Open Call to Torpedo Factory Art Center current Resident Artists, Artists Pro Tem, and Post Grad Artists.
Exhibit on view February 15 – End of April/Early May, 2025
*working title
Exhibition Location: Hilton Alexandria Mark Center (5000 Seminary Rd, Alexandria, VA 22311)
Call For: Wall hanging art, less than 50lbs, less than 57” Wide X 52” tall X 5” depth, that reflects the theme of the cherry blossom.
Each spring Alexandria and the greater DC metro area are entranced by the cherry blossoms. Originally from Japan, the cherry blossoms are fleeting, ephemeral, and impermanent. Delicate, pink, culturally and politically relevant, they are celebrated with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Office of the Arts, Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, and Torpedo Factory Art Center.
This exhibition is organized by the City of Alexandria Office of the Arts in partnership with the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center.
Eligibility: Open only to current Torpedo Factory Art Center Resident Artists, Artists Pro Tem, and Post Grad Artists.
Fee: Free to enter
Resources for Applying: Artists may find helpful (not required) resources for creating an application at torpedofactory.org/resources.
Entry Deadline: January 27, 2025, by 11:00am EST. via Submittable
Artist Notification: February 6, 2025 by midnight EST.
Selected Artwork Due to Torpedo Factory Art Center: February 9, 2025 by 5pm EST.
To Apply: Artist shall provide via Submittable:
- One - three entries of artwork in the form of uploaded photographs, accompanied by title, date, media, price (if for sale).
- A 100-word max, artist statement.
- A CV or resumé.
Juror/curator: Laurel Lukaszewski: Laurel is a Maryland-based artist (Gateway Arts District in Mt. Rainier, MD) who creates installations and sculptures primarily from clay. Her work is influenced by an appreciation of rhythms and patterns found in nature, her study of Japanese art and culture, and work with Japan over the past three decades while promoting U.S.-Japan grassroots exchange, for which she was awarded the Foreign Minister’s Commendation by the Government of Japan in 2016.
Laurel currently serves on the Artist Advisory Committee for IA&A at Hillyer and the boards of the National Cherry Blossom Festival as an Emeritus Board Member and the U.S. Japan Exchange & Teaching Programme Alumni Association (USJETAA) Executive Committee. The National Cherry Blossom Festival selected her to create this years 2025 lapel pins.
Laurel has shown her ceramic sculpture throughout the US and abroad with solo exhibitions in the Mid-Atlantic region as well as Huntsville, AL, St. Louis, MO, Tulsa, OK, and Bainbridge Island, WA. She has participated in group exhibitions and art fairs in DC, Miami, Palm Beach, New York, Chicago and the UK. In 2015, she exhibited at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of the U.S. State Department’s Art in Embassies Program. In 2021, Laurel was a Maryland State Arts Council Independent Arts Award Recipient. She received a MSAC Grants for Artists in 2023, and a MSAC Creativity Grant in 2025. She was selected to design the Official National Cherry Blossom Festival Collectible Lapel Pin for the 2025 Festival. Laurel’s work is in numerous private and corporate collections including NIH, Hickok Cole, The Hotel College Park, The Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner, University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center, Largo, MD and Dollar Tree Corporate Headquarters, Chesapeake, VA. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Home & Design, American Craft Magazine, Washington City Paper, Riverfront Times, The Virginian-Pilot, Veer Magazine, and others. Laurel’s studio is in the Gateway Arts District in Mt. Rainier, MD.
Questions: Contact torpedofactory@alexandriava.org
Artwork Selection Criteria:
- Artworks relevancy to the theme "Cherry Blossoms." This theme may be interpreted in many ways.
- Communicates unique perspectives, inviting the viewer to question, discover, and explore.
- Reflects mastery of the media, craftsmanship, and technical skill.
- Expands the use of media and technique.
Notice:
- Art may be for sale, but it is not required. Art sales shall be between the artist and buyer.
- All selected artwork exhibited must stay on view the entire length of the exhibition.
- The City of Alexandria reserves the right to make changes during this Open Call / exhibition process to achieve their objectives.
- The City of Alexandria is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and therefore applications may be public information.
- All applicants shall attest that all submitted information and work samples, including artwork and statements, is the applicant’s own work and comply with all provisions of the Open Call. If found to be untrue, applicants will be removed from the process and/or will lose privileges awarded because of this process.
- Artists acknowledge that artwork on loan will be displayed behind class, installed via professionals, and not insured by the City of Alexandria, Hilton Alexandria Mark Center or juror. Artists exhibit at their own risk.
- Artist agree that they have the copyright to the artwork. If selected, artists give City of Alexandria the right to use images of their selected art for promotional materials.