Reflection (curated by Teen Art Group)

High school, college, and exhibiting artists with a personal connection to the Bloomington/Normal community are invited to submit work in response to the theme of “reflection” for this juried exhibition. The deadline to submit works for consideration is February 25, 2024.

The exhibition is organized and juried by members of the Teen Art Group at University Galleries of Illinois State University. Reflection will be on view at University Galleries in Summer 2024.

Theme: As the title suggests, this exhibition focuses on the theme of reflection. "Reflection" can be interpreted in many ways; it can suggest the act of looking forward or backward, inward or outward. It can also pertain to the mirroring of reflective surfaces.

Process

No fee to participate
Artists submit original works for anonymous online jurying
If the artist is a high school student, the artist's teacher submits the work on their behalf.
Click here to upload a submission.
Artists may submit one work in any medium for consideration—such as photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, audio, video, jewelry, mixed media, recorded performance, printmaking, expanded media, graphic design, and textiles.
Submissions must include an image, audio file, or video (5 minutes maximum); title; date; medium; and dimensions (if applicable) for each work. Tips for documenting artwork can be found at this link
Jurying will be conducted by the Teen Art Group members with guidance from Teen Art Group leaders. Submissions will be assessed based on their alignment with the exhibition theme, originality/creativity, and craftsmanship.
Artists (or teacher in the case of high school artists) will be notified on March 27.
Artists and/or teacher sponsors are responsible for bringing or shipping works to University Galleries. Artwork shipped to University Galleries must include a paid label for return shipping.
See notes below for installation and formatting requirements.
If you have questions, please contact University Galleries at Gallery@IllinoisState.edu and use "TAG: Reflection" as the subject line.

Timeline

January 26 - February 25: Submit works online for jurying.
February 25: Deadline for submitting entries
March: Works juried
March 27: Notifications sent to artists (high school artist's notifications sent to teachers)
April 28 - May 5: Drop off works at University Galleries
May: Opening reception at University Galleries. Date and time to be announced.
May 20 - July 28: Exhibition on view at University Galleries

Submission formatting
Photo formats:
JPEG, PNG, PDF, or GIF (non-animated)

Upload limitations for Photos:
RAW photos are not supported.

Audio formats:
MP3

Upload limitations for audio:
Audio playback is constrained to 5 minutes

Video formats: MP4 (Preferred format MP4 [H.264])
Format options: File Format: Quicktime (.mov) or AVI (.avi) Compression: H.264 Frame rate: 24, 30 or 60 Data Rate: 5000 kbps - 14,000 kbps Resolution: 640 x 480 for Standard Definition (4:3) 1920 x 1080, square pixels for high definition (wide screen, 16:9) De-interlacing: If your original is interlaced, then de-interlace. Progressive scanned files work best when displayed on a computer.

Upload limitations for Videos:
Video playback is constrained to 5 minutes max

About Teen Art Group
University Galleries’ Teen Art Group, composed of students from Bloomington High School, are developing the concept, theme, and layout of Reflection. The Teen Art Group was founded in 2018 at University Galleries by Kendra Paitz (director and chief curator) in partnership with Monica Estabrook (Bloomington High School art teacher). The inaugural year was supported by a grant from the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation—Mirza Arts and Culture Fund. Each academic year, participants engage in professional development activities, take field trips, and curate an exhibition. The 2023–2024 cohort was led by Paitz, Estabrook, and Tanya Scott (curator of education). Teen Art Group is supported by University Galleries’ grant from the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation—Mirza Arts and Culture Fund.

University Galleries

University Galleries, a unit in the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts, is located at 11 Uptown Circle, Suite 103, at the corner of Beaufort and Broadway streets. Parking is available in the Uptown Station parking deck located directly above University Galleries—the first hour is free, as well as any time after 5:01 p.m.

You can find University Galleries on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and sign up to receive email updates through the newsletter. Please contact gallery@IllinoisState.edu or call (309) 438-5487 if you need to arrange an accommodation to participate in any events related to these exhibitions.

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