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Well-Being Ourselves: Reflect, Reimagine, Connect

This exhibition was on display at West Windsor Arts and Whole World Arts

August 31 to October 23, 2021

Prospectus for

Well-Being Ourselves: Reflect, Reimagine, Connect

Submission Deadline Extended to July 11th

Well-Being Ourselves invites artists to explore well-being in a time of growing awareness around mental health, including emotional, psychological and social aspects. Our shifted context has led to the potential for a revision of well-being.  How have conventional concepts reflected this shift for your lived experience?  Has this impacted ways you have been able to sustain yourself, your challenges and resilience?  Recent social justice tides have brought sweeping momentum, action and calls to reimagine justice and movement building.  Intersecting legacies of injustice and trauma can impact mental health and well-being.  How does your art or artmaking reflect interdependence of communities and intersectional identities?  We seek art that can envision new ways of being that are relational, fight stigma, dismantle ableism, and uphold disability justice.

Jurors Chanika Svetvilas and Gwynneth VanLaven

Chanika Svetvilas (chanikasvetvilas.com) is a multidisciplinary artist who utilizes lived experience of mental health difference as a way to create safe spaces, to disrupt stereotypes and to reflect on contemporary issues as a cultural worker. She has presented her work at the annual College Art Association Conference, Society for Disability Studies Conference, and the Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity.  She has also exhibited at the Denver International Airport, Queens Museum, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, ABCNoRio, Brooklyn Public Library, Westbeth Gallery, Islip Art Museum, Asian Arts Initiative, the Wexner Center for the Arts, and Trenton Artworks (upcoming), among other spaces and contexts. She holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College.

Svetvilas is also the co-founder of ThaiLinks, a collective that was based in New York City dedicated to increasing awareness about Thai issues and the Thai American community and co-founder of the biennial Thai Takes film festival, the first Thai film festival in New York State. Her work has been published in Studying Disability Art and Culture, An Introduction by Petra Kuppers, and Wordgathering, A Journal of Disability Poetry and Literature; and Rogue Agent.

Svetvilas’ studio is located at historic Art Station in Hightstown, NJ where she also serves as commissioner for the Hightstown Arts Commission.

Gwynneth VanLaven (www.gwynnethvanlaven.net)  is an artist and educator living in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Her art practice includes photography, installation, writing, performance, and social engagement.  She celebrates the interdisciplinary with a BA in Multimodal Language, Knox College, and MFA in Critical Art Practice, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.  There VanLaven taught at the School of Art until relocating to Michigan.  VanLaven’s writing is broadly published from The Washington Post to Performance Research.  Gwynneth’s multimedia installation and photographic artwork have been exhibited internationally, and at venues including the Smithsonian Institution and Kennedy Center.

Celebrating art for community and social action, Gwynneth recently worked with students at University of Michigan to redesign the fabric(s) of health institutions.  VanLaven is certifying to lead InterPlay and assists for DanceAbility, both inclusive community-building embodiment modalities celebrating curiosity and play.  From her experiences with illnesses and disabling accident, she embraces the humor and surprises that can ensue while being “patient.”

Timeline for show:
Deadline to enter artwork: Sunday, July 11
Drop off date for artwork: Week of Aug 23
Exhibition dates: August 31 to October 22, 2021
Virtual Opening Reception: weekend of Sept 10-12

ELIGIBILITY: 

• Open to all artists 18 years of age and older. All art must be original and new to WWAC.
• 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 paintings, drawings, sculpture, digital media, videos and music compositions, mixed media, photography and printmaking. WWA will work with the accepted artists to accommodate the mediums submitted. Artwork must be in its original form for the medium being submitted.

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 original is a photograph/print. Example: giclée of watercolor will not be accepted.
• All works entered MUST include finished edges or be framed.  Alternative presentations that art part of the artwork will be accepted however we must be able to hang or display the art. Typically all work must be properly wired across the back with picture hanging wire. Wire must be approximately 1/3 from top of frame. Saw-tooth hooks, ribbon, etc. will NOT be accepted. WWAC reserves the right to reject any work that is not ready to hang.
• All pieces must be labeled on the back with the artist’s name and the title of the artwork.

Entry Fee:  $20 for WWA Members, $25 for all others
Membership status will be confirmed before entry is sent to the jurors.
We are working to make artist opportunities accessible to all and have limited financial assistance available.  Those interested may contact Kimberly Ducote-Schimmel at kimberly@westwindsorarts.org for more information.

ACCEPTED ARTWORK: Entry of artwork and application for jury review constitutes an agreement between the artist and West Windsor Arts Council (WWAC) 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 the West Windsor Arts Center and for the duration of the show.
2. The juror reserves the right to reject any work submitted at their discretion. The exhibit will be hung in the gallery and foyer at WWA and in our new space at MarketFair Mall 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 at the Arts Center. If you are shipping your art, prior arrangements must be made as staff is not in the building on a regular basis yet.

SALE OF ARTWORK

• WWAC will be responsible for processing and collecting the sale proceeds of art.
• WWAC will retain 30% of the retail price of Wall Art as commission and pay the balance of 70% of sale. Artist Members receive preferred split on gallery sales (75/25)
• For artwork exhibited at MarketFair Mall, we need to add a 12% surcharge to the price.  The percentage split will still be based on the price the artist gives us. For example, if the artist gives us a price of $300, the 70% will be $210 ($300 x 70%).  The price listed for the consumer will be $336 ($300 plus 12% of $300).  This surcharge only applies to work hung in the gallery at MarketFair.
• Payment for sold work will be made by check within 21 business days of close of the exhibit.

The West Windsor Arts Council retains the right to use artist’s name and digital images of accepted artwork.

It may be helpful to have the following information ready before you begin the form:
—Artist info: name as it will appear on wall labels, contact information, website (if applicable),
—Bio (This might include how you began as an artist, who you have studied with, shows you have been in, your overall philosophy and/or inspiration as an artist, etc.)
For each artwork:
—Title, image description, year made, medium, dimensions, sale price or not for sale, insurance value (usually the same as the sale price)
—Description of frame of finishing
—Artist statement about this artwork
—Describe how this artwork connects to the theme of the show
—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.  The name of the file you are uploading must be in the following format: last name_first name_title of art.jpg)