Creative Arts Workshop, in partnership with the bldg fund, is thrilled to announce the Open Call for Made Visible: Freedom Dreams, the newest iteration of an exhibition series piloted in 2020 that invites CT-based artists of color to develop site-specific window installations addressing the issues of our times. The exhibition will be on view throughout the month of February 2023 through to March 18th, and provides space for up to 3 artists historically underrepresented by making their work visible through our signature sidewalk-to-roofline windows. With the possible use of the windows as a canvas and/or portal to a world created using CAW’s first-floor galleries, artists are invited to propose a broad range of projects, including site-specific installations, performative happenings, or more traditional exhibition displays.
The exhibition’s theme, Freedom Dreams, builds upon concepts and questions explored in guest curator nico wheadon’s most recent exhibition, Somewhere in Advance of Nowhere: Freedom Dreams in Contemporary Art, at The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art. Drawing inspiration from Robin D.G. Kelley’s Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination, that exhibition took up his provocation that “without new visions we don’t know what to build, only what to knock down”. In this iteration at CAW, we will continue to celebrate the role of artists in envisioning, shaping, and advancing sociocultural change, while also focusing on creative visions, strategies, and solutions emanating from local communities of color.
Proposals may be submitted through our fee-free Open Call by individual artists or artist collectives based in Connecticut, and will be reviewed and selected by the exhibition’s guest curators, nico wheadon and Malik D. Lewis of bldg fund. We hope to see:
- submissions by BIPOC artists, and artists whose work affirms the importance of Black and brown lives, lived experiences, influences, and culture
- applications from artists of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and training
- proposals that advance the most innovative exploration of the theme, Freedom Dreams, and creative/collaborative use of the window space as an accessible platform for community engagement
Proposals should include:
- A description of an original artwork to fill part or all of the window galleries (and possibly the first floor galleries) at CAW, including concepts, materials, space needs/preferences, and any necessary background information. Since visitors will be able to engage the window installation(s) from both outside and inside CAW, please include what the ideal public engagement with your work looks like
- 3 samples of past work to adequately illustrate the direction this site-responsive installation might take
- An idea for an accompanying virtual program to complement the installation by engaging CAW’s diverse community of artists, staff, educators, and local partners
To apply:
- Interested artists should submit their proposal along with 3 images and contact information to gallery@creativeartsworkshop.org. Please use “Made Visible: Freedom Dreams (Window Installation)” in your subject line
- Submission Deadline: Saturday, December 31, 2022 at 5 pm
- Artist Notification: Monday, January 9, 2023
Selected artist(s) will receive:
- a $750 stipend to cover materials, the creation of the work, and the participation in an online program
- direct support from guest curators bldg fund and CAW staff with the marketing, installation, development and programming of the exhibition
Key Dates:
- November 21 – December 31 – Fee-Free Open Call
- January 9 – Selected artists notified
- January 25 – Artwork shipping/delivery deadline
- January 28 – Exhibition install
- February 1 – Exhibition soft opening
- February 11 – Exhibition opening reception (tent.)
- March 18 – Exhibition closed
- March 19 – Exhibition de-install
Since the serie’s inception in 2020, CAW has presented three guest-curated Made Visible exhibitions, including artworks by Margaret Roleke, Shaunda Holloway, Annie Sailer, Aileen Ishmael, Iyaba Ibo Mandingo, Kyle Kearson and Binwanka.
Information about the Gallery
Updates
Any updates or FAQ will be published to this page. Please check this page for updates, which will be clearly labeled, before submitting your proposal
Classes, workshops and installations in our gallery would not be possible without the support of our generous institutional funders: The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the NewAlliance Foundation, WSHU Public Radio, National Endowment for the Arts, Greater New Haven Arts Council, Avangrid/United Illuminating, the CT Office of the Arts, and CT Humanities.
