Call for Artists

COVID: Collecting Our Voices in the Caribbean and its Diaspora

The Museums Association of the Caribbean (MAC) invites all artists to submit work(s) for consideration in a virtual exhibition that will exist on the MAC website and will be projected at various sites throughout the Caribbean.

The COVID pandemic has created an unprecedented moment within our time; its impact has been felt throughout the world. Knowing that artwork can sometimes convey what words cannot, this project aims to illuminate how people in the Caribbean and its Diaspora are living and moving through this crisis through creative expression.

• What artistic ways have you found to “speak out” or express solidarity and compassion?
• How have these difficult times inspired you to look within and towards the community?
• What global points of connections, past and present, are being amplified? 

The final exhibition will represent 60 artists: 10 from the Anglophone Caribbean; 10 from the Francophone; 10 from the Spanish-speaking; 10 from the Dutch; 10 from the African diaspora and 10 spaces are held for media that do not fit the usual categories (see below)*.

Submission Deadline: 30 November 2020.
Artists will be notified of jury decisions by end January 2021 and the exhibition will be launched in March 2021.

MAC will accept images of the following:

We will also accept written works (poetry/essays), video works and sound pieces/files.

Guidelines for Application 

• All entries must be submitted electronically.
• Work should either relate to the topic (i.e. older works dealing with themes of sickness, health, crisis, wellness) or have been made during the current pandemic.
• Artist should provide name, a short biography, website or email.
• Artist should provide a short description of their artwork(s) (maximum 500 words).
• Artists may submit up to 3 pieces of original artwork per submission.
• Multiple submissions are allowed, however each submission has a processing fee of $15.
• There is no age limit for applicants.
• Submitted artwork images should be high definition (jpeg,tiff or gif, 300 DPI or greater and 3.5+ inches in size) and photographed against a plain (preferably white) background.
• Please give proper dimensions and media in labels. 
• Text submissions are also accepted (doc, docx, pdf, text).
• Maximum file size for any individual image is 2 MB.
• Video and sound files must be less than 20 MB and under 3 minutes in length.

Image Labelling

• Jpeg images MUST BE labelled as follows: YOUR LAST Name_FIRST_Name_The number that corresponds with that work’s placement on the Entry Form (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.): smith_joe_1.jpg; smith_joe_2.jpg etc.)

Sculptors must submit two views of EACH work, at no extra cost, and label each work:smith_joe_1a.jpg; smith_joe_1b.jpg; smith_joe_2a.jpg; smith_joe_2b.jpg etc.

Files which are mislabelled or lack the artist’s name will not be viewed by the juror.

Selection

Submissions are subject to evaluation by our internal MAC jury and will be judged on creativity, used medium, originality and quality of work. All accepted works will be displayed on the MAC website, with artist name, bio, email, website, and a full description of their work.

MAC COVID Scholarship Application

A limited number of scholarships are available for artists who need assistance with the application fee. Complete the brief application online here by the deadline of 11:59 EST on November 26. Awarded applicants will be notified by November 20.  Applicants should not submit artwork prior to receiving notifications about their award status.

Usage Rights

Before submitting your work, you must accept the following agreement between you as the artist and MAC.

• MAC will use your photos only for promotional purpose on our website and our social media channels.
• Participants permit MAC to store select piece of work as part of the present exhibition. This will be available for public viewing on the MAC website
• Selected work will list artist name, title, medium and a link back to their website or email address if they do not have a website.
• Artist shall retain all copyrights of any image they submit to MAC
• Images will not be resold, exchanged or copied from the exhibition site.

This project is generously supported by

Memorial AcTe