Works in a variety of mediums await you at The Art League Student /Faculty Show.
Welcome to Artful Weekend, our new weekly listing of area art happenings! Check it out every Friday for fun and interesting exhibits and events occurring throughout the DMV. Share your experience at these and other weekend art destinations by tagging us (@theartleague) and including the hashtag #artfulweekend on social media.
This weekend: Stunning student art, mixed media times three, a statement-making installation, Native women artists, and more!
Student/Faculty Show 2020
“Puerto Rican Vigient” by Wilma Spinney
From painting, drawing, and ceramics to stained glass, metal work, weaving and more, we pride ourselves on the assortment of fine art and fine craft courses offered at The Art League School. See some of the marvelous works created by our students and instructors at this year’s Student/Faculty Show, and check out our spring courses when you’re done; on view through March 1 at The Art League Gallery at the Torpedo Art Center, 105 North Union Street, Alexandria, VA.
Materialist
Courtesy of King Street Gallery.
Working in an array of mediums—painting, embroidery, natural and man-made found matter, magazines and ephemera—artists Leslie Holt, George Lorio, and Elzie Williams use their respective materials to offer commentary and critique of the world around us; on view through March 6 at King Street Gallery, 930 King Street, Silver Spring, MD.
A Brown Millennial
“All American Boys” by Akea Brionne Brown
In her most autobiographical installation yet, artist Akea Brionne Brown builds “A Brown Millennial” with powerful photographic portraits infused with aesthetics of Americana, vast swaths of color rooted in history and culture, and interactive texts that challenge what is personal and political. Meet Brown at the show’s opening reception Saturday, February 22 from 7-9 p.m., or at her artist talk Thursday, March 5 at 7 p.m.; on view through March 21 at Hamiltonian Gallery, 1353 U Street, NW.
Wanderings
“Waterfront Evening” by Rodgers Naylor
Ferris Wheel in the Tuileries, Paris” by Maud Taber-Thomas
Rodgers Naylor and Maud Taber-Thomas share a eye for the poetic through found moments of light and color. This showwill move the viewer all over the world as they get a glimpse into the perspective of Rodgers and Maud during their travels. There is an opening reception Saturday, February 22 from 5-7:30 p.m.; on view through March 21 at Calloway Fine Art & Consulting, 1643 Wisconsin Avenue, NW.
The Alexandria All City High School Art Exhibition
Courtesy of Convergence Arts Initiative.
Returning for it’s fifth and most inspiring year yet, this exhibition, hosted by the Convergence Arts Initiative, features works spanning various art mediums by more than 90 area high school students; on view through March 28th at The Gallery @ Convergence, 1801 N. Quaker Lane, Alexandria, VA.
Green
Work by Nancy Ramsey, courtesy of Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association.
In celebration of an early spring and St. Patrick’s Day, Torpedo Factory artists are tackling one of nature’s most ubiquitous colors, green. In its newest exhibit simply titled, GREEN, the gallery is presenting a selection of original paintings, photographs, jewelry, scarves, ceramics and more, that reflect its various artists’ interpretations of the color on view through March 29, Torpedo Factory Artists @ Mosaic 105 District Avenue, Fairfax, Virginia.
We Can Birth Worlds
“This Is How We Fly” by Kesha Bruce
Artist Kesha Bruce’s work explores the complex connections between history, personal mythology, and magical-spiritual belief in the African diaspora. Her latest work is concerned primarily with exploring the ways vibrant color and abstract symbols can not only trigger powerful emotion but begin to conjure narratives. Meet Bruce at the show’s opening reception Saturday, February 22 from 2-6 p.m.; on view at Morton Fine Art, 52 O Street, NW.
Heart of Our People: Native Women Artists
“The Wisdom of the Universe” by Christi Belcourt
Women have long been the creative force behind Native American art, yet their individual contributions have been largely unrecognized, instead treated as anonymous representations of entire cultures. Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists explores the artistic achievements of Native women and establishes their rightful place in the art world; on view through May 17 at the Renwick Gallery, Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street NW.
A sampling of the artwork that comprised our 52nd Patrons' Show. (Photo by Emma Gould)
In addition to being The Art League’s largest exhibition and fundraising event, our annual Patrons’ Show is also a juried competition with generous cash prizes awarded to artists in six categories. For this year’s show, our 52nd, we were pleased to have Charlotte Ickesas our juror. Ickes is an art historian and curator of time-based media art and special projects at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Here she shares what distinguishes the Portrait Gallery from other art institutions, her process for selecting our winners, and what about their work stood out for her.
The Art League: In addition to being an art historian, you are a curator of time-based media arts at the National Portrait Gallery. What exactly is time-based media art?
Charlotte Ickes: It refers to art forms that have a duration. Generally, most people will be familiar with [time-based media as] film or video. I’m also working with Dorothy Moss, a curator at the Portrait Gallery, who started a performance art series.
TA: What distinguishes the National Portrait Gallery from other museums where people may view portraiture?
CI: You might see portraiture and non-portraiture at other institutions, but at the National Portrait Gallery we are only showing portraits, which can have a very expansive meaning in the case of performance art or moving images. We are a museum of art, history, and biography, so we’re telling the stories of individuals who have shaped American history and culture through portraiture, and also thinking about expanding and experimenting with the genre of portraiture.
TAL: What do you recommend art students see or do at the National Portrait Gallery?
CI: They should definitely come to all our exhibitions. We change our permanent collection rotations every year. There’s programming with artists, artist talks, and tours. Just check our website and see what events are planned for each month.
TAL: For our Patrons’ Show, you viewed over 600 works before selecting the award winners. Have you ever jurored an exhibit this large?
CI: No.
TAL: Did you have a particular strategy for selecting work amid so many options?
CI: Having the [prize] categories helped to streamline the process.
And the winners are…
Clemente Best in Show Award for Contemporary Realism: Confinement by Joonhyun Lee
“I liked the geometry of it and the collision between the human form and these very straight lines. I thought it was a very thoughtful and intentional composition.”
Clemente Faculty Award: Early Morning by Avis Fleming
“You see the moment of contemplation, quiet, or fear—it’s kind of a hard to read what’s going on. But I appreciated [the artist not] treating the female figure in a stereotyped Western art historical language or trope.”
Brenda Kollman Award for Best in Show 3d Artwork: Series IV, #4 by Ruth Gowell
“It is an was interesting move to frame a fiber piece that has texture and dimensionality. I think it is referencing, in some ways, Op Art. And again, this illusion of flatness even though there is texture to it was an interesting gesture.”
Torpedo Factory Art Center Artist Award: Prisma I by Gretchen Raber
“I like the combination of planes of flat color and pattern, and this sense of layers and texture and depth on a flat surface. It’s a kind of play, a kind of aspiration, to three-dimensionality within a very two-dimensional surface.”
Van Landingham Award: Conjure by Jinny Isserow
“I appreciated the creepiness of it—the strange world the artist has created—and the reference to surrealism and expressionist painting.”
Mary Ann Stevens Legacy Award: Natural Fence by Christine Bernstein
“This is a beautiful, atmospheric photograph. I appreciate the contrast between the straight lines of a man-made fence and the unruly form of the tree. It set up a contrast in form. And I like how the gray, gloomy atmosphere was captured. It’s kind of Gothic.”
Art Speaks Juried Exhibition Call For Artists – Matthews, VA
Deadline: March 1 This eighth annual juried exhibition is open to artists at least 18 years of age living in, or with a working studio in, Virginia. Eligible media include: painting and drawing all media; mixed media and printmaking; fine art photography; ceramic, glass, wood or metal functional ware; sculpture in any media; non-wearable fiber art. For more information click here.
Call For Mural Proposals – Takoma Park, MD
Deadline: March 2 The City of Takoma Park is seeking submissions from artists for a mural covering sections of a concrete retaining wall stretching three blocks along Lincoln Avenue. The theme of the design is up to the artist or artist teams, but should reflect the historical or cultural character of Takoma Park in some way. For more information click here.
2020 Sidewalk Art Show Call For Submissions – Roanoke, VA
Deadline: March 6 Celebrating 62 years of fine art, the Sidewalk Art Show infuses downtown Roanoke with energy, excitement and creativity! All of the works exhibited are for sale, including original paintings, prints, watercolors, etchings, mixed media, fine art photographs, fine crafts, and sculpture. Click here for more information.
The Capitol Hill Art League “Perspectives” Open Juried Exhibition – DC
Deadline: March 9 People see the world differently based on experiences and perceptions. Viewpoints are influenced by people, places, emotions, and thoughts. Please share your artistic and unique “perspective” for this juried show. Learn more here.
Montpelier Arts Center Call For Artists – Laurel, MD
Deadline: March 15 Montpelier Arts Center is holding a competition for exhibitions that will be held in the Library Gallery September 2020 – July 2021. To be eligible, artists must be at least 18 years of age and reside in Maryland. For more information click here.
Montgomery College Call For Exhibition Proposals – Silver Spring, MD
Deadline: March 22 The Department of Visual and Performing Arts is calling for exhibition proposals for the Open Gallery in The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center that address the theme of “Transcending Borders.” We invite artists to work with real or perceived restrictions, containments, rules, or labels in such a way as to push beyond their limitations. These borders could be self-imposed, cultural, societal, physical, or natural divisions. This exhibition would be an opportunity to challenge, question, conform, or break these constraints. For more information click here.
_______________________________________________
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Call for Artists: 16th Annual Bethesda Painting Award – MD
Deadline: February 21 Nearly 300 artists from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. submit work to this annual competition created to exclusively honor regional painters. The best-in-show winner will be awarded $10,000, second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. For more information, visit here.
Deadline: February 28 With $10,000 in prize money, this annual juried exhibition and art competition is sponsored by the Allegany Arts Council, a non-profit organization established in 1975 to support and cultivate the arts in Allegany County, Maryland. The event is now in its 11th year. For more information, click here.
Wintertude Rustic Retreat & Self-Directed Residency, The Millay Colony for the Arts – NY
Deadline: March 15 Introducing Wintertude, a retreat and self-directed paying residency (no jury process) for those needing or wanting time and space in an inspirational setting. Stays range from four days to four weeks, includes private bedroom and private studio, shared living and kitchen space (fully equipped, meals not included), bedding and linens, washer/dryer, WiFi, desktop computer and printer. The Millay Colony is in the upper Hudson Valley nestled in the Berkshire foothills. For details, visit here.
Call for Entry, Prince Street Gallery – NY
Deadline: March 22 Open to artists 18+ living in the USA. Original paintings, drawings, prints, and mixed media only. No giclees, digital prints, videos or photographs will be accepted. For more information, click here.
Gloucester Arts Festival Call for Entry – VA
Deadline: April 3 The Gloucester Arts Festival committee is pleased to announce an open call for an exhibition that will be the focal point of their 2020 arts festival. The theme is water, both in nature and in human experience (e.g., industrial settings, conservation efforts, community life, spiritual dimensions, etc.). Artists will be juried into the show with digital images of original 2D or 3D work completed in the last two years. For details, 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, our new weekly listing of area art happenings! Check it out every Friday for fun and interesting exhibits and events occurring throughout the DMV. Share your experience at these and other weekend art destinations by tagging us (@theartleague) and including the hashtag #artfulweekend on social media.
This weekend: An artists’ talk, exciting openings, cool receptions, and a booth to delight in the art of smooching—happy Valentine’s Day!
My Queer Valentine
“Acrylic” by Aurele Gould
Love is love. That’s the sentiment behind My Queer Valentine, a new exhibit at Target Gallery that celebrated love through non-heteronormative and non-binary relationships. Don’t miss the special Valentine’s themed reception on Friday, February 14, 7 – 10 p.m., with juror talk at 8 p.m. The evening features interactive performance art, a photo op at our kissing booth, and DIY art-making activities. Learn more about and support local LGBTQ+ organizations, too; on view through March 8 at Target Gallery in the Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union Street, Alexandria, VA.
The Black Vote Mural Project
A group of regional artists interpreted theAssociation for the Study of African American Life and History’s 2020 theme “African Americans and the Vote.” The result: sixteen muralsthat transform the interior galleries of the Banneker-Douglass Museum while exploring the intersection of public art, Black voices, and civil rights. Meet the artists at the opening reception Saturday, February 15 from 3–6:00 p.m.: on view through December 21 at Banneker-Douglass Museum, 84 Franklin Street, Annapolis, MD.
Cold Hands, Warm Heart: Myths of Black Womanhood Artist Talk
To have “cold hands and a warm heart” means to appear stern on the outside while being truly tender within. Curator Deirdre Darden has assembled a thoughtful and poignant, multi-disciplinary exhibition that examines the double consciousness that black people, especially woman possess. Artists Asha Elana Casey, Amber Robles Gordon, Helina Metaferia, and Tsedaye Makonnen will be on hand to discuss their work on Saturday, February 15 from 2-4 p.m.; exhibit on view through February 29 at Brentwood Arts Center, 3901 Rhode Island Avenue, Brentwood, MD.
Way We See
By Nana Bagdavadze
Gallery B’s February exhibit, “Way We See,” features a diverse assemblage of artwork by Nana Bagdavadze, Katty Biglari, Antonella Manganelli and Grazia Montalto. Come for the reception and meet the artists on Friday, February 14 from 6-8p.m.; on view through February 29 at at Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E, Bethesda, MD.
in mid sentence
Elaine de Kooning, Frank O’Hara and Franz Kline by Arthur Swoger / Gelatin silver print, May 20, 1957
Photographs are often replete with words that remain unheard. “In Mid-Sentence” presents a selection of photographs from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s collection that depict moments of communication: intimate confessions, public speeches, exchanged jokes, political confrontations, lectures and more; on view through March 8 at the National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F Streets NW.
Deadline: February 11 Puffin Cultural Forum present Conversations 2020, a group exhibition that focuses on the social and political issues that is reverberating in our communities at large. We are looking for submissions of timely art that speak on issues of economic discrimination, inequities in the criminal justice system, environmental racism, health care racism, political disenfranchisement, sexism, and voter repression. The exhibition will be on view at the Puffin Cultural Forum and several events will be planned to support the exhibition including music concerts, film screenings, and speaker events. For more information click here.
Contemporary Art Gallery Online Call For Women Artists
Deadline: February 23 Women 2D and 3D artists, regardless of experience or education, are invited to enter this international competition. Submissions will be judged within three categories; Paintings/Drawings, Photography/Digital Art and Mixed Media and 3 dimensional Work. Awards will be given for the top 6 to 8 works selected in each category. For more information click here.
Hospice Cup Competition – Annapolis, MD
Deadline: March 2 Hospice Cup, Inc., an organization founded to help local and regional hospices raise funds for patient programs, in collaboration with Maryland Federation of Art holds this annual competition for artwork to serve as the backdrop for their yearly poster. Artists are invited to submit up to three pieces and the winning work will be chosen by those in attendance at the Preview Party, as well as the board of the Hospice Cup. The winning piece is considered a donation to Hospice Cup and will be reproduced on posters, t-shirts and other collateral material promoting the event. For more information click here.
Application for 2020-2021 Ivyside Juried Art Competition – Altoona, PA
Deadline: March 2 Up to six artists are awarded annually with a solo gallery exhibition in one of two gallery spaces (each approximately 13’ x 25’) at the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts at Penn State Altoona. Open to all visual artists in all media. Entries must have been completed within the last two years. Artists creating original works of art in any media are encouraged to apply. For more information click here.
Capital Art League Open Call, Perspectives Exhibit — DC
Deadline: March 9 People see the world differently based on experiences and perceptions. Viewpoints are influenced by people, places, emotions, and thoughts. Capital Hill Art League invites DMV artists 18 years and older to share their artistic and unique “perspective” for this juried show. Learn more here.
TRANSITional Art Project Atlantic City – Atlantic City, NJ
Deadline: March 9 New Jersey Transit and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts are pleased to present the TRANSITional Art Project Atlantic City. This exciting opportunity is open for proposals from visual artists who live or work in the 8 southern NJ Counties, are current residents, and have a connection to Atlantic City. Qualified artists are encouraged to submit a proposal for a temporary art project in an Atlantic City New Jersey Transit space- in either the Rail Terminal or the Bus Depot. Learn more here.
Maryland Federation of Art Open Call For ?Binary¿Nonbinary?
Deadline: March 12 Some things are binary: black and white, sea and sky, night and day. Somethings aren’t binary: gray, horizons, twilight. Show us work that explores, in any media and all subjects that live in either the binary or nonbinary spheres.” Entries are open to all original 2-D or 3-D artwork. MFA will display selected works in their online Curve Gallery from April 15 through May 31, 2020. Learn more here.
Growing Up Queer In The South Call For Submissions – Wilmington, NC
Deadline: March 20Growing Up Queer in the South, juried by Stacey Kirby and conceived by Parks Busby, is an exhibition featuring artwork about the unique experience of growing up queer in the American South. The exhibition, which features artwork in multiple mediums from artists currently and formerly living in the South, aims to share experiences, draw connections, and create conversations. Click herefor more information.
University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center Call For Public Art Submissions – Cheverly, MD
Deadline: April 3 Qualifications are requested from local artists interested in proposing artwork for the interior of a largescale healthcare facility: University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center. Due to the number of locations planned througout the facility, there is opportunity for a variety of wall-mounted media at various budgets levels. For more information click here.
VisArts Call For Solo Exhibitions 2021 – Rockville, MD
Deadline: April 5 VisArts invites artists working in all media to apply for 2021 Solo Exhibitions in the Gibbs Street Gallery, Common Ground Gallery, and Concourse Gallery. Exhibitions in each of the galleries explore the breadth of contemporary art featuring emerging to mid-career artists. Exhibits reflect a wide range of media and experimental approaches that offer the viewer unexpected interactions with art. Learn more here.
Call For Artists for Paint It! Ellicott City 2020 – Ellicott City, MD
Deadline: April 12 The Howard County Arts Council is seeking artists to take part in the juried portion of Paint It! Ellicott City 2020. The annual plein air paint-out will be held June 25-29 in picturesque and historic Ellicott City, and will culminate in a gallery exhibit at the Howard County Center for the Arts. For more information click here.
Juliet Art Museum Regional MFA Juried Exhibition
Deadline: May 4 The Juliet Art Museum invites all MFA student artists graduating from schools in the Appalachian Region (spanning southern New York to Northern Alabama and Georgia) to enter the Juliet Art Museum MFA Exhibition. This exhibit serves as an opportunity for emerging artists throughout Appalachia, highlighting the incredible work coming out of MFA programs across the region. Click here for more information.
_______________________________________________
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Call for Artists & Photographers – Winter Innovate Grants – US & International
Deadline: February 11 Innovate Grant is now accepting submissions for Winter 2019. Innovate Grant awards (2) $550.00 grants each quarter, to one Visual Artist and one Photographer. In addition to receiving a grant award, winners will be featured and recognized on our website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists. For more information and to apply, click here.
The Center for Emerging Artist – Philadelphia
Deadline: February 15 The Visual Artist Fellowship is designed to help artists in the Philadelphia Region reach new levels in their career. Artists will be asked to demonstrate a vision for the next stage of their professional or artistic practice and a clear plan for CFEVA’s proposed role in reaching it. For details, visit here.
Sharpe-Walentas Studio Artist-In-Residency Program 2020-2021 – NY
Deadline: February 15 The Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program awards rent-free, private studios to 17 visual artists for year-long residencies with the mission to provide working studio space and community for artists. The program is open to professional visual artists, 21 years or older who are US citizens, permanent residents, or visa holders. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists: 16th Annual Bethesda Painting Award – MD
Deadline: February 21 Nearly 300 artists from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. submit work to this annual competition created to exclusively honor regional painters. The best-in-show winner will be awarded $10,000, second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. For more information, visit here.
Deadline: February 28 With $10,000 in prize money, this annual juried exhibition and art competition is sponsored by the Allegany Arts Council, a non-profit organization established in 1975 to support and cultivate the arts in Allegany County, Maryland. The event is now in its 11th year. For more information, click here.
Wintertude Rustic Retreat & Self-Directed Residency, The Millay Colony for the Arts – NY
Deadline: March 15 Introducing Wintertude, a retreat and self-directed paying residency (no jury process) for those needing or wanting time and space in an inspirational setting. Stays range from four days to four weeks, includes private bedroom and private studio, shared living and kitchen space (fully equipped, meals not included), bedding and linens, washer/dryer, WiFi, desktop computer and printer. The Millay Colony is in the upper Hudson Valley nestled in the Berkshire foothills. For details, visit here.
Call for Entry, Prince Street Gallery – NY
Deadline: March 22 Open to artists 18+ living in the USA. Original paintings, drawings, prints, and mixed media only. No giclees, digital prints, videos or photographs will be accepted. For more information, click here.
Gloucester Arts Festival Call for Entry – VA
Deadline: April 3 The Gloucester Arts Festival committee is pleased to announce an open call for an exhibition that will be the focal point of their 2020 arts festival. The theme is water, both in nature and in human experience (e.g., industrial settings, conservation efforts, community life, spiritual dimensions, etc.). Artists will be juried into the show with digital images of original 2D or 3D work completed in the last two years. For details, 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, our new weekly listing of area art happenings! Check it out every Friday for fun and interesting exhibits and events occurring throughout the DMV. Share your experience at these and other weekend art destinations by tagging us (@theartleague) and including the hashtag #artfulweekend on social media.
This weekend: Our really big show, a closer look at African American art, linocut prints from a master, and more!
The Art League 52nd Patrons’ Show
Lisa Schumaier’s paper mache giraffe is one of the large-scale works in the 52nd Patrons’ Show.
Art for our 52nd Patrons’ Show Fundraiser is now on view! What is this fundraiser? Well, imagine an enormous art exhibit, mega fundraiser, and huge block party all rolled into one. That’s the vibe at our Patrons’ Show Fundraiser, Sunday, February 16, from 6:00 p.m. to midnight. This much-anticipated annual event features over 600 original works, valued at $225 and up, that are donated by Art League and Torpedo Factory artists. Ticket purchasers get to select a fine work of original art for a bargain price. Upwards of 800 people from around the DMV and beyond buy tickets and attend, with hopes of scoring their favorite art piece when their name is called in a continuous drawing that doesn’t stop until the last piece is claimed. Whether you are a seasoned collector or an art newbie, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to acquire art while supporting a great non-profit organization and a community of artists. Tickets are going fast! Click here to get yours; exhibit on view through February 16 in the Art League Gallery at Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 North Union Street, Old Town Alexandria, VA.
A Closer Look at African American Artists Panel Discussion in SAAM’s Collection
“Singing Head” by Elizabeth Catlett
Did you know that the Smithsonian American Art Museum has the largest collections of work made by African American artists in the world? Join artist and scholar Allan deSouza, art adviser Schwanda Rountree, scholar Melanee Harvey,and DC-based art collectors Mel and Juanita Hardy on Sunday, February 8, 6-9 p.m., for a panel discussion highlighting important works from this collection; at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery, 800 G Street, NW.
Food for Thought and Paper Complex
“Fortune Cookie” by Akemi Maegawa
“Unpainted Colors” by Fran Abrams
“Wabi-Sabi by Saaraliisa Ylitalo
As an artist, Akemi Maegawa investigates and questions the meaning of human life—often with deeply-engaged irony. Her solo show, Food for Thought, features small- and large-scale food-related sculptures as familiar subjects encountered in everyday life. Beyond it’s utilitarian role, paper has cross-cultural differences and meanings. In Paper Complex, artists Jessica Beels, Ellen Kennedy, and Saaraliisa Ylitalo display the myriad ways in which paper can be manipulated, transformed, and reimagined; both on view through February 16 at the Stone Tower and Popcorn Galleries (respectively) at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD.
Music in Print: Linocuts by Lila Asher
“Quartet in D Major” by Lila Oliver Asher
Since her early days as an artist, D.C.-based Lila Asher made pictures of musicians. This exhibition presents her music themed linocuts where movement, color, Asher’s characteristic touches of humor, and her deep respect for her subjects is evident; on view through February 22 at the Washington Printmakers Gallery, 1641 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Chronicles of the African American Journey Through Fiber Arts and Bygones
“Play a little Jazz; Play and little Blues” by Sandra Ealy
“Furrowed Bundles” by Andrew Flanders
Montpelier Arts Center has two shows in celebration of Black History Month: Chronicles of the African American Journey Through Fiber Artspays homage to life stories and experiences through quilts, beading, felt and sewing. Bygones, freestanding and wall-hanging sculptures by artist Andrew Flanders, investigates the materiality of wood in a series of objects, assemblages, furniture, and vessels. There is a reception for both Saturday, February 8 from 3-5 p.m.; on view at through March 1 at Montpelier Arts Center, 9652 Muirkirk Rd., Laurel, MD.
dancing in the dark
“Untitled, 2018” by Kelsey Arrington
Artist Kelsey Arrington’s collection of photographic art invites spectators to investigate the concept of expression as it relates to identity and performance. Meet the artist at the exhibit reception Friday, February 7 from 6-8 p.m.; on view through February 28 at ArtReach GW, THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE.
Spatial Rapport
“When Faced, Still Confused” by Brett Ferguson Schieszer
“Untitled 32” by Matthew McLaughlin
Artists Matthew McLaughlin and Brett Fergusen Schieszer explore space, place, and scale in this exhibit that is comprised of their own mixed media work well as a series of collaborative pieces. Schieszer’s abstract work offers balance to McLaughlin’s more austere lines and forms. Together, they aim to create a larger dialogue about space and daily environments; on view through February 23 at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, 4318 Gallatin Street, Hyattsville, MD.
Back Wall Gallery Call For Submissions – Takoma Park, MD
Deadline: February 8 The Back Wall Gallery invites artist to share creative perspectives and perceptions about race in 2020 America for an exhibit titled “Race and Me.” Click here to learn more.
Call For Artists, Hyattsville Community Development Corporation – Hyattsville, MD
Deadline: February 14 Hyattsville Community Development Corporation is seeking designs to transform select signal cabinets in Riverdale Park into public artworks. This project will use public art to address community blight and enhance the visual landscape. For more information, click here.
New Jersey Arts Annual 2020 – Morristown, NJ
Deadline: February 21 New Jersey Arts Annual is a unique series of exhibitions highlighting the state’s visual and performing artists. Sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment of the Arts, this call for entry open to any artist currently living or working in New Jersey to apply. To learn more, click here.
Call for Entries: Fleeting/Fled – Glen Echo, MD
Deadline: February 21 Washington Sculptors Group (WSG) and Glen Echo Park seek anonymous submissions from members of the Washington Sculptors Group for and exhibition that addresses the temporal that is open to many possibilities—the cycle of life, death and rebirth is the underlying theme. Artists who are not already members may join WSG. Click here for more information.
Made In New York 2020 Call For Artists – Auburn, NY
Deadline: March 31 Made in NY is an annual exhibit at the Schweinfurth Art Center, located in Auburn, New York, that features work by New York artists. The exhibit is an opportunity for artists residing in New York State to showcase their work in a competitive, juried exhibition. The exhibit is open to all media, such as photography, sculpture, ceramics, painting, drawing, fiber, installation, and video. Learn more here.
Juliet Art Museum Regional MFA Juried Exhibition Call For Artists – Charleston, WV
Deadline: May 4 The Juliet Art Museum invites all MFA student artists graduating from schools in the Appalachian Region (spanning southern New York to Northern Alabama and Georgia) to enter the Juliet Art Museum MFA Exhibition. This exhibit serves as an opportunity for emerging artists throughout Appalachia, highlighting the incredible work coming out of MFA programs across the region. Artists are encouraged to apply with the MFA thesis work. Work selected will be on display in the Juliet Art Museum from August 8th– November 29th, 2020. For more information, click here.
Sea Of Change Mid-Atlantic Call For Artists – Virginia Beach, VA
Deadline: May 5 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 Sea of Change Mid-Atlantic, an exhibit that brings attention to the crisis that our oceans face. For more information, visit here.
_______________________________________________
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Open Call, Site: Brooklyn Gallery – NY
Deadline: February 4 We understand gesture and motion in the broadest sense of the word; works that capture movement, energy, activity, and develop an active relationship to the world. While the term gestural was first used to describe the painting style of certain abstract expressionists, Site:Brooklyn is looking for works that take this history not as an endpoint, but as a point of departure, considering the subject in pluralistic and open-ended manner. All mediums are welcome. Visit here for more information.
Zeiss Photography Award 2020
Deadline: February 4 For the 2020 ZEISS Photography Award photographers are asked to respond to the theme Seeing Beyond – Discoveries. Epiphanies, inventions and transformations from the known to the unknown, we want to see something new. Submissions exploring the landscape, humans, science, political or economic changes, or even something more conceptual, are all welcome. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, D.C. Dada – DC
Deadline: February 9 In the political capital of the free world, we find ourselves in the highest rate of absurdity per capita. DC dada want to embrace the absurdity while fighting the harm it causes. They are looking for those interested in politically themed visual art made to sell in a weekend long Pi day celebration. Interested? Send a proposal by email along with images of your art or practice to [email protected].
Long Island City Artists, Inc. Call for Artists – NY
Deadline: February 10 An exhibition inspired by the centennial celebration for woman’s suffrage is open to artists of all genders and countries that support equal rights and wish to express their activism through any medium including video, film, sculpture, virtual reality, painting, photography, performance art, dance etc. These works should serve as a reflection of the past and a reminder for all the work that is still upon us to create a world with equal rights for all. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists & Photographers – Winter Innovate Grants – US & International
Deadline: February 11 Innovate Grant is now accepting submissions for Winter 2019. Innovate Grant awards (2) $550.00 grants each quarter, to one Visual Artist and one Photographer. In addition to receiving a grant award, winners will be featured and recognized on our website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists. For more information and to apply, click here.
The Center for Emerging Artist – Philadelphia
Deadline: February 15 The Visual Artist Fellowship is designed to help artists in the Philadelphia Region reach new levels in their career. Artists will be asked to demonstrate a vision for the next stage of their professional or artistic practice and a clear plan for CFEVA’s proposed role in reaching it. For details, visit here.
Sharpe-Walentas Studio Artist-In-Residency Program 2020-2021 – NY
Deadline: February 15 The Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program awards rent-free, private studios to 17 visual artists for year-long residencies with the mission to provide working studio space and community for artists. The program is open to professional visual artists, 21 years or older who are US citizens, permanent residents, or visa holders. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists: 16th Annual Bethesda Painting Award – MD
Deadline: February 21 Nearly 300 artists from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. submit work to this annual competition created to exclusively honor regional painters. The best-in-show winner will be awarded $10,000, second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. For more information, visit here.
Deadline: February 28 With $10,000 in prize money, this annual juried exhibition and art competition is sponsored by the Allegany Arts Council, a non-profit organization established in 1975 to support and cultivate the arts in Allegany County, Maryland. The event is now in its 11th year. For more information, click here.
Wintertude Rustic Retreat & Self-Directed Residency, The Millay Colony for the Arts – NY
Deadline: March 15 Introducing Wintertude, a retreat and self-directed paying residency (no jury process) for those needing or wanting time and space in an inspirational setting. Stays range from four days to four weeks, includes private bedroom and private studio, shared living and kitchen space (fully equipped, meals not included), bedding and linens, washer/dryer, WiFi, desktop computer and printer. The Millay Colony is in the upper Hudson Valley nestled in the Berkshire foothills. For details, visit here.
Call for Entry, Prince Street Gallery – NY
Deadline: March 22 Open to artists 18+ living in the USA. Original paintings, drawings, prints, and mixed media only. No giclees, digital prints, videos or photographs will be accepted. For more information, click here.
Gloucester Arts Festival Call for Entry – VA
Deadline: April 3 The Gloucester Arts Festival committee is pleased to announce an open call for an exhibition that will be the focal point of their 2020 arts festival. The theme is water, both in nature and in human experience (e.g., industrial settings, conservation efforts, community life, spiritual dimensions, etc.). Artists will be juried into the show with digital images of original 2D or 3D work completed in the last two years. For details, 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].
January 2020 Open Exhibit juror Catherine Haggarty
We invited Brooklyn-based artist, curator, and writer Catherine Haggartyto select works for our January 2020 Open Exhibit. She is known for her bright and colorful paintings that, according to Conversation Project NYC, “…explores the sublime and the absurd.” Haggarty’s paintings and curatorial work have been reviewed and featured in Hyperallergic, Art Spiel, Two Coats of Paint and The New York Times. When she is not painting or curating, she shares her expertise as an adjunct professor at The School of Visual Arts (SVA), and co-directs NYC Crit Club, which offers grad-school style critique classes. Haggarty spoke with Haven Ashley of The Art League Gallery and shared why she avoids binary language when assessing art, common themes she observed in January’s show, and what about her award-winning selections stand out.
The Art League: What do you look for in a successful work of art?
Catherine Haggarty: I avoid the binary language of “successful” and “non-successful” as much as I can. The distinction is too black and white. There is gray space in work and most work lives in these gray areas. I will say that when work is done in an honest way, it has agency, it is alive and it is providing something necessary. How do I tell those things? Well, the truth is I can’t always, but often an honest piece of work will avoid typical tropes, it will be sweet at times, unassuming at times, assuming when needed, physical at times, and quiet at other times. It has autonomy. Artwork reflects us, and when we are most successful and our best selves we are patient, good at listening, honest, and curious.
So, work that makes me ask questions [is what I’m looking for]. Work that asks me to look further, work that defies logic, but sometimes work that both embraces logic and spontaneity. Work that feels like it has to be made—like there is no other option. You can sense this, particularly after looking at art all the time.
TAL: How important is subject matter and narrative in a successful work?
CH: Well, subject matter that is nameable does not always mean strong narrative—these two things can sometimes be disparate. Also, defining a “successful” work is really hard to do. When I look at a piece and feel an immediate emotional or physical reaction, then I’d say the work is doing something exciting. At the end of the day a work of art is alive, it has needs, and it has to be done the way it was.
Subject matter also alludes to representational work and that excludes abstraction in a way. I think narrative is possible within abstraction, and often more so. Subjects that are nouns, meaning nameable, sometimes lack engagement with the material, composition, and mood. They do not become narrative just because they are a thing, a person or a place. Narrative depends on connection and materiality too.
TAL: Based on the artworks you selected, what is the overall mood of the January exhibit?
CH: I observed a lot of objects in the January applications for the exhibit—I sensed a consistent narrative of figures, of being outside the norm, of feeling like an outsider…I couldn’t place it while I was viewing the artworks, but a lot of the work in retrospect seemed to be about observing and about being aware of itself.
TAL: Is there anything you wish you had seen more, or less, of? Was there a common subject matter that kept surfacing among submissions?
CH: Less of? Well…this is subjective. I think there is a line between work that seems to be done to please others, and work that has to be done for the reason we all need to breathe, you know? A work that seems to try to please me, or the academic system, or the market falls short. This means work that lacks content honesty, no meaning for the marks, no meaning for the way things are drawn may feel like homework assignments and not Art with a capital A. Work like this, post-school, I’d like to not see. Also, I don’t want to see screen savers! I don’t want to see photography that looks like a screensaver. It lacks agency and it feels like advertising or something.
I tell my students at The School of Visual Arts that they need to begin thinking about art with a capital A—that it means something, that it has to exist and that it connects them to the world, the unconscious or conscious. Not an assignment.
TAL: What advice do you have for artists submitting their work digitally?
CH: Better photos! Photos matter so much. Invest in a good photographer or trade with a friend or peer. Please do not submit poorly photographed work. This is the presentation of your work, and it affects the way it is consumed.
TAL: Did your own work as an artist influence your decisions?
CH: I try very hard not to have my taste affect these processes. As I said before, I try to separate what I know and what I don’t when I review work. It always has some effect, but I love the work I can’t do, work I’ve never thought of doing. Such work is probably less critically reviewed by me. My work as an artist influences the jurying or reviewing in that I know how things are made, I know how certain processes make work better, I know how subject matter appears authentic and specific. That is it.
TAL: What made the award winners stand out?
CH: Bravery and the ability to be weird and a bit out of line. The award winners were pieces I stopped at and looked at longer. Things that made me ask questions, and art objects that felt specific. Of course, seeing things online is different than in person. I wish I could have reviewed everything in person, too.
In addition to her Best-in-Show selection, Haggarty picked 14 Honorable Mention awardees, an unprecedented number for League juried shows. Here’s what she had to say about the top winner and the other works that impressed her (four of which are pictured below):
Best-in-Show winner The White Sock by Dicxon Vergaray
“I thought this piece was brave—complex yet straight forward. There seemed to be a collage image and material element that made the piece feel alive and from a good place, like it had to be made and only that way. I love the symbols, layering of strange spatial elements.”
Honorable Mentions
One Enchanted Evening by Martin de Alteriis
Mount Vernon Shed by Norman Smith
The Bike Trick by Susan Sanders
Untitled by George Elliott
“I really enjoyed each one for its sensibility and reality —in different capacity. All stand alone as strong images and I wish I could see more [work] by each of the artists.”
"Circe Turns a Companion of Odysseus into Swine" by Romare Bearden
Welcome to Artful Weekend, our new weekly listing of area art happenings! Check it out every Friday for fun and interesting exhibits and events occurring throughout the DMV. Share your experience at these and other weekend art destinations by tagging us (@theartleague) and including the hashtag #artfulweekend on social media.
This weekend: Exhibits to kick off Black History Month, D.C.’s punk scene in photos, Contemporary Iran through the lens of women, and more!
Romare Bearden: Artist as Activist & Visionary
1969 Fortune Magazine cover by Romare Bearden
Literature, history, the Bible, and jazz were among the inspirations that informed Romare Bearden’s thought provoking depictions of the African American experience. Artist as Activist & Visionary, an exhibition of more than forty-five of his collages, watercolors, drawings, prints, and editorial cartoons, examines how he also used art to agitate for change; on view through May 1 at The David C. Driskell Center, 1214 Cole Student Activities Bldg. University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
Delita Martin: Calling Down the Spirits
“New Beginnings” by Delita Martin
Past and present generations intersect in Delita Martin’s monumental prints, onto which she paints, draws, sews, and collages elements of African tradition and personal memory; on view through April 19 at the National Museum for Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue, NW.
Present Tense: DC Punk and DIY, Right Now
If you thought DC’s punk, hardcore and DIY music scene was dead, think again. Music and documentary photographer Farrah Skeiky maintains the genre’s relevance in a series of photographs that documents and celebrates its continued vitality; through February 29 at Transformer, 1404 P Street, NW.
Carved in Stone, Painted With Light
“Circle in Limestone” by David Therriault
This Zenith Gallery exhibit features works by three artists: sculptor David Therriault, who utilizes reclaimed stones in his creations; abstract artist Carolyn Goodridge whose abstracted landscapes evoke nature’s elements; and Hubert Jackson’s color-saturated renderings of memorable people and places; on view through April 4 at Zenith Gallery, 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.
My Iran: Six Woman Photographers
Untitled, from the series Witness 1979 by Hengameh Golestan
In My Iran, photographers Newsha Tavakolian, Shadi Ghadirian, Malekeh Nayiny, Gohar Dashti, and Mitra Tabrizian turn a lens on their homeland to explore themes of memory, loss, and exile, but also of defiance and hope; on view through February 9 at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Avenue, SW.
Open Space Gallery Call For “Expressions” Exhibit Submissions – Rockville, MD
Deadline: February 7 Stone Branch School of Arts and Open Space Art Gallery invites Maryland-based artists to submit work on the theme “Expressions” for a juried exhibition in their gallery. Click here for more information.
Target Gallery 10th Annual March 150 Call For Entries – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: February 10 This annual all-media exhibition features more than 200 works created and donated by artists local to Alexandria and the greater D.C. region. The only requirement is that all artists must use the gallery-supplied 10” x 10” wood panel. All work in the show is priced at $150. For details, click here.
MSAC Folklife Apprenticeship Grant Applications Now Open – MD
Deadline: March 1 The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) is pleased to announce that applications are open for 2020-2021 Folklife Apprenticeship Grants, which fund the teaching of folklife skills by a master to a learner artist. Each grant is $5,000, with $4,000 going to the master and $1,000 to the learner. Folklife skills may include any activities associated with living cultural traditions handed down by example or word of mouth. Common examples include but are not limited to traditional music, dance, storytelling, fiber art, craft, food and occupational practices. For more information, click here.
The Beacon Celebration Of The Arts Call for Submissions – Silver Spring, MD
Deadline: March 20 The Beacon newspaper’s Celebration of the Arts is accepting submissions from local amateur artists age 50+ for work in the categories of painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, stained glass and photography in their online competition. For more information, click here.
6X62020 Call For Submissions – Rochester, NY
Deadline: April 11 Each summer Rochester Contemporary Art Center’s 6×6 exhibition brings together thousands of original artworks, made and donated by celebrities, international & local artists, designers, youth and YOU. All works will be exhibited and for sale to the public. Learn more here.
_______________________________________________
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Call for Artists: Lucille Byard Memorial Sculpture – MD
Deadline: January 31 Adventist HealthCare System of Maryland announces Call for Artists for exterior artwork for the new White Oak Medical Center. The selected sculpture will serve as a memorial to Lucille Byard, an African-American woman who was denied healthcare services in 1943, and whose legacy shapes the health system’s mission and values today. For details, click here.
Call for Artists for Mother Cabrini Memorial – NY
Deadline: January 31 Mother Cabrini founded dozens of institutions that served the less fortunate, including educational organizations and programs to support her fellow Italian-Americans who immigrated to the United StatesThe Mother Cabrini Memorial Commission has begun its search for artists who will design and execute the Memorial honoring the legacy of Mother Cabrini, that will be placed in Battery Park City’s South Cove in direct view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. For more information, click here.
Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency Summer 2020 – NY
Deadline: February 1 The Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency program by Collar Works is designed to provide emerging and established artists an immersive, supportive, productive and communal atmosphere for art making and dialogue on a bucolic 77-acre farm in Washington County. The summer residency is offered for 5 weeks, with 2 and 4 week residencies for individual artists and 1 week residencies for families. Learn more here.
Art in the Parks: Clare Weiss Emerging Artist Award – NY
Deadline: February 2 The Clare Weiss Emerging Artist Award is granted to one emerging New York City-based artist who submits the most compelling proposal for an outdoor sculpture in a New York City park. The grantee receives an award of $10,000 to create their proposed artwork. For details, click here.
Call for Women Artists – PA
Deadline: February 2 Create! Magazine is pleased to announce an international open call for women artists. We are passionate about highlighting work by contemporary female (identifying as female) creatives and are dedicating the spring 2020 edition to this group. For details, click here.
Call for Artists for the Riverdale Park Public Art Initiative – MD
Deadline: February 3 The Hyattsville CDC is announcing a call for artists for the Riverdale Park Public Art Initiative. The Initiative seeks five sculptures of various styles and sizes to display for a one year-long placement, at pre-determined, publicly-accessible sites within the Town of Riverdale Park. As part of the town’s plan to create an engaging, publicly accessible outdoor sculpture gallery across its many neighborhoods, we seek site-appropriate sculptural work fitting of each chosen location. For details, click here.
Call for Entry, Craft in Contemporary Art, Site: Brooklyn Gallery – NY
Deadline: February 3 The marriage of craft and art-making is one of humanity’s earliest moments. What is the place, and future of craft in contemporary art? Site:Brooklyn is looking to answer this question, with works that range across all styles and mediums. For more information, click here.
Open Call, Site: Brooklyn Gallery – NY
Deadline: February 4 We understand gesture and motion in the broadest sense of the word; works that capture movement, energy, activity, and develop an active relationship to the world. While the term gestural was first used to describe the painting style of certain abstract expressionists, Site:Brooklyn is looking for works that take this history not as an endpoint, but as a point of departure, considering the subject in pluralistic and open-ended manner. All mediums are welcome. Visit here for more information.
Zeiss Photography Award 2020
Deadline: February 4 For the 2020 ZEISS Photography Award photographers are asked to respond to the theme Seeing Beyond – Discoveries. Epiphanies, inventions and transformations from the known to the unknown, we want to see something new. Submissions exploring the landscape, humans, science, political or economic changes, or even something more conceptual, are all welcome. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, D.C. Dada – DC
Deadline: February 9 In the political capital of the free world, we find ourselves in the highest rate of absurdity per capita. DC dada want to embrace the absurdity while fighting the harm it causes. They are looking for those interested in politically themed visual art made to sell in a weekend long Pi day celebration. Interested? Send a proposal by email along with images of your art or practice to [email protected].
Long Island City Artists, Inc. Call for Artists – NY
Deadline: February 10 An exhibition inspired by the centennial celebration for woman’s suffrage is open to artists of all genders and countries that support equal rights and wish to express their activism through any medium including video, film, sculpture, virtual reality, painting, photography, performance art, dance etc. These works should serve as a reflection of the past and a reminder for all the work that is still upon us to create a world with equal rights for all. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists & Photographers – Winter Innovate Grants – US & International
Deadline: February 11 Innovate Grant is now accepting submissions for Winter 2019. Innovate Grant awards (2) $550.00 grants each quarter, to one Visual Artist and one Photographer. In addition to receiving a grant award, winners will be featured and recognized on our website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists. For more information and to apply, click here.
The Center for Emerging Artist – Philadelphia
Deadline: February 15 The Visual Artist Fellowship is designed to help artists in the Philadelphia Region reach new levels in their career. Artists will be asked to demonstrate a vision for the next stage of their professional or artistic practice and a clear plan for CFEVA’s proposed role in reaching it. For details, visit here.
Sharpe-Walentas Studio Artist-In-Residency Program 2020-2021 – NY
Deadline: February 15 The Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program awards rent-free, private studios to 17 visual artists for year-long residencies with the mission to provide working studio space and community for artists. The program is open to professional visual artists, 21 years or older who are US citizens, permanent residents, or visa holders. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists: 16th Annual Bethesda Painting Award – MD
Deadline: February 21 Nearly 300 artists from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. submit work to this annual competition created to exclusively honor regional painters. The best-in-show winner will be awarded $10,000, second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. For more information, visit here.
Deadline: February 28 With $10,000 in prize money, this annual juried exhibition and art competition is sponsored by the Allegany Arts Council, a non-profit organization established in 1975 to support and cultivate the arts in Allegany County, Maryland. The event is now in its 11th year. For more information, click here.
Wintertude Rustic Retreat & Self-Directed Residency, The Millay Colony for the Arts – NY
Deadline: March 15 Introducing Wintertude, a retreat and self-directed paying residency (no jury process) for those needing or wanting time and space in an inspirational setting. Stays range from four days to four weeks, includes private bedroom and private studio, shared living and kitchen space (fully equipped, meals not included), bedding and linens, washer/dryer, WiFi, desktop computer and printer. The Millay Colony is in the upper Hudson Valley nestled in the Berkshire foothills. For details, visit here.
Call for Entry, Prince Street Gallery – NY
Deadline: March 22 Open to artists 18+ living in the USA. Original paintings, drawings, prints, and mixed media only. No giclees, digital prints, videos or photographs will be accepted. For more information, click here.
Gloucester Arts Festival Call for Entry – VA
Deadline: April 3 The Gloucester Arts Festival committee is pleased to announce an open call for an exhibition that will be the focal point of their 2020 arts festival. The theme is water, both in nature and in human experience (e.g., industrial settings, conservation efforts, community life, spiritual dimensions, etc.). Artists will be juried into the show with digital images of original 2D or 3D work completed in the last two years. For details, click here.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
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 thePeripheral 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].
A scene from last year's DC Chinese New Year Parade.
Welcome to Artful Weekend, our new weekly listing of area art happenings! Check it out every Friday for fun and interesting exhibits and events occurring throughout the DMV. Share your experience at these and other weekend art destinations by tagging us (@theartleague) and including the hashtag #artfulweekend on social media.
This weekend: Imaginative ways to celebrate Lunar New Year, Lou Stovall’s colorful remix, hand-made magic, and more!
Lunar New Year Art and Fun
The REACH at Kennedy Center gets lit this weekend.
Happy Lunar New Year! Ring in the Year of the Rat with Asian exhibits and fun art activities: Spend early Saturday afternoon making paper lanterns, woodblock paintings or prints, and watching sugar painting demonstrations at The Kennedy Center’s Chinese New Year Family Day. Stick around until 5:30 to see the REACH Winter Lanterns (up until February 2), a stunning display of 100 lamps crafted by Chinese artisans and made from 10,000 colored LED lights, adorning the Center’s public plaza. On Sunday, the Freer Gallery’s sixth annual Lunar New Year celebration is the place to be for art, food, and performances representing the richness of New Year celebrations in China, Korea, and Mongolia.
Lou Stovall: New Work
Water Clover III (detail), collage, silkscreen mono print
Known for his collaborations with Sam Gilliam, Jacob Lawrence, Gene Davis, and Lois Mailou Jones, renowned artist and printmaker Lou Stovall has a solo exhibit titled New Work, at Addison/Ripley Fine Art through February 22. This series of assembled collages, composed of fragments from his prior abstract prints, is a testament to the beauty and possibility of color; opening reception Saturday, 5-7 p.m., Addison/Ripley Fine Art, 1670 Wisconsin Avenue, NW.
Winter Exhibitions
“Akeldama,” by Luis Lorenzana from the exhibit Heroes & Losers: The Edification of Luis Lorenzana”
Political satire, surrealism, mid-century photography, and works from the Washington Print Club are some of the themes explored in the American University Museum’s six new Winter Exhibitions, on view until March 15. Mix and mingle with artists, curators and patrons at an opening reception Saturday from 6-9 p.m.; American University Museum, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
Material Women: The Power of the Feminine Hand
“Pharaoh & Shadow” by Karin Birch
In Material Women: The Power of the Feminine Hand, at Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery through March 24, ten female artists reframe pursuits typically associated with women—think sewing, weaving, embroidery, and typing—into something more mystical, adding enchantment to the inanimate; Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, 1632 U Street, NW.
High Caliber
“Mist” by Jeanne Garant’
High Caliber, at Gallery Underground through January 31, features work by six members of the Arlington Artists Alliance chosen to represent the best of a wide-ranging collection of different styles and media; Gallery Underground, 21 Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia.
The Creative Affairs Office/202Creates Spring Residency Program – DC
Deadline: January 30 The Creative Affairs Office/202Creates Residency Program is designed for self motivated and passionate DC Creative Entrepreneurs with specific projects and/or creative businesses they are trying to take to the next level. Members of the Residency Program have full access to 202Creates resources and support; such as office space, the podcast & photography studios, one-on-one business advice and mentorship, help with business plan modeling, support in developing partnerships, and a passionate community of artists and creative entrepreneurs in the District of Columbia. Click here for more information.
BlackRock Center For The Arts 2021 Exhibit Proposals – Germantown, MD
Deadline: February 1 BlackRock is now accepting proposals for solo, group and themed exhibits to be presented in our galleries in 2021 and beyond. Visual artists, curators, and coordinators of artist collectives and organizations who are over age of 18 and live or work in Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania are encouraged to submit proposals. Learn more here.
New Jersey Arts Annual 2020 – NJ
Deadline: February 21 The New Jersey Arts Annual, sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, is a unique series of exhibitions highlighting the state’s visual and performing artists. All artists over the age of 21 who either work or live in the state of New Jersey are eligible to apply. For more information, click here.
Doodle For Google Contest For Grades K-12
Deadline: March 13 Doodle for Google is an annual contest open to students in grades K-12. This year’s theme is “I Show Kindness By…” Students are invited to create their own Google Doodle for the chance to have it featured on Google.com, as well as win some great scholarships and tech packages for their schools. For more information, click here.
Studio Museum of Harlem 2020-21 Artist-In-Residence Program
Deadline: April 1 Since 1968, the Studio Museum has earned recognition for its catalytic role in advancing the work of visual artists of African and Afro-Latinx descent through its Artists-in-Residence program. The program has supported over 100 graduates who have gone on to highly regarded careers. Every year, the Museum offers an eleven-month residency with a bi-weekly stipend for three local, national, or international emerging artists working in any media. Artists should not currently be in school or committed to another residency program while in the Studio Museum Artists-in-Residence program. Learn more here.
American Ceramic Circle Grants
Deadline: April 1 To encourage new research in the field of ceramics, the ACC awards annual grants to individuals to provide assistance for costs associated with scholarly research that reflects the general interest of the members. For more information, click here.
_______________________________________________
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Call for Artists: Lucille Byard Memorial Sculpture – MD
Deadline: January 31 Adventist HealthCare System of Maryland announces Call for Artists for exterior artwork for the new White Oak Medical Center. The selected sculpture will serve as a memorial to Lucille Byard, an African-American woman who was denied healthcare services in 1943, and whose legacy shapes the health system’s mission and values today. For details, click here.
Call for Artists for Mother Cabrini Memorial – NY
Deadline: January 31 Mother Cabrini founded dozens of institutions that served the less fortunate, including educational organizations and programs to support her fellow Italian-Americans who immigrated to the United StatesThe Mother Cabrini Memorial Commission has begun its search for artists who will design and execute the Memorial honoring the legacy of Mother Cabrini, that will be placed in Battery Park City’s South Cove in direct view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. For more information, click here.
Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency Summer 2020 – NY
Deadline: February 1 The Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency program by Collar Works is designed to provide emerging and established artists an immersive, supportive, productive and communal atmosphere for art making and dialogue on a bucolic 77-acre farm in Washington County. The summer residency is offered for 5 weeks, with 2 and 4 week residencies for individual artists and 1 week residencies for families. Learn more here.
Art in the Parks: Clare Weiss Emerging Artist Award – NY
Deadline: February 2 The Clare Weiss Emerging Artist Award is granted to one emerging New York City-based artist who submits the most compelling proposal for an outdoor sculpture in a New York City park. The grantee receives an award of $10,000 to create their proposed artwork. For details, click here.
Call for Women Artists – PA
Deadline: February 2 Create! Magazine is pleased to announce an international open call for women artists. We are passionate about highlighting work by contemporary female (identifying as female) creatives and are dedicating the spring 2020 edition to this group. For details, click here.
Call for Artists for the Riverdale Park Public Art Initiative – MD
Deadline: February 3 The Hyattsville CDC is announcing a call for artists for the Riverdale Park Public Art Initiative. The Initiative seeks five sculptures of various styles and sizes to display for a one year-long placement, at pre-determined, publicly-accessible sites within the Town of Riverdale Park. As part of the town’s plan to create an engaging, publicly accessible outdoor sculpture gallery across its many neighborhoods, we seek site-appropriate sculptural work fitting of each chosen location. For details, click here.
Call for Entry, Craft in Contemporary Art, Site: Brooklyn Gallery – NY
Deadline: February 3 The marriage of craft and art-making is one of humanity’s earliest moments. What is the place, and future of craft in contemporary art? Site:Brooklyn is looking to answer this question, with works that range across all styles and mediums. For more information, click here.
Open Call, Site: Brooklyn Gallery – NY
Deadline: February 4 We understand gesture and motion in the broadest sense of the word; works that capture movement, energy, activity, and develop an active relationship to the world. While the term gestural was first used to describe the painting style of certain abstract expressionists, Site:Brooklyn is looking for works that take this history not as an endpoint, but as a point of departure, considering the subject in pluralistic and open-ended manner. All mediums are welcome. Visit here for more information.
Zeiss Photography Award 2020
Deadline: February 4 For the 2020 ZEISS Photography Award photographers are asked to respond to the theme Seeing Beyond – Discoveries. Epiphanies, inventions and transformations from the known to the unknown, we want to see something new. Submissions exploring the landscape, humans, science, political or economic changes, or even something more conceptual, are all welcome. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, D.C. Dada – DC
Deadline: February 9 In the political capital of the free world, we find ourselves in the highest rate of absurdity per capita. DC dada want to embrace the absurdity while fighting the harm it causes. They are looking for those interested in politically themed visual art made to sell in a weekend long Pi day celebration. Interested? Send a proposal by email along with images of your art or practice to [email protected].
Long Island City Artists, Inc. Call for Artists – NY
Deadline: February 10 An exhibition inspired by the centennial celebration for woman’s suffrage is open to artists of all genders and countries that support equal rights and wish to express their activism through any medium including video, film, sculpture, virtual reality, painting, photography, performance art, dance etc. These works should serve as a reflection of the past and a reminder for all the work that is still upon us to create a world with equal rights for all. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists & Photographers – Winter Innovate Grants – US & International
Deadline: February 11 Innovate Grant is now accepting submissions for Winter 2019. Innovate Grant awards (2) $550.00 grants each quarter, to one Visual Artist and one Photographer. In addition to receiving a grant award, winners will be featured and recognized on our website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists. For more information and to apply, click here.
The Center for Emerging Artist – Philadelphia
Deadline: February 15 The Visual Artist Fellowship is designed to help artists in the Philadelphia Region reach new levels in their career. Artists will be asked to demonstrate a vision for the next stage of their professional or artistic practice and a clear plan for CFEVA’s proposed role in reaching it. For details, visit here.
Sharpe-Walentas Studio Artist-In-Residency Program 2020-2021 – NY
Deadline: February 15 The Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program awards rent-free, private studios to 17 visual artists for year-long residencies with the mission to provide working studio space and community for artists. The program is open to professional visual artists, 21 years or older who are US citizens, permanent residents, or visa holders. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists: 16th Annual Bethesda Painting Award – MD
Deadline: February 21 Nearly 300 artists from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. submit work to this annual competition created to exclusively honor regional painters. The best-in-show winner will be awarded $10,000, second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. For more information, visit here.
Deadline: February 28 With $10,000 in prize money, this annual juried exhibition and art competition is sponsored by the Allegany Arts Council, a non-profit organization established in 1975 to support and cultivate the arts in Allegany County, Maryland. The event is now in its 11th year. For more information, click here.
Wintertude Rustic Retreat & Self-Directed Residency, The Millay Colony for the Arts – NY
Deadline: March 15 Introducing Wintertude, a retreat and self-directed paying residency (no jury process) for those needing or wanting time and space in an inspirational setting. Stays range from four days to four weeks, includes private bedroom and private studio, shared living and kitchen space (fully equipped, meals not included), bedding and linens, washer/dryer, WiFi, desktop computer and printer. The Millay Colony is in the upper Hudson Valley nestled in the Berkshire foothills. For details, visit here.
Call for Entry, Prince Street Gallery – NY
Deadline: March 22 Open to artists 18+ living in the USA. Original paintings, drawings, prints, and mixed media only. No giclees, digital prints, videos or photographs will be accepted. For more information, click here.
Gloucester Arts Festival Call for Entry – VA
Deadline: April 3 The Gloucester Arts Festival committee is pleased to announce an open call for an exhibition that will be the focal point of their 2020 arts festival. The theme is water, both in nature and in human experience (e.g., industrial settings, conservation efforts, community life, spiritual dimensions, etc.). Artists will be juried into the show with digital images of original 2D or 3D work completed in the last two years. For details, click here.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
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 thePeripheral 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].
Tickets for the 52nd Patron's Show Fundraiser go on sale Saturday!
Welcome to Artful Weekend, our new weekly listing of area art happenings! Check it out every Friday for fun and interesting exhibits and events occurring throughout the DMV. Share your experience at these and other weekend art destinations by tagging us (@theartleague) and including the hashtag #artfulweekend on social media.
This (long) weekend: Our Patron’s Show Fundraiser tickets go on sale, MLK Day family art fun, the latest works by Judy Chicago, cool comics on exhibit, and more!
52nd Patron’s Show Fundraiser Tickets on Sale Saturday!
The Art League Gallery will be bursting with art (over 600 original works!) for our 52nd Patron’s Show Fundraiser.
The early bird gets the art! Tickets for our 52nd Patron’s Show Fundraiser—February 16 from 6 p.m. to midnight—go on sale Saturday, January 18 at 10 a.m. This much-anticipated and fun event gives seasoned collectors and art newbies alike an opportunity to buy quality art at a bargain price, all while supporting a great non-profit organization and a community of artists. Don’t miss your chance to score a masterpiece! Purchase tickets here.
MLK Day Family Art Event
“I Dream of MLK” by Villa Faijir
Celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with two family-friendly art workshops at the Anacostia Community Museum. Art educators Alma Robinson and Rain Young will lead participants in making creations inspired by King’s familiar theme of the “Beloved Community,” his “I Have a Dream” speech, and more. Admission is free with an RSVP; Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum,1901 Fort Place, SE.
2019 Post-Grad Residents Exhibit
“Soldiers and Escape” by Kim Sandara
This culminating exhibition highlights some of the best work created by Michaela Japec, Kim Sandara, Katana Lippart and Nava Levenson, four artists who enjoyed a three-month residency at Target Gallery; on view through January 19 at Target Gallery, Torpedo Factory, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria.
ReClaimed ReUsed RePurposed: Sustainable Art for the Planet
“Cascaras” by Gloria Chapa
One person’s trash is another person’s inspiration. Eight local artists explore that idea in ReClaimed ReUsed RePurposed: Sustainable Art for the Planet, the first in a short series of exhibitions focused on the climate crisis; on view through January 25 at Studio Gallery, 2108 R St. NW.
Meditations and Epiphanies: Otherworldly Devices in Painting
“Luminescent Effervescence” by Judith Benderson
The colorful and imaginative paintings in Meditations and Epiphanies: Otherworldly Devices in Painting, at the Betty Mae Kramer Gallery through January 31, present the wonder of hidden insights in ethereal designs; Betty Mae Kramer Gallery, One Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD.
Judy Chicago—The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction
“Stages of Dying 5/6: Depression” by Judy Chicago
This is the final weekend to see Judy Chicago—The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction, the artist’s new series that tackles human mortality and species extinction, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts until Monday; National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue, NW.
Comic Art: 120 Years of Panels and Pages
World’s Best Comics, no. 1. New York: World’s Best Comics Co., 1941. Serial and Government Publications Division, Library of Congress
Did you know that the Library of Congress has the largest publicly available collection of comic books in the United States? See select treasures from it at Comic Art: 120 Years of Panels and Pages, an exhibition highlighting original drawings and printed pages from master artists and emerging talents who have created some of the most famous, funny, and frightening characters to appear in print; Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave, SE.
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.
Check out this video walk through of the Flora/Fauna Exhibit Narrated by Carol Fabricatore!
Juried by: Carol Fabricatore Exhibit dates: March 10-April 5, 2020 Opening Reception: March 12, 2020
This show will feature member works that explore plant and animal life, and the delicate balance of the natural world. The Art League Gallery is currently closed for in person viewing until May 17. We will continue presenting member exhibits digitally until we are able to meet in person again. Be well, and keep making art!
The Art League Gallery is thrilled to be partnering with The Enchanted Florist, who will be creating floral arrangements to complement the exhibit and fill the gallery with a little bit of spring.
Carol Fabricatore is an artist in the New York City area who is a great observer of all things, and likes to approach creating narrative imagery beginning with an emotional connection to an idea. She often gravitates towards subject matter that might be seen in one’s peripheral vision, or passed by on the way to something in the mainstream. She has produced art for books, magazines, newspapers and projects for design and advertising firms.
She received her MFA from the the School of Visual Arts in the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay Program and has taught narrative drawing in that program since 1994. “It’s all in how you see things through your own eyes, what’s important to you and what story you’d like to tell. Drawing is Magic.”
Abol Bahadori with his prize-winning painting "Pulling Perspective."
“Pulling Perspective,” the painting awarded the December 2019 Open Exhibit Best-In-Show prize by juror Matthew McLaughlin, is a departure from what artist Abol Bahadori usually does. First of all it is black and white, a first for the self-described “colorist.” Then, rather than draw or digitally design the grid-like effect on his work—both techniques that he is accustomed to employing—he utilized fishing net and spray paint instead. The result: an abstract work that acts as a type of Rorschach test for viewers to interpret as they will. Bahadori spoke with Emma Gould of The Art League Gallery about how “Pulling Perspective” pulled him in different directions creatively.
The Art League: Describe how “Pulling Perspective” came to be?
Abol Bahadori: Not long ago, I started a series called “Perspectives,” which I am glad was accepted for a solo show by the Art League in 2021. This painting, “Pulling Perspective,” belongs to that series, but is rather different from what I have done so far. Previously, I introduced a perspective grid to experiment with 3-D perceptions and traditional two-dimensional abstract paintings. As I drew the perspective grid with a ruler, I then realized that I wanted to be able to bend and curve the perspective itself. I could have done this digitally since I am also a graphic designer, but I wanted to physically try to do this, and replicating the grid on canvas wasn’t easy. [Art League painting instructor] Sharon Robinson introduced me to a technique that used fishing net on smaller gel print pieces in one of her classes. I immediately realized how I could use fishnet as a flexible grid that I could manipulate to bend and pull, so that is how “Pulling Perspective” was born. By throwing a fishnet on the canvas, which I had painted black, I pulled and arranged the net into a sculpted form and sprayed it white. Essentially, I used the net as a stencil with rather spontaneous and intuitive actions, as seen by the non-uniform shadows. I think it adds to the dynamic effect.
TAL: What does abstraction give you as a style of art in comparison to traditional or realistic paintings? Why is that important?
AB: I don’t limit myself to pure abstract anymore. Since I’ve introduced perspective to my abstract paintings, I am inevitably delving into some level of realism. My goal with abstraction has been to allow viewers to complete a painting in their mind by creating their own narrative from looking at my work. Abstraction really allows for the audience to engage in a composition I made. However, sometimes certain forms are born by accident and resemble reality so much so that it is tempting to push these moments into realism. From this, my more recent work has more obvious figurative and architectural elements, while balancing a level of play in abstraction for the viewer’s imagination.
Photo by Emma Gould
TAL: How is your medium an integral part of your work, and why do you work in the medium that you do?
AB: I am constantly experimenting with new media. For example, using spray paint was new for me. For the longest time, acrylic was my medium of choice, but recently I am using tissue paper, digital art that I create from a computer, collage, crayons, pastel, pencil, marker, and sand, too. I think experimenting with new media is as important as exploring different forms and colors.
TAL: What technical element is most important in your work—color, composition, line, etc.?
AB: Without a doubt color is the most important element for me. I consider myself a colorist. Having said that, “Pulling Perspective” is black and white. It is my first black and white painting ever! I originally created this painting as a foundation or background for a colorful piece that I was planning. However, I decided not to proceed with any color. The piece looked fully complete in black and white, and I realized color would actually take away from the pure forms in the composition. So, I think this painting helped me step away from color. Perhaps, I can’t say that color is the most important element for me anymore. [Laughter]
TAL: “Pulling Perspectives” draws attention to grids and the process of art itself. How does pulling and disfiguring expand the medium of painting? Also, expound on the thought process of a two-dimensional sculpture.
AB: Traditionally, the imitation of perspective belongs to realism and modern art tended to ignore the concept of perspective. I have always been fascinated by the rediscovery of perspective by Renaissance artists and was compelled to experiment with the notion of 3-D. This experimentation was not to introduce realism, but rather to add a new sensorium to my work—like the way some animals perceive their surroundings with sonar, echolocation, or a strong sense of smell. It’s something beyond our limited perception of color and form. As for bending the perspective, which is at play here, that action mimics sculpting. Sculpting and flat surface tend to obviously contradict one another, but technically I have “sculpted” the fishnet on the canvas for lack of a better word, and the result is rather physical and authentic looking.
Photo by Emma Gould
TAL: What do you want the viewer to come away with?
AB: Nothing other than their own story. If every viewer sees something and is intrigued by my painting, I am happy. In the case of this painting, a friend told me she saw burst of a soccer net after a strong goal. Others tell me it resembles strange creatures. I am just delighted to hear all these stories.
TAL: Where do you see your work going next?
AB: I don’t want to limit myself to the “Perspective” series. I’ve learned that I am more creative when I am working on several series and techniques at the same time. My focus is on my upcoming solo show and I am glad I have a year or so to build it. I will continue experimenting with bending and recreating perspective for that show, but I will also keep developing other styles. In few words, I like to keep an open mind while I am experimenting.
I want to express my gratitude to The Art League, both for the wonderful classes I take here, and the gallery staff for all the recognitions that encourage all of us to keep making art. I would like to also acknowledge my great teachers at The Art League School, especially [painting instructor] Beverley Ryan and Sharon Robinson, for all their guidance and support.
Donald M. Robinson Photography Biennial 2020 Call for Entry – Loretto, PA
Deadline: January 22 Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art will host a Donald M. Robinson Photography Biennial 2020, an exhibition from April 17 through June 6, 2020. Cash awards will include a top prize of $2,000 for Best of Show, together with a $1,500 First Place, a $1,000 Second Place awards and a $500 Third Place Award. A reception will be held at the Loretto Museum with awards announced that evening. An exhibition catalogue will also be published. For more information click here.
New York Center for Photographic Art Water Theme Call for Entry – NYC
Deadline: January 26 Water, all around us, is an essential part of our lives. How do you capture water in a photograph? The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) invites photographers world-wide to submit images using any photographic process (print, image transfer, emulsion transfer, encaustic, black and white, color etc.). Winners will receive a total of $3,000 in cash awards, be featured in the NYC4PA Online Gallery and Award Winners Catalog. The Grand Prize winning image will be posted on the NYC4PA home page. Cash prize winning and Juror Selection images will be featured in a New York Gallery Exhibition at Jadite Galleries in April 2020. Click here for more information.
Contemporary Art Gallery Online 8th Annual All Painting/Drawing Art Competition & Exhibition
Deadline: January 26 Contemporary Art Gallery Online encourages entries from all 2D and 3D artists regardless of their experience or education in the art field. A group exhibition of all entrants will be held online from January 29th, 2020 to February 26th, 2020. Artists should submit their best representational and non-representational art. This competition will be judged on Painting & Drawing Art. Awards will be given for the top 5 to 8 works selected, (this will depend on the number of submissions). Winners will be announced on February 17th, 2020. Learn more here.
10th Annual Cityscapes Online Art Competition
Deadline: January 27 The gallery invites entries from artists (including photography & digital art) regardless of where they reside to apply to this competition by submitting their best representational or abstract art and photography. The “CityScapes” theme will be the artist’s interpretation and depiction of cityscape art. Cityscape subjects would include cities, towns, urban scenes and any related metropolitan subjects for this art competition. For more information, click here.
Salem Art Works 2020 Call For Artists-In-Residence Applications – Salem, NY
Deadline: January 31 Artists of all ages, backgrounds, and career stages–working in nearly any mode or medium imaginable–are encouraged to apply for residencies at Salem Art Works (SAW). SAW offers a limited number of subsidized Artist-in-Residence programs. These residencies—Young Artists and Studio Artists—offer a work-exchange while our Fellows receive a fully subsidized residency with no work-exchange. Learn more here.
HARP Open Call for Submissions – NYC
Deadline: February 2 HERE is thrilled to announce the opening of the annual application period for the HERE Artist Residency Program (HARP). One of the most robust residency programs of this nature in the country and serving as a national model, HARP provides a commission, development support, career planning, and a full production to hybrid artists, all within a collaborative environment of peers working across disparate art forms – including theatre, dance, music, puppetry, visual art, and new media. HARP provides significant long-term support, as well as $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in space, equipment and services over 2-3 years to tailor each residency to each artist’s individual needs. Through significant investment of time and resources, dynamic work within a strong community is created. For more information, click here.
Wide Open 11 Call for Artists, National Juried Show – NYC
Deadline: Early Bird, February 4; Final, March 2 This juried exhibition if for artists working in all traditional and non-traditional 2-D and 3-D media, including film and video only when it is a part of an installation. All artwork must be original in concept, design, and execution. Limited edition prints/photographs will be accepted; open to residents of the U.S. and its territories, 18 years of age and up. For more information click here.
Summer 2020 Byrdcliffe Residency – Woodstock, NY
Deadline: February 15 Byrdcliffe annually welcomes over 80 visual artists, writers, weavers, composers, and creators of exceptional talent in groups of 15-20 per month. The main criterion for acceptance to Byrdcliffe’s AiR program is artistic excellence or a demonstrated commitment to one’s field of endeavor. Emerging as well as established artists, writers, musicians, and craftspeople in nearly all media are invited to apply. We offer ceramic kilns, weaving looms, and a minimal darkroom. Click here for more information.
Amos Eno Gallery Call For Artists Members – NYC
Deadline: February 27 Amos Eno Gallery is accepting applications for membership. Our gallery has been a fixture in the NY art scene since 1974 when it opened in Soho and has moved with changing arts neighborhoods over the years to land at our current space at 56 Bogart St in Brooklyn, NY. Members benefit from solo shows every other year, group exhibitions and a heavily trafficked arts building. Artists working in all varieties of media, at all stages of their careers are encouraged to apply. Click here for more information.
42nd Annual ArtExpo New York Call For Artists – NYC
Deadline: March 1 A wide array of media is on display at Artexpo New York, including paintings, photography, sculpture, glassworks, and more. Jumpstart your career in the new decade by applying to show your work at the world’s longest-running art far. For more information, click here.
Painting, Drawing, Motion/Anamatics/Design Residency – Utica, NY
Deadline: March 2 The Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute Artists in Residence (AIR) program is an education-based residency which allows two emerging artists from different disciplines to live and work on the MWPAI and PrattMWP College of Art & Design campus in Utica, NY for one academic year. It is designed for emerging artists or recent visual arts MFA graduates interested in art education in community arts and college curriculums while receiving support to develop a vibrant, self-directed studio practice. Programming includes presenting a lecture to PrattMWP students and the public, teaching community arts education classes, holding a public open studio event, and designing and implementing accessible community projects at the Museum of Art. Artists receive financial support, housing, meals, studio, and two-person exhibition in the museum’s PrattMWP Gallery. Learn more here.
Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University Documentary Essay Prize in Photography – Durham, NC
Deadline: March 1 All entries must have one thing in common: evidence that they were created with reliance on documentary methods and immersive fieldwork. We are interested in work that directs its gaze outward, that curiously engages with the world, and that is, as former CDS director Tom Rankin describes, “derived from an in-depth understanding of place, history, and the current situation, in concert with a personal relationship to the proposed work. The winner of the competition receives $3,000 and features in Center for Documentary Studies’ digital publications. The winner’s work is also placed in the Archive of Documentary Arts at the Rubenstein Library, Duke University. Learn more here.
Soaring Gardens Artists Retreat – PA
Deadline: March 10 Soaring Gardens Artists Retreat is accepting applications for residencies between May 15 & September 30 from visual artists in all media, writers, composers and instrumentalists. Two years of professional experience are required. Learn more here.
_______________________________________________
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Fashion Week Call For Artists – NY
Deadline: January 15 Six Summit Gallery curates “Art Hearts Fashion!” during New York Fashion Week. They are looking for artists to submit works for exhibition. For more information, click here.
ChaNorth Summer 2020 Artist-In-Residence Program – NY
Deadline: January 15 ChaNorth accepts applications in all creative fields, including visual art. Each month-long session has five to seven artists which ChaNorth curates with the aim of creating small, dynamic, diverse, interactive groups. National and international artists are welcome to apply. For more information, click here.
National Portrait Gallery Teen Portrait Competition – DC
Deadline: January 15 The National Portrait Gallery’s Teen Museum Council invites students to submit original portrait photographs to the Teen Portrait Competition—our answer to the museum’s Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition! Two grand-prize winners will have their photos displayed in the museum near “The Outwin 2019: American Portraiture Today,” an exhibition featuring work by Outwin finalists ages 18 and over. For more information, click here.
202o Applications for Experimental Projects Residency Programs – NY
Deadline: January 15 The IEA has two Experimental Project Residency Programs, one for Electronic Media / Film (Time-based) and one for Visual Art (Print-media). Both programs support an artist with a one or two week residency, an artist stipend, travel-support, lodging, technology access, materials and technical assistance. For more information, click here.
Greenpoint Gallery Open Call – NY
Deadline: January 16 Greenpoint Gallery is now accepting submissions for its first Open Salon Show of the 2020 Season. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists: Viridiam Artists 30 Under 30 – NY
Deadline: January 20 Some artists are ready to reveal their creative genius before the age of 30. Why not give it a shot? For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, Torrence Creek Tributary Public Art Opportunity – NC
Deadline: January 20 The Arts & Science Council is accepting qualifications from artists/artist teams for a public art opportunity at Torrence Creek Tributary #2, Huntersville, NC. The selected artist will work with the ASC, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, Dewberry Design-Builders, Inc., and the local community to create an impactful artwork that responds to the parameters of the site and the themes identified by the project team. The design should transform the underpass into a dramatic and lively suburban experience through the use of interactive and animated colors or patterns of varying intensity throughout the tunnel. The artwork should encourage the use of the Torrence Creek Greenway by those who live, work and play and in area. For details, click here.
Call for Artists, Takoma Park Arts – MD
Deadline: January 20 Artists are being sought for group exhibitions that will be held in 2020-21 at the Takoma Park Community Center as part of the City of Takoma Park’s Takoma Park Arts cultural series. Individual artists and artist groups are encouraged to apply. Applicants don’t need to be Takoma Park residents, and there is no fee to apply. Please click on the link for more details and share the news with your artist friends. The application form is available here.
Call for Artists: AD Art Show 2020 – NY
Deadline: January 22 Launched at Sotheby’s New York in February 2018 and now in its third year, AD Art Show is a groundbreaking juried art exhibition featuring artworks by artists from around the world. The venue for 2020 is the Oculus at the World Trade Center. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists: Lucille Byard Memorial Sculpture – MD
Deadline: January 31 Adventist HealthCare System of Maryland announces Call for Artists for exterior artwork for the new White Oak Medical Center. The selected sculpture will serve as a memorial to Lucille Byard, an African-American woman who was denied healthcare services in 1943, and whose legacy shapes the health system’s mission and values today. For details, click here.
Call for Artists for Mother Cabrini Memorial – NY
Deadline: January 31 Mother Cabrini founded dozens of institutions that served the less fortunate, including educational organizations and programs to support her fellow Italian-Americans who immigrated to the United StatesThe Mother Cabrini Memorial Commission has begun its search for artists who will design and execute the Memorial honoring the legacy of Mother Cabrini, that will be placed in Battery Park City’s South Cove in direct view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. For more information, click here.
Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency Summer 2020 – NY
Deadline: February 1 The Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency program by Collar Works is designed to provide emerging and established artists an immersive, supportive, productive and communal atmosphere for art making and dialogue on a bucolic 77-acre farm in Washington County. The summer residency is offered for 5 weeks, with 2 and 4 week residencies for individual artists and 1 week residencies for families. Learn more here.
Art in the Parks: Clare Weiss Emerging Artist Award – NY
Deadline: February 2 The Clare Weiss Emerging Artist Award is granted to one emerging New York City-based artist who submits the most compelling proposal for an outdoor sculpture in a New York City park. The grantee receives an award of $10,000 to create their proposed artwork. For details, click here.
Call for Women Artists – PA
Deadline: February 2 Create! Magazine is pleased to announce an international open call for women artists. We are passionate about highlighting work by contemporary female (identifying as female) creatives and are dedicating the spring 2020 edition to this group. For details, click here.
Call for Artists for the Riverdale Park Public Art Initiative – MD
Deadline: February 3 The Hyattsville CDC is announcing a call for artists for the Riverdale Park Public Art Initiative. The Initiative seeks five sculptures of various styles and sizes to display for a one year-long placement, at pre-determined, publicly-accessible sites within the Town of Riverdale Park. As part of the town’s plan to create an engaging, publicly accessible outdoor sculpture gallery across its many neighborhoods, we seek site-appropriate sculptural work fitting of each chosen location. For details, click here.
Call for Entry, Craft in Contemporary Art, Site: Brooklyn Gallery – NY
Deadline: February 3 The marriage of craft and art-making is one of humanity’s earliest moments. What is the place, and future of craft in contemporary art? Site:Brooklyn is looking to answer this question, with works that range across all styles and mediums. For more information, click here.
Open Call, Site: Brooklyn Gallery – NY
Deadline: February 4 We understand gesture and motion in the broadest sense of the word; works that capture movement, energy, activity, and develop an active relationship to the world. While the term gestural was first used to describe the painting style of certain abstract expressionists, Site:Brooklyn is looking for works that take this history not as an endpoint, but as a point of departure, considering the subject in pluralistic and open-ended manner. All mediums are welcome. Visit here for more information.
Zeiss Photography Award 2020
Deadline: February 4 For the 2020 ZEISS Photography Award photographers are asked to respond to the theme Seeing Beyond – Discoveries. Epiphanies, inventions and transformations from the known to the unknown, we want to see something new. Submissions exploring the landscape, humans, science, political or economic changes, or even something more conceptual, are all welcome. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, D.C. Dada – DC
Deadline: February 9 In the political capital of the free world, we find ourselves in the highest rate of absurdity per capita. DC dada want to embrace the absurdity while fighting the harm it causes. They are looking for those interested in politically themed visual art made to sell in a weekend long Pi day celebration. Interested? Send a proposal by email along with images of your art or practice to [email protected].
Long Island City Artists, Inc. Call for Artists – NY
Deadline: February 10 An exhibition inspired by the centennial celebration for woman’s suffrage is open to artists of all genders and countries that support equal rights and wish to express their activism through any medium including video, film, sculpture, virtual reality, painting, photography, performance art, dance etc. These works should serve as a reflection of the past and a reminder for all the work that is still upon us to create a world with equal rights for all. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists & Photographers – Winter Innovate Grants – US & International
Deadline: February 11 Innovate Grant is now accepting submissions for Winter 2019. Innovate Grant awards (2) $550.00 grants each quarter, to one Visual Artist and one Photographer. In addition to receiving a grant award, winners will be featured and recognized on our website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists. For more information and to apply, click here.
The Center for Emerging Artist – Philadelphia
Deadline: February 15 The Visual Artist Fellowship is designed to help artists in the Philadelphia Region reach new levels in their career. Artists will be asked to demonstrate a vision for the next stage of their professional or artistic practice and a clear plan for CFEVA’s proposed role in reaching it. For details, visit here.
Sharpe-Walentas Studio Artist-In-Residency Program 2020-2021 – NY
Deadline: February 15 The Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program awards rent-free, private studios to 17 visual artists for year-long residencies with the mission to provide working studio space and community for artists. The program is open to professional visual artists, 21 years or older who are US citizens, permanent residents, or visa holders. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists: 16th Annual Bethesda Painting Award – MD
Deadline: February 21 Nearly 300 artists from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. submit work to this annual competition created to exclusively honor regional painters. The best-in-show winner will be awarded $10,000, second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. For more information, visit here.
Deadline: February 28 With $10,000 in prize money, this annual juried exhibition and art competition is sponsored by the Allegany Arts Council, a non-profit organization established in 1975 to support and cultivate the arts in Allegany County, Maryland. The event is now in its 11th year. For more information, click here.
Wintertude Rustic Retreat & Self-Directed Residency, The Millay Colony for the Arts – NY
Deadline: March 15 Introducing Wintertude, a retreat and self-directed paying residency (no jury process) for those needing or wanting time and space in an inspirational setting. Stays range from four days to four weeks, includes private bedroom and private studio, shared living and kitchen space (fully equipped, meals not included), bedding and linens, washer/dryer, WiFi, desktop computer and printer. The Millay Colony is in the upper Hudson Valley nestled in the Berkshire foothills. For details, visit here.
Call for Entry, Prince Street Gallery – NY
Deadline: March 22 Open to artists 18+ living in the USA. Original paintings, drawings, prints, and mixed media only. No giclees, digital prints, videos or photographs will be accepted. For more information, click here.
Gloucester Arts Festival Call for Entry – VA
Deadline: April 3 The Gloucester Arts Festival committee is pleased to announce an open call for an exhibition that will be the focal point of their 2020 arts festival. The theme is water, both in nature and in human experience (e.g., industrial settings, conservation efforts, community life, spiritual dimensions, etc.). Artists will be juried into the show with digital images of original 2D or 3D work completed in the last two years. For details, click here.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
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 thePeripheral 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].
A sampling of what awaits you at The Art League January Open Exhibit.
Welcome to Artful Weekend, our new weekly listing of area art happenings! Check it out every Friday for fun and interesting exhibits and events occurring throughout the DMV. Share your experience at these and other weekend art destinations by tagging us (@theartleague) and including the hashtag #artfulweekend on social media.
This weekend: Our January Open Exhibit, some really big sculptures, an Insta-worthy pop-up, and more!
The Art League January Open Exhibit
“The White Sock” by Dicxon Vergaray, January Open Exhibit Best-in-Show winner
Juried by New York-based artist and curator Catherine Haggarty, our January Open Exhibit features a diverse array of paintings, ceramics, sculpture, photography, and mixed-media work by our exhibiting artist members; on view until February 5 at the Torpedo Factory, 105 N. Union Street in Old Town Alexandria.
Free Stylin’—Homage to Ed Clark
“Someone Different”, oil paint stick on paper by Joyce Wellman
Joyce Wellman’s Free Stylin’- Homage to Ed Clark, at Foundry Gallery through February 2, is an acknowledgement of the influence that the groundbreaking abstract painter—who happened to be her mentor—has had on her own work. There’s an opening reception Saturday, January 11 from 5:30-8 p.m., and a gallery talk hosted by Michelle Parkerson January 19 from 3-5 p.m.; Foundry Gallery, 2118 8th Street, N.W.
6 @ 35—Fabricating Sculpture
“Africa,” fabricated steel by Mitra Lore
6@35– Fabricating Sculpturemarks the 35th anniversary of the Washington Sculptors Group, and recognizes the works of members Luc Fiedler, Allen Linder, Mitra Lore, Vienne Rea, Gil Ugiansky, and Wilfredo Valladares. Says Mark Jenkins of The Washington Post, this exhibit “is a fine and suitably diverse introduction to the group, and its mostly large-scale work fills the spacious lobby authoritatively.” See it now through January 19 at the Zenith Gallery-programmed lobby gallery of 1111 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.
Time Capsule
Art and commerce on display at the Time Capsule pop-up exhibit by Wickerham & Lomax.
Head over to Cultural DC’s pop-up gallery in Union Market for the final two days of Time Capsule, a mixed-media critique of contemporary consumerism, American politics and Internet media by Baltimore-based artist duo (Daniel) Wickerham & (Malcolm) Lomax. There you’ll see large-scale portraits of Insta-ready young people framed by props like U.S. flags, copies of the Mueller Report, and “squeegee kids” buckets alongside Wickerham & Lomax-branded T-shirts and handbags that are for sale; on view now through Jan. 12 at Cultural DC pop-up, 1258 Fourth St. NE.
Generations: A History of Black Abstract Art and Mickelane Thomas: A Moment’s Pleasure
Generations: A History of Black Abstract Art from left to right: “Black/Blue/Green/Yellow/Orange/Red/Pink, 2015” by Shanique Smith; “Bronx Fitted” by Kevin Beasley; “Double Cinder” by Gary Simmons; and “A Conversation With Norman Lewis” by Melvin Edwards.
Two must-sees at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA): Generations: A History of Black Abstract Art (through January 19) offers a sweeping new perspective on the contributions black artists have made to the evolution of visual art from the 1940s to the present. Mickalene Thomas: A Moment’s Pleasure (through May 2021) is an immersive, two-story installation that transforms the museum’s East Lobby into a living room reflective of Thomas’ signature aesthetic influenced by 1970s and 1980s motifs. Bonus: Thomas-curated works by Derrick Adams, Zoë Charlton Theresa Chromati, Alex Dukes, Dominiqua S. Eldridge, Devin N. Morris, Clifford Owens, and D’Metrius John Rice, all artists with ties to the city, are included; Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive, Baltimore, MD.
Incoming
Incoming #293, 2014–2017, digital chromogenic print on metallic paper by Richard Mosse.
Incoming by Richard Mosse, at the National Art Gallery through March 22, sheds light on the migrant crisis and humanizes displacement. Mosse, along with cinematographer Trevor Tweeten and composer Ben Frost, used a highly specialized surveillance camera to capture the sights and sounds of events along two major migration pathways leading into Europe—one from Africa, the other from the Middle East; National Gallery of Art, Constitution Avenue N.W. between 3rd and 9th Streets.
Carrie Able Gallery Artist-In-Residence Summer Program – NY
Deadline: January 10 Carrie Able Gallery is seeking eight artists for our artists-in-residence summer program. All media and specialties will be considered. During the 10-week program artists will be advised directly by Carrie Able and other experts in the field of art including nonprofit founders, museum advisors and directors of curation. This highly curated artist studio residency will culminate with a group exhibition. Click here for more information.
The Other Art Fair Brooklyn Call For Artists – NY
Deadline: January 10 The Other Art Fair provides a unique platform for artists to showcase their work to gallerists, curators, critics and collectors. Presented by leading online gallery Saatchi Art, the fair is recognized as the definitive place for buyers to discover exciting and emerging talent. For more information, click here.
NYC Crit Club Spring 2020 – NY
Deadline: January 12 NYC Crit Club offers critique courses and one-on-one independent studies for artists. They are now accepting applications for spring courses. For more information, click here.
Fashion Week Call For Artists – NY
Deadline: January 15 Six Summit Gallery curates “Art Hearts Fashion!” during New York Fashion Week. They are looking for artists to submit works for exhibition. For more information, click here.
ChaNorth Summer 2020 Artist-In-Residence Program – NY
Deadline: January 15 ChaNorth accepts applications in all creative fields, including visual art. Each month-long session has five to seven artists which ChaNorth curates with the aim of creating small, dynamic, diverse, interactive groups. National and international artists are welcome to apply. For more information, click here.
Greenpoint Gallery Open Call – NY
Deadline: January 16 Greenpoint Gallery is now accepting submissions for its first Open Salon Show of the 2020 Season. For more information, click here.
Long Island City Artists, Inc. Call for Artists – NY
Deadline: February 10 An exhibition inspired by the centennial celebration for woman’s suffrage is open to artists of all genders and countries that support equal rights and wish to express their activism through any medium including video, film, sculpture, virtual reality, painting, photography, performance art, dance etc. These works should serve as a reflection of the past and a reminder for all the work that is still upon us to create a world with equal rights for all. For more information, click here.
Sharpe-Walentas Studio Artist-In-Residency Program 2020-2021 – NY
Deadline: February 15 The Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program awards rent-free, private studios to 17 visual artists for year-long residencies with the mission to provide working studio space and community for artists. The program is open to professional visual artists, 21 years or older who are US citizens, permanent residents, or visa holders. For more information, click here.
_______________________________________________
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Raleigh Fine Arts Society 2020 North Carolina Annual Artists Exhibition – NC
Deadline: January 8 This North Carolina Artists Exhibition promotes North Carolina art and artists in the state’s largest all-media juried exhibition. Prizes totaling $6,000 are awarded. For more information, visit https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals.php?reset=1&apply=yes.
Call for Entry, Wassaic Project 2020 Summer Exhibition – NY
Deadline: January 8 Wassaic Project Open Call for our Summer Exhibition for artists of all mediums — 2D, sculpture, video, new media, performance, site-specific pieces, etc. Every May through October, Wassaic Project hosts the work of over 60 artists in our Summer Exhibition. If selected, your work would be showcased alongside a diverse range of pieces and performances in and around historic Maxon Mills. Learn more at https://wassaicproject.slideroom.com/#/login/program/52455.
Open Call BRIC ARTFP – NY
Deadline: January 9 BRIC ArtFP is an open call initiative led by BRIC’s Contemporary Art program, where local artists receive honorariums and production fees for exhibition of their work in the Project Room or Hallway spaces. Learn more at https://www.bricartsmedia.org/artist-opportunities/exhibition-open-calls/artfp.
Bricworkspace Residency – NY
Deadline: January 9 The BRICworkspace residency program provides emerging and mid-career artists the resources and support to make a significant commitment to their practice, as well as critical feedback and exposure of their work. For more information, visit https://www.bricartsmedia.org/artist-opportunities/residencies/bricworkspace-residency.
Center for Jewish History Fellowship Program – NY
Deadline:January 10 Fellowship awards at the Center for Jewish History support cutting-edge research in the rich collections of the center’s partners – American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. More than 150 humanities scholars at various stages of their careers and research projects have taken up residence at the Center and profited from opportunities to share their work with leading scholars in their fields. For more information, visit https://www.cjh.org/research/fellowships-at-the-center.
U.S. Department of the Treasury Picture Engraver Apprentice (Banknote) – DC
Deadline: January 10 This position is located in the Engraving Section, Office of Engraving. The incumbent of this position serves in a ten year apprentice in training for the position of Picture Engraver (Bank Note). To apply, visit https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/553113500.
EFA Robert Blackburn Studio Immersion Project Fellowship – NY
Deadline: January 10 EFA Studio Immersion Project (SIP) is an intensive summer fellowship designed to introduce artists from multiple disciplines to printmaking. SIP invites artists seeking creative exploration through printmaking, regardless of expertise, to apply their creative knowledge and conceptual goals to the print medium. For details, visit https://www.rbpmw-efanyc.org/sip-fellowship.
Residency 108 Spring Session – NY
Deadline: January 13 Residency 108 invites emerging and established artists, writers and thinkers of all disciplines to immerse themselves in their creative practice. We particularly welcome those who work with nature, ecology and the installation of temporary outdoor land-art works. The residency is free apart from the cost of travel and material expenses which must be assumed by the individual. For details, visit https://www.nyfa.org/Opportunities/Show/3a4caa39-a5cb-41d5-904c-a9759e712d18.
New Waves 2020 – VA
Deadline: January 13 New Waves 2020, The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art’s annual, juried exhibition, features work in various media by Virginia artists. New Waves promotes emerging artists by inviting them to display their work in a museum exhibition. For more information, visit https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals.php?reset=1&apply=yes.
Call for Artists: Human Condition | exploring the body as subject – VA
Deadline: January 13 This exhibition will be a visual exploration of the human condition, asking artists to capture what is it that makes a person. From the classic nude, to abstract and impressionist treatments, to pieces that touch on the basic concept of humanity— a wide variety of interpretations will be included. Beside exploring the physical form, artists are asked to consider how a person’s personality, emotions, preferences, prejudices, and experiences can be visually represented. Learn more here: https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals.php?reset=1&apply=yes.
Solo Shows at the Locust Grove Estate 2020-2021 – NY
Deadline: January 14 The Locust Grove Estate is partnering with Barrett Art Center to announce four Solo Show opportunities in 2020-2021. Each 10-12 week show presents artists with the opportunity to present a solo show of 20-30 artworks in the Transverse Gallery in the Visitor Center at Locust Grove, a National Historic Landmark museum, education center, and nature preserve which attracts over 90,000 visitors each year, with a strong record of solo show artwork sales. For more information, visit https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=7280.
National Portrait Gallery Teen Portrait Competition – DC
Deadline: January 15 The National Portrait Gallery’s Teen Museum Council invites students to submit original portrait photographs to the Teen Portrait Competition—our answer to the museum’s Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition! Two grand-prize winners will have their photos displayed in the museum near “The Outwin 2019: American Portraiture Today,” an exhibition featuring work by Outwin finalists ages 18 and over. For more information, visit https://npg.si.edu/teen-portrait-competition-rules-requirements.
202o Applications for Experimental Projects Residency Programs – NY
Deadline: January 15 The IEA has two Experimental Project Residency Programs, one for Electronic Media / Film (Time-based) and one for Visual Art (Print-media). Both programs support an artist with a one or two week residency, an artist stipend, travel-support, lodging, technology access, materials and technical assistance. For more information, visit http://iea.alfred.edu/.
Call for Artists: Viridiam Artists 30 Under 30 – NY
Deadline: January 20 Some artists are ready to reveal their creative genius before the age of 30. Why not give it a shot? For more information, visit https://viridianartist.com/juried-show.
Call for Entry, Torrence Creek Tributary Public Art Opportunity – NC
Deadline: January 20 The Arts & Science Council is accepting qualifications from artists/artist teams for a public art opportunity at Torrence Creek Tributary #2, Huntersville, NC. The selected artist will work with the ASC, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, Dewberry Design-Builders, Inc., and the local community to create an impactful artwork that responds to the parameters of the site and the themes identified by the project team. The design should transform the underpass into a dramatic and lively suburban experience through the use of interactive and animated colors or patterns of varying intensity throughout the tunnel. The artwork should encourage the use of the Torrence Creek Greenway by those who live, work and play and in area. For details, visit https://www.artsandscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Torrence-Creek-Tributary-RFQ_-Final.pdf.
Call for Artists, Takoma Park Arts – MD
Deadline: January 20 Artists are being sought for group exhibitions that will be held in 2020-21 at the Takoma Park Community Center as part of the City of Takoma Park’s Takoma Park Arts cultural series. Individual artists and artist groups are encouraged to apply. Applicants don’t need to be Takoma Park residents, and there is no fee to apply. Please click on the link for more details and share the news with your artist friends. The application form is available at http://artcall.takomaparkmd.gov/.
Call for Artists: AD Art Show 2020 – NY
Deadline: January 22 Launched at Sotheby’s New York in February 2018 and now in its third year, AD Art Show is a groundbreaking juried art exhibition featuring artworks by artists from around the world. The venue for 2020 is the Oculus at the World Trade Center. For more information, visit https://www.mvvoart.com/call-for-artists.
Call for Artists: Lucille Byard Memorial Sculpture – MD
Deadline: January 31 Adventist HealthCare System of Maryland announces Call for Artists for exterior artwork for the new White Oak Medical Center. The selected sculpture will serve as a memorial to Lucille Byard, an African-American woman who was denied healthcare services in 1943, and whose legacy shapes the health system’s mission and values today. For details, visit https://www.baltimoreculture.org/blog/2019/12/11/call-artists-lucille-byard-memorial-sculpture#.XfLOe9ZKhR0.
Call for Artists for Mother Cabrini Memorial – NY
Deadline: January 31 Mother Cabrini founded dozens of institutions that served the less fortunate, including educational organizations and programs to support her fellow Italian-Americans who immigrated to the United StatesThe Mother Cabrini Memorial Commission has begun its search for artists who will design and execute the Memorial honoring the legacy of Mother Cabrini, that will be placed in Battery Park City’s South Cove in direct view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. For more information, visit https://www.nyfa.org/Opportunities/Show/8bcb57bb-6116-429e-bfd8-b38ce200a1bc.
Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency Summer 2020 – NY
Deadline: February 1 The Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency program by Collar Works is designed to provide emerging and established artists an immersive, supportive, productive and communal atmosphere for art making and dialogue on a bucolic 77-acre farm in Washington County. The summer residency is offered for 5 weeks, with 2 and 4 week residencies for individual artists and 1 week residencies for families. Learn more at http://collarworks.org/calls-for-entries.
Art in the Parks: Clare Weiss Emerging Artist Award – NY
Deadline: February 2 The Clare Weiss Emerging Artist Award is granted to one emerging New York City-based artist who submits the most compelling proposal for an outdoor sculpture in a New York City park. The grantee receives an award of $10,000 to create their proposed artwork. For details, visit https://www.nycgovparks.org/art-and-antiquities/clare-weiss-award.
Call for Women Artists – PA
Deadline: February 2 Create! Magazine is pleased to announce an international open call for women artists. We are passionate about highlighting work by contemporary female (identifying as female) creatives and are dedicating the spring 2020 edition to this group. For details, visit https://createmagazine.com/callforart.
Call for Artists for the Riverdale Park Public Art Initiative – MD
Deadline: February 3 The Hyattsville CDC is announcing a call for artists for the Riverdale Park Public Art Initiative. The Initiative seeks five sculptures of various styles and sizes to display for a one year-long placement, at pre-determined, publicly-accessible sites within the Town of Riverdale Park. As part of the town’s plan to create an engaging, publicly accessible outdoor sculpture gallery across its many neighborhoods, we seek site-appropriate sculptural work fitting of each chosen location. For details, visit https://hycdc.org/riverdale-park-public-art-initiative-call-for-artists-2k-honorarium-deadline-2-3-2020/.
Call for Entry, Craft in Contemporary Art, Site: Brooklyn Gallery – NY
Deadline: February 3 The marriage of craft and art-making is one of humanity’s earliest moments. What is the place, and future of craft in contemporary art? Site:Brooklyn is looking to answer this question, with works that range across all styles and mediums. For more information, visit https://www.sitebrooklyn.com/open-call.
Open Call, Site: Brooklyn Gallery – NY
Deadline: February 4 We understand gesture and motion in the broadest sense of the word; works that capture movement, energy, activity, and develop an active relationship to the world. While the term gestural was first used to describe the painting style of certain abstract expressionists, Site:Brooklyn is looking for works that take this history not as an endpoint, but as a point of departure, considering the subject in pluralistic and open-ended manner. All mediums are welcome. Visit https://www.sitebrooklyn.com/open-call for more information.
Zeiss Photography Award 2020
Deadline: February 4 For the 2020 ZEISS Photography Award photographers are asked to respond to the theme Seeing Beyond – Discoveries. Epiphanies, inventions and transformations from the known to the unknown, we want to see something new. Submissions exploring the landscape, humans, science, political or economic changes, or even something more conceptual, are all welcome. Learn more at https://www.worldphoto.org/enter/zeiss-photography-award?referer=artdeadlineslist.com.
Call for Entry, D.C. Dada – DC
Deadline: February 9 In the political capital of the free world, we find ourselves in the highest rate of absurdity per capita. DC dada want to embrace the absurdity while fighting the harm it causes. They are looking for those interested in politically themed visual art made to sell in a weekend long Pi day celebration. Interested? Send a proposal by email along with images of your art or practice to [email protected].
Call for Artists & Photographers – Winter Innovate Grants – US & International
Deadline: February 11 Innovate Grant is now accepting submissions for Winter 2019. Innovate Grant awards (2) $550.00 grants each quarter, to one Visual Artist and one Photographer. In addition to receiving a grant award, winners will be featured and recognized on our website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists. For more information and to apply https://innovateartistgrants.org.
The Center for Emerging Artist – Philadelphia
Deadline: February 15 The Visual Artist Fellowship is designed to help artists in the Philadelphia Region reach new levels in their career. Artists will be asked to demonstrate a vision for the next stage of their professional or artistic practice and a clear plan for CFEVA’s proposed role in reaching it. For details, visit https://www.cfeva.org/events/cfeva-opportunities/vaf2020.
Call for Artists: 16th Annual Bethesda Painting Award – MD
Deadline: February 21 Nearly 300 artists from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. submit work to this annual competition created to exclusively honor regional painters. The best-in-show winner will be awarded $10,000, second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. For more information, visit https://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/bethesda-painting-awards.
Deadline: February 28 With $10,000 in prize money, this annual juried exhibition and art competition is sponsored by the Allegany Arts Council, a non-profit organization established in 1975 to support and cultivate the arts in Allegany County, Maryland. The event is now in its 11th year. For more information, visit https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=6752.
Wintertude Rustic Retreat & Self-Directed Residency, The Millay Colony for the Arts – NY
Deadline: March 15 Introducing Wintertude, a retreat and self-directed paying residency (no jury process) for those needing or wanting time and space in an inspirational setting. Stays range from four days to four weeks, includes private bedroom and private studio, shared living and kitchen space (fully equipped, meals not included), bedding and linens, washer/dryer, WiFi, desktop computer and printer. The Millay Colony is in the upper Hudson Valley nestled in the Berkshire foothills. For details, visit https://www.nyfa.org/Opportunities/Show/eee45798-adfe-4c17-b3fe-c50d7a639e0a.
Call for Entry, Prince Street Gallery – NY
Deadline: March 22 Open to artists 18+ living in the USA. Original paintings, drawings, prints, and mixed media only. No giclees, digital prints, videos or photographs will be accepted. For more information, visit https://princestreetgallery.com/annual-juried-show/.
Gloucester Arts Festival Call for Entry – VA
Deadline: April 3 The Gloucester Arts Festival committee is pleased to announce an open call for an exhibition that will be the focal point of their 2020 arts festival. The theme is water, both in nature and in human experience (e.g., industrial settings, conservation efforts, community life, spiritual dimensions, etc.). Artists will be juried into the show with digital images of original 2D or 3D work completed in the last two years. For details, visit https://gloucesterartsfestival.com/call-for-entry/.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
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 thePeripheral 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].
“I’ve loved art since I was a child,” says painter and long-time Art League instructor John Murray. “My elementary school had paintings [borrowed] from the National Gallery of Art, so that’s where I fell in love with it.” And then there was that time that he got to see Michelangelo masterpieces up close—sort of. “My father took me to a special exhibit at the Smithsonian. They had [reproductions of] the whole Sistine Chapel and The Last Judgment in a room,” he recalls with lingering wonderment. “I don’t remember the size of it, but as a kid, it seemed pretty big to me. That’s when I decided that [art] is what I want to do.”
Inspired by the classical masters he discovered as a boy, these days Murray works primarily in oil, painting figures, landscapes, still-life, and portraiture. But at a point in his career, he turned to sculpture—to improve his painting—and became hooked. And very accomplished. “I like the timeless element of sculpture,” he says. “It captures a moment in time.”
This winter, in addition to teaching Artistic Anatomical Drawing, Murray is also leading Figure Sculpture classes at The Art League School. Under his instruction, students will learn the concepts and techniques for sculpting the human form using live models and anatomical casts. During a recent phone conversation, Murray explained how sculpting informs his painting, shared what to expect from his class, and revealed the large-scale work he’d most like to create.
The Art League: You’re primarily a painter. How did you come to sculpt?
JM: I love figure and form and thought that trying to create them three-dimensionally would better inform me on how to paint or draw them. A lot of painters take sculpture to get a better understanding of how a form works, so when they paint or draw it, it will look more dimensional.
TAL: Where did you study sculpture?
JM: I did a little sculpting in high school, and while I attended the Maryland Institute College of Art. Later, I took sculpture lessons at the Frudakis Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia and studied under master sculptor EvAngelos Frudakis. He told me that he thought I was good. I sculpted on and off for a number of years, then I kind of got discouraged and stopped for a number of years.
Then, I took a workshop with a Russian sculptor at my wife’s art school. This teacher, who hardly spoke a word of English, gave me some of the best advice about standing back from my work. From then on, I started to stand maybe 10 or 15 feet back and really see and analyze what I was doing. He also helped me with a piece by doing all kinds of things that were counterintuitive to me—using his thumbs and his hands and pulling and pushing and using his elbow. I thought he was ruining my work and started to get angry. But when he walked away, I looked at it and said, wow, it’s much, much better. And I started to become a better sculptor.
Murray’s love of form and figure extends to his sculpture.
TAL: What do you enjoy about teaching sculpting?
JM: I like the challenge of getting students to understand how things move in space and, just like the Russian teacher showed me, how to make sense of it all, how to stand back, and see how things work and really develop their eye to see the bigger shapes. I think that’s kind of fulfilling is when you get them just to start to see that.
TAL: What are some of the presumptions and misconceptions that may cause people to feel like sculpting is a daunting endeavor?
JM: Misconceptions, I don’t know. I mean, it’s taken me a long time to learn it, and it can be daunting, but you just have to start. You have to practice, and eventually, you start to get better, and you get a fever for it. You’ll want to do more sculpting because it’s wonderful, even if it’s not exactly the way you want it to turn out.
TAL: Who should take your class?
JM: I think anybody could take it. I started without much background before I went to Frudakis Academy. I just jumped in. I didn’t know what I was doing. I just started to touch the clay, and I began to love it.
TAL: What do you say to potential students to alleviate any apprehension they may have about taking this course?
JM: You’ll enjoy it. It’s addictive—a healthy addiction—once you start doing it.
TAL: What do you hope your students get from taking your class?
JM: I hope that they develop an appreciation for form and understand proportions better.
TAL: If you could make any piece of sculpture, what would you make and where would you put it?
JM: So far, a lot of the work that I’ve done has been tabletop pieces, but there’s a part of me that would like to do something big. I was thinking about a life-sized cow in the backyard. That might be kind of interesting, to look out the backyard and see a big cow out there made out of clay.
To register for John Murray’s Figure Sculpture class or other winter classes and workshops, click here.
