Current Open Calls for Art:

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First Deadline ($30) : MAY 22 @ 11:59 PM CST

Extended Deadline ($35) : MAY 31 @ 11:59 PM CST

 

Woman Made Gallery seeks submissions for the first iteration of The Feminist Biennial, with the exhibition dates of September – November 2022. This is a group exhibition juried by Ashley Wynn (Independent curator, recent Director at Monique Meloche Gallery, Board Member at LATITUDE Chicago). This exhibition will be held at Woman Made Gallery located at 2150 S. Canalport Ave., Chicago, IL 60608 in the Pilsen neighborhood.

 

Exhibition Description

The Feminist Biennial is a bi-annual exhibition at WMG that puts forward reflections and evolutions of contemporary feminism, as a movement and personal subjective act. It highlights artistic excellence by artists working in any medium and who identify as women and non-binary artists, including trans women and femme/feminine-identifying genderqueer artists.
 

As legendary historical moments, the first three waves of feminism are well theorized and widely known. The first, woman’s suffrage; second propelled forward by the civil rights act, woman’s sexual and financial freedom; and the third the rise of queer theory, race justice and intersectionality within the feminist moment and sex positivity.

Now speculating the fourth wave, which has yet to be theorized and is less understood, WMG asks what does it mean to be a feminist today? At its core, feminism has been and continues to be a personal and collective reclamation of power in a patriarchal world that undervalues and devalues feminine-presenting expressions of self.  It is a lived experience, a daily act, and held in community to makes sense of the world through a feminist lens. WMG’s Feminist Biennial as an exhibition seeks to provide a platform for marginalized voices to put forth artwork that explores feminist thought, action, intersectionality and lived experience in 2022. 

As a juried exhibition, each iteration of the Feminist Biennial offers applicants the unique opportunity to have their work reviewed by esteemed arts professionals and industry connectors. The exhibition then results from a highly selective juried competition and presents work across career levels.  Awards include cash prizes or an additional two-person exhibition a WMG in spring 2023. A committee of professionals including the juror will award a two-person exhibition opportunity to awardees based on merit and the spirit of the exhibition.

Woman Made Gallery seeks artwork in all mediums. We encourage intersectional feminist approaches and lived experiences considering gender and sexuality, race, ethnicity, class, and/or disability, among other social locations.

PRIZES

  • $1,000 in awards including the Best of Show cash prize of $500,
  • A two-person exhibition at Woman Made Gallery scheduled for May 2023
 
ABOUT THE JUROR
 
Ashley Wynn is an independent arts professional living in Chicago, IL.  Formerly the director of contemporary spaces in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and most recently the director at Monique Meloche Gallery in Chicago, Wynn has collaborated with established and emerging artists on projects and exhibitions operating across the disciplines of art and performance.  From 2017 – 2019 Wynn held positions at MoMA PS1 and MOCA, where she assisted with curatorial work focused largely on the intersection of art and politics, facilitating commission projects, architectural installations, site specific performances, and film installations from a diverse array of contemporary artists.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in Art History from UCLA and currently sits on the board of LATITUDE Chicago.
 

About Juried Exhibitions

Woman Made Gallery (WMG) hosts 7 exhibitions annually, 5 of which are juried exhibitions and open to submissions from women and non-binary artists. These juried exhibitions explore a wide variety of themes that connect women and non-binary artists with high profile art industry professionals and foster dialogue within contemporary feminism and social justice.

The WMG programming committee (composed of WMG staff, board, and volunteers) identifies initial themes and potential jurors, and collaborates with each juror to develop the exhibition themes.

Recent jurors have included:
Alison Wong (Director and Curator at Wasserman Projects, Detroit); Dolores Mercado (Associate Curator at National Museum of Mexican Art), Jessica Bingham (artist, mother, and recent Curator at University Galleries of Illinois State University, Normal, IL), Juana Williams (Independent Curator, Detroit), Mia Lopez (Assistant Curator at the DePaul Art Museum in Chicago), Kathryn Markel (Director of Markel Fine Arts, New York City), Whitney LaMora (Curator at The Martin and LOCUS, Chicago), Amy Galpin (Chief Curator at Frost Art Museum of Florida International University), Sam Kirk (Multidisciplinary Artist, Chicago), Barbara Ciurej and Lindsay Lochman (collaborative photographers, Milwaukee, WI), Dorit Jordan Dotan (multi-media artist, Chicago), Indira Freitas Johnson (artist and educator, Chicago), among others.

View Open Calls for Art View Current Exhibits

 

 

ELIGIBILITY

Woman Made Gallery is a space for Women and non-binary artists from our local community, regionally based, and around the world. We welcome art from all women, including trans women and femme/feminine-identifying genderqueer and non-binary artists.

No work may exceed 6’ horizontally or be over 75 pounds in weight unless delivered and picked up by the artist. WMG will refuse receipt of art that is heavier than 75 pounds. Artworks must be delivered to the gallery “ready to exhibit.” Technology and/or works requiring special instructions will be organized upon acceptance. 

 
ENTRY FEE
 
Unless indicated otherwise, WMG juried exhibitions require a submission fee of $30-$35. Only one submission may be entered per artist. Each submission requires one artwork, though up to three artworks may be considered per submission. Paid submission does not guarantee an exhibition opportunity. No refunds offered.
 
Members at the Enhanced Artist Level and above receive one free entry annually. Please email general@womanmade.org to receive your one-time code for free entry redemption. 
 

WMG offers fee waivers to those that request the need and upon approved application. WMG offers 25 fee waivers in total. To acknowledge the historic inequities of wealth distribution, 15 of the 25 are exclusively reserved for ALAANA/BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+. Factors that result in an approved application include financial instability or low-income status, student or recent graduate status, identification as ALAANA/BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+, or a demonstrated need otherwise. WMG accepts Fee Waiver Request forms on a rolling basis until all fee waivers have been distributed. A note declaring all fee waivers have been distributed will be added to the Submission form at that time. (That is, if you are reading this, the form is active, and there are still fee waivers available!) The team at WMG will approve and send a Submittal fee waived link within 4 days of application receipt.  

To request a fee waiver — complete this form.

 
 
TERMS OF EXHIBITION
 
Woman Made Gallery expects accepted artworks to arrive to the gallery as pictured and with installation requirements submitted at the time of application. A limited number of accommodations may be made, but must be approved by the gallery at the time of artist contract agreements. Artist contract agreement with the full terms of exhibition will be distributed for agreement to all accepted artists upon acceptance notification. Terms of exhibition include final exhibition schedule, shipping and delivery, installation requirements, insurance disclaimer, art sales and commissions, right of reproduction of digital files and images, website and publicity requirements, among others. For details on terms of exhibition, please review details for each call for art or email general@womanmade.org with questions.