Art at a Time Like This (ATLT), a nonprofit supporting the presentation of art in response to current events, and SaveArtSpace, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit bringing art to nontraditional spaces using billboards, have launched an open call for Houston artists.
According to a press release by the partnering organizations, the call is for a billboard-based exhibition featuring contemporary artists whose work “[responds] to mass incarceration and inequalities in the justice system.” The Houston-based project is an expansion of 8X5, an initiative initially launched in Miami last summer. The Miami exhibition, curated by ATLT co-founders Barbara Pollack and Anne Verhallen, commissioned works by Faylita Hicks, the Guerrilla Girls, Shephard Fairey, Sam Durant, Sherrill Roland, and Trenton Doyle Hancock.
“8X5” billboard by Guerrilla Girls in Miami, 2022.
With the goal of raising public awareness about issues within the judicial system and being a catalyst for conversation while providing artists with an opportunity to share their perspectives, the Miami exhibition presented 25 designs on billboards and bus shelters near offices of judges, prosecutors, and administrators.
“8X5” billboard by Trenton Doyle Hancock in Miami, 2022.
8X5 Houston is planned to launch by the end of October 2023. Tenton Doyle Hancock and Faylita Hicks, who each have strong ties to Texas and were a part of the Miami iteration of the exhibition, will be among the 8X5 Houston participants. Through the open call, ATLT will select up to 10 artists whose work will be displayed on billboards, kiosks, and digital trucks throughout Houston.
The curators for the outdoor exhibition include Ms. Pollack and Ms. Verhallen of ATLT; Christopher Blay, Chief Curator at the Houston Museum of African American Culture; Bridget Bray, an independent Houston-based curator; and Ashley DeHoyos Sauder, Curator at DiverseWorks.
Artists of all ages and at any stage of their career are encouraged to submit their work for consideration. The deadline to submit work is Friday, September 1, and selected artists will be announced after Friday, September 15. The exhibition will be installed at the end of October and will be on view for at least one month.
To learn more about the open call and to submit your work, visit SaveArtSpace’s website.
