Friday, July 10, 2015

Nature-based Outdoor Sculpture at Western Carolina University

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The goal of this project is to support the connection between the next generation of artists and adventurers with America’s national parks.  This project will bring together two artist-led teams of students and community members to create closed-loop life cycle sculptures inspired by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along the 6.7 miles of hiking trails at Western Carolina University.  Juror and artistic advisor Patrick Dougherty, an artist known for his large-scale environmental sculptures, will guide a team of regional arts professionals in selecting four artists to create the new works.  Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers and educators will guide artist-led student groups through the National Park at different times of the year to learn about the flora and fauna of the park and gain inspiration for the creation of new work.  An exhibition featuring historic photos of the park and sketches and/or maquettes of the sculptures selected for this project will be on display at the WCU Fine Art Museum throughout 2016.
 
CALENDAR
 
Deadline for submission via callforentry.org :       August 15, 2015 
 
Notification of Acceptance/Decline:                        January 15, 2016
 
Installation schedule:                                               April 1 – 30, 2016
                                                                                October 1 – 31, 2016
 
 JUROR : Patrick Dougherty
 
Born in Oklahoma in 1945, Dougherty was raised in North Carolina. He earned a B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina in 1967 and an M.A. in Hospital and Health Administration from the University of Iowa in 1969. Later, he returned to the University of North Carolina to study art history and sculpture.
Combining his carpentry skills with his love of nature, Patrick began to learn more about primitive techniques of building and to experiment with tree saplings as construction material. In 1982 his first work, Maple Body Wrap, was included in the North Carolina Biennial, Artists’ Exhibition, sponsored by the North Carolina Museum of Art. In the following year, he had his first one-person show entitled, Waitin’ It Out in Maple at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
His work quickly evolved from single pieces on conventional pedestals to monumental scale environmental works, which required saplings by the truckloads. Over the last thirty years, he has built over 250 of these works, and become internationally acclaimed. His sculpture has been seen worldwide---from Scotland to Japan to Brussels, and all over the United States.
He has received numerous awards, including the 2011 Factor Prize for Southern Art, North Carolina Artist Fellowship Award, Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, Henry Moore Foundation Fellowship, Japan-US Creative Arts Fellowship, and National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. Princeton Architectural Press published a major book about Patrick and his work in 2009. This monograph, Stickwork, has received excellent reviews and is available at www.stickwork.net.
 
HONORARIA
Each selected artist will receive the following:
·      $10,000 honorarium
·      Lodging, travel expenses, meals during visits to WCU
·      Installation supplies such as scaffolding, ladders, and other equipment
·      Full-time assistant during the installation
·      High resolution photographs of the finished installation
·      Ranger-led tour of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
·      Press coverage of this project as well as artists and works will be featured project specific micro website as well as on a mobile app for the WCU trail system
 
REVIEW CRITERIA
Applicants will be reviewed for the following criteria:
·       Artistic quality of the body of work submitted for review
·       Artistic significance of the proposed project
·       Ability to foster new connections between the arts and environment
·       Exemplifies creativity and innovation.
·       Experience with and interest in engaging the public in your process
·       Ability to engage participants to acquire knowledge in the arts
 
PUBLIC ART EXHIBITION GUIDELINES
I. The opportunity is open to artists currently residing in the US, and 18 years of age and older.
II. The selected works will be created onsite during the months of April and October of 2016.
III. Entries must a) be of sound, safe construction, meaning they are self supporting; b) be capable of withstanding adverse weather conditions (high winds, below zero temperatures, heavy rain, snow ice, storms, etc…); c) be able to withstand a high-traffic environment; d) take into consideration the safety of the audience; e) serve as a closed-loop lifecycle.
IV. Artists are provided a unique opportunity to interact with the students and community of Western Carolina University. Artists will discuss their experience on the project at some date yet to be determined during the installation process.  Artists unable to meet the scheduled installation dates and requirements are not eligible for participation.
V.  Liability:  Western Carolina University carries Fine Art Insurance on all artwork commissioned by the university. 
VI. Participation in the entry process constitutes a full understanding and acceptance of the conditions set forth.
 
HISTORY OF PUBLIC ART ON CAMPUS
The Fine Art Museum serves as a cultural catalyst to celebrate and preserve the artistic legacy of the western North Carolina region with a developing focus to collect, interpret and showcase innovation in contemporary art of high artistic merit.
While WCU's School of Art and Design (formerly the Department of Art) and the former Belk Gallery have maintained a strong academic and contemporary art exhibition program over the years, the new Fine Art Museum continues the tradition while strengthening its role as a cultural catalyst to celebrate and preserve the artistic legacy of the western North Carolina region with a developing focus to collect, interpret and showcase innovation in contemporary art.  The Fine and Performing Arts Center houses the Fine Art Museum as well as the School of Art and Design which includes state of the art academic classrooms and studios for the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) students in visual arts to accommodate painting and drawing, ceramics, photography, sculpture, printmaking and book arts, graphic design, interior design, new media, art history, and art teacher education.
The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree program in studio arts began in 2004 offers advanced professional training and career development for students seeking a comprehensive studio and academic learning experience. Noted guest artists offer critical response to student creative research while School of Art and Design graduate teaching faculty members teach several comprehensive studio courses to advanced level graduate students. In addition, the entire WCU campus and WNC community members have the opportunity to attend lectures and forums on a variety of special art topics and contemporary art issues offered by guest artists, critics, and historians.  After twenty years of hosting bringing outdoor sculpture to campus, Western Carolina University is now taking the next step in its commitment to the research of contemporary pubic art.
 
IMAGINE YOUR PARKS : ENTRY PROCEDURES 2015
Submission Application and Images by CallForEntry.org:
 
___submit up to 10 works, 1-3 views of each work, that demonstrate your artistic ability. Images must be in a .jpg, format with a 72 DPI and a minimum of 1920 pixels in height or width Please format the file name as follows:
“LastName_Title_ImageNumber.jpg”.
 
____ Current professional resume and a one-paragraph artist statement.
 
 ____ Statement that addresses the following:
·      Your interest in the project,
·      Previous experience working with students and/or an installation team,
·      How you plan to incorporate concepts of sustainability in the project such as closed-loop lifecycle, bio-mimicry, etc.,
·      What aspects of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park inspire you.
 
____ Entries must be submitted by August 1, 2015
 
WHO DO I CONTACT IF I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS?
Denise Drury, interim director, WCU  Fine Art Museum
Phone: 828.227.3591
Email: ddrury@wcu.edu
 

https://www.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=2706&sortby=fair_deadline&apply=yes

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