Calling All Novice and Professional Artists!

Flushing Town Hall’s outdoor community art exhibition - Call and Response: Grief, Resiliency and Hope –returns this February for the Lunar New Year to give people an opportunity to express their feelings about this moment in our nation’s history, as well as their hopes in the new year.

Amid the pandemic and social justice movements, Flushing Town Hall launched Call and Response: Grief, Resiliency and Hope last summer, allowing people to contribute their art to be displayed on the historic institution’s fence on Northern Boulevard. (View the Fall 2020 submissions on our Facebook Page; View the current submissions HERE)

On February 1, 2021, Flushing Town Hall re-opens the community art exhibition and solicits new artwork for the Lunar New Year, once again inviting participants to artistically express the range of emotions they feel as they face the new year. This Lunar New Year is the Year of the Ox--- and its associated characteristics of diligence, strength and determination are skills that help build resiliency, allowing us to recover quickly from difficulties.  

Amateur and professional artists are invited to explore these concepts artistically in this new exhibition.  Consider creating art that answers any of these questions: As I face the new year, what skills do I want to cultivate in myself to create a resilient community? What inspires me and others to be hopeful? How can I honor the memory of someone I lost last year by living a courageous life? How can I artistically connect with my diverse community and bring people together?  

“We were incredibly moved by the outpouring of artwork at the first Call and Response exhibition as over 60 pieces were submitted—from amateur and professional local artists and others as far away as the United Kingdom. Our 2021 version of this exhibition invites participants to look to a more hopeful future; even as we still grieve for those we lost. With determination, and in honor of those we lost, we look to rebuild a more resilient, inspired, and courageous community. We invite participants of all ages and abilities to create art that shows your artistic vision of a better tomorrow.”  (Gabrielle M. Hamilton, Flushing Town Hall Director of Education and Public Programs)

Guidelines:

• Your artwork must be original and should follow the themes of “grief, resiliency and hope” as related to the global pandemic, racial & social justice, and the “Year of the Ox”.   Please include a brief artist’s statement (two sentences describing what inspired you to create your piece).

• Artwork of all mediums, from all ages and abilities are accepted.

• Work can be up to 27”x 39” inches on paper, fabric, vinyl, or ribbon.

• Artwork will be exposed to the elements and will not be protected from the weather.

• Artwork will not be returned.

• Artwork may be photographed and shared online through a virtual exhibition, unless specifically note by the artists on the back of the artwork.

• Flushing Town Hall reserves the right to remove any artwork that use hate speech, profanity or obscenity, depicts violence, sexual acts or unlawful or illegal behavior.

• FTH will review all submitted work; any art that does not relate to the subject matter will be rejected.

• Submissions accepted from February 1, 2021 to March 26, 2021.

• Flushing Town Hall will continue to showcase individual pieces of the artwork on Flushing Town Hall’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter platforms, and on Flushing Town Hall’s Cultural Crossroads blog.

Submitting your artwork:

• Submit a scan of your artwork to education@flushingtownhall.org FTH will print your scan to 8.5” x 11” paper, laminate it, and hang it on the fence for you.
• If your artwork is durable (printed on fabric or vinyl), you can hang your artwork directly on the FTH fence on Northern Blvd.  Our staff will adjust the hanging as needed.
• If you do not live in the area, you can ship your durable artwork to the address below and staff will hang the artwork for you.  (Artwork will be exposed to the elements and will not be protected from the weather.)
• Address: Flushing Town Hall, attn. Kevin Meegan (137-35 Northern Blvd. Flushing, NY 11354)

This program is funded in part by a generous grant from the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation.