City of Norcross’ ArtsXchange Now Seeking Talented Artists to Submit Applications for Participation; Applications Due February 24, 2014
Named Gwinnett County’s “Best Arts & Cultural Scene” by Gwinnett Magazine, the City of Norcross prides itself in being a place to imagine. With the help of ArtsXchange – a city-supported, citizen-based committee tasked with organizing creative projects to encourage community engagement, intercultural experiences, and environmental awareness – Norcross will also now be a place to RE-imagine. Through a special upcoming 2-year exhibit called ReImagine, ArtsXchange will seek to meld the themes of recycling with the creative re-use of materials. Needless to say, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful is proud to be a sponsor of such a special eco-friendly endeavor.
“Each year, we look to talented local artists to create unique awards from recycled materials for our annual Awards Dinner,” explains Connie Wiggins, Executive Director for Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “So, ReImagine is a natural fit for us. The goal of this initiative is to find innovative, thought-provoking sculptures that use recycled materials and exhibit them in public parks throughout the City of Norcross. Based on its success, I’m sure other Gwinnett County municipalities will follow suit as part of the County initiative to promote contemporary public art sculpture throughout Gwinnett. Beautiful works of art can be created from repurposed materials and ‘reimagine’ through recycling is the right message to send to the citizens who get to enjoy them.”
“ReImagine” is open to anyone who submits an application on time, meets the program’s requirements, and whose sculpture is selected by an ArtsXchange jury. Prior experience in public art is not required. Submissions of applications to participate are due February 24, 2014. Artists may submit up to three (3) pieces for consideration, but all entries must be original works of the submitting artist. Sculptures must be made from at least 75% recycled durable material, be appropriate for outdoor weather conditions and considerations must be made with regard to safety concerns for high traffic public areas. No selected work may exceed 12 feet in height or weigh more than 1,000 pounds.
The selection committee will be a jury of artists, community members, and city officials. The committee will select up to 10 sculptures for the exhibit. Selected sculptures must remain on display for the duration of the 2-year exhibit. Submissions will be evaluated on originality, creativity, quality and execution, with careful consideration given to ease of installation, public safety, and durability of artwork. Selected artists will receive a one-time stipend of $500 per sculpture, which will be paid within 30 days in advance of installation of the sculpture. Selected sculptures will also be eligible for the People’s Choice Award with a $1,000 prize for first place and consideration by the City of Norcross for potential purchase and permanent installation. A $750 prize will be awarded for second place and $500 prize for third place. ArtsXchange and the City of Norcross will promote the sale of sculptures to the public, including private businesses. Artists may sell their work during the exhibition period; however, sculptures must remain on site for the duration of the exhibition.
Selections will be made and artists will be notified via e-mail on March 7, 2014. If selected, sculpture must by installed between April 28 and May 2, 2014 – installation must be made by artist in conjunction with the City of Norcross. The unveiling will take place on May 3, and the exhibit will run through April 2016.
To submit an application, please visit www.aplacetoimagine.com/reimagine/ to download a copy of the application and submit it electronically to imagine@norcrossga.net. If your file size is too large to send, you may use a file sharing service such as DropBox, to upload your files, and send a download link to that address. Be prepared to submit at least two (2) color photos or a scaled model of each proposed sculpture. If this is a “work in progress” a sketch will be acceptable. Also include the title, size, materials used, and listed insurance price of each piece entered, as well as an explanatory statement (100 words or less) about each sculpture submitted. Please submit a short artist’s biography and photograph for use in promotional materials. Submissions must be received no later than 4:00 p.m., EST, Monday, February 24, 2014. If a submission requires mailing or hand-delivery, please deliver to:
Norcross City Hall
65 Lawrenceville Street
Norcross, GA 30071
ATTN: PR & Marketing Dept.
Please submit any questions about ReImagine to imagine@norcrossga.net. GOOD LUCK!
Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful is honored to be a sponsor of ReImagine along with our friends at Global Paint Company, ArtWorks! Gwinnett, Explore Gwinnett, Norcross Arts Alliance, Lionheart Theatre Company, Gwinnett Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Reaping Nature Educational Outreach Foundation, and Kudzu Art Zone.
