Addition / Subtraction
Deadline for submissions (extension deadline!): October 6th, 2023, Midnight EST
Openings is a collective of visual artists who believe that the connections between creativity and transcendence foster critical conversations that have the potential to unite individuals across cultural divides. Each year the group presents an open call exhibition that addresses a particular theme. The theme for the 2024 exhibition is Addition / Subtraction, a group art exhibition taking place in January – February 2024.
With this year’s theme, Addition / Subtraction, Openings is asking you to consider the ways in which you create. You are free to consider this theme from the abstract: do you minimize/subtract to emphasize simplicity, placing culture and meaning in your work as it relates to the greater whole - or perhaps the opposite, maximizing and highlighting your artistic, social, political attitudes through expressions of abundance and vibrancy. You are free to consider this as a literal theme: do you add on to your work, building up paint, ink, layers, clay, matter, emulsions, text, prose ... or do you create knowing you will be removing and subtracting, reducing, and simplifying? … As you prepare your proposal, consider the ways in which you interpret this theme in your work.
Artists are asked to submit a detailed proposal for artwork in 2D or 3D (videos cannot be accommodated in this call) which explores their interpretation of this theme, addressed either personally, publicly, politically, aesthetically, conceptually, or spiritually. Artwork will be exhibited within the unique space of the interior of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle on Columbus Avenue at W. 60th Street in New York City.
Submission Guidelines:
Artists are asked to submit the following materials:
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Detailed Visual Proposal for Addition/Subtraction which includes clear and descriptive text, drawings, sketches, and/or schematics of a proposed artwork for the exhibition or images of finished artwork that you are proposing to show. Artists are encouraged to visit the exhibition space within the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in advance of sending their proposal.
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Proposal Statement of 250 words or less (only in pdf) describing the proposed artwork and how it addresses the theme
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Contact Information name, address, email, telephone, website URL (only in pdf format)
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Minimum of 5, maximum of 10 separate jpeg images of recent work (no greater than 800 pixels or 11 inches at 72 dpi). Each file must be labeled with title, medium, dimensions and artist’s name
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Current CV (only in pdf format)
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Artist Statement of 250 words or less (only in pdf format)
Submissions that do not follow requested formats will be rejected
Eligibility:
This call for entry is open to any visual artist over the age of 18 who will not be enrolled in a degree program at the time of exhibition. All submissions must be received via email to openingsadditionsubtraction@gmail.com. There is no fee for submitting a proposal; however, we will request a fee of $30 once you have been accepted into the exhibition. This fee will go towards the cost of promotion, hanging, publicity, and opening/closing receptions. Artists will be selected by a jury of current Openings members Denise Penizzotto and Keena Gonzalez and invited guest jurors from the field. In addition, selected artists are required to sign an exhibition contract and to comply with the terms therein. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Artists or their representatives must be present for both the delivery and installation of artwork, as well as the de-installation and removal of artwork on the dates specified below. Openings and the Church of St. Paul the Apostle will not accept or store works delivered in advance of the installation day and cannot store artworks after the de-installation date. Openings reserves the right to refuse to exhibit artworks that differ substantially from submitted proposals. It is strongly recommended that you visit the church to get an idea of the space and visit our Facebook page to view installation shots of previous exhibitions to get a sense of how our exhibitions are installed. https://www.facebook.com/OpeningsCollective
Take note, the exhibition does take place in the church setting of St. Paul the Apostle, therefore all proposals should consider this is not a white box exhibition space. Also, while the work is not required to be religiously affiliated, the exhibition will be accompanying permanently installed works in the church setting.
Important: Nothing can be hung from the ceiling and there’s no storage space. All packing materials must be removed upon installation and provided by artist on the day of de-installation.
Event Schedule:
October 6, 2023: Completed submissions due via email by midnight (EST)
October 19, 2023: Artist meeting, exhibition space walk-through, paperwork signing
December 5, 2023: Deadline to submit new work proposals and work-in-progress reports
December 12, 2023: Final artist statement, jpegs, bio, artist video
January 9, 2024: Artist Delivery / Installation at Church of St. Paul the Apostle
January 10, 2024: Exhibition opens to the public
January 11, 2024: Opening Reception
February 8, 2024: Artist talk / Walk-through / Closing party
February 10, 2024: De-installation of exhibition