The In-box: Opportunities for Artists
February 2010
Send your news releases and information for publication to: In-Box, Iowa Arts Council, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines, IA 50319-0290; by email at Sarah.Oltrogge@iowa.gov; by fax, 515.242.6498. The In-box is updated at the beginning of each month. Please include deadline date for any calls for entries.
Click to see listings for:
Call for Entries: Literature »»
Call for Entries: Festivals & Events »»
Call for Entries: Theatre & Music »»
Call for Entries: Exhibitions & Other Visual Art »»
Jobs/Residencies »»
Workshops/Classes/Conferences »»
Miscellaneous »»
Please note: We receive many requests for a listing of all fairs and festivals held in Iowa. Though we do not collect this information, a free publication may be ordered via the Iowa Department of Economic Development web site.
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Call for Entries: Literature & film
NEW! Goldberg Prize for Jewish Fiction Emerging Writers
Deadline: March 1
The Foundation for Jewish Culture is accepting entries for the 2010 Samuel Goldberg & Sons Prize for Jewish Fiction by Emerging Writers. Supported through a grant from the Samuel Goldberg & Sons Foundation, the Goldberg Prize for Jewish Fiction by Emerging Writers seeks to highlight new works by contemporary writers exploring Jewish themes. The prize spotlights promising new talent and is awarded to an American fiction writer for a first or second full-length work that was published in the previous calendar year. Submissions must be made by the publisher. Link to RFP.
NEW! Television Directing Fellowship
Deadline: March 10
Home Box Office and the Directors Guild of America have announced the second annual rotation of the HBO/DGA Television Directing Fellowship Program. The program is designed to help increase diversity among directors in television and to assist in the professional development of new creative talent, particularly women and minorities. It is anticipated that up to three fellowships will be awarded for 2010. Link to RFP.
NEW! K-9 Special Exhibition
Deadline: May 1
The Main Street Gallery in Groton, NY, seeks artists for its “K-9 Special Exhibition,” June 11-July 18, 2010. Artists residing in the U.S and who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to submit digital images for consideration. Entry fee $30/2 pieces of artwork. CD images must be either a jpeg or gif image (600 dpi largest dimensional side, PC compatible and 72 dpi). The theme of the show is DOGS, DOGS, DOGS in all of their glory. Insurance on premises only. Awards. Shipping costs to and from the gallery are the responsibility of the artist if selected. All artwork must be for sale. Gallery commission is 40% of retail price. Prospectus application deadline is May 1, 2010. For more information and prospectus, email maingal@localnet.com or print prospectus pdf file at www.mainstreetgal.com.
Call for Entries: Festivals & Events
NEW! 102nd Annual Des Moines Women's Club Art Exhibit
Feb. 25-March 7
The Des Moines Women's Club, at Hoyt Sherman Place, is seeking artists to display their work in the club’s 102nd Annual Art Exhibit to be held February 25 – March 7, 2010 at Hoyt Sherman Place (1501 Woodland Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309). The exhibit is open to both professional and non-professional artists. There is no fee to enter. Please call the Des Moines Women’s Club office at (515) 244-0507 ext. 211, for additional information. Or, e-mail the Women’s Club office at betts@hoytsherman.org. Rules and regulations may be forwarded to interested artists via email addresses, or you may download the exhibition guidelines at www.DesMoinesWomensClub.org.
NEW! Tassel Ridge Winery Exhibition
Deadline: Feb. 26
Tassel Ridge Winery is sponsoring a multi-artist exhibition Saturday, May 8, 2010 from 12-4 p.m. during Pella Tulip Time. Artists, including past exhibitors, are invited to participate. Works in all media are eligible, and must be suitable for public display. The exhibition will be in Tassel Ridge Winery’s new 40’x 40’ tent on the Winery’s beautiful lawn. Each artist will have a 10’x10’ space for display of their work. Electricity will not be available. There is no entry fee. Limited space available and will be reserved first come first served basis. Each artist must submit a bio and photo of two to three pieces for review and future promotional use. Each artist is strongly encouraged to bring a work in progress, and if possible, work on it during the exhibition. Artists may sell while exhibiting; the transaction is between the artist and the person making the purchase. Advance commitment is required by February 26, 2010. Please contact Roxy Braband, roxy.b@tasselridge.com; (641) 673-5111 to reserve your spot.
NEW! Grand Cities Arts Fest
Deadline: March 5 (postmark)
Grand Cities Arts Fest is North Dakota’s most popular outdoor event. Over 35,000 visitors will view the work of 125+ juried artists June 12-13, 2010. Now seeking entries of original concept, original design and artist execution. Awards $250-$750. Fees: $10/jury fee; $200/booth fee; $50/corner booth; $30/electricity; $50/ad in Arts Fest guide. Visit www.novac.org for artist application and more information.
NEW! Woodfest
Deadline: August 1, 2010
Woodfest is a new specialized event Aug. 27-29, 2010 in the Amana Colonies. Crafters of wood, any nonprofit organization or commercial business related to the wood industry in some manner will be considered for exhibition. The three day event will be held in and around large air conditioned buildings on the grounds of the RV Park in the Amana Colonies. The summer-time wood show is sponsored by the Amana Arts Guild and administered by the former coordinator of the long running and successful “Holzfest.” For application and more information, visit www.amanaartsguilde.com or contact RC at (319) 622-3908, woodfest@netins.net.
Call for Entries: Theatre & Music
NEW! Dreamwell Writers Joust
Deadline: March 1
The Dreamwell Writers Joust: A Fear Festival will feature a full production of the winning play in December 2010 as well as staged readings of two or three runners-up. The winner will also receive a $100 cash prize. In order to fit in with the theme of the 2010 season, “Taboo Bijou,” the submitted plays should reflect the following theme: subjects we fear to talk about. Playwright must either currently live in Iowa, or have significant ties to the state. Must be a full-length play with a 2-hour running time at most. Please keep the set simple. Please provide a cover sheet with the following information: Name, e-mail, phone number, title of play, how the play fits the theme, character list. Must have never been performed before, not including staged readings. Send as Word document or .pdf. E-mail submissions to joust@dreamwell.com or visit www.dreamwell.com.
NEW! 2010 VSA arts Playwright Discovery
Deadline: April 15
The VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program invites middle and high school students to take a closer look at the world around them, examine how disability affects their lives and the lives of others, and express their views through the art of playwriting. Playwrights may write from their own experience or about an experience in the life of another person or fictional character. Scripts can be comedies, dramas, or even musicals—be creative! Young playwrights with and without disabilities are encouraged to submit a script. Entries may be the work of an individual student or a collaboration by a group or class of students. The winning play will be professionally produced or staged at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The winning playwright receives $2,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C., to see his or her play performed. All submissions must be received by April 15, 2010, for consideration. Download the official rules and guidelines here. Download the official application here.
Call for Entries: Exhibitions & Other Visual Art
NEW! New American Paintings 2010 Midwestern Competition
Deadline: Feb. 27
New American Paintings is a museum-quality, soft-cover art periodical, published bimonthly by The Open Studios Press. Each 176-page volume is a regional exhibition-in-print, selling for $20 at 1,500 bookstores, museum shops and art supply stores nationwide. The books have become periodical resources for collectors and art world professionals. This competition’s winners will appear in the Aug/Sept 2010 edition of New American Paintings. Now accepting entries from IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, OH and WI. All styles and media are welcome, as long as the work is singular and two-dimensional. $40 entry fee. Visit www.newamericanpaintings.com or call (617) 778-5265 for more information.
NEW! Bluffs Arts Council Youth Showcase Contest
Deadline: March 1
Students in the Council Bluffs area are invited to participate in the Bluffs Arts Council Youth Showcase Artist competition by depicting the theme “Art as a Part of Our Lives.” The purpose of the contest is to highlight and promote local young emerging artists. Students are asked to submit a piece of artwork which will become a showcase piece for the Bluffs Arts Council. Each participating student artist must be between 14 and 21 years of age at the time the entries are due, March 1, 2010. A winner will be selected and announced at a special reception in April. There is a $200 cash prize for the student chosen. For more information and to download an application, visit www.bluffsarts.org. The Bluffs Arts Council is a nonprofit organization which has been producing, presenting and promoting the arts in Council Bluffs and the surrounding area for the past 27 years.
NEW! Exhibition Opportunities at Prescott College (Ariz.)
Deadline: May 1 (postmark)
The Art Gallery at Prescott College (Prescott, Ariz.) has a variety of exhibition opportunities available and seek submissions of exhibition proposals for its 2011-2013 season. The Gallery is committed to exhibitions that will expand the community’s appreciation of contemporary art and address the interests of a diverse audience. Artwork accepted from both recognized and emerging regional and national artists. Exhibitions are open to all artists and curators 18 years and older. Eligible disciplines include painting, drawing, printmaking, book-arts, photography, mixed media, new genre, sculpture and installation. For submission guidelines and prospectus, visit www.prescott.edu/gallery.
Opportunities for Iowa Artists: Public Art Projects
The Iowa Arts Council receives numerous public art Request for Proposals (RFP) and Request for Quotations (RFQ) notices from organizations and communities throughout the U.S. Iowa artists interested in receiving them should send an e-mail to Bruce.Williams@iowa.gov and request to be added to the Iowa Public Artists Listserv. Please include “Public Artists Listserv” on the subject line and your name, address and e-mail address in the message.
Jobs/Residencies
NEW! Call for Iowa Artists
Iowa Dept of Corrections: Two Art in State Building Projects at Iowa State Penitentiary and Iowa Correctional Institution for Women
Budget: $85,000+
Deadline: February 26, 2010, 4:30 p.m.
Iowa Department of Corrections (IDOC) is seeking an Iowa artist to create artwork for the addition/remodel of two new Iowa correctional facilities:
- Iowa State Penitentiary, Fort Madison, Iowa.
- Iowa Women’s Correctional Facility, Mitchellville, Iowa
The mission of IDOC is to advance successful offender reentry to protect the public, staff and offenders from victimization. IDOC protects the public, employees and offenders in several ways to ensure that offenders in our custody – ranging from community supervision to electronic monitoring to incarceration – do not endanger the safety and security of others. The Iowa State Penitentiary (ISP) is a maximum security prison for men located in Fort Madison, IA. The Iowa Correctional Institution for Women (IDIW) is a medium/minimum security prison located in Mitchellville, IA. The total AiSB budget for the two projects is anticipated to be $85,000 or more.
The AiSB committee is interested in the thoughtful integration of artwork into the building or site that is stimulating to the eye, mind, and spirit of IDOC employees, offenders, customers, and visitors. Artists applying for this project must be comfortable in working in a high-security prison environment and interested in involving offenders in the creation and/or fabrication of the artwork. IDOC will conduct a criminal background check of the artist(s) interviewed for the project. The Iowa Arts Council is facilitating the Artist Selection and Concept Design Phases of the project.
Eligible Artists: Artists must live in Iowa and be registered in Iowa Arts Council’s Iowa Public Art Artists’ Registry (IPAAR).
- Iowa artists currently registered in the IPAAR must email Bruce.Williams@iowa.gov<mailto:Bruce.Williams@iowa.gov> by February 26, 2010 if they want to be considered for the project. Registered artists who want to update their information and projects must do so by 4:30 p.m., February 26, 2010 (updated IPAAR registration form and IPAAR PowerPoint).
- Iowa artists who are not registered in IPAAR have until 4:30 pm, February 26, 2010 to register in order to be considered for the project: Obtain the IPAAR registration form and PowerPoint on the Iowa Public Art Artists' Registry<http://www.iowaartscouncil.org/programs/public-art-and-design/ipaar.shtml> website.
- Additional information or materials submitted will not be reviewed (Letter of Interest, publications, etc.).
Project Timeline (subject to change)
- Application Deadline: 4:30 p.m., February 26, 2010 (this is not a postmark deadline)
- Artist Selection: Week of March 1, 2010
- Finalist(s) Interviewed: March 15, 2010, Des Moines, IA
- Development/Approval of the Design Concept: April-June, 2010
- Construction will begin August, 2010 and completed in 2013
Artist Selection Criteria
- Artistic excellence of the artist’s work in the field of public art.
- Appropriateness of the artist's work as it relates to the project and areas of opportunity to integrate art into the building and/or site .
- Ability of the artist to work in a high-security prison environment at ISP.
- Ability of the artist to develop an offender gender responsive approach at ICIW.
- The artist is interested in involving the offenders in creating and/or fabricating/installing the artwork and the type of artwork and materials used has the potential to support this goal.
- Experience in managing similar scale public art projects and budgets.
- Experience in working with project managers, project design teams, design professionals, engineers, contractors, etc.
- Knowledgeable about construction and contracting documents and construction processes.
- Ability of the artist to communicate effectively about their work in the field of public art and methods of working.
- Ability of the artist to successfully complete past public art projects on time and within budget.
Questions? Contact:
Bruce Williams
Coordinator of Cultural Leadership Partnership and Public Art & Design Programs
Iowa Arts Council, 600 E Locust, Des Moines, IA 50319-0290 www.iowaartscouncil.org
Ph: 515.281.4006 Bruce.Williams@iowa.gov
NEW! 2010 Grand Canyon National Park’s Artist-in-Residence
Deadline: April 1
National parks have always welcomed artistic interpretations in support of land advocacy. Thomas Moran’s evocative and astounding paintings directly influenced the establishment of our first National Park (Yellowstone, 1872). This tradition continues today with more than 40 Artist-in-Residence programs throughout the National Park Service system. These artist opportunities are designed to engage and inform the public audience (through outreach programming), while providing quality uninterrupted time for artists to pursue their own body of work.
The North Rim of Grand Canyon, much of it true wilderness, offers unparalleled inspiration and unspoiled solitude for artists. The artist resides in a cabin on the rim for a three-week period in summer and early fall. The South Rim of Grand Canyon is teeming with wildlife, park visitors and peerless vistas. The artist resides in a second-story apartment in the historic Verkamp’s Visitor Center overlooking the canyon for a three-week period. Artists are welcome to apply to both the north and south rim programs, and being selected to participate in one does not exclude you from being selected for the other during the same period of time. Each rim requires a complete and separate application packet, with an application cover sheet. In exchange for the adventure of living and working in a national park, the resident artist has the opportunity to create works that generate understanding and dialogue about the need to preserve this national treasure—one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Visit www.nps.gov for details.
Workshops/Classes/Conferences
NEW! Sign up now for Engaging Arts Webinar Series
- Engaging Arts: Above Ground: Older Artists as Role Models for Society – Focus on Visual Arts: Thursday, February 18, 2010 – 1 PM: Featuring Joan Jeffri, Director of Program in Arts Administration and Research Center for Arts and Culture, Teachers College Columbia University.
- Engaging Arts: Creative Advancement in Later Life – Focus on Dance and Drama: Thursday, February 25 – 1 PM: Featuring Stuart Kandell, PhD, Founder and Director, Stagebridge Senior Theater; Maria Genne, M.Ed, Founder and Artistic Director, Kairos Dance Theater.
To register visit www.creativeaging.org/program-schedule/ or call (202) 895-9456.
NEW! Upcoming Classes at the Workspace
The following classes are offered through the Workspace at the Iowa State Memorial Union. To pre-register call (515) 294-0970. For more information go to www.workspace.mu.iastate.edu
- Feb. 8, 6-8 p.m. (2 wks): Precious Metal Clay (PMC): Button Molds with Rhonda Scott. $49 includes supplies. Learn to use molding compounds to turn buttons into jewelry.
- Feb. 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (2 wks): Photo Field Trip: Portraits in the ISU Memorial Union with Luke Healey. $17. Applicable for both digital and traditional 35mm photography, and assumes basic camera handling knowledge.
- Feb. 17, 7-9 p.m. (2 wks): Stenciled Street Art with Asa Wentzel Fisher. $30 includes supplies. Create captivating iconic images using spray paint.
- Feb. 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (3 wks): Vintage Aprons with Judith Lemish. $32. The item once worn to protect clothing from cooking spills is being transformed and experiencing a big comeback.
- Feb. 27, March 27 & April 10, 1-4 p.m.: Ames C.art Sew & Swap. Free. Bring a project to work on such as garments to mend and alter, sewing problems to solve, patterns to share, fabric/sewing supplies to swap and use, or your latest knitting/crochet project. www.amescart.org
Miscellaneous
NEW! Des Moines Area Artists Salon
Looking for contemporary, professional artists to form a monthly group in the Des Moines area. The focus is on camaraderie and showing/getting feedback on the art we are working on. Would also, like to organize an exhibition. Call Deborah @ (515) 279-2616 for more information.
NEW! Gallery Space Available at Cornell College
Deadline: March 15
Cornell College in Mount Vernon seeks to display the works of Iowa artists in The Commons student center. A gallery with 60 feet of running wall space is available for the 2010-11 school year in periods of two months between August 2010 and April 2011. Due to the location of this gallery, only two-dimension pieces are appropriate. Deadline: March15, 2010. Contact Sue Coleman at SColeman@cornellcollege.edu.
