Marfa Invitational Foundation, a contemporary art nonprofit in West Texas, has announced an open call for Texas artists.
Last fall the Marfa Invitational announced that it would expand its annual art fair to two weekends, with one specifically dedicated to local artists and galleries. More recently, the organization has shifted slightly to welcome artists from across the state to submit their work for consideration in the Marfa Invitational Open, a juried exhibition for artists born, raised, currently living and working, or who have received an arts degree in Texas.
Lester Marks and Michael Phelan
According to the organization’s website, Marfa Invitational Open aims to “bring together, under one roof, a diverse and expansive cross-section of artists from across the great state of Texas.” Artists of all levels and working in any medium are encouraged to apply. To date, the Marfa Invitational has announced Houston-based artist and collector Lester Marks as a juror. Selected works will be presented in a salon-style exhibition hosted at Saint George Hall in Marfa. Artists will receive the full sale price of their works sold during the exhibition.
The open call was launched on Saturday, February 1, and is accepting submissions through Saturday, February 15. Information regarding the application process will be shared with applicants following the online payment of a $75 fee. The exhibition will take place in two parts, across two weekends: May 15 through 18 and May 23 through 26.
All artists who submit an application and pay the associated fee will have their work promoted on Marfa Invitational’s social media, however, the organization reserves the right to deny posting if the artist or work could cause damage to the institution.
Interested artists can learn more and submit their work via the Marfa Invitational’s website.
Founded in 2018, Marfa Invitational Foundation hosts an annual art fair, boasts a five-acre sculpture park, and has an ongoing site-specific public art initiative that showcases contemporary art on a billboard. The organization has faced some issues in recent years. In 2023, the organization’s nonprofit status was revoked as a result of failure to submit 990 taxes, however, the status was ultimately reinstated that same year.
At the time of the revocation, two board members stepped down from their positions and a former advisory committee member, Kathleen Irvin Loughlin, filed a charitable trust complaint with the Texas Attorney General’s Office. The complaint alleged that Michael Phelan, the director and founder of the organization, mismanaged donor funds. No updates have been provided from the Attorney General’s Office regarding the status of the complaint filed against the organization.
