Call for Art Submissions
The Arab American Cultural Center aims to support artists, student artists, and cultural workers with connections and roots to the region we call the Arab World and its various diaspora whether they identify as Arab or not.
Open Call for Artwork for Art Exhibition on Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the Middle East and North Africa and Diasporas Heading link
The Women, Gender, and Sexuality in MENA and diasporas Educational Initiative at UIC is launching this Spring 2020 a series of events across the campus to explore these themes and highlight the significant work of the faculty, students, staff, and community. The Educational Initiative will include a student-centered symposium with a keynote speaker, a poetry night, a film series, a community conversation series, a curricular component, and an art exhibition.
The art exhibition is being planned for April 2-24, 2020 and it hopes to highlight the creative work of women and gender non-conforming/non-binary folks with roots and connections to the MENA region and its numerous diasporas. The exhibition will align thematically with the initiative with artists’ contributions centering on how these issues feature in their work and their lives, how they grapple with the various intersections, and what power and inspiration do they draw on. Overall, the purpose of these events is to create more and more public spaces that center the ideas and creativity of women and LGBTQ people from of connection to the Middle East (Southwest Asia) and North Africa region while integrating their visions into diversity initiatives at UIC, in the Chicagoland area and across the U.S. The Exhibition is also organized in partnership with Habibi House (Detroit).
The artwork will be featured across three locations on Campus: the Daley library, the Arab American Cultural Center, and the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center.
Submission guidelines:
- Women and gender non-binary artists with roots/connections to MENA region and diasporas.
- Preference given for local and Midwest artists (due to limitations of funding for shipping artwork).
- Provide a description of how the art piece connects to the theme of the exhibition
- We will make use of three wall spaces and several display cases.
- We welcome all kinds of artistic productions.
- Submission Deadline March 2, 2020
Art in the Space Submissions Heading link
The Arab American Cultural Center calls all Arab and Muslim artists and cultural workers from the Arab, African, and South West Asian diaspora or artists who make art about Arab and Muslim diaspora issues, to be featured on our website and in our center. The ArabAmCC aims to highlight the creative elements in our cultural traditions by supporting local and not so local artists to showcase their work in our space and allow visitors a glimpse into this rich tradition. The center will prioritize student and local artists to support their work given the tremendous marginalization that Arab American and Muslim American artists experience not only within the larger artistic spaces in the US but also within our communities where science and commercial productions may be valued more. The ArabAmCC hosts an exhibition wall at the center.
To learn more or submit your art for a feature, email: arabamcc@uic.edu