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
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 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.
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.