Open Call for Artists

Exhibition and Event: Carving out Creativity: Connecting Across Physical Distances through Creativity, Art, and Technology

Exhibits: Late January/early February to early May depending on the specific location. Specific dates below.

Event(s) February 27 & 28, 2025.

Locations:

About the Exhibit and Event:

Carving out Creativity is an experimental series of multimedia immersive exhibitions based on brain activity during the artistic process. The exhibit will occur simultaneously at the 4 locations listed above. Patrons will connect (digitally) to each other by touching stone-carved sculptures both within the location they are in and in the galleries where other artists’ sculptures are exhibited. This connection will happen using experimental haptic and holographic technologies. Our goal is to create new ways for people to envision connections through art across the Commonwealth.

This exhibit is organized by the City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts and Virginia Tech, including a team of engineers, neuroscientists, and artists from the university’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT).

Call: Artists submit stone sculptures that can be touched for an exhibit to be held at various locations in Virginia (see locations and dates below) and participate in a demonstration of their tools and materials at events on February 27 & 28, 2025, at the same location as their sculpture(s).

Artwork must be the artist’s original creation, made without the aid of digital carving technology, in a stone-carved medium that can be secured to a pedestal or floor stand and allowed to be touched by visitors. Maximum weight: 50 lbs., with one sculpture in dimensions not exceeding 10”x10”’x10” and one to two additional sculptures without size limitation. 3 entries are allowed for each artist. Artists must have the copyright to the artwork and allow use of artwork in gallery locations. Art submitted must be finished.

Eligibility: Open to artists living and/or working in SW Virginia and/or the City of Alexandria, VA.

Fee: Free to enter

Resources for Applying: Artists may find helpful (not required) resources for creating an application at torpedofactory.org/resources.

Entry Deadline: December 9, 2024, by 11:00am EST. via Submittable

Artist Notification: By January 3, 2025 11:00am EST

Theme of art to be exhibited: A Revolution of Ideas. This theme may be interpreted in many ways.

Locations and dates: This exhibition will be in multiple locations and include two artists for each location. Locations include:

Alexandria, VA

● Torpedo Factory Art Center Target Gallery, Alexandria VA

● The new Virginia Tech Innovation Campus building, Alexandria, VA

○ On view January 25 – May 11, 2025

○ Artwork due no later than January 12-16, 2025, to Torpedo Factory Art Center (105 N. Union St. Alexandria VA 22314)

○ Installation January 22, 2025, Deinstallation May 12, 2025

○ Artwork picked up between May 18-22, 2025

Roanoke & Blacksburg, VA

● Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA

● The Cube in the Moss Art Center at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

○ On view February 27 – May 11, 2025

○ Artwork due in February 2025, with precise dates to be scheduled

○ Installation February 10, 2025, Deinstallation May 12, 2025

○ Artwork picked in May, with precise dates to be scheduled

Honoraria: Eight artists shall be selected by independent jurors. At least two artists shall be selected for each region listed above. Selected artists shall exhibit one - three stone sculpture and provide an in-person stone carving activity in locations corresponding to their location (not from exhibited sculptures).

Selected artists shall receive a $800 honorarium. Selected artists may price their sculpture to sell with no commission.

To Apply: Artist shall provide:

Two - three entries of artwork in the form of up to 6 images of their work, one full view and one alternative view. Maximum weight of each sculpture: 50 lbs. At least one sculpture with dimensions not exceeding 10”x10”’x10”.
A 200-word max, artist statement.
A 200-word max, statement on why the artist wants to participate.
A CV or resumé.
Proof of residency or work location via image (such as a driver’s license, business card with address, lease, unopened mail, or pay stub.)

Reviews will be based on how the artwork:

Exhibits relevancy to the theme
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.

Questions? Please contact Brett Johnson (brettjohnson@alexandriava.gov) or Lisa McNair (lmcnair@vt.edu)

Sponsors and collaborators:

Notice: the City of Alexandria and Virginia Tech reserves the right to make changes during this Open Call 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. If a juror recuses themselves from scoring an applicant based on a conflict of interest outlined in the juror’s agreement, or if a juror is unable to perform their duties for any reason, then the applicant shall be scored based on a percentage of the remaining jurors scores. Art selection shall be based on scores from jurors, and placement selection based on researchers and curators’ determination.

City of Alexandria Office of the Arts & Torpedo Factory Art Center