some of you know that i'm currently co-curating a gallery show that will be on display at the gallery project in ann arbor, michigan (http://www.thegalleryproject.com/). it's a beautiful gallery in the middle on downtown ann arbor.
the show is showcasing visual storytelling... showing comic pages and sequences of illustrations.
we have a LOT of great work to show from a lot of artists hand-picked and invited by myself and the other curators... but after plotting out hanging the show, we've realized a few pieces are so small we have room for 5-6 more artists in the space.
so... i'm opening up submissions to the public.
if you are interested in having your comic work or illustrations highlighted in the show, please sent 4+ sample jpegs to gallery.project.A2@gmail.com. the other curator and myself will review your submissions ASAP and get back to you right away. I'll also send you all the official papers, like the gallery welcome letter, selling options, etc.
we will be hanging your work, so it does not need to be framed ahead of time. if you are in the southeast michigan area, you're also more than welcome to come to the show opening and party.
i hope to hear from you!
-katie
**edit** since i was asked, this is the letter i has sent out about it:
I am contacting you because we are co-curating a fine art show called "Visual Storytelling" at the Gallery Project here in Ann Arbor, MI. This is our preliminary contact with you to let you know we are interested in showcasing your work in this event.
Here's the scoop. Comics are about stories. They're about using unique visuals and interpretations of life to create a story that we can read without words. The premise of this show is to showcase great visual storytellers. Comics often have such a negative connotation in the fine arts community, being labeled as something for kids' entertainment... we're out to show the nay-sayers that this is indeed a valid art form with some of today's most talented artists turning to comics to express themselves.
This is what we used to pitch the idea to the gallery:
Comics and graphic novels are so much more than super heroes and licensed children's characters.... they are a true art form, one that can take a lifetime of experience to perfect. Nowadays, comics can range in subject to real-life character studies to retellings of classic stories in a fresh way to exploring history to the artist drawing something autobiographical and more. Comics are creeping more and more into the mainstream, now having their own large sections in stores like Borders and Barnes and Noble. It's time that we showcased the artists that make these books come to life.
With this in mind, we are hoping to have you submit your work to be on display (and for sale if you'd like) during the time of this show (April 15-May 15, 2009). Here's what we are looking for:
-Pages that represent sequential storytelling. These can be in any state of completion. Because we are looking to show the process of creation, we are interested in pencils, inks and colored work, even the same pages in various stages of completion.
-a series of illustrations from a book
-comic scripts with pages accompanying them (that we can showcase alongside your work to show how your work goes from script to page)
-character sketches and concept drawings.
-any 3D model building, papercrafting, etc. that you build and use as reference. (like we stated before, we're very interested in showcasing the process as well as the final work!)
This is just our preliminary contact for you, if you would let us know if you are interested in participating in our show, please let us know so we can send you contracts and a proper description of the event. We are very excited to be a part of this show and hope we can get your assistance in making it a terrific one. Feel free to visit www.thegalleryproject.com to learn all you can about the facility. It's a beautiful gallery with many different spaces available to display work (from the naturally lit white walls of the main gallery to the weathered bare brick in the back gallery and lower floor).
We hope to hear back from you soon,
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