The Weingarten Art Group (WAG) has issued an open call for artists living in or who are originally from the Greater Houston area to submit work to be considered for the Houston Endowment’s (HEI) inaugural exhibition.
In September, HEI moved into its new headquarters at 3683 Willia Street, west of downtown. Earlier this month, the organization announced the installation of its newly formed permanent collection, under the guidance of WAG. Starting in 2023, HEI plans to host two annual art exhibitions, each featuring works by one to three artists. The exhibitions will be held in the HEI lobby, and though the building is not open to the public, the exhibitions will be shared online and will be available to HEI visitors.
The Houston Endowment’s lobby space
The call is open to Greater Houston-area artists who are 18 years old and older. WAG has specified that artists should “submit artwork that envisions positive community change. Artwork may relate to our cultures, history, current events, infrastructure, or natural environment.” WAG welcomes submissions of artworks from a variety of disciplines, including painting, photography, works on paper, sculpture, site-specific or multi-media installations, lightworks, digital designs to be printed as vinyl wall coverings, murals, video, and new media. While a video screen can be made available, if an artwork includes sound it will only be considered if the audio can be played via headphones.
According to the online application, WAG, in partnership with HEI, will review and assess submissions based on the criteria below:
– How does the proposed artwork reflect and respond to the exhibition theme?
– What is the artist’s connection to the Greater Houston area?
– Is the proposed artwork appropriately scaled and feasible for the site?
– Do the artworks meet technical, durability and safety considerations?
Selected artists will receive awards ranging from $4,000 to $12,000 depending on the number of artists and artworks chosen. Additional funds will be provided to cover exhibition expenses including framing, art transportation, installation and deinstallation, signage, and photo/video documentation. All exhibited pieces will be returned to the artist(s) at the culmination of the exhibition.
The deadline to apply is January 8, 2023. Artists will be selected and notified by January 30. The first exhibition will be on view from April 10 through October 6. To learn more and apply visit Submittable.
Disclosure: Glasstire is a grantee of the Houston Endowment.
