, depictions of flowers are plentiful throughout art history and visual culture. Due to the current COVID-19 pubic closures, we have altered our schedule and developed a two-part plan. We will start with an online show on our website and social media accounts, and then move to a physical gallery show once the public gathering restrictions have been lifted. Learn more here.
Downtown Baltimore Partnership Call For Artists – Baltimore
The #ArtOfBaltimore campaign was launched to help support local artists and spark positive energy as we adjust to the economic and cultural impact of the COVID-19 virus. Selected works by local artists will appear on digital signage throughout Downtown Baltimore, and artist will receive a licensing fee and additional promotion of their work on DPOB social media channels. For more information click here.
Insider Art Fair Call For Submissions
In response to our extraordinary circumstances, the Willow Street Gallery is seeking artwork from local artists to showcase on our digital platforms for an online exhibition titled “Insider Art Fair.” This exhibition allows us at the WSG to continue our mission to provide a platform for local and emerging artists, and make meaningful connections while the community remains indoors and isolated. Click hereto learn more.
Social Distance Gallery For Thesis Exhibitions
Social Distance Gallery is posting BFA and MFA thesis exhibitions that are canceled or limited in access due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The digital exhibitions will be hosted on Instagram at @socialdistancegallery. Click here for submission instructions.
Las Laguna Gallery Call For Artists
Deadline: September 31 In response to COVID-19, Las Laguna Gallery has launched its first online exhibition of art in all media, “a light in the darkness.” All submissions will be accepted and posted in an online gallery. Click hereto learn more.
Amplifier’s Global Open Call For Art
In response to COVID-19, Amplifier is launching an emergency campaign with top art curators and public-health advisors from around the world. They are looking for public health and safety messages that can help flatten the curve through education, and symbols that help promote mental health, well-being, and social change work during these stressful times. Click here for more information.
Other Opportunities
First Street Gallery Call For Submissions—NY
Deadline: April 7 This exhibit is open to U.S. resident artists at least 18 yeas of age, except artists currently represented by First Street Gallery. Eligible works include original oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, drawings, prints, photography, mixed media, and sculpture in any medium. For more information click here.
2020 Hamilton Artists Fellowship
Deadline: May 15 The Hamiltonian Artists Fellowship serves as a steppingstone for visual artists who have an active studio practice and are seeking assistance in creating a sustainable professional art career. The fellowship program seeks to create a stimulating environment for continued artistic and professional growth. Click here to apply.
Sea of Change Mid-Atlantic 2020 Call For Submissions Extension Virginia Beach, VA
Deadline: August 3 There is beauty in all the waterways that surround us, but our climate is changing and perhaps our lives as well. The Virginia Beach Art Center invites artists from South Carolina to Pennsylvania to submit to our a showcase of all media artwork from the Mid-Atlantic that celebrates our present and warns of our future. For more information click here.
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Halcyon Arts Lab Fellowship – DC
Deadline: April 8 At the intersection of art and social change, this five-month residential fellowship is designed to provide support and resources to emerging artists working on projects which address issues of social justice, civic engagement, and community building. Arts Lab fellows strive to expand their practices and grow as leaders in their respective fields. For more information click here.
Biblio Spectaculum Call For Entries – Clifton Springs, NY
Deadline: April 11 Main Street Arts seeks entries for a national juried exhibition of artist books and text-based visual works. Submissions must be visual in nature. Written text passages must be part of an artist book, painting, photograph, drawing, print, collage, sculpture, or other visual art form. Submissions may be text art, concrete/visual poetry, any of the afore mentioned disciplines, or a combination thereof. Submissions may or may not contain text or type. For more information click here.
15th ARC Salon Call For Entries
Deadline: April 14 The Art Renewal Center is now accepting entries to the 15th International ARC Salon Competition. Categories include: figurative, portraiture, imaginative realism, landscape, still life, drawing, sculpture, fully from life, plein air painting, animals, and a special category for teens. For more information click here.
Filmmakers, Video, and Projection Artists Call For Concepts – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: April 17 The Alexandria Film Festival and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra are partnering to produce “Homegrown: American Stories in Music and Film,” a unique blend of orchestral music and original film. Both organizations will commission five new films to be screened “live to picture” with American orchestral pieces performed by the symphony at its November 7 and 8 concerts, and then screened during the 14th annual film festival November 12–15. For more information click here.
Call For Graffiti and Aerosol Muralists – DC
Deadline: April 17 The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), in partnership with the DC Department of Public Works (DPW), seeks graffiti and aerosol mural artists and artist teams to design, create and install aerosol murals as part of the MuralsDC program. Selected artists will be expected to engage designated youth (ages 14-18) to help them understand the art of aerosol graffiti mural painting and provide youth with opportunities to assist in activities such as site preparation and mural outlining. This is an International Call for Graffiti and Aerosol Mural Art Artists and Artist Teams (selection preference will be given to artists that are residents of the District of Columbia). Click here to learn more.
The Harpo Foundation Grants For Visual Artists
Deadline: April 17 The Harpo Foundation seeks to stimulate creative inquiry and to encourage new modes of thinking about art. Applications are evaluated on the basis of the quality of the artist’s work, the potential to expand aesthetic inquiry, and its relationship to the foundation’s priority to provide support to visual artists who are under-recognized by the field. To apply click here.
Contemporary Art Gallery Online 2020 Art Competition
Deadline: April 19 Contemporary Art Gallery Online is proud to announce their 2nd Annual “ALL Planet Earth Theme” Online Art Competition for 2020. Contemporary Art Gallery Online encourages entries from all 2D and 3D artists regardless of their experience, education in the art field or where they may reside. Learn more here.
2020 Aperture Summer Open – New York
Deadline: April 29 The curators of the 2020 Aperture Summer Open, Information, seek new bodies of work by photographers and lens-based artists who seek to portray experiences of globalization, technology, and politics, and the dynamic changes to personal and social identity charted by mass media today. Inspired by the Museum of Modern Art’s 1970 exhibition Information, in which artists directly engaged with pressing global issues, this year’s Summer Open seeks exciting works that broadcast new ways of viewing our present—and our future. Click here for more information.
Doylestown Art Festival Call for Submissions – Doylestown, PA
Deadline: April 24 In its 29th year, the Doylestown Arts Festival, September 12th-13th, is a vibrant scene of art and creativity that attracts tens of thousands of visitors. Submissions are reviewed by a volunteer jury of artists, curators, and local residents.To learn more and apply, click here.
Target Gallery Call For Artists
Deadline: April 26 Target Gallery invites artists working in all visual media to apply to Mythos, an all- media group exhibition that presents work by artists who illustrate contemporary interpretations of mythology, folklore, and legends. This exhibition takes the symbolism and allegory of mythology and recontextualizes them in terms of current perspectives. For more information click here.
The Beacon Celebration of the Arts 2020
Deadline: April 30 The Beacon invites new and veteran artists over age 50 to submit works in our online art competition “Celebration of the Arts.” Categories include painting, drawing, sculpture/carving, ceramics,/pottery, mixed media/textile, stained glass/jewelry, and film and digital photography. Learn more here.
Create! Magazine Open Call
Deadline: April 30 Artists, 21 and older, from any country are welcome to apply with works that include painting, sculpture, digital, printmaking, fiber, photography, mixed media, installation and more. Learn more here.
Women’s Jewelry Association 2020 Student Scholarship
Deadline: April 30 (apply by April 10th and your application fee will be waived)
The Women’s Jewelry Association Foundation provides scholarships to female and female-identifying students enrolled in jewelry or metalsmithing programs at an accredited college, university, or training school between August 1, 2020 and July 31, 2021. Recipients are awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $7,000. Learn more here.
2020 Project for Empty Space 2020 Artist in Residence Program – Newark, NJ
Deadline: May 1 The PES Artist In Residence Program is an annual initiative that invites four visual or multidisciplinary artists to Newark, NJ, to create work around social impact. The mission of the program is multifaceted and is intended to benefit both artists-in-residence and a larger audience or public. Additional details can be found here.
Women’s Studio Workshop Residency – Rosendale, NY
Deadline: June 1 The Studio Workspace Residency is an opportunity for artists to create new work and fully immerse themselves in WSW’s supportive environment. We invite applications from artists at any stage of their careers. This residency gives artists the gift of time, an uninterrupted period to live and work away from the stresses of daily life. Artists may choose to work in any one or more of our studios: intaglio, letterpress, papermaking, screenprinting, darkroom photography, or ceramics. For more information click here.
MPAartfest Call For Submissions – McLean, Virginia
Deadline: June 15 McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) currently seeks submissions for MPAartfest. Artists from throughout the mid-Atlantic region are encouraged to apply. Artists retain 100 percent of sales. Additional details can be found here.
Sculpture Center 2021 In Practice Call for Artist Proposals – New York
Deadline: June 15 The Sculpture Center invites artists to submit proposals each spring for new projects to be presented in January 2021. Artists selected for the In Practice exhibition will receive an honorarium and production support. The level of production support will depend on the scope of accepted works and available funding. Click here for more information.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo Downtown Baltimore — Baltimore, MD
The Maryland Art Place (MAP) is working with Hotel Indigo in downtown Baltimore to offer rotating exhibitions in the hotel’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats restaurant. This opportunity is open to visual artists living or working in Maryland. ’s public art partnership projects (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo, is pleased to announce an open call to artists. MAP will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Click here to learn more.
Solo or Group Shows in Athenaeum Gallery – VA
The Athenaeum Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia exhibits visual arts created solely by artists living or working in the region (DC, Maryland and Virginia) and strives to present visitors with a wide variety of excellent art and unique experiences. In addition to the shows curated by the Gallery Director, the Athenaeum Gallery invites artists and curators to submit show proposals. For more information, visit https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=6876.
The Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland (MD)
Deadline: Rolling. The purpose of the Creativity Grant Program is to strengthen the vitality and sustainability of artists and small organizations to maintain a strong and stable arts infrastructure in the State of Maryland. The Creativity Grant also provides opportunities to serve the growing needs of relevant arts projects and collaborations within Maryland communities. For more information regarding eligibility and funding timelines, please review the Creativity Grants Guidelines. For more information about the program, and to apply visit the Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland website.
Artist/Writers: Cover Art for Academic Medicine
Deadline: Rolling. Submit original works of art inspired by, but not necessarily representative of, an academic medicine experience from any perspective: caregiver, researcher, teacher, learner, or patient (for example, learning how to be a physician or scientist, caring for patients, exploring research questions, making a new discovery, being a research participant, teaching, or being cared for in a teaching hospital). The journal welcomes photography, sculpture, painting, textile work, and other visual media. Images may be cropped or resized to fit into the allotted cover space. Artists must also submit a related Cover Art essay as a narrative companion to the artwork, to explain the connection between the work and the “academic medicine experience.” The related narrative should be 250 to 600 words and is subject to editing. To apply for this opportunity, and to learn more, visit the Academic Medicine website.
The Awesome Foundation Accepting Applications for Art Projects
Deadline: Open. The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences is a worldwide network of people devoted to forwarding the interest of “awesomeness in the universe.” Established in 2009, the foundation distributes $1,000 grants on a monthly basis to projects and their creators. The money is pooled from ten or more self-organizing “micro-trustees.” The chapters are autonomous and organized by the trustees around geographic areas or topics of interest. Apply on the Awesome Foundation website.
Call for Artists: Maryland Art Place Seeks Proposals for Rotating Exhibition Partnership with Baltimore’s Hotel Indigo (MD)
Deadline: rolling. Maryland Art Place (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo is pleased to announce an open ‘Call to Artists’. As an extension of MAP’s annual IMPACT public art partnership projects, MAP is working with Hotel Indigo to offer rotating exhibitions in Hotel indigo’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats. This opportunity is available to visual artists living or working in Maryland. Maryland Art Place will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Guidelines and information here.
Peripheral ARTeries – Biennial Contemporary Art Publication
Deadline: Rolling. Peripheral ARTeries is looking for artists to be featured in the new special Biennial Edition of their art publication, that comes to its 10th edition. This opportunity is great for both established and early career artists who need a boost to their artist portfolio. The 10th edition will once again explore and show current trends and tendencies in Contemporary Art: Peripheral ARTeries cultivates a spirit of openness through a unique collaborative and participatory approach.Each artist may submit a maximum of three works or projects made in any technique: painting, drawing, video art, experimental cinema, fine art photography, experimental media, mixed media, installations, public art, performance. The call is open to all proposed kind of art and media capable of challenging the viewers’ traditional perspective on art itself. To submit, visit the Peripheral ARTeries website.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo (VA)
Artists works will displayed in the hotel’s gallery (220 S Union St, Old Town Alexandria) for a six-month period. Two-dimensional, framed works only. Artists will install the work using the hotel’s mounting hardware. Labels will be provided by the hotel. All sales handled by artist, no commission. Preference for local or locally influenced selections but not required. The space measures approximately 7’10” by 8’3.″ If interested, contact Kate Ellis, General Manager, [email protected].
The New Project Studio – Ongoing Opportunity (VA)
Ongoing. Located in Studio 8, the New Project Studio is a community-focused arts incubator space that offers a short-term location to test new program ideas, spotlight underrepresented voices, and enhance community engagement. Projects rotate on a regular basis. For more information, clickhere.
Public Arts Grants & Opportunities (VA)
Ongoing. The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts provides grants for nonprofit arts organizations as well as individual artists. See all current opportunities and online applications here.
Residency: Maryland
Deadline: ongoing. Montgomery College, Rockville and Germantown Art Department is seeking proposals for its Artist-in-Residence Program, encouraging proposals that cultivate collaborative work between artists and students.
Looking for artists: Foundry Gallery (DC)
Deadline: ongoing. Foundry Gallery is seeking a few artists in the greater Washington, DC area. If interested in applying for membership please send up to five images (jpg attachments) and an email letter to: [email protected]. The oldest cooperative in Washington, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows at its beautiful space north of Shaw near the 9:30 Club.
Looking for artists: Printmakers (DC)
Deadline: ongoing. Washington Printmakers Gallery is seeking artist members specializing in printmaking, photography and book arts. An active cooperative for over 30 years, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows in its lovely space in upper Georgetown. Distant and shared memberships are available. If interested in applying for membership please email [email protected].
Three artworks in "Flora/Fauna," from left to right: "Eventide Escape" by Richard Moore; "Piero's Table" by Maureen Rabinovitz; and "Landscape" by Daiva Balkus; floral arrangement by The Enchanted Florist.
Welcome to Artful Weekend At Home, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy and engage in art as you shelter-in-place.
This weekend: Tour our Flora/Fauna exhibit, rise to some creative challenges, brush up on your art history, and more!
Spring Fling
Here’s a sampling of what you’ll see in our “Flora/Fauna” video tour.
Didn’t get to see our March exhibition Flora/Fauna in The Art League Gallery? No problem! Check out this video walk through with commentary by juror Carol Fabricatore!
Join the Club
“Odd Little Lifes,” a still-life exercise created by our assistant gallery director Haven Ashley, requires using common and unique household objects.
Virtual art clubs—aka #quarantineartclubs—and art challenges are connecting artists on social media. As reported on MyModernMet.com, “The general structure of these coronavirus clubs is that each day there is a prompt. Based on the day and inspiration, you’ll create a drawing, painting, or collage and share it on social media (most commonly Instagram) using the appropriate hashtag.” Get started with Art in Your Inbox, our series of lighthearted, staff-curated exercises to give you a boost of creative endorphins. Be sure to tag us @theartleague, and use the hashtag #createsomethingmore.
Parents’ Time Out
Are you a frazzled parent juggling working from home and keeping your young ones occupied and engaged? These illustrators, who have created free art classes for kids, parents and anyone else in need of a creative break, have got your back!
Get the Picture?
Nothing gets an idea across like visual communication. Case in point: graphic designers and artists who are creating COVID-19 PSAs. Here are ten with advice to heed.
Higher Learning
Take a break from dire news reports and immerse yourself in art studies. Smarthistory offers free courses on the elements of art, art history and movements, noted artists, and more.
Art Watch
A scene from “Cutie and the Boxer”
From Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, that looks at the dissident Chinese artist’s practice and social activism, to The Art of the Steal, which reveals how the Philadelphia Museum of Art attempted to steal the collection of art patron Albert Barnes, there is no shortage of interesting art documentaries. Here are some to add to your streaming queue.
In response to COVID-19, Amplifier is launching an emergency campaign with top art curators and public-health advisors from around the world. They are looking for public health and safety messages that can help flatten the curve through education, and symbols that help promote mental health, well-being, and social change work during these stressful times. Click here for more information.
Define American Immigrant Artist Fellowship
Deadline: April 5 Define American created this fellowship to support immigrant artists who engage their communities as they further develop their artistic practice and shape narratives of American identity. Selected artists receive a stipend and resources, and gain national exposure as they work with community-based organizations, build their capacity as cultural change-makers and demonstrate how art can catalyze positive and lasting narrative change. For more information click here.
15th ARC Salon Call For Entries
Deadline: April 14 The Art Renewal Center is now accepting entries to the 15th International ARC Salon Competition. Categories include: figurative, portraiture, imaginative realism, landscape, still life, drawing, sculpture, fully from life, plein air painting, animals, and a special category for teens. For more information click here.
Contemporary Art Gallery Online 2020 Art Competition
Deadline: April 19 Contemporary Art Gallery Online is proud to announce their 2nd Annual “ALL Planet Earth Theme” Online Art Competition for 2020. Contemporary Art Gallery Online encourages entries from all 2D and 3D artists regardless of their experience, education in the art field or where they may reside. Learn more here.
2020 Aperture Summer Open – New York
Deadline: April 29 The curators of the 2020 Aperture Summer Open, Information, seek new bodies of work by photographers and lens-based artists who seek to portray experiences of globalization, technology, and politics, and the dynamic changes to personal and social identity charted by mass media today. Inspired by the Museum of Modern Art’s 1970 exhibition Information, in which artists directly engaged with pressing global issues, this year’s Summer Open seeks exciting works that broadcast new ways of viewing our present—and our future. Click here for more information.
Create! Magazine Open Call
Deadline: April 30 Artists, 21 and older, from any country are welcome to apply with works that include painting, sculpture, digital, printmaking, fiber, photography, mixed media, installation and more. Learn more here.
Women’s Jewelry Association 2020 Student Scholarship
Deadline: April 30 (apply by April 10th and your application fee will be waived)
The Women’s Jewelry Association Foundation provides scholarships to female and female-identifying students enrolled in jewelry or metalsmithing programs at an accredited college, university, or training school between August 1, 2020 and July 31, 2021. Recipients are awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $7,000. Learn more here.
2020 Project for Empty Space 2020 Artist in Residence Program – Newark, NJ
Deadline: May 1 The PES Artist In Residence Program is an annual initiative that invites four visual or multidisciplinary artists to Newark, NJ, to create work around social impact. The mission of the program is multifaceted and is intended to benefit both artists-in-residence and a larger audience or public. Additional details can be found here.
Women’s Studio Workshop Residency – Rosendale, NY
Deadline: June 1 The Studio Workspace Residency is an opportunity for artists to create new work and fully immerse themselves in WSW’s supportive environment. We invite applications from artists at any stage of their careers. This residency gives artists the gift of time, an uninterrupted period to live and work away from the stresses of daily life. Artists may choose to work in any one or more of our studios: intaglio, letterpress, papermaking, screenprinting, darkroom photography, or ceramics. For more information click here.
MPAartfest Call For Submissions – McLean, Virginia
Deadline: June 15 McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) currently seeks submissions for MPAartfest. Artists from throughout the mid-Atlantic region are encouraged to apply. Artists retain 100 percent of sales. Additional details can be found here.
Sculpture Center 2021 In Practice Call for Artist Proposals – New York
Deadline: June 15 The Sculpture Center invites artists to submit proposals each spring for new projects to be presented in January 2021. Artists selected for the In Practice exhibition will receive an honorarium and production support. The level of production support will depend on the scope of accepted works and available funding. Click here for more information.
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Arlington Arts Center Seeks Instructors – Arlington, VA
Arlington Arts Center is looking for instructors for their upcoming art classes. This is a contracted position starting at $32/hour for instructors with a BA/BFA and $35/hour for instructors with an MA/MFA. They are looking for art instructors interested in teaching onsite at AAC and/or offsite classes in partnership with local elementary schools. For more information click here.
Portico Gallery and Studios Call: Pride LGBTQ Exhibition – Brentwood, MD
Deadline: April 5 Portico Gallery will host an exhibition by artists who self-identify as LGBTQ, but the artwork does not need to be explicitly LGBTQ-focused. All artistic perspectives are welcome. Learn more here.
Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District Call For Muralists – Bethesda, MD
Deadline: April 6 The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, in partnership with Montgomery County, Maryland, announces a new public art mural project at the Montgomery County’s Public Park Garage located at 8216 Woodmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda, MD. Artists are invited to submit proposals that are transportation-themed including, but not limited to artwork depicting cars, bicycles, walking, public transportation and more. Learn more here.
Halcyon Arts Lab Fellowship – DC
Deadline: April 8 At the intersection of art and social change, this five-month residential fellowship is designed to provide support and resources to emerging artists working on projects which address issues of social justice, civic engagement, and community building. Arts Lab fellows strive to expand their practices and grow as leaders in their respective fields. For more information click here.
Biblio Spectaculum Call For Entries – Clifton Springs, NY
Deadline: April 11 Main Street Arts seeks entries for a national juried exhibition of artist books and text-based visual works. Submissions must be visual in nature. Written text passages must be part of an artist book, painting, photograph, drawing, print, collage, sculpture, or other visual art form. Submissions may be text art, concrete/visual poetry, any of the afore mentioned disciplines, or a combination thereof. Submissions may or may not contain text or type. For more information click here.
Filmmakers, Video, and Projection Artists Call For Concepts – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: April 17 The Alexandria Film Festival and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra are partnering to produce “Homegrown: American Stories in Music and Film,” a unique blend of orchestral music and original film. Both organizations will commission five new films to be screened “live to picture” with American orchestral pieces performed by the symphony at its November 7 and 8 concerts, and then screened during the 14th annual film festival November 12–15. For more information click here.
Call For Graffiti and Aerosol Muralists – DC
Deadline: April 17 The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), in partnership with the DC Department of Public Works (DPW), seeks graffiti and aerosol mural artists and artist teams to design, create and install aerosol murals as part of the MuralsDC program. Selected artists will be expected to engage designated youth (ages 14-18) to help them understand the art of aerosol graffiti mural painting and provide youth with opportunities to assist in activities such as site preparation and mural outlining. This is an International Call for Graffiti and Aerosol Mural Art Artists and Artist Teams (selection preference will be given to artists that are residents of the District of Columbia). Click here to learn more.
The Harpo Foundation Grants For Visual Artists
Deadline: April 17 The Harpo Foundation seeks to stimulate creative inquiry and to encourage new modes of thinking about art. Applications are evaluated on the basis of the quality of the artist’s work, the potential to expand aesthetic inquiry, and its relationship to the foundation’s priority to provide support to visual artists who are under-recognized by the field. To apply click here.
Doylestown Art Festival Call for Submissions – Doylestown, PA
Deadline: April 24 In its 29th year, the Doylestown Arts Festival, September 12th-13th, is a vibrant scene of art and creativity that attracts tens of thousands of visitors. Submissions are reviewed by a volunteer jury of artists, curators, and local residents.To learn more and apply, click here.
Target Gallery Call For Artists
Deadline: April 26 Target Gallery invites artists working in all visual media to apply to Mythos, an all- media group exhibition that presents work by artists who illustrate contemporary interpretations of mythology, folklore, and legends. This exhibition takes the symbolism and allegory of mythology and recontextualizes them in terms of current perspectives. For more information click here.
The Beacon Celebration of the Arts 2020
Deadline: April 30 The Beacon invites new and veteran artists over age 50 to submit works in our online art competition “Celebration of the Arts.” Categories include painting, drawing, sculpture/carving, ceramics,/pottery, mixed media/textile, stained glass/jewelry, and film and digital photography. Learn more here.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo Downtown Baltimore — Baltimore, MD
The Maryland Art Place (MAP) is working with Hotel Indigo in downtown Baltimore to offer rotating exhibitions in the hotel’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats restaurant. This opportunity is open to visual artists living or working in Maryland. ’s public art partnership projects (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo, is pleased to announce an open call to artists. MAP will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Click here to learn more.
Solo or Group Shows in Athenaeum Gallery – VA
The Athenaeum Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia exhibits visual arts created solely by artists living or working in the region (DC, Maryland and Virginia) and strives to present visitors with a wide variety of excellent art and unique experiences. In addition to the shows curated by the Gallery Director, the Athenaeum Gallery invites artists and curators to submit show proposals. For more information, visit https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=6876.
The Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland (MD)
Deadline: Rolling. The purpose of the Creativity Grant Program is to strengthen the vitality and sustainability of artists and small organizations to maintain a strong and stable arts infrastructure in the State of Maryland. The Creativity Grant also provides opportunities to serve the growing needs of relevant arts projects and collaborations within Maryland communities. For more information regarding eligibility and funding timelines, please review the Creativity Grants Guidelines. For more information about the program, and to apply visit the Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland website.
Artist/Writers: Cover Art for Academic Medicine
Deadline: Rolling. Submit original works of art inspired by, but not necessarily representative of, an academic medicine experience from any perspective: caregiver, researcher, teacher, learner, or patient (for example, learning how to be a physician or scientist, caring for patients, exploring research questions, making a new discovery, being a research participant, teaching, or being cared for in a teaching hospital). The journal welcomes photography, sculpture, painting, textile work, and other visual media. Images may be cropped or resized to fit into the allotted cover space. Artists must also submit a related Cover Art essay as a narrative companion to the artwork, to explain the connection between the work and the “academic medicine experience.” The related narrative should be 250 to 600 words and is subject to editing. To apply for this opportunity, and to learn more, visit the Academic Medicine website.
The Awesome Foundation Accepting Applications for Art Projects
Deadline: Open. The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences is a worldwide network of people devoted to forwarding the interest of “awesomeness in the universe.” Established in 2009, the foundation distributes $1,000 grants on a monthly basis to projects and their creators. The money is pooled from ten or more self-organizing “micro-trustees.” The chapters are autonomous and organized by the trustees around geographic areas or topics of interest. Apply on the Awesome Foundation website.
Call for Artists: Maryland Art Place Seeks Proposals for Rotating Exhibition Partnership with Baltimore’s Hotel Indigo (MD)
Deadline: rolling. Maryland Art Place (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo is pleased to announce an open ‘Call to Artists’. As an extension of MAP’s annual IMPACT public art partnership projects, MAP is working with Hotel Indigo to offer rotating exhibitions in Hotel indigo’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats. This opportunity is available to visual artists living or working in Maryland. Maryland Art Place will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Guidelines and information here.
Peripheral ARTeries – Biennial Contemporary Art Publication
Deadline: Rolling. Peripheral ARTeries is looking for artists to be featured in the new special Biennial Edition of their art publication, that comes to its 10th edition. This opportunity is great for both established and early career artists who need a boost to their artist portfolio. The 10th edition will once again explore and show current trends and tendencies in Contemporary Art: Peripheral ARTeries cultivates a spirit of openness through a unique collaborative and participatory approach.Each artist may submit a maximum of three works or projects made in any technique: painting, drawing, video art, experimental cinema, fine art photography, experimental media, mixed media, installations, public art, performance. The call is open to all proposed kind of art and media capable of challenging the viewers’ traditional perspective on art itself. To submit, visit the Peripheral ARTeries website.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo (VA)
Artists works will displayed in the hotel’s gallery (220 S Union St, Old Town Alexandria) for a six-month period. Two-dimensional, framed works only. Artists will install the work using the hotel’s mounting hardware. Labels will be provided by the hotel. All sales handled by artist, no commission. Preference for local or locally influenced selections but not required. The space measures approximately 7’10” by 8’3.″ If interested, contact Kate Ellis, General Manager, [email protected].
The New Project Studio – Ongoing Opportunity (VA)
Ongoing. Located in Studio 8, the New Project Studio is a community-focused arts incubator space that offers a short-term location to test new program ideas, spotlight underrepresented voices, and enhance community engagement. Projects rotate on a regular basis. For more information, clickhere.
Public Arts Grants & Opportunities (VA)
Ongoing. The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts provides grants for nonprofit arts organizations as well as individual artists. See all current opportunities and online applications here.
Residency: Maryland
Deadline: ongoing. Montgomery College, Rockville and Germantown Art Department is seeking proposals for its Artist-in-Residence Program, encouraging proposals that cultivate collaborative work between artists and students.
Looking for artists: Foundry Gallery (DC)
Deadline: ongoing. Foundry Gallery is seeking a few artists in the greater Washington, DC area. If interested in applying for membership please send up to five images (jpg attachments) and an email letter to: [email protected]. The oldest cooperative in Washington, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows at its beautiful space north of Shaw near the 9:30 Club.
Looking for artists: Printmakers (DC)
Deadline: ongoing. Washington Printmakers Gallery is seeking artist members specializing in printmaking, photography and book arts. An active cooperative for over 30 years, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows in its lovely space in upper Georgetown. Distant and shared memberships are available. If interested in applying for membership please email [email protected].
For our series “Art in your Inbox,” Art League staffers are sharing lighthearted exercises to give you a boost of creative endorphins. Dive into fun and informal, quick projects—an apéritif to your greater artistic pursuits.
“New Sheriff” by Haven Ashley
My creative exercise, Odd Little Lifes, is an example of “leaning in,” because life feels odd at the moment. Join me in one of these moments to consider the objects that now surround us 24/7, and make a still life out of this odd life.
Set up your surface and background.
To begin, make your background crisp, white, and unobtrusive; think—rice cracker. You can accomplish this by using a bedsheet, a few pieces of mat board, foam core, or thick white paper. I used a scrap of drywall, which I wouldn’t recommend. (As it threw off the white balance.)
Gather your materials.
Sort through your sundries following my four-part formula:
Something edible
Citrus fruits and bottles of hot sauce always deliver visually, as do canned goods with great packaging. Labels add the graphic interest of text. I choose two jalapeños and a tin of anchovies. Beautiful to look at and, technically, edible.
Something meaningful
There are lots of options here: family photos, old birthday cards, jewelry. Reference a memento mori by using your child’s baby teeth or something with visible mold. Anything you collect will do: river rocks, sea glass, ticket stubs. If it smacks of an heirloom, use it. My choice was a family photo (Sarasota, circa 1993.)
Something colorful
We creatives are always drawn to color. Pick something whose hue alone brings you sheer satisfaction, regardless of its form. A color you’d like to dive into, to bite into. My selection was an old reliable: a vase and a rose.
Something mysterious
What makes an object mysterious? Perhaps it’s the act of taking an object out of its context, removing its purpose, and making it sit pretty. A mysterious object is one that feels nice in the palm; something that would please a pickpocket or a bowerbird. It should reflect light or add texture. Find something that makes you ask yourself, “why do I even have this thing?” I choose a copper marble and a pair of crystal ornaments. When you know, you know.
Experiment with placements.
When arranging your still life, space objects in varying distances from each other to add depth to the visual plane. Change the compositions often, swap out different items, scrutinize the lighting. I used this as an opportunity to experiment with photography, but Odd Little Lifes plays well as a subject for drawing and painting.
Share your Odd Little Lifes.
Please share your experiments with Odd Little Lifes on our Instagram: tag us @theartleague, and use the hashtag #createsomethingmore.
“Sand Babies” by Haven Ashley“Eastward” by Haven Ashley
