Oak Park Art League Midwest Juried Exhibition: Elevating Nature
May 12 - June 2
Open to artists living in the Midwest (IL, IA, IN, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI)
The Chicago suburb of Oak Park is an epicenter for Frank Lloyd
Wright architecture, home to the world's largest concentration of
Wright-designed buildings and site of his first home studio. Emerging
from this studio was Wright's iconic "Prairie" architecture, inspired by
the vast landscape that characterizes the American Midwest - horizontal
elements that echo broad flat plains, open space, earthy materials, and
a color palette derived from the natural terrain. Wright's bold
experiments with space, geometry and materials also put him on the
artistic cutting edge. His art glass designs of conventionalized plant
forms are realized as abstract patterns of color in banded windows that
playfully diffuse daylight, and make seamless transitions between
interior space and the natural world.
The Oak Park Art League pays tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright and celebrates our hometown architect's 150th birthday with a Midwest juried exhibition centered on Wright's reverence for nature. Artists are invited to submit 2D
and 3D work of any media that references the Midwestern landscape. The
jurors are interested in seeing a variety of submissions -
representational, conceptual and experimental interpretations of nature
themes. Selections will present a diverse exhibition of artwork and art
forms (e.g. drawing, painting, mixed media, digital/new media,
printmaking, photography, ceramics, fiber, glass, and sculpture) that
demonstrate artistic innovation within their preferred medium and embody
the progressive spirit of Wright and the essence of the American
Midwest.
DATES TO REMEMBER
Entry Opens: DECEMBER 1
Submission Deadline: Friday, MARCH 31, (midnight CST)
Notification of Accepted Work: APRIL 15
Delivery of Accepted Work: MAY 6, MAY 8-10
Public Reception: MAY 12, 7-9pm
Exhibition Closes: JUNE 2
Pick-up of Work: JUNE 3, JUNE 5-7
Shipped Work/Shipped Back: JUNE 30
Presenting Sponsor: Prairie Title Company
$2,000 in cash prizes for Best of Show and Juror Awards will be presented in two categories:
- Most innovative interpretation of the Midwestern landscape
- Best use or representation of natural materials or nature elements
Exhibition Jurors:
Brian Ritchard
Brian Ritchard
is a Chicago-based painter. He has exhibited his paintings in Chicago
and across the U.S. His work has been published in the New Art Examiner,
New American Paintings, The Chicago Tribune, New City, The Tampa Weekly
Planet, The South Bend Tribune, as well as numerous academic
publications. He earned his Master of Fine Art Degree from the
University of Chicago in 1990. Brian has also been active as a curator,
having organized exhibitions for the Northern Illinois University
Gallery, the Beverly Art Center, the Jan Cicero Gallery and others. He
has served on various panels and has been a visiting artist at numerous
institutions, most recently at the University of Notre Dame. Brian is
currently the academic advisor for Fine Art and Art History at Columbia
College Chicago. Brian's paintings are in over one hundred public,
private and corporate art collections. www.brianritchard.com
Brent Fogt
The son of a Lutheran pastor and a psychotherapist, Brent Fogt was born in Ohio and raised in Texas. Over the past ten years, he has produced intricate drawings, collages, and sculptures that are inspired by trees, hives, and topographic maps. He embraces repetition in his art practice, incorporating techniques such as crochet, binding, and miniature mark making. Fogt’s work has been featured in solo exhibitions at Austin College, Emory University, Indiana University and the Lawndale Art Center, and in publications such as New American Paintings, Art in America, and hyperallergic.com. He has completed artist residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, Djerassi Resident Artists Program, I-Park Foundation and Yaddo. He holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan and a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. Fogt lives and works in Chicago. www.brentfogt.com
The son of a Lutheran pastor and a psychotherapist, Brent Fogt was born in Ohio and raised in Texas. Over the past ten years, he has produced intricate drawings, collages, and sculptures that are inspired by trees, hives, and topographic maps. He embraces repetition in his art practice, incorporating techniques such as crochet, binding, and miniature mark making. Fogt’s work has been featured in solo exhibitions at Austin College, Emory University, Indiana University and the Lawndale Art Center, and in publications such as New American Paintings, Art in America, and hyperallergic.com. He has completed artist residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, Djerassi Resident Artists Program, I-Park Foundation and Yaddo. He holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan and a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. Fogt lives and works in Chicago. www.brentfogt.com
Exhibition Guidelines
Before submitting
your work, please read carefully the following exhibition guidelines for
Oak Park Art League gallery exhibitions:
IMAGE AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
2D and 3D works in all media are welcome.
Size restrictions for 2D work: Up to 48" in any direction. Size restrictions for 3D work: Up to 84" in any direction. 75 lb weight limitation.
All submitted work must have been created in the last 3 years and NOT exhibited at OPAL in the last 18 months.
Digital images must be high resolution comparable to 300 DPI 4"x5" JPEG format.
Digital images must be saved with a file name
that includes the artist's initials, artwork title/name, corresponding
number of your entry. Example: js_titlename_entry 3
One additional image will be accepted for each 3-dimensional piece.
The application fee for OPAL's juried exhibitions is
$20/members and $30/non-members for up to three images of work. OPAL
members must login to received member discount.
Submission fees are non-refundable.
Incomplete submissions will not be considered.
ACCEPTED WORK:
Accepted entries will receive detailed information regarding shipping along with their acceptance letter.
All entries must be suitably framed or gallery-wrapped with hanging wire (NO SAWTOOTH HANGERS OR CLIP FRAMES).
DELIVERY OF ARTWORK & LIABILITY:
Shipping crate or packaging must be properly labeled
with artist's name and address. Please include sufficient packing
materials for return shipping.
All work must be shipped or delivered during the designated drop-off dates and times - May 6 (1-4pm), May 8-10 (1-5pm)
The artist is responsible for the shipment and delivery
of their work to and from OPAL, as well as all related expenses.
Shipped work must include a return shipping label.
Tracking is recommended for all shipped work. OPAL is not responsible for artwork lost or stolen during shipping.
Damaged crates will remain unopened pending notification of the carrier and artist.
OPAL curators and assistants will install work according to artist's installation guidelines.
Artists may not remove work earlier than the end date of the exhibition.
For hand-delivered work, all entries must be picked up during the pick-up dates advertised for the show - June 3 (1-4pm), June 5-7 (1-5pm)
Hand-delivered artwork that remains unclaimed after 3 months will become property of OPAL.
Artists are to make arrangements for another to pick up their work, should they be unable to make the deadline.
Any person picking up another artist’s work must have signed written permission from the artist.
Shipped worked will be shipped back on June 30. Work
unclaimed by sender at return address on crate is not the responsibility
of OPAL.
It is recommended that artists carry their own insurance. All reasonable care will be taken with original art.
By entry into these shows, the artist is agreeing that
OPAL or its satellite galleries will not be held responsible for loss or
damage of any works.
SALES
OPAL requests a 35% commission on any works sold through the Art League staff.
For all work sold, sales tax will be collected by
OPAL and paid to artist. It is the artist’s responsibility to pay and
report sales tax.
RIGHTS
The Oak Park Art League reserves the right to
photograph and retain a set of images of the exhibit. These materials
will be used solely for educational, promotional, and documentation
purposes.
Organization:
