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Telfair Museums invites Chatham County artists to submit proposals for the fifth annual call to artists Boxed In/Break Out.

Telfair Museums is excited to offer local Chatham County artists an opportunity to feature their art in the Jepson Center! The call to artists seeks entries for Boxed In/Break Out, a museum-sponsored public art installation at Telfair Museums that involves activating six windows at the Jepson Center that face Barnard Street. The artist chosen would have a detailed plan for how to utilize all six windows in a cohesive manner through self-created art that fulfills the following criteria: creativity, originality, feasibility, visual appeal, as well as resourcefulness and suitability in the space. The project will be displayed from May 1-November 8, 2020.

Boxed In/Break Out is intended to highlight and provide an exhibition opportunity for the work of a local artist through public display, promotional materials, and an artist talk. In addition to museum-sponsored promotion, the artist will receive a $1000 honorarium.

Boxed In/Break Out is part of Telfair Museums’ #art912 initiative, which is dedicated to raising the visibility and promoting the vitality of artists living and working in Savannah.

Proposal Details

Deadline
Friday, January 10, 2020 (Winner will be notified by e-mail by Friday, January 31, 2020 at the latest)

Application Fee
None

Email proposals to:
dunne@telfair.org, Erin Dunn, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, with the subject line Boxed In/Break Out

Eligibility
Must be at least 18 years old and be an artist living or working in Chatham County.

Honorarium
$1,000

 

Exhibition Conditions

Artists applying are encouraged to stop by the museum and examine the space from Barnard Street (currently the windows feature last year’s winning submission). Boxed In/Break Out will utilize the six windows closest to the Jepson Center’s Oglethorpe entrance (the windows on the other side of the lane are used for the museum gift shop display). One window may be used for a text panel or banner describing the project if the artist would like that as feature.

The window space at the Jepson is unable to be climate controlled. It is daily exposed to direct sunlight. Each window space is accessed through two door panels on the interior of the Jepson Center that open into a hallway. Electricity is limited. Two of the windows have outlets inside, and there is an additional outlet in the interior hallway from which the windows are accessed. Each window has a fluorescent light bulb at the top lighting the space that will be available to illuminate the installation during the workday and at night.

Site visits are encouraged! Contact Jessica Estes, Registrar and Collections Manager at estesj@telfair.org or 912.790.8813 to schedule a visit.

Window Dimensions
95” high x 63 ½”wide x 13” deep. The panels at the back of the windows must be able to close to adhere to fire code.

Installation
Artists are responsible for the installation of their work in consultation with the museum’s registrar/collections manager.

Exhibition Dates
The project will be displayed from Friday, May 1 to Sunday, November 8, 2020.

Ceremony
Artist must be present for an artist talk in the Jepson Center on Thursday, April 30, 2020 at 6pm.

Materials
All type of media are welcomed (exceptions: live animals, performance, live plants).

What to Send

Part 1: The Written Proposal/Illustrations (Word document or pdf)

  • Contact Information
    • Full Name
    • Address
    • Telephone Number
    • Email Address
  • Illustration(s) of proposed work
    • Proposals must contain between 1 to 5 original sketches of the proposed work.
  • Detailed project description (1-page maximum)
    • Please provide information about the proposal including what materials will be used, a description of the concepts in the installation, and any maintenance the piece might require.

Part 2: Support Materials/Previous Work

  • Resume or CV (pdf or Word)
  • Previous Work Samples/Image List
    • 1 to 5 images of previous work (JPGS, 72 dpi listed by Last name_# ex: Smith_01). Please provide a separate list in a word document or .pdf with the titles, medium, year, and location.

Summary of Proposal Requirements*

1.     Contact Information

2.     Illustration of the proposed work

3.     A one-page description of the project

4.     Previous work samples

5.     Resume

*Incomplete proposals will not be considered

Selection Process

The winning proposal will be selected by guest judge Dr. Jonathan Walz. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria: Creativity and originality, feasibility, resourcefulness and suitability in the space, as well as visual appeal.

An expert on American modernism, Jonathan Frederick Walz is Director of Curatorial Affairs and Curator of American Art at The Columbus Museum, Georgia. He received an MA and a PhD—both in art history—from the University of Maryland, College Park. He previously served as curator of American art at Sheldon Museum of Art, where he mounted Land of Enchantment: New Mexico as Cultural Crossroads in 2015. Smithsonian Institution Press included his text, “Side Eye: Early Twentieth-Century American Portraiture on the Periphery,” in the 2018 book Essays in Honor of the National Portrait Gallery’s 50th Anniversary. “The Gleaners: Alma Thomas and Warren Rohrer at the Edge of the Field” will appear in the catalogue for the Penn State University exhibition Field Language: The Painting and Poetry of Warren and Jane Rohrer in 2020, and the exhibition that Walz is co-curating, Alma W. Thomas: A Creative Life, will open at the Chrysler Museum of Art in 2021 before traveling to three other venues. He lives with two cats, Winckelmann and Wölfflin.

The guest judge has no affiliation to the Chatham County area.

If you have any questions regarding the proposal guidelines, contact: Jessica Estes, Registrar and Collections Manager at 912-790-8813, estesj@telfair.org

FAQ

The museum prefers applicants to be residents of Chatham County, but will consider proposals from artists working in or who exhibit strong ties to Chatham County.

You must be 18 years or older to submit your work.

No, you do not have to be a professional artist, but previous examples of your art and/or examples of your ability to execute art projects will be required.

You are allowed to have help with your installation, but will not receive additional funds to reimburse helpers. You will also be required to provide names and background information for additional help.

The windows are accessed through the interior of the Jepson Center. Each window has two large door panels that open outwards into the hallway behind.

Yes, contact Jessica Estes, Registrar and Collections Manager, at estesj@telfair.org or 912.790.8813 to schedule a visit.

No, the doors must be able to be shut to adhere to the fire code.

Submit an email proposal to dunne@telfair.org by 5:00pm on Friday, January 10, 2020 with the subject line Boxed In/Break Out. Late and/or incomplete entries will not be considered.

Yes, you may submit up to three proposals for Boxed In/Break Out.

The winning submission will be decided by a guest curator.

The project will be displayed from May 1 to November 8, 2020.

Yes, you will be responsible for taking your materials down after November 8, 2020. If the work is not removed by November 14, 2020, the materials will be disposed of.

There is no application fee.

No, there will be no material reimbursement.

Most mediums will be accepted excluding live animals, live plants, or performance.

Please call Erin Dunn at 912-790-8842 or send a message to dunne@telfair.org

You will receive an email indicating that your application has been received. The winner of the project will be informed by an email by Friday, January 31, 2020 at the latest. Unsuccessful applicants will not be notified.

Disclaimer:
Telfair Museums reserves the right to refuse any or all submissions, and/or to withhold the honorarium should it be determined that submissions are not adequate.