Urban Transformations Exhibition
Issue Date: May 5, 2016
Extended Submission Deadline: July 15, 2016
Call To: Artists Residing El Paso County, Dona Anna County, or Ciudad Juarez
Exhibition Dates: October 1, 2016 – October 31, 2016
Introduction
The Texas Trost Society invites artists living in the Paso del Norte region to participate in a juried exhibition that will be showcased in the windows of historic buildings located in downtown El Paso within a short distance of San Jacinto Plaza. The exhibition, “Urban Transformations” will focus on the development of El Paso from a small ranch to a booming metropolis, as well as envision the city’s future and the future of our historic architecture. We are partnering with Amor por Juarez, the Tom Lea Institute, the El Paso Public Library, the El Paso Museum of History, the City of El Paso’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability, and the Rubin Center to execute the exhibition. The contemporary works may be of any medium, but must be created or have been created for the following themes: Modern Renaissance, Historic Preservation, Sustainability, and Urban Renewal, all with El Paso’s future in mind. We will accept proposals until June 15, 2016, and will email accepted artists by June 25, 2016. Artists will be matched with window locations based on the artwork’s size and durability, as well as appropriateness for the respective building. The Texas Trost Society will award prizes to the three top exhibits: one $1,000 grand prize and two $500 prizes.
Summary
The proposed juried exhibition, “Urban Transformations: Visions of the Past and Future of El Paso,” has two purposes: to educate the public about the historic and architectural legacy of downtown and advocate for the preservation of our historic architecture. We have seen cities across Texas turn blighted neighborhoods into vibrant hubs for culture and business, and in every case historic preservation was an essential component of that success; we are advocating for El Paso’s potential to do the same. Strong public humanities projects not only remind us of where we came from, but they also enable us to envision our collective futures. It is our hope that we can help our community overcome the single greatest obstacle in the fight to preserve the architecture of our downtown: doubt.
The proposed exhibition will promote history and culture by providing photographs, tours, contemporary artwork, and educational materials to remind El Pasoans of a time when their city had a booming economy and subsequently underwent an architectural transformation that rivaled some of the biggest cities in the country, and to show the community what they can look forward to if we restore our historic core. We believe that this exhibition will convince El Pasoans that many of our historic buildings have value, and deserve to be saved for their beauty, what they represent in the region’s history, and their economic potential.
We will unveil the entire exhibition the first weekend of October with a celebration including food provided by local food trucks, lunchtime concerts, free walking tours, lectures, and free educational handouts and coloring books for families. For the past three years, The Texas Trost Society has organized symposia, lectures, exhibits, advocacy campaigns, and tours. We would like to use the exhibition to better understand how to engage the development community and El Pasoans in the healthy revitalization and preservation of our downtown.
Application must include the following:
Proposal Statement (1 page – 12 pt. type)
Please address the vision, mission, and theme of the exhibition and how your proposal looks to the future of El Paso’s downtown.
Statement of Interest (1 page – 250 word maximum)
A description of why you are interested in participating in the exhibition, and how will your participation support your development as an artist and/or our development as a city.
Artist Information
– Artist statement and artist biography (1 page – 12 pt. type)
– Artist curriculum vitae (CV)
– 6 – 8 supporting photographs
Entry requirements:
All files must be in PDF or JPG format (for images) and include your name in the file name
All works must be accompanied by title, material, dimensions, and year of completion
File dimensions: No smaller than 1920 pixels on the longest side
File resolution: 72 ppi/dpi (standard web resolution)
All work must be original. By completing this application artist agrees that he/she is responsible for the creation of submitted works
Submission Deadline
• Extended Deadline July 15, 2016
• Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted
• Applications should be emailed to malissa@trostsociety.org, with a link to large (over 25 megabytes) photos provided via Dropbox or Google Drive
• Address proposals to Malissa Arras, Executive Director, Texas Trost Society
Eligibility
This call for proposals is open to all artists living in the Paso del Norte Region – El Paso County, Dona Anna County, and Ciudad Juarez.
Awards
Grand prize for the juried exhibition will be $1,000, with two awards of $500 provided to the runner-ups.
Insurance
The Texas Trost Society will provide property insurance for the artworks up to $100,000 for any serious damage to the work.
Space Descriptions
Once proposals have been selected, artists will be matched with window spaces to better understand size and installation requirements. The matching process will be first-come-first-serve, and artists will have the opportunity to work with business and building owners, as well as artist mentors, in order to help facilitate artistic vision and feasibility.
Key Dates
May 5
• Call to artists distributed regionally by the Texas Trost Society, Amor por Juarez, Museum and Cultural Affairs Department, and the Rubin Center
July 15
• Artist Applications due
July 25
• Artists notified of panel results
