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.
Current and archived exhibitions are AVAILABLE ONLINE.
CURRENT OPEN CALLS FOR ART:
(We will announce our next calls for art in mid-February – March. Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on social media to be the first to know!)
FIRST DEADLINE ($30) : JAN 30 @ 11:59 PM CST
EXTENDED DEADLINE ($35) : FEB 6 @ 11:59 PM CST
Woman Made Gallery is seeking submissions for our April – May, 2022 group exhibition juried by Sundus Abdul Hadi (artist, writer, curator). This exhibition will be held at Woman Made Gallery located at 2150 S. Canalport Ave., Chicago, IL 60608 in the Pilsen neighborhood.
EXHIBITION DESCRIPTION
“Deeply-rooted is an empowered word to describe any person or community rooted in an ancient culture steeped in traditional and Indigenous knowledge that colonization attempted to erase. It is a word that attempts to describe the multiplicity of ethnicities and experiences related to the international Indigenous, Black, Pan-African, Afro-descendent, Arab, Brown, Latinx, South American, and Asian communities.
Transcultural communities, in all our diversity, have much in common. However, to truly be in solidarity with one another, we must celebrate our differences rather than skim over them in an attempt to boost our similarities. Just as in a family, or a forest, each individual is completely different from the others, I see our interconnected communities as relatives. We are members of an international family with much to learn and teach one another, nurtured through a sophisticated system of roots. The experiences of struggle, unbelonging, colonialism, and marginalization have affected communities the world over, particularly when displaced and uprooted in so-called Western societies.
Every time I would use or read words like “marginalized”, “people of colour”, “global south”, “BIPOC” or “colonized”, I found them limiting in describing the multitude of experiences of a rich diversity of people they claim to represent. These words are often white-centering and are unimaginative. I coined the term deeply-rooted in place of words that identify us as inferior, marginal, or secondary to whiteness. I use this word to describe the multiplicity of ethnicities who are connected not just through struggle, but through deeply rooted ancient identities, familiar spirits, and shared experiences of resistance to white supremacy and colonialism.
This exhibit seeks to center the experiences of the deeply-rooted, through a decolonial lens. By reflecting on both ancestry and futurity, we will collectively offer new narratives, definitions and representations of what it means to be both ancient and novel in a world on the cusp of change.” – Sundus Abdul Hadi
The juror is interested in questions around the following :
- Tell us a story about deep roots.
- How does it feel to be deeply-rooted?
- As deeply-rooted people, how can we see ourselves into the future?
- How can we honor our roots and ancestry in our acknowledgement of our plural identities?
- How can we define ourselves outside of the limits of the colonial construct while using the English language?
- How can we imagine ourselves differently from the way we have been represented by those outside of our communities?
- How can we create new narratives to alleviate the burden of constant correction that is placed on the shoulders of many deeply rooted artists?
- What does transcultural solidarity mean for you?
- Imagine a world where colonialism never happened.
- Show us decolonization in practice.
ABOUT THE JUROR
Sundus Abdul Hadi is an artist and writer. Born to Iraqi parents, she was raised and educated in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, where she earned a BFA in Studio Arts and Art History and a MA in Media Studies. Sundus’ transmedia work is a sensitive reflection on trauma, struggle, and care. She is the author/illustrator of “Shams”, a children’s book about trauma, transformation and healing. Her book titled “Take Care of Your Self: The Art and Cultures of Care and Liberation” (Common Notions, Fall 2020) is about care, curation and community. She is the cofounder of We Are The Medium, an artist collective and culture point.
Abdul Hadi’s work has been exhibited in Palestine, Canada, USA, France, UK and New Zealand. She has been a speaker at Nuqat Kuwait, SADA Iraq, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, Telfair Museums, the Aga Khan Museum and multiple universities in Turtle Island.
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.
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.
