CALL FOR ART

DEADLINE: January 31, 2018

The online form is here, but please review this page first.

Battle of the Sexes Revisited: The Sexual Harassment Volley of Today

Honan-Allston Library Art Gallery, Allston, MA
Organized by Unbound Visual Arts
March 10 – April 27, 2018
Reception – March 10, 2018, 1:00 – 4:30 pm

Curated by John Quatrale,  Brenda Gael McSweeney, PhD, advisor

Exhibition designer  – Alexandra Kontsevaia

See past UVA exhibitions here.

Note:  Art submitted for consideration need NOT show actual sexual harassment. Rather, we are seeking 2 and 3 dimensional works of art, including abstracts, that represent or relate to the topics, issues, emotions and reaction, and actions listed below. Also, we are not expecting artists to reveal any personal harassment.

There is NO entry fee. If your membership donation needs to be renewed, please renew here before submitting. New members may also join UVA here before submitting.  After completing the form below, please hit “Submit Here” at the bottom of this page.

Unbound Visual Arts (UVA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is organizing an exhibition at the Honan-Allston Library Art Gallery, 300 North Harvard St., Allston, MA.  The purpose of the exhibition on the topic described below, through art created by today’s artists as well as other relevant components (documents, music, videos, artifacts, poetry etc.). 

The exhibition will run from March 10 – April 27, 2018 and the opening reception is Saturday, March 10th, 2018 from 1:00 – 4:00 pm with live music, refreshments, and short artist and curator talks. Artwork, including paintings, drawings, photographs, collages and sculptural works submitted by UVA members (male and female) will be selected by the curator for quality and its relationship to the theme.  The curator will be responsible for interpreting all artwork and its relevancy to the exhibition.  Three (3) dimensional sculptural works, with a height of less than 24 inches, may also be submitted. All other two (2) dimensional wall artwork should be between 24 and 36 inches in length or height, including the frame, if applicable.  Regular UVA member artists may submit up to four (4) works of art. Sustaining UVA member artists ($100 or more) may submit up to six (6) works of art by Wednesday January 31, 2018 at midnight using UVA’s online form HERE. New members may join UVA prior to submitting. The Honan-Allston Library Art Gallery is a professional single-purpose gallery with lighting that makes it one of the best library galleries in the Greater Boston area.  All artists will sign the standard exhibition and loan agreement which states that Unbound Visual Arts (UVA) is entitled to a 35% commission on all sales and that the artists will attend the reception. UVA carries fine art insurance against damage and theft of the art while being transported and on exhibition. The full exhibition will also be placed on UVA’s website in perpetuity for continued online sales. UVA will manage the installation, all sales and all publicity, including a postcard, and the opening reception. UVA will determine the framing needs of individual works of art. This especially applies to photographs, which will generally be framed by UVA. 

Artists and their artwork will be announced at the Mardi Gras & Carnival Celebration of the Arts at the Green Briar on February 13, 2018.  Artists will also be notified on February 14, 2018 and on the Unbound Visual Arts website.

If selected, artwork should be delivered to Unbound Visual Arts (UVA) headquarters, 320 Washington Street (next door to the Green Briar), Suite 200, Brighton, MA on Tuesday February 27th 11:00 am – 6:00 pm or Wednesday February 28th from 1:00 – 5:00 pm.  Alternative times can also be arranged. 

 

Battle of the Sexes Revisited: The Sexual Harassment Volley of Today

Preliminary Statement

This exhibition is about how treating females differently than males oftentimes results in many forms of sexism, harassment, and assault. The art presents many of the “battle of the sexes” issues to encourage and facilitate a healthy dialogue about these forms of discrimination.

Misbehavior, sometimes sanctioned by law or custom, occurs in the family, at work and school, while socializing, while being in the community or just about anywhere. Though unwelcome physical contact has been recognized as illegal for some time, that behavior persists and results in abuse, assault and rape in every country.  Non-physical behaviors have also been illegal in many nations as well, but those actions remain pervasive in many forms and in many arenas.  But, what was once accepted as just “boys being  boys” is now being challenged by the law and by women, declaring #MeToo.

The exhibition’s realistic and abstract fine art presents different subjects and emotions from the United States and the world to encourage the audience to interact and reflect on gender roles as reflected in public and personal interactions.

The exhibition takes place during Women’s History Month, for which the 2018 theme is “Nevertheless she persisted: honoring women who fight all forms of discrimination against women.”

Topics for the artwork that might be represented through art or curator’s expanded labels

• Workplaces – office, restaurant, factory, hotels, etc.
• Health Care – hospital, doctor’s office, nursing home, etc.
• Recreation – gym, beach, sports, tennis, golf, skiing, hiking, biking, etc.
• Public settings – parks, streets and sidewalks, colleges and schools, public buildings, etc.
• Social Settings – nightclub, concert, theater, museum, library, etc.

Issues that might be represented through art or curator’s expanded labels

• Assault and violence
• Attraction
• Authority
• Cat-calls
• Changing roles for women
• Control
• Coercion
• Consent
• Dating
• Discrimination
• Everyone knew
• Flirting
• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
• Groping and touching
• Harassment
• Harassment of men
• Hostile work environment
• Hugging
• Immigrants and migrants
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, queer (LGBTQ)
• Low income workers
• Media issues
• Misbehavior
• No means No
• Obscene remarks
• Pay issues
• Power
• Propositions
• Queer & Trans Black/Indigenous/People of Color (QTBIPOC)
• Rape
• Same sex harassment
• Sexism
• Sexual Advances
• Sexual favors in exchange for benefits
• What do I do?
• Womanizing, being fresh

Emotions and reactions that might be represented through art or curator’s expanded labels

• Acceptance
• Accountability
• Apology
• Anger
• Believability
• Blame
• Compassion
• Constraint
• Courage
• Denial
• Desire
• Embarrassment
• Empathy
• Everyone knew
• Fear
• Forgetting
• Forgiveness
• Healing
• Hopeful
• Justice
• Love
• Power
• Regret
• Remembering
• Resistance
• Sadness
• Shame
• Silence
• Social structure and status
• Speaking up (#MeToo)
• Strength
• Truth
• What do I do?

Actions that might be represented through art or curator’s expanded labels

• 50/50 management teams (More women managers)
• Accused and Zero tolerance
• A conversation is needed that doesn’t cut men out of the conversation
• Creating a healthy dialogue
• Education and training
• Facilitating conversations
• Marching and Protesting
• Pay equity
• Role models
• See something, say something
• Sharing insights
• Social Media (i.e. #MeToo)
• Women (and others) combating discrimination against women
• “Women’s Spring” or “Women’s Autumn” campaigns
• Female candidates for elected office