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Call for Entries: Resilience in Nature

About the Gallery Exhibition

Resilience in Nature: We Are The Roses that Grew from the Concrete is a juried Gallery Exhibition at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in collaboration with All People Arts, Creative Women of Color, Maroon Arts Group and TRANSIT ARTS.  These local organizations are lifting up Black artists and played a critical role in developing the spirit, style and mission of the exhibition. 

We believe nature is essential to the human experience and even though Black artists have historically created work that reflects a connection to nature, they have too often been left out of that narrative. This exhibition strives to connect people with nature while helping build a stronger community by amplifying the voices of Black artists.

This is a call for entries to Black artists within our community to present works that celebrate diversity found in nature. The artwork will explore how we can look to the natural world for inspiration on the importance of the diversity found in our own communities. A youth challenge offers opportunities for younger Black artists to also submit their artwork to the exhibition through poster, photography, or writing competition.

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Possible Themes

For nature to thrive, diversity is its strongest ally. It is through collaboration and symbiotic relationships that nature has found a balance. Possible themes to explore with this exhibition:

Application

To apply, please read the following rules and fill out the entry form below. The entry form must be completed in full by April 11, 2021. All applicants will be contacted directly on April 23, 2021 and be notified whether they’ve been accepted. Details of the application process and exhibition are available.

Application Rules

  • Complete the online entry form in full by April 11, 2021.

  • General Category can submit up to three (3) entries in digital format.

  • Youth Category can submit up to three (2) entries in digital format.

  • Up to two images per entry is allowed, and one image may be a detail shot.

  • Include a written description of each submission including process, special techniques and concept.

  • Include: title of the work, artist name, date of execution, medium, and retail price (insurance value if NFS).

  • Mailed entries will not be accepted or returned.

  • Submissions received after the deadline (April 11, 2021) will not be accepted.

 Entry Forms

GENERAL CATEGORY

YOUTH CATEGORY

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Details

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Important Dates and Deadlines
  • Deadline to enter: April 11, 2021
  • Notification of acceptance: April 23, 2021
  • Delivery of artwork to the Conservatory: June 3-6, 2021
  • Exhibition opening: June 12, 2021
  • Exhibition closing: November 28, 2021
  • Exhibition Reception and Awards: Date TBD
  • Artwork picked up: November 29, 2021
Eligibility
  • General Category 
    • Open to all Black artists over the age of 16
    • Live within central Ohio
  • Youth Category
    • Open to all Black artists between the age of 10-15
    • Live within central Ohio
    • Must have parental consent
Entry Specifications & Guidelines

Specifications

  • All visual mediums are accepted.
  • All works must be original, not previously exhibited, and completed within the last three years. 
  • Work entered should support the concept themes and overall theme goals of the exhibition. 
  • Work must be suitably prepared for installation.
  • Only online form entries will be accepted.
  • Entries will not be accepted if the artist does not meet the stated eligibility criteria.

Image Guidelines

  • Only digital images will be accepted for consideration.
  • Failure to follow image guidelines will make entries invalid.
  • Accepted file formats for images are JPEG, JPG, and TIFF.
  • Images should be formatted so the longest side is set at 1920 pixels and the resolution is 72 dpi.
  • File names for all images should match the following: “artist01.jpg”, where “artist” is replaced with your last name and “01” is replaced with the appropriate entry number. Detail shots should be labeled “artist01detail.jpg”.
Fees
  • General Category: $10
  • Youth Category: Free
Partners
All People Arts all-people-arts-logo All People Arts is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting change in their community through the arts. Learn More
Creative Women of Color creative-women-of-color-logo Creative Women of Color is a collective of African American women artists whose mission is to educate, encourage, inspire and provide a creative connection with the community for the purpose of advancing the arts. Learn More
Maroon Arts Group maroon-arts-group-logo The Maroon Arts Group is a collective of creatives who have galvanized to develop and provide a platform for conscious art centered around the preservation and promotion of cultures of African descent. Learn More
TRANSIT ARTS transit-arts-logo TRANSIT ARTS, a program of Central Community House, is a youth arts development program. Learn More
Jurors
Queen Brooks Artist Queen Brooks was born in Columbus, Ohio. She began her art career working as an arts and crafts instructor. Brooks then went back to school and graduated from Ohio State University with her B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees in art. Brooks won the Lila Wallace, Reader’s Digest International Artist Award, which granted her a residency in the French port city of Abidjan in the Republic of the Ivory Coast, West Africa. She has received numerous honors and awards for her artwork, including the Ohioana Career Award, the highest recognition bestowed on an artist in the state of Ohio.

Brooks and her works have been featured in magazines, and on TV. She has exhibited extensively and her works reside in many private and public collections.

Her art is in the collections of the Columbus Museum of Art, the African American Art Museum in Wilberforce Ohio, Otterbein University, Ohio Dominican University, and the Martin de Porres Center, Columbus, Ohio.
Duarte Brown My purpose is to use the history of my childhood, the strengths and limitations of our city and the life I see around me, to connect the generations and to ultimately create a family dynamic. When I create art I set the table for us to sit, as a family and indulge in connectedness, identity and hope. My art is like a loaf of bread we can eat from, when people eat this bread we become a family. When I look around I see that my city is declining. My solution to this concern is to communicate a sense of connectedness to the next generation. We are connected through family, relationship and hope. I use art as a medium to go deep into the conscious and inspire people. I convey this message through combining wood, scrapes, yoga mats, old television parts, dried tree limbs, canvas wood and many other various pieces. I find these parts and pieces like finding old family members and create 2D mixed media pieces. My 2D art is used to connect with the family of mankind. The body of work investigates man’s ability to comfort one another and the contemplation of that reality at all the stages of development.

Marshall Shorts Marshall-shorts Marshall is an award-winning Artist, Designer, Brand Specialist, community organizer, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of Artfluential a social impact brand + design agency. He is also co-founder of Creative Control Fest and the Maroon Arts group. He also serves on a number of non-profit boards in the city of Columbus. Marshall has presented two Tedx Talks. He subscribes to the idea "anything not designed by nature is designed by someone", so we can design places, spaces, and things that are more equitable for all people.
Bettye Stull Bettye J. Stull is a community leader. She provides innovative solutions to community needs by creating and organizing diverse art experiences. Bettye’s commitment to serving the community led to many opportunities. She began her career as a recreation leader, center director, art specialist and coordinator with the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department where she served 30 years.

In 1989 she retired from the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department and became the Cultural Arts Director and curator at the King Arts Complex. She developed art education programs and launched the Elijah Pierce Gallery. She curated over 200 exhibitions featuring local, regional, national and international artists. In 2001 she organized the 3 Legends: Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence and Samella Lewis exhibition that traveled nationally to eight African American museums and to Dresden, Germany.
April Sunami April Sunami is a professional visual artist primarily focusing on mixed-media painting and installation. She earned her Master of Arts Degree in Art History from Ohio University and her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the Ohio State University. Sunami is also an award-winning installation artist through the 2012 Columbus Art Pop-Up Project sponsored by the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Her work has been widely exhibited in galleries and museums including the Columbus Museum of Art, National African America Museum and Cultural Center and the Southern Ohio Museum. Sunami currently serves as All People Arts Board Co-Chair and is a studio artist at Blockfort Gallery. Sunami is married to writer and philosopher Christopher Sunami. They both live in Columbus, OH and co-parent two bright and imaginative kids.
Awards

All work selected by the Jurors will be included in the Cardinal Health Gallery at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. All selected artists in both General and Youth Categories will receive a Conservatory Membership. 

General Category 

  • Best in Show: $1,500
  • For the People Award: $800
  • Beauty of Nature Award: $800
  • Umoja Award: $800

Youth Category 

  • Best Writing Award: $100
  • Best Visual Arts Award: $100

People’s Choice Award: $400, decided by the visitors of the exhibition

Shipment & Delivery, Liability and Sale of Art

Shipment & Delivery
Artists are responsible for shipping their work to and from Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and insuring it while in transit. Accepted works will be covered by insurance while on display at the Conservatory.  Work may be hand delivered. Artwork must be delivered in reusable packing materials for return shipping. Artist must provide pre-paid return shipping labels.  

Liability
Submission of an entry shall constitute agreement on the part of the artist to all conditions set forth in this prospectus. An Exhibition Agreement will be sent to all accepted artists. Accepted artists agree to provide the Conservatory with a group of high-resolution images that best represent the art in the show, a short description of each piece, and a personal biography of each of the artists by April 29, 2021, all of which may be used by the Conservatory’s marketing department in part or in entirety for the purpose of promoting the Exhibition. Works altered from the submitted digital images will not be accepted.

Sale of Art
Artists may choose to have their artwork available for purchase.  Any artwork sold is subject to a 30% commission.  Artwork sold will remain on display for the entire length of the exhibition, and will not be withdrawn due to sale. The Conservatory shall remit to the artists the share of the sales revenue by January 1, 2022.

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