Call for artists (July 2018): “PT: Insider Views of Outsiders”
A juried show focused on the lives of immigrants, refugees, permanent travelers, and the “others”
Once upon a time, American Dream meant an outsider becoming an insider, that America was a nation of opportunities and liberty for all.
“P.T.” once stood for “permanent travelers” and “paper-trippers.” In the 1990s, some fringe libertarians (mostly wealthy white men) in America sought “freedom from the U.S. government” by becoming a permanent traveler, not really a resident of any single country or place.
But around the world and in our own communities, there are involuntary permanent travelers who lack a place to call home; refugees fleeing violence in their homeland, homeless Americans who are being pushed from one campsite to another, and ethnic minorities in predominantly-white Oregon who never quite feel like fitting in, DACA holders whose “paper” and future are in suspense because of the political football game far, far away in Washington, D.C., played mostly by wealthy Americans in the political establishment.
The American experience for them differs significantly from the prevailing national narrative.
Yet, insider views of outsiders are often forgotten, disregarded, and untold.
In this show, the Floy Preslar Gallery welcomes the insider views of outsiders to celebrate the strength and resilience of the human spirit, and to encourage visitors to look at America from different perspectives.
How to participate in this art exhibit:
This show is open to everyone whose life story involves a personal experience of one or more of the following:
- immigration from another country
- studying in the United States as an international or exchange student
- seeking a refuge or asylum from persecution or violence
- being a person of color
- experiencing discrimination and disenfranchisement because of race or ethnicity
- persecution because of religion
- being a Native American, Alaska Native, or part of any other indigenous nation
- extended period of homelessness
and currently lives in Oregon or Washington (state).
You do not have to be a professional artist or even a skilled artist. We are looking for art that comes from your life story and from your heart.
You may exhibit all kinds of two-dimensional artwork (such as paintings, photographs, collages, and drawings that are on a flat surface), as long as each of them is smaller than 3 feet by 3 feet (= 36 inches by 36 inches = 91.4 cm by 91.4 cm).
This show is “juried,” meaning that artists will be selected by a panel based on three criteria:
- artistic quality
- diversity (so that the show won’t be dominated by one kind of cultural background, or one kind of art)
- the story behind the art
Because of our gallery’s space, we will be able to select up to eight artists.
Entry instructions:
- Send email to fpgallery@limeadestandworks.com with “Insider view of outsiders” as subject line, with the following information:
- Your name
- Your email address and phone number
- A short paragraph or two paragraphs about yourself (about 750 words recommended) and why you’d like to participate in this art show
- If you have a website, a social media profile or photo album (such as Tumblr, DeviantArt, Flickr) where you keep a few pictures of your art, include it here. (Please be sure that they are set as “public” or we won’t be able to see them.) If not, take a few pictures of your art (they do not have to be the ones you would be showing in the gallery) — cell phone pictures will be fine — and attach them to this email.
Deadline for entry is Friday, June 15, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. If we get more than enough entries before this date, we may decide to stop taking entries earlier than June 15. It is therefore very important for you to not wait until the last minute, and try to send us the email by the first week of June if you can. We will not accept late entries received after midnight, June 16.
We look forward to your participation in this exhibit!
What is the Floy Preslar Gallery?
The Floy Preslar Gallery was started in February of 2018 so that new artists can be exhibited in a professionally managed art gallery and gain exposure and connections to the art community. It was founded by Willow, who is also an artist, designer, and entrepreneur.
The Floy Preslar Gallery is located in a village called Yankton, which is about six miles (10 km) northwest of the city of Saint Helens, which is the main city of Columbia County. Columbia County is located between Northwest Portland, Oregon Coast, and Longview, Washington. Portland has many art galleries, but at the Floy Preslar Gallery, we are creating a space where people can enjoy fine art in a space surrounded by nature and wildlife.
