Call to Creators: Belonging - Juried Community Art Exhibition

Submission Deadline: Sunday, November 17, 2024 by 11:00 pm

Belonging - Juried Community Art Exhibition
Preston Gallery
December 14, 2024 to March 9, 2025

Do you have an artwork that speaks to the idea of belonging? We want to hear from YOU! Cambridge Art Galleries invites local creators to submit their work for Belonging - Juried Community Art Exhibition. This community exhibition will explore how art can help create a sense of connection, healing, and belonging. Whether you work with paint, textiles, photography, sculpture, or other media, we encourage you to share your interpretation of what it means to belong—whether to a community, a culture, a place, or even to yourself.

What’s in it for YOU?

• Selected exhibitors will receive a $150 honorarium to thank you for sharing your work and making this exhibition shine.
• Your artwork will be exhibited in the Preston Gallery, where it will be seen by a broad community audience. This is a space where your work can inspire others, spark conversation, and show how art can create a sense of belonging.

Exhibition Theme: Belonging

We encourage submissions that explore the theme of belonging in all its forms. How can art make us feel more connected to the people and spaces around us? How can it heal, bring communities together, or help us understand our place in the world? We welcome all interpretations of this theme.

What We're Looking For:

• Creatives of all backgrounds and levels of experience who live or work in the Region of Waterloo are welcome to submit.
• Must be 15 years of age or older (younger creators are welcome to submit to our non-jury exhibition section).
• All styles of artwork will be considered. At this time we are not accepting digital works (such as video, animation, or projection) but you are welcome to submit artwork in all other forms of media including painting, drawing, sculpture, textile, photography, printmaking, mixed media, and more.
• The work must be ready to be hung or displayed. Framed works must have display hardware.
• We are looking for works that meaningfully engage with the theme of belonging. You are free to interpret the theme in a way that speaks to you.

How It Works:

You create a new work or share a work you created recently. Submit your application via email. You can submit one work to be considered. This is a juried exhibition, which means a panel will review submissions and select artworks for inclusion. Selected creators will be informed on December 1st and must drop off their selected creations at the Preston Gallery on Thursday, December 5 or Friday, December 6 from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm. We aim to make this a community-driven, celebratory event where diverse voices and perspectives are valued.

Submission Details (Ages 15+):

• Deadline: November 17, 2024, by 11:00 pm
• Submit to gallery@ideaexchange.org with the subject line Belonging - Community Art Submission.
• Include:
  • Up to three (3) images of one artwork (high resolution)
  • Title, medium, and dimension of the work (LxWxH)
  • A brief statement (50-100 words) about how your work relates to the theme of belonging
  • Your name, phone number, and full mailing address

Important Information:

• All applicants will be notified of jury results via email by Sunday, December 1.
• If selected, you must be available to drop off the work at the Preston Gallery on Thursday, December 5 or Friday, December 6 from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm.
• The exhibition will open on Saturday, December 14, and all selected creators will be invited to attend the exhibition celebration in 2025. The date is to be determined.
• The exhibition closes on Sunday, March 9, 2025. Pick-up instructions will be sent via email.
• An honorarium of $150 will be provided to each selected creator. An honorarium cheque will be provided via mail within 30 days of the exhibition opening.

Calling Young Creators (Under 15 Years of Age):

We invite young makers under the age of 15 to participate in Belonging with a special, non-juried exhibition section. Submissions are still required so our curatorial team can best prepare, but all young creators' work will be accepted and displayed in the gallery. After your submission, you'll receive details about dropping off your creation on Thursday, December 5 or Friday, December 6, between 10:00 am and 7:00 pm at the Preston Gallery.

Though young creators will not receive an honorarium, we’ll provide a small thank-you gift to appreciate their contributions. We encourage young artists to align their work with the exhibition theme of belonging. Still, guardians can take comfort in knowing that every piece from our younger creators will enrich the community's creativity and sense of belonging.

Guidelines for Young Creators:

• Artwork size limit: 30 cm x 30 cm (12" x 12")
• All work should be ready to be hung or pinned on the wall in the Young Maker section of the exhibition.

Submission Details for Young Creators:

• Deadline: Sunday, November 17, 2024, by 11:00 pm.
• Submit to gallery@ideaexchange.org with the subject line Belonging - Community Art Submission- YOUNG CREATOR.
• Include:
  • Up to three (3) images of your artwork (high resolution)
  • Title, medium, and dimension of work
  • Creator name, guardian name, and phone number
  • Tell us about your work. What does it mean to you? Is it a story? What inspired you?

We can’t wait to see how our young creators bring their unique voices to this exciting celebration of art and community. We're excited to see how you express belonging through your art.

This is YOUR gallery; we want YOU to know you belong here.

If you have any questions about the exhibition or submissions please email Cambridge Art Galleries.

Let’s create something amazing together!