A view of "Evolve 17," an installation that spans various levels of the Leidos headquarters in Reston, VA.
These large-scale installations in Maryland and Virginia could win this year’s prize!
By Julia Chance
Public art is creative expression that meets us where we are, and that is part of its charm. Be it a colorful mural on the route to work, an exquisite installation in the lobby of a building we enter, or an outdoor sculpture that becomes a must-see landmark, we get to view and experience that artwork in our environment. It may prompt us to engage with the areas we frequent a little differently or see them in a different light. And, of course it introduces us to artists, whose work we may not otherwise have an opportunity to see.
Six public works in Maryland and Virginia are among the 100 finalists for the 2021 CODAawards, an international prize given to artists, designers, architects and others involved in integrating commissioned artwork into interior, architecture, and/or public spaces. Design categories include Landscape, Residential, Healthcare, Commercial, Institutional, Liturgical, Public Spaces, Transportation, Hospitality, and Education.
Eighteen esteemed jurors, including Cindy Allen, editor-in-chief of Interior Design;Malene Barnett, founder of the Black Artists + Designers Guild; and Frances Bronet, president of Pratt Institute in New York City, have spent weeks reviewing and scoring all 374 entries to narrow down the Top 100. They will agree on one winner in each category to create the 2021 CODAawards winners circle, in addition to two People’s Choice CODAawardees that you can help select.
View the Top 100 here, and vote for your favorites through Wednesday, June 30. You may vote for as many projects as you’d like, but you may only vote once per project. The final winners will be announced on August 30. The CODAawards is sponsored by CODAworx, a creative online platform that connects artists, designers, and fabricators with municipalities and developers who commission artwork.
These finalists from our region are all winners, in our opinion, and are worth seeing in-person.
Simon, Reston, VA
Simon, an 18-foot Corten and stainless steel installation by noted sculptor DeWitt Godfrey, sits in small circular plaza at the the new Valley and Park townhouse development in Reston,VA. “The form was a response to the relatively small entrance plaza,” says Godfrey. “We needed a narrow base and the cone shape allowed us to have a large volume with a small footprint. The cone is also a beacon, a torch holder, a marker of place and a signal to guide you home.”
Menokin Remembrance Structure, Warsaw, VA
Menokin Remembrance Structure is a pavilion on the grounds of the Menokin Foundation, a former tobacco plantation and the site of the 18th century house of Francis Lightfoot Lee, one of Virginia’s signers of the Declaration of Independence. It was erected above the archaeological footprint of an 18th-century field slave dwelling using the timber-building techniques of that period. The structure is wrapped in a translucent agricultural fabric and, with the aid of solar lighting, glows at night in memorial of its former residents. A team of craftsmen, students, and volunteers constructed Menokin Remembrance Structure on site, using local materials during a five-day timber building workshop.
Evolve 17, Reston, VA
The colorful and faceted Evolve 17 was created for the new global headquarters of technology firm Leidos whose name is clipped from the word kaleidoscope. The dichroic glass used to integrate the structure’s secondary colors was invented by one of Leidos’ clients, NASA, and the design captures the company’s five brand values – visionary, smart, approachable, authentic, and pragmatic. Check out this video to get the full effect.
Phoenix Rising, Norfolk, VA
Pheonix Rising, a large mosaic by stone mason and artist Marc Archambault, brightens the main hallway of Richard Bowling Elementary School in Norfolk, Virginia. It is one of five that the artist has created for five of the city’s new public schools. “After meeting students in their art classes, and observing their ‘life drawing’ lessons, I wanted to show art as a fundamental part of life, not something esoteric,” says Archambault. “I wanted the kids of the Norfolk schools to recognize themselves in the artwork. I hope they will see themselves and see value and possibility in creating art and making things.”
MONUMENTS, Bethesda, MD
Australian-based artist Craig Walsh created MONUMENTS for Strathmore arts center’s Monuments: Creative Forces, a tribute to six local artists. The installation was comprised of videos projected onto various trees on Strathmore’s campus, allowing socially distanced, masked viewers to enjoy a bit of art during the height of the pandemic last fall. It’s no longer on view, but you can see it here.
From Absence to Presence, St. Mary’s City, MD
During archaeological work that preceded construction of a new stadium, St. Mary’s College discovered evidence of slave quarters from two distinct periods that pre-date its founding. From Absence to Presence, by Shane Allbritton and Norman Lee, takes the form of a slave quarter that materializes from the ground up, evoking how this history was uncovered from archaeological research thus making the invisible visible. The surfaces are gradated in a pattern of staggered and alternating Ipe wood clapboard and mirror polished stainless steel, recalling the staggered pattern of erasure poetry. At night the words of poetry become illuminated to serve as an eternal vigil to the memory and resilience of the enslaved people who once lived, loved, worked, and resisted on the school’s grounds.
Design for Distancing, Baltimore, MD
Conceived as a challenge by the City of Baltimore and other civic interests, Design for Distancing reimagines the city’s Station North Arts and Entertainment District as a vibrant destination that will flourish long after the pandemic that challenged it’s businesses and activities is over. The project’s defining ethos of functionality means that all elements are designed for post-pandemic reuse, hearkening to a future with a pedestrian-owned streetscape and a commercial corridor where small businesses can make a bigger mark. Artist Becky Borlan‘s energetic building and street murals are inspired by the colors, patterns, and textures found throughout the neighborhood.
"The Tide Washes Away," by Andrea Cybyk, is currently on view in the June 2021 Landscape Exhibit.
Every week, we gather a variety of artist opportunities from the DC area and beyond. Find one below and apply today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.
Opportunities
Job Openings at The Art League — Alexandria, VA
The Art League is currently seeking a Gallery Associate/Artist Coordinator and an Art Camp Instructor. For more information about both positions and their requirements clickhere.
Job Openings at Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art — Reston, VA
Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) is currently seeking an Education & Public Programs Manager and Summer Art Camp Interns. For more information and to apply, clickhere.
Call for Submissions, Salon of the Refused DC — Online E
Deadline: ASAP, but no later than July 30 In the spirit of the Salon des Refusés in Paris, Salon of the Refused DC is seeking submissions for an online exhibit. If you are one of the 800 artists whose work was regrettably not selected for the Philip’s Collection’s juried invitational Inside Outside, Upside Down, we want to show your work! Forward the Phillip’s rejection email and rejected images attached to: [email protected]. Please include the artwork title, medium, and social media account name. Work will be exhibited starting July 17 on Instagram @salonoftherefuseddc.
Public Art Mural Grant — Ulster County, NY
Deadline: July 6 This Public Art Mural Grant is a four-week residency in which an artist will create an original work for WSW’s mural wall. The mural space at Women’s Studio Workshop faces the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail (WVRT), which is an active outdoor public trail used primarily for walking, running and cycling. The mural space is 10′ x 23.5′ and overlooks our new, ADA accessible patio and community gathering area. For more information, clickhere.
Call for Submissions, Garment District Public ARTery Mural — New York
Deadline: July 12 The Garment District Alliance (GDA) is seeking artists interested in submitting their preliminary concepts, qualifications and examples of their previous work to be considered for a large-scale temporary wall mural on a publicly accessible exterior wall of the Port Authority Midtown Bus Terminal (PAMBT) in Manhattan’s Garment District. Learn more here.
Call for Entries, InLight, 1708 Gallery — Richmond, VA
Deadline: July 15 InLight is 1708 Gallery’s annual public exhibition of contemporary art taking place at night in a different locations in Richmond. It features multimedia, sculpture, installation, performance, community-based works, and virtual projects that utilize light-based platforms (projections, lighting design, and more) to be experienced in the dark. 1708 Gallery invites regional, national, and international artists working in all media and disciplines to submit entries for InLight 2021. Learn more here.
Call for Entries, Pennsylvania Watercolor Society 42nd Annual International Juried Exhibition
Deadline: July 31 Pennsylvania Watercolor Society announces a call for entries for the 42nd Annual International Juried Exhibition. First Place Award $1,750.00. Over $14,000 in cash and merchandise awards anticipated. For more information, clickhere.
Call for Submissions, Hypotheses, Target Gallery — Alexandria, VA
Deadline: July 30 Target Gallery invites artists working in all visual arts to apply for the upcoming group exhibition Hypotheses. This exhibition is all about the process of intellectual experimentation and/or the exploration of new ideas and techniques in an artist’s practice. For more information, click here.
Call for Entries, Glen Echo Park Labor Day Art Show 2021 — Glen Echo, MD
Deadline: August 2 Glen Echo Park Partnership is seeking submissions for their 2021 Labor Day Art Show – the 50th anniversary of this event. Artists from the greater Washington, D.C. area are invited to submit works in wide range of media, including sculpture, paintings, works on paper, ceramics, fiber arts, jewelry, photography, and furniture. Learn more here.
Request for Proposal, Bethesda Mural — Bethesda, MD
Deadline: August 6 The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, in partnership with Montgomery County, Maryland, announces a new public art mural project at Montgomery County’s Public Park Garage located on Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda, MD. They are currently seeking proposals from artists who are 18 years of age or older and residents of Washington, D.C., Maryland or Virginia. Artists must have prior experience with the design and installation of large scale murals and are asked to submit a detailed, site-specific proposal. For more information, clickhere.
International Sculpture Center Innovator Award
Deadline: August 12 Submissions are now open for the 2021 ISC Innovator Award. This award recognizes the creative innovation of individuals, organizations, or collectives who develop new ideas and work to improve and/or expand the field of contemporary sculpture while demonstrating a commitment to their community and effect social change through their work. Award benefits include: $1,000 Cash prize, one year Professional (individual) or Associate (organization) level ISC Membership, recognition on sculpture.org and in Sculpture Magazine and a virtual event to present work/project to the ISC Sculpture Community. Clickhereto learn more.
Call for Artists, Essex Gateway Sculpture Artwork — Essex, MD
Deadline: August 29 Any and all Maryland artists are invited to submit work for the new Essex Gateway Sculpture, a public outdoor display featured at the entrance to the new Essex Gateway Park. This sculpture will be viewed by over 30,000 people who drive through Essex daily, and it will be the centerpiece to the new public space. The chosen work will be displayed in the four panels of the sculpture. All works submitted will be exhibited in a curated show and press event at the Heritage Society of Essex and Middle River. Click here for more information.
Re-runs: These were previously posted, but it’s not too late to enter!
Regional Call for Entry, Artists Choice 2021, Foundry Gallery — DC
Deadline: June 30 This month-long group show at the Foundry’s industrial-style space in Washington, DC is open to painting, drawing, mixed media and photography by artists age 18 and up in the greater Washington area (you have to be close enough to deliver your work). One of Washington’s premier contemporary galleries, the Foundry promotes the work of emerging and accomplished regional artists. Learn more here.
RFQ for Covid-19 Public Art Memorial, Baltimore County Arts Guild — Baltimore
Deadline: July 1 COVID-19 has claimed the lives of more than 8,800 Marylanders, including over 1,500 Baltimore County residents. To honor the lives lost and all of those affected by the pandemic, Baltimore County and the Baltimore County Arts Guild are seeking a highly creative and dynamic public arts concept to be installed at Lake Roland Park. The free-standing public arts concept will represent hope, unity and healing and will be located near walking and biking paths, among acres of open space. The finished piece will not only honor the memory of those lost, but will provide a meditative space for reconciliation and remembrance. Applications details can be found here.
Call for Entries, A Year Apart: Art Created in Isolation, Falls Church Arts Gallery — Falls Church, VA
Deadline: July 4 Artists in the greater Washington area, ages 18 and up, working in all media are invited to submit art created during and inspired by the pandemic for an in-person and online exhibition July 31 – September 12. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, 2021 Art Ability at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital — Malvern, PA
Deadline: July 6 The Annual Art Ability Exhibition and Sale at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital is open to artists with physical, cognitive, visual and /or hearing disabilities. Paintings, drawings, fine printmaking, photography, mixed media, sculpture, jewelry and fine crafts accepted. All pieces must be available for sale and ready for display. Original work only, no reproductions will be accepted. Learn more here.
FY 2022 Art Exhibition (Curatorial) Grant Program, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities — D.C.
Deadline: July 9 This grant provides up to $30,000 to curate an exhibition in the CAH gallery space at 200 I (Eye) Street, SE, as well as on our virtual gallery platform. Proposals for innovative exhibitions accompanied by educational programming are welcome. For more information and t apply, click here.
Open Call, Put It To The Fire: A Visual Response to Mental Health, Brentwood Art Exchange — Brentwood, MD
Deadline: July 9 This exhibition will take us on a visual journey through mental health from artists’ points of view. It will explore multiple aspects of both individual and collective mental health journeys—from pain to healing, suffering to hope, and stigma to understanding. The exhibit title references centuries’ old healing rituals practiced across the globe, where fire is used as a metaphorical cleanser, releasing unwanted energies, mindsets, and attachments in order to create space for new intentions to grow and thrive. Learn more here.
Call for Solo Exhibitions 2022, VisArts – Rockville, MD
Deadline: July 9 VisArts invites artists working in all media to apply for 2022 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. Click hereand scroll down to learn more.
Call for Submissions, The Sleep Over Community Art Project
Deadline: July 15 The Sleepover is a two-part project that seeks to examine female gathering traditions across cultures and generations. Each woman grows up with a unique experience of being included in, excluded from, or creating gendered rituals. We are currently accepting submissions of recollections, reflections, and artifacts from your lived experiences with female gathering traditions. Learn more here.
Request for Applications, Public Art Building Communities — D.C.
Deadline: July 16 The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) is soliciting applications from qualified individual artists or organizations for its Fiscal Year 2022 Public Art Building Communities Grant Program (PABC). Multiple awards may be made under this RFA. Award amounts vary. The PABC grant program supports individual artists and organizations in their effort to design, fabricate and install new temporary or permanent works of public art that connect artists (and their artwork) with communities. For more information, click here.
Call for Submissions, (Not) Strictly Painting, McLean Project for the Arts — McLean, VA
Deadline: July 18 McLean Project for the Arts is seeking mid-Atlantic artists (DC, VA, MD, PA, NJ, DE, WV) to submit works to (Not) Strictly Painting, a juried biennial exhibition celebrating the depth and breadth of paintings–or works related in some way to painting–from artists throughout the mid-Atlantic area. Work that combines painting with other materials or is conceptual in nature is acceptable and encouraged as well. Learn more here.
Call for Proposals, 2022 Rehoboth Art League Solo and Group Exhibitions – Rehoboth Beach, DE
Deadline: July 18 The Exhibitions Committee of the Rehoboth Art League is in the process of organizing solo and group exhibitions for 2022. This is a very competitive program as RAL can only accept a limited number of proposals each year. Artworks in any media will be reviewed. The RAL is situated in the town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a highly traveled area not only by the residents of this and the expanding surrounding communities, but also by art patrons from the Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York metropolitan areas. Over 29,000 people participate in Rehoboth Art League programs annually. Special exhibitions have played an important part of our programming since the league’s beginning, in 1938. The RAL campus houses the Corkran,Tubbs, Ventures, and Homestead galleries. For more information and to apply, click here.
Call for Entry, 121st International Exhibition of Works on Paper — Wallingford, PA
Deadline: August 3 This is a prestigious exhibit that has been held by the Philadelphia Water Color Society every year since 1900. There are over $10,000.00 in prizes including the $2,000 PWCS Award of Excellence. This exhibit is open to both PWCS members and nonmembers. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, The 2021 Athenaeum Open ART OPTIMISM Focus on Climate Change/Sustainability — Alexandria
Deadline: August 25: The Athenaeum Gallery invites DC, Virginia, and Maryland artists to explore concepts related to climate change. We are looking for a wide variety of topics and perspectives, but all work accepted into the exhibition will have a common leitmotif: optimism for improving our footprint on the planet. Works will inspire rather than threaten, celebrate rather than scare, and explore new materials and techniques that help present a positive message about climate change and productive ways we can meet the associated challenges. Click here to learn more.
Call For Entries, Athenaeum Gallery – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: August 25, 2021 Artists who live or work in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia may submit a proposal for a solo show. A group of artists who live or work in the area may submit a proposal for a group show. A curator, living or working anywhere, may submit a proposal for a show featuring works by artists living or working in this area. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
Call for Art, Links Bridge Vineyards—Thurmont, MD
Links Bridge Vineyards, a small artisan style winery located just outside of Frederick, Maryland, is looking to feature the artwork of various artists on the walls of their tasting barn for two weeks at a time. To learn more, call Joan Cartier 301-602-5733 or email her at [email protected].
Pyramid Atlantic offers year-round workshops in printmaking, papermaking, book arts, and hybrids thereof. We offer multi-week, daytime, evening, and weekend intensives for adults in our fully equipped studios. As part of a robust and diverse schedule of offerings, we welcome unsolicited workshop proposals, and hope that you will consider applying! Workshop proposal reviews are ongoing, but for best consideration, submit class proposals by the following dates: 1/15 for Summer Workshops; 4/1 for Fall Workshops; 7/1 for Winter Workshops; 10/1 for Spring Workshops. Questions? Email Gretchen, Artistic Director, [email protected]
Call For Stories About Women in the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council
2020 has been dedicated to the Year of the Woman in Maryland. Do you have an inspiring story about vital contributions of women-identifying people who are artists, arts administrators, or cultural workers? Perhaps an exhibition, performance or project featuring women? Share it with the Maryland State Arts Council for potential use in marketing and communications! Send your ideas to [email protected], and include “Year of the Woman” in the subject line. Satff will contact senders whose stories are selected for inclusion in future newsletters, eblasts, or social media postings. Learn more about Maryland’s year of the Woman here.
Call For Artists, Busboys and Poets
Busboys and Poets is looking for submissions from Maryland and Virginia artists as it expands to new locations in both areas. Submissions can include drawings, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, assemblage, fiber, quilts, etc. Art images reflecting life in the city, family, portraits, whimsy, abstraction, social uplift and life experiences within diverse cultures are encouraged for submission. For more information, click here.
Alterwork Studios Online Residency
This residency was designed to give emerging contemporary artists an online platform to create new work and explore their practice. Over the course of four weeks, artists will be encouraged to experiment and explore their concepts and move their work forward in the contemporary art world. Learn more here.
Accepting Artwork for Curatorial Review by AIWA
The Alper Initiative for Washington Art features five exhibitions per year in the newly constructed first floor space in the American University Museum. We accept submissions, on a rolling basis, from Washington artists of all ages and backgrounds, and working in diverse media. The museum’s Director and Curator, Jack Rasmussen, will select curators who will review these submissions for potential use in Alper Initiative exhibitions. For more information click here.
Call For Entry Hamilton Arts Collective Guest Artist Exhibition – Baltimore, MD
The Hamilton Arts Collective (HAC) and the Hamilton Gallery seek applications from artists for month-long Guest Artist exhibitions at Hamilton Gallery located at 5502 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD. The selected guest artists will be invited to exhibit a selection of their current work in Gallery I of the Hamilton Gallery. The Guest Artist exhibition is featured in Hamilton Gallery communications and will be promoted by the HAC and Hamilton Gallery. This is an open call to artists residing within 60 miles of Baltimore City. Baltimore residents are encouraged to apply. Click here to learn more.
Howard County Arts Council Quarterly Call For Artists – Ellicott City, MD
The Howard County Arts Council gallery program was established to enhance the public’s appreciation of the visual arts, provide a venue to exhibit the work of local, regional, and national artists in a professional space, and provide leadership in the arts by presenting a broad spectrum of arts in all media from both emerging and established artists. Artists, ages 18 and older, working in all media and styles including time-based and installation artists, are encouraged to apply either individually or as a group. Proposals from curators and arts organizations are also welcome. Click here to learn more.
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, click here.
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 informationhere.
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, click here.
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 applicationshere.
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].
"Sunday Afternoon," by Charles Williams, is currently on view in the June 2021 Landscape Exhibit.
Welcome to Artful Weekend, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy art in person or virtually.
This weekend: Landscapes and geometric abstracts at The League; art celebrating Pride at Portico; a linear lineup at Amy Kaslow; and Tawny Chatmon’s sparkling images at Galerie Myrtis.
June 2021 Landscape Exhibit
“Citadel” by Doris Ross
Paintings, drawings, photography, collage, and glasswork are among the many representational and abstract pieces on display in our Landscape Exhibit, juried by celebrated watercolorist John Salminen. Here, the idea of landscapes varies from remote vistas like Primal Shadows by Leanne Fink and moody streetscapes like Comfort by Blair Johnson, to architectural horizons like Old Town Charm by Rana Geralis and seashore scenes like Girl in the Green Hat by Clayton Davis. In other artworks, like Cabinet of Curiosity NO. 15 by David Alfuth or Connecting Memories by Pam Gregory, objects, figures, colors, textures, marks, and expressions are what evokes a sense of place; on view in the Gallery and online through July 3.
Perspectives
Perspectives, Abol Bahadori’s series of abstract paintings inspired by the rediscovery of the perspective grid among Renaissance artists, is on view through July 3 in the Solo Gallery. Bahadori uses trapezoids and triangles generated by 3D grids as abstract planes to showcase colors to prismatic effect. He further enhances some of his compositions with realistic figures and illustrations—humans, animals, insects— that break the symmetry and change the focal point.
Portico Pride
Portico Gallery, in the Brentwood Arts District, is celebrating Pride during the month of June and all summer long with a group exhibition comprised of artworks and mediums as diverse as the LGBTQA community itself. It is on view through September, 3807 Rhode Island Avenue, Brentwood, MD.
DC Lines
Top to bottom: “The Box” and “Glass Table” by Elroy Williams.
Amy Kaslow Gallery has assembled striking pieces from four Washington artists whose works are inescapably, alluringly linear. DC Lines includes Elroy Williams, who marshals his mastery as a commercial artist into contemporary fine art, crisp and clean mixtures of gorgeous color, and graceful form. Linda Cafritz’s seemingly sculpted acrylic paintings give us lines defined as much by textured hues as they are by their elegant verticality. From the late lacquer artist Andrew Kaslow, highly polished geometrics spring from square wallboards. And Amy Kaslow’s latest botanical images put a new lens on natural pinstripes and curves, all in sumptuous tones; on view through August 8th, The Shops in Spring Valley, 4300 Fordham Road NW.
If I’m no longer here, I wanted you to Know…
“And Then She Said ‘I Never Asked You To Worship Me'”, 2020; 24k gold leaf, 12k gold leaf, acrylic, mixed media on archival pigment print
Award-winning photographer Tawny Chatmon draws inspiration from the Byzantine period for If I’m no longer here, I wanted you to Know…, eighteen new photographs featuring intimate portraits of the artist’s family members and friends imbued with sentiments of love, personal ruminations, and lessons she wants to instill in her three children. It is on view by appointment through July 10, at Galerie Myrtis, 2224 North Charles Street, Baltimore.
"Open Road," by Sue Miller, is currently on view in the June 2021 Landscape Exhibit.
Every week, we gather a variety of artist opportunities from the DC area and beyond. Find one below and apply today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.
Opportunities
Associate Director Opening, Hemphill Artworks — D.C.
Hemphill Artworks has an opening for Associate Director. The Associate Director undertakes various tasks and responsibilities in selling art, the promotion of Hemphill Artworks, gallery artists, and gallery projects. For more information, click here.
RFQ for Covid-19 Public Art Memorial, Baltimore County Arts Guild — Baltimore
Deadline: July 1 COVID-19 has claimed the lives of more than 8,800 Marylanders, including over 1,500 Baltimore County residents. To honor the lives lost and all of those affected by the pandemic, Baltimore County and the Baltimore County Arts Guild are seeking a highly creative and dynamic public arts concept to be installed at Lake Roland Park. The free-standing public arts concept will represent hope, unity and healing and will be located near walking and biking paths, among acres of open space. The finished piece will not only honor the memory of those lost, but will provide a meditative space for reconciliation and remembrance. Applications details can be found here.
Call for Entries, A Year Apart: Art Created in Isolation, Falls Church Arts Gallery — Falls Church, VA
Deadline: July 4 Artists in the greater Washington area, ages 18 and up, working in all media are invited to submit art created during and inspired by the pandemic for an in-person and online exhibition July 31 – September 12. For more information, click here.
FY 2022 Art Exhibition (Curatorial) Grant Program, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities — D.C.
Deadline: July 9 This grant provides up to $30,000 to curate an exhibition in the CAH gallery space at 200 I (Eye) Street, SE, as well as on our virtual gallery platform. Proposals for innovative exhibitions accompanied by educational programming are welcome. For more information and t apply, click here.
Open Call, Put It To The Fire: A Visual Response to Mental Health, Brentwood Art Exchange — Brentwood, MD
Deadline: July 9 This exhibition will take us on a visual journey through mental health from artists’ points of view. It will explore multiple aspects of both individual and collective mental health journeys—from pain to healing, suffering to hope, and stigma to understanding. The exhibit title references centuries’ old healing rituals practiced across the globe, where fire is used as a metaphorical cleanser, releasing unwanted energies, mindsets, and attachments in order to create space for new intentions to grow and thrive. Learn more here.
Request for Applications, Public Art Building Communities — D.C.
Deadline: July 16 The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) is soliciting applications from qualified individual artists or organizations for its Fiscal Year 2022 Public Art Building Communities Grant Program (PABC). Multiple awards may be made under this RFA. Award amounts vary. The PABC grant program supports individual artists and organizations in their effort to design, fabricate and install new temporary or permanent works of public art that connect artists (and their artwork) with communities. For more information, click here.
Call for Submissions, (Not) Strictly Painting, McLean Project for the Arts — McLean, VA
Deadline: July 18 McLean Project for the Arts is seeking mid-Atlantic artists (DC, VA, MD, PA, NJ, DE, WV) to submit works to (Not) Strictly Painting, a juried biennial exhibition celebrating the depth and breadth of paintings–or works related in some way to painting–from artists throughout the mid-Atlantic area. Work that combines painting with other materials or is conceptual in nature is acceptable and encouraged as well. Learn more here.
Call for Solo Exhibition 2022, VisArts — Rockville, MD
Deadline: July 9 VisArts invites artists working in all media to apply for 2022 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. For more information, click here.
Call for Submissions, The Sleep Over Community Art Project
Deadline: July 15 The Sleepover is a two-part project that seeks to examine female gathering traditions across cultures and generations. Each woman grows up with a unique experience of being included in, excluded from, or creating gendered rituals. We are currently accepting submissions of recollections, reflections, and artifacts from your lived experiences with female gathering traditions. Learn more here.
Re-runs: These were previously posted, but it’s not too late to enter!
Request for Proposals 2022, Glen Echo Park Partnership Gallery — Glen Echo, MD
Deadline: June 28 The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture requests proposals from individuals, groups of artists or curators to present exhibitions in the Popcorn Gallery, Stone Tower Gallery and Park View Gallery venues at Glen Echo Park for the calendar year 2022. For more information, click here.
Get Out(side), a Regional Juried Exhibition, Liberty Town Arts Workshop — Fredericksburg, VA
Deadline: June 28 As the weather warms, now is the perfect time to celebrate the joy of the outdoors in our little corner of the world. Fredericksburg, and Virginia as a whole, has extraordinary pockets of beauty to explore. We want to see the art inspired by your wanderings into nature in Virginia. For more information, click here.
Regional Call for Entry, Artists Choice 2021, Foundry Gallery — DC
Deadline: June 30 This month-long group show at the Foundry’s industrial-style space in Washington, DC is open to painting, drawing, mixed media and photography by artists age 18 and up in the greater Washington area (you have to be close enough to deliver your work). One of Washington’s premier contemporary galleries, the Foundry promotes the work of emerging and accomplished regional artists. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, 2021 Art Ability at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital — Malvern, PA
Deadline: July 6 The Annual Art Ability Exhibition and Sale at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital is open to artists with physical, cognitive, visual and /or hearing disabilities. Paintings, drawings, fine printmaking, photography, mixed media, sculpture, jewelry and fine crafts accepted. All pieces must be available for sale and ready for display. Original work only, no reproductions will be accepted. Learn more here.
Call for Solo Exhibitions 2022, VisArts – Rockville, MD
Deadline: July 9 VisArts invites artists working in all media to apply for 2022 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. Click hereand scroll down to learn more.
Call for Proposals, 2022 Rehoboth Art League Solo and Group Exhibitions – Rehoboth Beach, DE
Deadline: July 18 The Exhibitions Committee of the Rehoboth Art League is in the process of organizing solo and group exhibitions for 2022. This is a very competitive program as RAL can only accept a limited number of proposals each year. Artworks in any media will be reviewed. The RAL is situated in the town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a highly traveled area not only by the residents of this and the expanding surrounding communities, but also by art patrons from the Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York metropolitan areas. Over 29,000 people participate in Rehoboth Art League programs annually. Special exhibitions have played an important part of our programming since the league’s beginning, in 1938. The RAL campus houses the Corkran,Tubbs, Ventures, and Homestead galleries. For more information and to apply, click here.
Call for Entry, 121st International Exhibition of Works on Paper — Wallingford, PA
Deadline: August 3 This is a prestigious exhibit that has been held by the Philadelphia Water Color Society every year since 1900. There are over $10,000.00 in prizes including the $2,000 PWCS Award of Excellence. This exhibit is open to both PWCS members and nonmembers. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, The 2021 Athenaeum Open ART OPTIMISM Focus on Climate Change/Sustainability — Alexandria
Deadline: August 25: The Athenaeum Gallery invites DC, Virginia, and Maryland artists to explore concepts related to climate change. We are looking for a wide variety of topics and perspectives, but all work accepted into the exhibition will have a common leitmotif: optimism for improving our footprint on the planet. Works will inspire rather than threaten, celebrate rather than scare, and explore new materials and techniques that help present a positive message about climate change and productive ways we can meet the associated challenges. Click here to learn more.
Call For Entries, Athenaeum Gallery – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: August 25, 2021 Artists who live or work in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia may submit a proposal for a solo show. A group of artists who live or work in the area may submit a proposal for a group show. A curator, living or working anywhere, may submit a proposal for a show featuring works by artists living or working in this area. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
Call for Art, Links Bridge Vineyards—Thurmont, MD
Links Bridge Vineyards, a small artisan style winery located just outside of Frederick, Maryland, is looking to feature the artwork of various artists on the walls of their tasting barn for two weeks at a time. To learn more, call Joan Cartier 301-602-5733 or email her at [email protected].
Pyramid Atlantic offers year-round workshops in printmaking, papermaking, book arts, and hybrids thereof. We offer multi-week, daytime, evening, and weekend intensives for adults in our fully equipped studios. As part of a robust and diverse schedule of offerings, we welcome unsolicited workshop proposals, and hope that you will consider applying! Workshop proposal reviews are ongoing, but for best consideration, submit class proposals by the following dates: 1/15 for Summer Workshops; 4/1 for Fall Workshops; 7/1 for Winter Workshops; 10/1 for Spring Workshops. Questions? Email Gretchen, Artistic Director, [email protected]
Call For Stories About Women in the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council
2020 has been dedicated to the Year of the Woman in Maryland. Do you have an inspiring story about vital contributions of women-identifying people who are artists, arts administrators, or cultural workers? Perhaps an exhibition, performance or project featuring women? Share it with the Maryland State Arts Council for potential use in marketing and communications! Send your ideas to [email protected], and include “Year of the Woman” in the subject line. Satff will contact senders whose stories are selected for inclusion in future newsletters, eblasts, or social media postings. Learn more about Maryland’s year of the Woman here.
Call For Artists, Busboys and Poets
Busboys and Poets is looking for submissions from Maryland and Virginia artists as it expands to new locations in both areas. Submissions can include drawings, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, assemblage, fiber, quilts, etc. Art images reflecting life in the city, family, portraits, whimsy, abstraction, social uplift and life experiences within diverse cultures are encouraged for submission. For more information, click here.
Alterwork Studios Online Residency
This residency was designed to give emerging contemporary artists an online platform to create new work and explore their practice. Over the course of four weeks, artists will be encouraged to experiment and explore their concepts and move their work forward in the contemporary art world. Learn more here.
Accepting Artwork for Curatorial Review by AIWA
The Alper Initiative for Washington Art features five exhibitions per year in the newly constructed first floor space in the American University Museum. We accept submissions, on a rolling basis, from Washington artists of all ages and backgrounds, and working in diverse media. The museum’s Director and Curator, Jack Rasmussen, will select curators who will review these submissions for potential use in Alper Initiative exhibitions. For more information click here.
Call For Entry Hamilton Arts Collective Guest Artist Exhibition – Baltimore, MD
The Hamilton Arts Collective (HAC) and the Hamilton Gallery seek applications from artists for month-long Guest Artist exhibitions at Hamilton Gallery located at 5502 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD. The selected guest artists will be invited to exhibit a selection of their current work in Gallery I of the Hamilton Gallery. The Guest Artist exhibition is featured in Hamilton Gallery communications and will be promoted by the HAC and Hamilton Gallery. This is an open call to artists residing within 60 miles of Baltimore City. Baltimore residents are encouraged to apply. Click here to learn more.
Howard County Arts Council Quarterly Call For Artists – Ellicott City, MD
The Howard County Arts Council gallery program was established to enhance the public’s appreciation of the visual arts, provide a venue to exhibit the work of local, regional, and national artists in a professional space, and provide leadership in the arts by presenting a broad spectrum of arts in all media from both emerging and established artists. Artists, ages 18 and older, working in all media and styles including time-based and installation artists, are encouraged to apply either individually or as a group. Proposals from curators and arts organizations are also welcome. Click here to learn more.
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, click here.
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 informationhere.
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, click here.
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 applicationshere.
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 guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy art in person or virtually.
This weekend: Landscapes and geometric abstracts at The League; the spirit of Renewal at Mosaic Gallery; a walking public art tour in Foggy Bottom; and more!
June 2021 Landscape Exhibit
“The Cloud and the Tree,” By Gloria Spellman received Honorable Mention in the June 2021 Landscape Exhibit.
Paintings, drawings, photography, collage, and glasswork are among the many representational and abstract pieces on display in our Landscape Exhibit, juried by celebrated watercolorist John Salminen. Here, the idea of landscapes varies from remote vistas like Primal Shadows by Leanne Fink and moody streetscapes like Comfort by Blair Johnson, to architectural horizons like Old Town Charm by Rana Geralis and seashore scenes like Girl in the Green Hat by Clayton Davis. In other artworks, like Cabinet of Curiosity NO. 15 by David Alfuth or Connecting Memories by Pam Gregory, objects, figures, colors, textures, marks, and expressions are what evokes a sense of place. The June 2021 Landscape Exhibit is on view in the Gallery and online through July 3.
Perspectives
“Fallings” by Abol Bahadori
Perspectives, Abol Bahadori’s series of abstract paintings inspired by the rediscovery of the perspective grid among Renaissance artists, is on view through July 3 in the Solo Gallery. Bahadori uses trapezoids and triangles generated by 3D grids as abstract planes to showcase colors to prismatic effect. He further enhances some of his compositions with realistic figures and illustrations—humans, animals, insects— that break the symmetry and change the focal point.
Minted
“Carnival 02” by Maser; Relief, screen print, acrylic paint, collage
Addison/Ripley Fine Art presents Minted, a curated summer selection of fine art prints featuring fourteen local, national and international artists including Damien Hirst, Anne Smith, Sam Gilliam, and Allison Saar. It is on view through August 20, and online; 1670 Wisconsin Avenue, NW.
Renewal
“Beachcomber” by Deborah Conn
In the spirit of reemergence and rejuvenation after months of social distancing, the Torpedo Factory Artists @ Mosaic presents Renewal, a buoyant exhibit filled with nature and vibrant colors to remind us of the simple pleasures of the season; on view through July 18 at Mosaic, 2905 District Avenue, #105, Fairfax, VA.
Human/Nature
“Still Life” by Dalya Luttwak
After having to postpone last year’s exhibition due to the pandemic, Arts in Foggy Bottom is back with its outdoor sculpture biennial. This year’s theme, Human/Nature, explores human connectedness with nature, and the impacts of the collision between natural and manmade environments with the use of materials that evoke natural elements and affirm an urgency towards climate justice. This self-led exhibit features original creations by 11 artists installed throughout the yards and homes of the historic Foggy Bottom neighborhood located between 24th and 26th Streets NW and H and K Streets NW in Washington, DC.;on display until September 26.
June’s solo artist Abol Bahadori talks about his intuitive process, the questions that drive his art, and the meaning of his exhibit Perspectives.
By Julia Chance
Abol Bahadori says that Perspectives, his new exhibit of prismatic paintings, was inspired by the aha moment he imagines Renaissance artists had when they rediscovered the laws of perspective. “I assume they were shocked or pleasantly surprised by how a perspective grid helped them make their representational art a lot more realistic,” he recalls. “I wanted to experience what the Renaissance artists experienced.”
In his case, he sought to use elements of perspective, like the grid itself, to give his abstract art a different perception. Or, as he puts it, “To awaken something that was not there.” Thus Perspectives, his new exhibit currently on view at The Art League Gallery.
Bahadori uses trapezoids and triangles generated by 3D grids as abstract planes to showcase his colors. He further enhances some of his compositions with realistic figures and illustrations and refers to them as “positive distractions.” They enhance the composition by breaking the symmetry and changing the gaze or focal point. The human, animal, and insect illustrations are additional elements to display color, which the artist calls “the main player” in his paintings.
Here, Bahadori shares his process, why he likes to dabble in different mediums, and what he hopes viewers get from Perspectives.
Describe your artistry?
I am a mixed media painter and consider myself a colorist. I am also a graphic designer and digital illustrator.
Do you create art every day?
Yes, I create art every day. I am either painting, creating digital art, or both every day. Most of my digital art is for promotional purposes and campaigns as part of my graphic design contracts—from cartoons to animations, logo and brand elements, and illustrations.
Describe your process.
I am an intuitive painter. I rarely do sketches, but more recently I take pictures of my paintings and edit them digitally before altering them with paint on canvas. This is mainly to speed up the process. It has its pros and cons, and I am very selective about transferring some of the techniques onto the screen. It all depends on what I am working on and how my intuition guides me at the moment. Continuing the work on a monitor is excellent, for example, altering colors quickly, but not for something you can only achieve by sanding the surface. I always surprise myself with spontaneous and completely unplanned final steps.
What mediums do you like to work in?
I constantly explore new media. I used to paint predominantly with acrylic and oil. Now, I also use watercolor, acrylic spray paint, acrylic pens, digital collage, and pastel on the same pieces. It is the new varieties of surface building acrylic products that make this possible. I try to take advantage of new materials just like an architect or car designer does—better insulation, endurance, and tactile properties. I could not even imagine painting watercolor and pastel on top of a dried acrylic surface and making it archival 10 years ago. I love to use whatever medium necessary to achieve my desired effect.
We view the world using our eyes with a limited color spectrum and depth of vision. But what if we had compound eyes like insects, sonar capabilities like dolphins, and utilized other senses to receive our vision? In this series I attempt to visualize the world through a different sensorium. The perspective grid as an added (3rd) dimension to the two-dimensional abstract art triggers that and sends more information to our brain. It also holds the picture together loosely as a wireframe in the background as in Ascending, or more dominantly by creating the composition itself, as in Levitation.
“Ascending”; mixed media on canvas
“Levitation”; mixed media
Has the concept for your exhibit changed from what you originally proposed two years ago?
No, it did not. In contrary, my initial concept got stronger through many more experiments with different processes and media each time relying on the same concept—how perception of depth could be used as a tool to serve a different purpose, for example, abstract shapes and mosaics to display color, to confuse the eye, and invite us into a different world.
What are the questions or ideas that drive your art?
Does it look like a “soulmate” that I had never met before, but I somehow recognize? Does it intrigue curiosity and engage me? Can I stare at it and discover more without being annoyed about “something wrong” in it? Does it leave space for the imagination? The color palette especially has to fit my taste and yet has something different in it that doesn’t bore me. Every piece has to wow me to a certain degree before I decide it is done. I love to break the basic rules of composition and color harmony too, but that is not always a must. Aesthetics are also crucial for me—I am not about “shockingly repulsive,” even though I have nothing against that type of art.
What are you currently working on?
I work on several series at the same time. Sometimes they merge and give birth to a new series. Currently, I am working on my Music series and Perspective series (Abol Bahadori’s series can be viewed here.)
How has this period of pandemic and social distancing been like for you?
Suffocating and yet freeing. Would’ve been much harder to go through it without painting.
What do you hope viewers glean from Perspectives?
To get intrigued and absorbed. To spend time delving into them; see their own story in each painting; fill the gaps or the void with their imagination. To remember them.
"Patio Cafe of White Umbrellas," by Jane Coonce, is one of the artworks on view in the June 2021 Landscape Exhibit.
Welcome to Artful Weekend, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy art in person or virtually.
This weekend: Landscapes and geometric abstracts at The League; BK Adams’ mixed media at Honfleur; heatwave-inspired art at Cody Gallery; and more!
June 2021 Landscape Exhibit
“Rainy Scotland” by Ron Colbroth; photography
Paintings, drawings, photography, collage, and glasswork are among the many representational and abstract pieces on display in our Landscape Exhibit, juried by celebrated watercolorist John Salminen. Here, the idea of landscapes varies from remote vistas like Primal Shadows by Leanne Fink and moody streetscapes like Comfort by Blair Johnson, to architectural horizons like Old Town Charm by Rana Geralis and seashore scenes like Girl in the Green Hat by Clayton Davis. In other artworks, like Cabinet of Curiosity NO. 15 by David Alfuth or Connecting Memories by Pam Gregory, objects, figures, colors, textures, marks, and expressions are what evokes a sense of place. The June 2021 Landscape Exhibit is on view in the Gallery and online through July 3.
Join The Art League for a virtual artists panel with theexhibit’s award winners on Thursday, June 17 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. EDT; register here.
Perspectives
“Salutations” by Abol Bahadori
Perspectives, Abol Bahadori’s series of abstract paintings inspired by the rediscovery of the perspective grid among Renaissance artists. Bahadori uses trapezoids and triangles generated by 3D grids as abstract planes to showcase colors to prismatic effect. He further enhances some of his compositions with realistic figures and illustrations—humans, animals, insects— that break the symmetry and change the focal point.
Bahadori will be in virtual discussion about Perspectives and his artistry on Wednesday, June 16, from 6 – 7 p.m. EDT; register here.
BK Adams: outterman vs innerMAN
See works by prolific artist BK Adams in his new exhibit “outterman vs innerMAN” at The Honfleur Gallery.
BK Adams is an arts phenomenon from Washington DC whose paintings and sculptures incorporate abundant bold colors and found objects, such as bicycles and chairs. His work centers sustainability, synthesizing everyday objects into eccentric one of a kind pieces. Adams’ expressive workmanship is on view in Outterman vs innerMAN, opening with a reception at the Honfleur Gallery on Saturday, June 12 at 7 p.m. (RSVP here). The exhibit is on view through July 24; 1241 Good Hope Road SE.
So Hot You Could Fry An Egg
“A Nostalgic Summer Vibe That Gets In Your Bones” by Katie Barrie; highload acrylic on canvas, 36″ x 36″
The familiar colloquial American expression used to describe extreme heat is the theme of a new group show at the Cody Gallery at Marymount University. It features paintings by Katie Barrie, sculpture by Akemi Maegawa and photographs by Caitlin Teal Price, and explores modes of existing when temperatures rise; So Hot You Could Fry An Egg is on view through July 31 at Marymount University Ballson Center, 2807 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA.
Her Flag
Marilyn Artus, “Her Flag” (detail), 2020; UV grade polyester, 18 x 26 ft.; Courtesy of the artist; Photo by Shevaun Williams
Oklahoma-based artist Marilyn Artus collaborated with a woman artists from each of the 36 states that ratified the 19th Amendment by 1920 to create Her Flag, a 18 x 26 foot fiber art piece that celebrates the hard-won women’s right to vote. It is on display on the National Museum for Women in the Arts’ New York Avenue exterior façade through July 12; 1250 New York Avenue, NW.
"Pollen Explosion!" by Tina Chang in currently on view in our Student/Faculty Show on our website.
Welcome to Artful Weekend, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy art in person or virtually.
This weekend: Exhibits at The League; The Long Sixties at Katzen; Mary Ellen Mark’s Girlhood; and more!
The Art League May Open Exhibit
“Beaded Bunny” by Rebecca Ravenal
This is the final weekend to see our May Open Exhibit, juried by Audrey Miller of Workhouse Arts Center. Open exhibits are a great way to view the breath of mediums and styles of our member artists. This month’s show features Amanda Fletchersmith’s Enclosure (above), and Tatyana Shramko’s Deconstructed, sculptures made from unconventional materials; John Gosling’s linocut print Old Town Waterfront, a scene of Old Town Alexandria from the Potomac River; I Remember Goldblatt’s, Dede Faller’s vintage style black-and-white photograph of what’s left of a beloved Chicago store chain; and much, much more. See it in-person in the Gallery, Wednesday-Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday noon-5:00 p.m., or view it online.
Jennifer Allevato: Seated
“Chair in Forest” by Jennifer Allevato
Seated, Jennifer Allevato’s solo exhibit, welcomes the viewer to sit, rest, and explore the spaces around them. Her mixed media paintings of interior spaces with unoccupied chairs are at once warm, complex, and welcoming, and offer the viewer an open invitation to sit and rest with the beckoning of an open chair; on view at in the Solo Gallery through Sunday, June 7, and online.
The Art League Student/Faculty Show 2021
“Above and Beyond,” by Christina Andreasson, received a Student/Faculty Equal Merit Award.
The Student/Faculty Show is back! This year it is virtual. Visit our website to view that many diverse works created by students who took classes at The Art League School during 2020-2021, as well as works by several of our instructors.
The Long Sixties: Washington Paintings in the Watkins and Corcoran Legacy Collections, 1957-1982
Jeff Donaldson (1932-2004), Patriot, 1975. Mixed media, 24 x 20 in. Private Collection, New York, The Estate of Jeff Donaldson, Courtesy Kravets Wehby Gallery.
The Long Sixties is a survey of paintings by Washington artists telling the story of political engagement (or lack thereof) in the arts during the “long” 1960s. Curated by AU Museum Director and Curator Jack Rasmussen, the exhibit contains selected paintings that draw upon memories of what Rasmussen calls “a formative time” in his life. The narrative addresses the history of systemic racism and sexism in the arts, and its enduring impact on the art shown in museums today. It also emphasizes the need for politically engaged art through the present day; on view through August 8 with limited timed reservation tickets at American University’s Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW.
Mary Ellen Mark: Girlhood
Mary Ellen Mark, “Tashara and Tanesha Reese, Twins Days Festival, Twinsburg, Ohio” (1998, gelatin silver print), 20 inches by 24 inches, NMWA, gift of Robert and Kathi Steinke
Photographer Mary Ellen Mark took pictures of people from all walks of life, and was particularly interested in children. Girlhood, an exhibition of 30 photographs that span the artist’s 50-year career, examines Mark’s depictions of girls and young women living in a variety of circumstances around the globe; on view through August 8 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue, NW.
Takoma ARTery Fair
The Takoma ARTery Art Fair is a free outdoor event featuring 20 artists selling a wide range of fine art and crafts. Some artists will be creating artwork live, and visitors can win fun prizes. The art fair will be held Saturday, June 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Takoma Park Community Center’s large parking lot next to the library at 7500 Maple Avenue. (The parking lot is on the Philadelphia Avenue side of the building.) Please contact at [email protected] with any questions.
"Boro Clutch," by Sandy Ryland, is one of several artworks on exhibit in our Student/Faculty Show, currently on view on our website.
Every week, we gather a variety of artist opportunities from the DC area and beyond. Find one below and apply today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.
Opportunities
Call for Artists, Target Gallery – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: June 4 Target Gallery invites artists working in all visual arts to apply for the upcoming group exhibition “A Year In.” As we have now past the one-year mark of COVID-19 shut-downs in the United States, this exhibition will provide a catharsis, for artists and viewers alike, to take in and share in works that highlight the very specific reality that we are now in. This also provides an opportunity for artists to come together and share their experiences about how this year has changed, shifted, or influenced their artist practice. All submitted works should be connected to current events that have happened since March of 2020. Learn more here.
Global Peace Photo Award 2021
Deadline: June 6 The Global Peace Photo Award recognizes and promotes photographers from all over the world whose pictures capture human efforts towards a peaceful world and the quest for beauty and goodness in our lives. The award goes to those photographs that best express the idea that our future lies in peaceful coexistence. No Entry Fee. For details click here.
Innovative Grants for Artists and Photographers
Deadline: June 10 Innovate Grants support artists and photographers through quarterly grants. We believe that new ideas come from sparks of inspiration and aim to provide just that, access to small and mighty bursts of financial support so that you can focus on making your important and innovative work. Apply to the Spring Cycle here.
Call to Artists, Contemporary Art Gallery Online International All Abstraction Competition – Virtual
Deadline: June 13 Contemporary Art Gallery Online encourages entries from all 2D and 3D artists regardless of their experience and/or education in the art field or where they may reside. This is an international competition and everyone is encouraged to participate. A group exhibition of all entrants will be held online at the Contemporary Art Gallery Online following the close of the competition for thirty days. Learn more here.
Call for Submissions, MPArtfest 2021 — McLean, VA
Deadline: June 15 MPA is currently seeking submissions for our 15th annual MPAartfest, a one-day juried fine art and craft show and sale in McLean Central Park. Accepted Artists will be provided one tent in McLean Park on October 3rd as well as a virtual online profile on the MPAartfest website. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, Black and White, Colors of Humanity Art Gallery – Virtual
Deadline: June 15 Sometimes a monochrome pallet can say more than a full spectrum of color and creates a striking contrast. We would like to see your work that is composed of black, white, and shades in between. Cash prizes will be given. Additionally, the “Best of Show” winner will be featured. His or her artwork will be on the cover of the show and it will be largely displayed with an article about them and their work. Other winners will be featured and have similar recognition. Learn more here.
Torpedo Factory Artists Open Call Regional Painting Competition – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: June 28 The Torpedo Factory Artists Association’s Regional Painting Competition is open to 2D artists residing or working in Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania working in watercolor, oil, ink, gouache, acrylic, encaustic and mixed media. Monetary prizes will be awarded. Learn more and submit artwork here.
Call for Artists, Hypotheses at Target Gallery – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: June 30 Target Gallery invites artists working in all visual arts to apply for the upcoming group exhibition “Hypotheses”. This exhibition is all about the process of intellectual experimentation and/or the exploration of new ideas and techniques in an artist’s practice. The goal of this theme is to create a dialogue of work in conversation with each other about embarking outside one’s traditional boundaries of understanding. Whether it be based in cerebral or scientific research or experimenting with a new technique or conceptual idea, each work in the exhibition will embody this concept of questioning and discovery. Learn more here.
Call for Artists, D.C. Public Library – D.C.
Deadline: June 30 The District of Columbia Public Library is looking for artists, designers, and art/design teams to design of a permanent work of public art for the interior of the children’s area in the newly constructed Southwest Neighborhood Library, located at 900 Wesley Place, SW. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, Strange Figurations Presented by SlowArt Productions – Hudson, NY
Deadline: June 30 This competition is open to all artists, national and international, working in all media. All forms of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, graphics, digital and installation art, video, etc. are eligible. Winning artists will be featured in a group exhibition at the Limner Gallery, October 14 – November 6, 2021. The exhibition will also be displayed on the Limner Gallery web site and promoted on social media. For more information, click here.
Call for Entries, Falls Church Arts – Falls Church, VA
Deadline: July 4 Falls Church Arts is accepting submissions for A Year Apart: Art Created in Isolation, an all-media exhibit of art created during and inspired by the pandemic that will be on view from July 31 to September 12. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists, Essex Gateway Sculpture Artwork – Middle River, MD
Deadline: August 9 Any and all Maryland artists are invited to submit work for the new Essex Gateway Sculpture, a public outdoor display featured at the entrance to the new Essex Gateway Park. This sculpture will be viewed by over 30,000 people who drive through Essex daily, and it will be the centerpiece to the new public space. The chosen work will be displayed in the four panels of the sculpture. All works submitted will be exhibited in a curated show and press event at the Heritage Society of Essex and Middle River. For more information, click here.
Re-runs: These were previously posted, but it’s not too late to enter!
Bookmaking Associate Wanted, Pyramid Atlantic Art Center — Hyattsville, MD
Deadline: Until filled This Artistic Associate position offers a unique opportunity to engage with Pyramid’s creative community, and work alongside professionals in a sharing/collaborative environment. In exchange for 12 volunteer hours a month (10 onsite, 2 offsite), the Bookmaking Associate will have 24 hour access to studios and equipment and receive a 40% discount on most workshops. The Bookmaking Associate also has the opportunity to teach classes, assist or collaborate with resident artists, and submit artwork for consideration to sell in the Pyramid Atlantic shop. Apply here.
Call for Entry, A Year In, Target Gallery — Alexandria, VA
Deadline: June 4 Target Gallery invites artists working in all visual arts to apply for the upcoming group exhibition “A Year In”. As we have now past the one-year mark of COVID-19 shut-downs in the United States, this exhibition will provide a catharsis, for artists and viewers alike, to take in and share in works that highlight the very specific reality that we are now in. This also provides an opportunity for artists to come together and share their experiences about how this year has changed, shifted, or influenced their artist practice. All submitted works should be connected to current events that have happened since March of 2020. For more information, click here.
Call for Submissions, Ceramics – Rockville, MD
Deadline: June 7 VisArts invites artists working in the expanded field of ceramics to apply for “This Moment of Rupture,” a juried national survey of contemporary ceramics. We are seeking artists who work in an expansive variety of media but that all incorporate ceramics in some way, be it with traditional methods, or with processes such as 3d printing, or as a part of performance art, mixed media and more. Artists may submit up to 3 works for consideration. Click hereand scroll down to learn more.
Call for Entry, Artina 2021: Balancing Acts, Washington Sculptors Group — DC
Deadline: June 13 The world is out of kilter, with natural as well as social systems listing to extremes. What we need, we say, is balance; balance must be restored. But what do we mean by balance? This sculpture show is about expanding and reimagining the idea of balance. For more information, click here.
Request for Proposals 2022, Glen Echo Park Partnership Gallery — Glen Echo, MD
Deadline: June 28 The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture requests proposals from individuals, groups of artists or curators to present exhibitions in the Popcorn Gallery, Stone Tower Gallery and Park View Gallery venues at Glen Echo Park for the calendar year 2022. For more information, click here.
Get Out(side), a Regional Juried Exhibition, Liberty Town Arts Workshop — Fredericksburg, VA
Deadline: June 28 As the weather warms, now is the perfect time to celebrate the joy of the outdoors in our little corner of the world. Fredericksburg, and Virginia as a whole, has extraordinary pockets of beauty to explore. We want to see the art inspired by your wanderings into nature in Virginia. For more information, click here.
Regional Call for Entry, Artists Choice 2021, Foundry Gallery — DC
Deadline: June 30 This month-long group show at the Foundry’s industrial-style space in Washington, DC is open to painting, drawing, mixed media and photography by artists age 18 and up in the greater Washington area (you have to be close enough to deliver your work). One of Washington’s premier contemporary galleries, the Foundry promotes the work of emerging and accomplished regional artists. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, 2021 Art Ability at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital — Malvern, PA
Deadline: July 6 The Annual Art Ability Exhibition and Sale at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital is open to artists with physical, cognitive, visual and /or hearing disabilities. Paintings, drawings, fine printmaking, photography, mixed media, sculpture, jewelry and fine crafts accepted. All pieces must be available for sale and ready for display. Original work only, no reproductions will be accepted. Learn more here.
Call for Solo Exhibitions 2022, VisArts – Rockville, MD
Deadline: July 9 VisArts invites artists working in all media to apply for 2022 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. Click hereand scroll down to learn more.
Call for Proposals, 2022 Rehoboth Art League Solo and Group Exhibitions – Rehoboth Beach, DE
Deadline: July 18 The Exhibitions Committee of the Rehoboth Art League is in the process of organizing solo and group exhibitions for 2022. This is a very competitive program as RAL can only accept a limited number of proposals each year. Artworks in any media will be reviewed. The RAL is situated in the town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a highly traveled area not only by the residents of this and the expanding surrounding communities, but also by art patrons from the Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York metropolitan areas. Over 29,000 people participate in Rehoboth Art League programs annually. Special exhibitions have played an important part of our programming since the league’s beginning, in 1938. The RAL campus houses the Corkran,Tubbs, Ventures, and Homestead galleries. For more information and to apply, click here.
Call for Entry, 121st International Exhibition of Works on Paper — Wallingford, PA
Deadline: August 3 This is a prestigious exhibit that has been held by the Philadelphia Water Color Society every year since 1900. There are over $10,000.00 in prizes including the $2,000 PWCS Award of Excellence. This exhibit is open to both PWCS members and nonmembers. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, The 2021 Athenaeum Open ART OPTIMISM Focus on Climate Change/Sustainability — Alexandria
Deadline: August 25: The Athenaeum Gallery invites DC, Virginia, and Maryland artists to explore concepts related to climate change. We are looking for a wide variety of topics and perspectives, but all work accepted into the exhibition will have a common leitmotif: optimism for improving our footprint on the planet. Works will inspire rather than threaten, celebrate rather than scare, and explore new materials and techniques that help present a positive message about climate change and productive ways we can meet the associated challenges. Click here to learn more.
Call For Entries, Athenaeum Gallery – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: August 25, 2021 Artists who live or work in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia may submit a proposal for a solo show. A group of artists who live or work in the area may submit a proposal for a group show. A curator, living or working anywhere, may submit a proposal for a show featuring works by artists living or working in this area. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
Call for Art, Links Bridge Vineyards—Thurmont, MD
Links Bridge Vineyards, a small artisan style winery located just outside of Frederick, Maryland, is looking to feature the artwork of various artists on the walls of their tasting barn for two weeks at a time. To learn more, call Joan Cartier 301-602-5733 or email her at [email protected].
Pyramid Atlantic offers year-round workshops in printmaking, papermaking, book arts, and hybrids thereof. We offer multi-week, daytime, evening, and weekend intensives for adults in our fully equipped studios. As part of a robust and diverse schedule of offerings, we welcome unsolicited workshop proposals, and hope that you will consider applying! Workshop proposal reviews are ongoing, but for best consideration, submit class proposals by the following dates: 1/15 for Summer Workshops; 4/1 for Fall Workshops; 7/1 for Winter Workshops; 10/1 for Spring Workshops. Questions? Email Gretchen, Artistic Director, [email protected]
Call For Stories About Women in the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council
2020 has been dedicated to the Year of the Woman in Maryland. Do you have an inspiring story about vital contributions of women-identifying people who are artists, arts administrators, or cultural workers? Perhaps an exhibition, performance or project featuring women? Share it with the Maryland State Arts Council for potential use in marketing and communications! Send your ideas to [email protected], and include “Year of the Woman” in the subject line. Satff will contact senders whose stories are selected for inclusion in future newsletters, eblasts, or social media postings. Learn more about Maryland’s year of the Woman here.
Call For Artists, Busboys and Poets
Busboys and Poets is looking for submissions from Maryland and Virginia artists as it expands to new locations in both areas. Submissions can include drawings, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, assemblage, fiber, quilts, etc. Art images reflecting life in the city, family, portraits, whimsy, abstraction, social uplift and life experiences within diverse cultures are encouraged for submission. For more information, click here.
Alterwork Studios Online Residency
This residency was designed to give emerging contemporary artists an online platform to create new work and explore their practice. Over the course of four weeks, artists will be encouraged to experiment and explore their concepts and move their work forward in the contemporary art world. Learn more here.
Accepting Artwork for Curatorial Review by AIWA
The Alper Initiative for Washington Art features five exhibitions per year in the newly constructed first floor space in the American University Museum. We accept submissions, on a rolling basis, from Washington artists of all ages and backgrounds, and working in diverse media. The museum’s Director and Curator, Jack Rasmussen, will select curators who will review these submissions for potential use in Alper Initiative exhibitions. For more information click here.
Call For Entry Hamilton Arts Collective Guest Artist Exhibition – Baltimore, MD
The Hamilton Arts Collective (HAC) and the Hamilton Gallery seek applications from artists for month-long Guest Artist exhibitions at Hamilton Gallery located at 5502 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD. The selected guest artists will be invited to exhibit a selection of their current work in Gallery I of the Hamilton Gallery. The Guest Artist exhibition is featured in Hamilton Gallery communications and will be promoted by the HAC and Hamilton Gallery. This is an open call to artists residing within 60 miles of Baltimore City. Baltimore residents are encouraged to apply. Click here to learn more.
Howard County Arts Council Quarterly Call For Artists – Ellicott City, MD
The Howard County Arts Council gallery program was established to enhance the public’s appreciation of the visual arts, provide a venue to exhibit the work of local, regional, and national artists in a professional space, and provide leadership in the arts by presenting a broad spectrum of arts in all media from both emerging and established artists. Artists, ages 18 and older, working in all media and styles including time-based and installation artists, are encouraged to apply either individually or as a group. Proposals from curators and arts organizations are also welcome. Click here to learn more.
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, click here.
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 informationhere.
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, click here.
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 applicationshere.
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].