Black History Month Festival

Description

Reimagining Black Identity, Strength, and Vulnerability

Curators: Renee Baker and Wisdom Baty

Location: OH Art Foundation 2nd fl of Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St. Chicago, IL 60609Exhibition Dates:  1/17/25- 3/16/25 Application Deadline: 10/21/24- 11/30/24

Exhibition Description:

This art exhibit seeks to explore the multifaceted healing nature of Black identity, shedding light on the complex intersections of strength, vulnerability, history, and future within the Black experience. We invite artists of all mediums—visual art, sculpture, photography, performance and beyond—to submit works that address the evolving narrative of Blackness in contemporary society.

The exhibit will showcase pieces that reframe traditional representations, inviting viewers to engage with themes of resilience, introspection, liberation, and the ever-shifting contours of identity. Artists are encouraged to challenge stereotypes and preconceived notions of Blackness, emphasizing the beauty and power that resides in embracing vulnerability, as well as the quiet strength found in moments of resistance, defiance, and healing.

We are looking for works that speak to the full range of Black lived experiences—capturing both the triumphs and the struggles, the joy and the pain, the collective memory and individual expression. The exhibit aims to create space for reflection, dialogue, and healing while embracing the depth and complexity that defines Blackness.

By reimagining Black identity healing, strength, and vulnerability, this exhibit will offer a new vision—one that is unapologetically authentic, challenging, and transformative. Artists are encouraged to draw upon personal narratives, cultural history, and current social movements to inspire their work, creating an environment where art becomes a tool for collective healing, liberation, and empowerment.

Submission Guidelines:

Eligibility: Open to all artists 18 years and older in the United States.Submission Fee: $25 (early submission) for up to 2 artworks.                                             

Artwork Requirements: 

Submissions may include, but are not limited to: paintings, drawings, photography, and mixed media on the wall. Works should be thought-provoking, emotionally resonant, and relevant to the themes of the exhibit. All submitted works should be original, and artists may submit up to 2 pieces for consideration.

High-resolution images of the artwork. Blurry, low quality and bad images will be automatically disqualified. Image size should not exceed 3 MB per imageArtist name, Title, medium, dimensions, price, and year of creation for the title of each piece.Artist statement.Link to website and/or Instagram

Artwork Size Restrictions: No larger than 72 inches height. (Please send us an email for special case for us to consider - info@ohartfoundation.org)

Shipping: Artists will be responsible for shipping and delivery to and from the gallery.

Deadline for submissions: 

This exhibit is an opportunity to reimagine, redefine, and celebrate Black identity in all its forms. We look forward to receiving your submissions and welcoming diverse expressions of art that challenge, inspire, and spark meaningful conversations.

Selected works will be featured in an exhibition that will run between 1/17/25- 3/16/25 at OH Art Foundation/ Zhou B Art Center, with an opening reception scheduled for 1/17/25 7pm- 10pm

Selection Process:Exhibition teams with the curator/Jury: Renee Baker and Wisdom Baty together will select artists and will be notified by 12/10/24. A list of artists will be posted on our website https://ohartfoundation.org/join-us 

Art Sales:There is a 40% commission on all gallery sales

Participation Rules:By submitting your art to us, you grant Oh Art Foundation and Zhou B Art Center permission to publish your work in print, online, and in social media for exhibition and marketing purposes. All artwork will be attributed to the artist. By participating, you certify that you are the rightful owner of the art and that it does not infringe in any copyright violations.

Important Dates:Submission Deadline:11/30/24 11:59pm Central timeNotification of Acceptance: 12/10/24 Artwork Drop off: 1/13/25Exhibition Opening: 1/17/25Artwork Pickup/Return: 3/18/25

About the Curators:

Renee' C. Baker: Renee is a multidisciplinary artist known for her groundbreaking work in music, visual art, film, and composition. With over 2000 orchestral and chamber ensemble compositions, she transcends traditional boundaries, blending classical music with jazz and improvisation. As founder and director of the Chicago Modern Orchestra Project (CMOP), Baker creates immersive experiences through her innovative gestural conducting language, CCL/FLOW, and scores for over 500 silent and 100 experimental films.

Her ensembles, like the Mantra Blue Free Orchestra, forge new paths in contemporary music. Baker's global reach is reflected in her graphic score performances in Berlin, Poland, London, and more. A member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), she is dedicated to championing Black artists and fostering individual expression.

Baker’s work has been featured in 29 solo art shows since 2013, and she has composed notable operas, including "bluSamsara" and "Sweet Fruit Falling." Her upcoming project, "Langston Hughes: BOIL IT DOWN!!," premieres in 2025. 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rcbm...

Wisdom Baty: Baty received her BFA in Painting at UIC’s School of Art and Design (2012) and MA in Arts Administration and Policy, from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2018). An avid arts collaborator and curator, she is a contributor to Fleeting Monuments for the Wall of Respect (2021 publication), Threewalls Dreaming Circles, We Will Chicago’s Arts and Culture Pillar (DCASE), 6018N Justice Hotel, and SAIC 2015 Inaugural Black Experience. Baty has participated in Marwen’s Teaching Artist Residency, Museum of Contemporary Art Teachers Institute, and Norfolk Summer School of Art Yale Fellowship 2007. In 2023, Baty was featured in The Chicago Readers: Peoples Issue, and is the founder and creative director of WILD YAMS: Black Mothers Artist Residency. 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ways...

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