Open Call to Artists

Manifesting Beloved Community

Healing of the planet for the good of humanity

​Exhibition dates: January 7 to March 1, 2025
Reception: January 10, 2025
Deadline to enter art: December 10, 2024

West Windsor Arts Council and Art Against Racism, (both 501(c)(3) organizations), invite artists to submit artwork for “Manifesting Beloved Community” a juried exhibition of work exploring the interrelationship of community health and efforts to create an antiracist society that share in the responsibilities to create a healthy planet for the good of humanity.

“Manifesting Beloved Community” invites artists to visualize what it means to create and live in a nation or world designed around social and economic justice beyond the ills of structural racism. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Beloved Community” references a caring vision where we all share in the well being of global communities and the healing of the planet for the good of humanity. We ask that artists explore one or more themes in their work that relate to:

• Economic justice
• Healthcare
• Housing
• Employment
• The environment
• Cultural expression

Selected work will also be shown at West Windsor Arts and in online galleries at Artagainstracism.org and WestWindsorArts.org
Art submission links at the bottom of the page. Please scroll down. 

JURORS: ISABEL NAZARIO and JULIO NAZARIO

ISABEL NAZARIO is a visual artist living in Highland Park, NJ since 1992. She was born in Puerto Rico and raised both in the Island and in the South Bronx NYC. She attended the High School of Music and Art and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Queens College, CUNY, where she taught Caribbean art history courses. Over the years she worked in museum education, managed a community art gallery in the Queens Museum of Art, and was an associate in the museum program in New York State Council on the Arts. She retired from Rutgers University as the Associate Vice President for Strategic Diversity Initiatives in the Arts, and Humanities, a post that she held since 2004. In the university she had oversight responsibility for the Center for Women in the Arts and Humanities and for twelve years, beginning in 1992 she was the founding director of the Rutgers Center for Latino Arts and Culture.

JULIO NAZARIO is a photographer and printmaker living in Highland Park NJ, born and raised in “el Barrio” Harlem, NYC. Nazario is a graduate of Mason Gross School of Arts, Rutgers University with an M.F.A. in Visual Arts and Queens College (CUNY) with a B.A. in Philosophy. His black and white photographs have been exhibited in El Museo del Barrio and in other venues in New York City. He was Instructor of Photography for 10 years at the International Center of Photography in New York City; and an adjunct Associate Professor at La Guardia Community College (CUNY) for 17 years. For decades he also created mixed media prints of images referencing medals he received when he served in the Vietnam War including a Purple Heart. Nazario retired in 2019 from Rutgers University where for 20 years he was an Assistant Dean for Outreach, Special Initiatives and Assessment in the School of Arts and Sciences Honors Program. Currently, he is founding codirector of the West Strand Art Gallery in Kingston New York, which he runs with his life-time partner artist Isabel Nazario. They both divide their time between New Jersey and Kingston NY.

TIMELINE
Deadline to submit work: December 10, 2024
Notification of selections: December 17, 2024
Drop off/send work: January 2 to 3, 2025
Exhibition dates: January 7 to March 1, 2025
Reception: January 10, 2025 

ELIGIBILITY

• Open to all artists 16 years of age and older. All art must be original and new to West Windsor Arts.
• This will be a virtual and in gallery exhibition. There is no size limitation for art, however, size will be taken into consideration by the juror.
• Works to be considered include works on paper/canvas, 3D works, digital media, videos, music compositions, text-based works, documentation of community actions, zines and performative actions/ their scripts, are all welcome.
• All artwork must include meaningful human input. AI-generated pieces should be significantly shaped by the artist’s creativity and not solely produced by AI.

ARTWORK SPECIFICATIONS

• A maximum of three pieces can be entered per artist.
• Artwork must be in original form for the medium being submitted. Giclée or other reproductions of original work will not be accepted, unless the original is a photograph/print. Example: giclée of watercolor will not be accepted.
• All artworks entered MUST include finished edges or be framed. Alternative presentations that are part of the artwork will be accepted however we must be able to hang or display the art. Typically all work must be wired across the back with picture hanging wire. Wire must be approximately 1/3 from top of frame. Saw-tooth hooks, ribbon, or easel back, etc. will NOT be accepted. All pieces should be labeled with the artist’s name and the title of the artwork.
• For videos and other digital media, we will need a version that can be downloaded.
• WWA will work with the accepted artists to accommodate the mediums submitted. 

ENTRY FEE

$5 for each artwork, up to 3 artworks per artist.

TERMS FOR ACCEPTED ARTWORK

Entry of artwork and application for jury review constitutes an agreement between the artist and West Windsor Arts Council to the conditions set forth:

1. Insurance coverage for accepted artwork begins upon completion of drop-off procedure on the designated date and time at West Windsor Arts and continues for the duration of the show.
2. The juror, West Windsor Arts, and Art Against Racism reserve the right to reject any work submitted at their discretion. The exhibit will be hung in the gallery and foyer at WWA in a way that best showcases all the artists and art to be exhibited. Note: depending on size and space restrictions, not all work selected may be hung. Artists will be notified immediately following final installation of the exhibit if a selected work is not included or if any work submitted is not properly framed for hanging.
3. Work not matching the digital images submitted will not be accepted.
4. All artwork must remain in the show for the duration of the show.
5. There will be set dates and times for drop off and pick up of accepted artwork. If you are shipping your art, prior arrangements must be made. Artwork must be sent with prepaid return postage and insurance coverage at the expense of the artist.
6. Sale of Art
   1. West Windsor Arts will be responsible for processing and collecting the sale proceeds of art.
   2. West Windsor Arts/Art Against Racism will retain 30% of the retail price as commission and pay the balance of 70% of sale. Artist Level Members of WWA receive a preferred split on gallery sales (75/25).
   3. Payment for sold work will be made by check within 21 business days of close of the exhibit.
7. West Windsor Arts and Art Against Racism retain the right to use the artist’s name and digital images of accepted artwork for communications and promotions.

It may be helpful to have the following information ready before you begin the form:

Artist information:
Artist name and contact information
Brief bio with highlights of artist career (no more than 150 words)
Artist statement about overall works/practice

For each artwork:
Title, medium,year, dimensions
No more than 2-3 lines describing how each artwork connects to the theme
Upload image (An image of each piece of artwork will need to be uploaded.  Make sure it is in focus and square to the frame.  Please rename the image file you are uploading to the following format: last name_first name_title of art.jpg.  Do not send us an image file name that is just a string of numbers.  If you need help to rename your image files, please call us.)

HOW TO ENTER YOUR ARTWORK: 
1) Fill out this form: 2025 Manifesting Beloved Community Entry Form
2) Pay the entry fee:  Fee Manifesting Beloved Community Art Show 2025

Featured art: Dark Matters by Nancy Shell and Hope-Tree of Life by Spriha Gupta. Part of 2024 Manifesting Beloved Community exhibition.