Open Call for Art
Calling all artists! We invite you to submit to our upcoming community art show titled: Forward
This is a community art exhibition at Artspace Community Arts Center, 15 Mill Street, Greenfield, MA

Exhibition Dates: January 17th, 2025 - February 28th, 2025

 

Forward: An exploration of evolution, change, and movement; imagining the endless possibilities that lie ahead. We are looking for artwork that captures the essence of the word “Forward”, in all of its forms.

 

Whether you are a poet or a painter, a musician or a sculptor; all creative art mediums are encouraged to apply.

 

This exhibition is intended to showcase art by residents of Franklin County and Greenfield in particular. Submissions from all locations will be considered; however, priority will be given to artists with a meaningful connection to Greenfield and/or Franklin County, and/or artwork that relates directly to Greenfield and/or Franklin County.

 

This is a free call for art; there is no fee to submit your artwork for consideration.

 

Submission Guidelines

• Artists may submit up to 3 artworks for consideration 

 

• Submissions are made by sending the title, medium, dimensions, and a digital representation of the work (e.g. photo, video, sound recording) to Artspace by email; specific instructions are below

 

• Please email your submission(s) by Monday, December 2nd, at Midnight, EST
   

• Approximately 20 artists will be notified of acceptance, with 1-2 works accepted for each artist. Accepted artists will be notified via email on Wednesday, December 18th, 2024.  
   

• This is a free call for art. Artspace Community Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that encourages and nurtures the appreciation of and participation in the arts by offering programs and instruction, and by advocating the importance of the arts in education and in the community. As artists and patrons of the Arts, we are passionate about financial accessibility to professional creative spaces. Therefore, we do not charge a fee for exhibition submissions.

As an alternative to a submission fee, we invite you, if you are able, to support the Artspace Community Gallery by donating online in the $5 - $25 range.

 

*Whether or not you make a donation will *not* be considered in the review of your submission.*

 

How to Submit
Please email the following to Chloe Torri at outreach@artspacegreenfield.org :

1. Subject line: “Forward - show submission”
 

In the body of the email:

2. Your first and last name

3. The name of the town in which you reside

4. Any additional connection(s) to Greenfield/Franklin County in addition to/instead of residence here

5. Artwork Information

5a. Provide the 1. title, 2. medium, 3. dimensions of your artwork
 

Example for submitting 3 artworks:

1. Title: Moving Forward
2. Medium: Oil paint on canvas
3. Dimensions: 12” x 24”
 

1. Title: Optimism
2. Medium: Mixed media collage
3. Dimensions: 9” x 12”

1. Title: Birds of a Feather
2. Medium: Digital photograph
3. Dimensions: 24” x 36”
 

5b. Attach to your email at least one photo, a video, or an audio file for each artwork.
 

- If you are submitting music or a performance piece you may link a video/audio URL to a public site such as YouTube, SoundCloud, or Vimeo.

- Poets and writers should submit a downloadable document such as a .pdf or .doc

- Please, do not link your social media or artist website in place of attaching photos
 

6. If you are submitting multiple artworks, help us match the Artwork Information to the files attached to your email. Please complete one of two tasks for each artwork:

​

1. Edit the names of your photo files to match the title of the artwork

Example: moving_forward.png
 

OR

2. Include a brief visual description when typing out your list of Artwork Information in the body of the email

Example:
1. Title: Moving Forward
2. Oil paint on canvas
3. 12” x 24”
4. This painting is mostly blue and has an image of a house

 

Additional Information
Selection Criteria

The Artspace Community Gallery exhibits work from both established and emerging artists and artists of all ages. 

 

Gallery

The Artspace Gallery is located within Artspace Community Arts Center at 15 Mill Street, Greenfield, MA. There are stairs to enter the front of the building and a wheelchair-accessible ramp connecting our parking lot to our back door. The gallery is roughly a 24' x 22' space with off-white walls, a linoleum tile floor, one small window, track lighting for artwork, and a variety of white pedestals for 3D artwork. The gallery is typically open to the public Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday mornings; it is locked at all other times. 

 

Show Installation

This exhibit will be designed and installed by our gallery staff. Accepted artists will be instructed on when and how to drop off their artwork before show installation. Artspace has sole discretion over all decisions about and where and how individual artworks are displayed.

 

Displaying at Artspace

As a small community organization, we aim to use our wire hanging system to display artwork on our walls, speeding up the show installation process and lessening the frequency of gallery wall maintenance and repairs. Our hanging system consists of a metal track at the top of the wall, where movable wires hang vertically downward. Each wire has a positionable hook that can slide up and down. Our wire hanging system requires 2D artwork to be "ready to hang", meaning there is a wire on the back, a sawtooth hanger, the work is in a picture frame, or it has D-rings. When necessary, we can hang 2D work via metal tacks and magnets. We avoid hammering and screwing into the walls to the greatest extent possible. White pedestals are used to place 3D work at eye level. Taller/larger 3D artwork may be displayed on the floor. Performances can be presented in person during our receptions or through video recordings utilizing the artist's tablet, laptop, or projector. 

 

Any A/V equipment required for an accepted work must be provided by the artist(s). Artspace does not provide a projector, monitor, sound equipment, or computer for the gallery. 
 

Commission

To support the planning, mentoring, installation, deinstallation, and overall execution of exhibits, Artspace will collect a 25% commission on all sales of the artwork displayed in this exhibit. Work may be listed as not for sale.

 

Artwork Drop Off + Pick Up
All Accepted Artwork must be dropped off in person by the artist or their designee. Drop-off and pick-up days and times will be announced to accepted artists. Artspace Community Arts Center does not accept artwork by mail or return artwork by mail. 

 

Exclusions

Artists are welcome and encouraged to address and interpret subjects with individual and cultural gravity in their art. However, Artspace will not accept any artwork that we deem inappropriately violent, hateful, or degrading. Artspace reserves the right to make these determinations independently and with full, final authority.

 

Reception

Artspace will hold an opening reception for this show on Friday, January 17th from 5 - 8pm, closing reception is Friday, February 28th, 5-8pm. Accepted artists will be invited but not required to contribute to the reception in the form of food, drink, or cash expenses.

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Other expectations of accepted artists

Accepted artists:

• Will be required to provide a brief written bio; Artspace reserves the right to edit artist bios for length and clarity.

• Will be strongly encouraged to attend the opening and closing receptions

• Will be strongly encouraged to help publicize the show and its opening and closing receptions on their social networks

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Support for the Artspace Community Gallery is provided by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, and many others.