CALL FOR EXHIBITION PROPOSALS
Celebrating the 5th Anniversary of the Dedication of the James Backas Gallery

CALL FOR EXHIBITION PROPOSALS
JAMES BACKAS GALLERY / MARYLAND STATE ARTS COUNCIL

DEADLINE: June 30, 2009

DESCRIPTION
Exhibitions in the gallery from Fall 2009 through June 2010 will celebrate the 5th anniversary of the dedication of the James Backas Gallery at the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC). James Backas (1926-2003) served as the Executive Director for the Maryland State Arts Council for more than 20 years and provided leadership of great integrity and wisdom. His passion for the arts and artists, and his steadfast dedication to artistic excellence continue to inspire the work of the Arts Council and impact the arts community across the State of Maryland.

Curators will receive honorariums from the Arts Council.

MSAC invites artists and curators to submit exhibition proposals for realization in its gallery space from September 2009 through June 2010. Co-curators are welcome to apply. The space is located at 175 W. Ostend Street in Baltimore, Maryland.

PURPOSE
To feature Maryland artists from across the state, celebrate artistic excellence and innovation, and embrace the geographic and cultural diversity of Maryland.

GUIDELINES
MSAC is interested in featuring as many artists as possible over the year-long celebration. Proposals must be original and conceived for the MSAC space and may not have been realized in any other venue. Proposals that include on-line aspects are welcome.

Interested applicants may visit the physical gallery space and pick-up a gallery floor plan from the front desk or download one from our website - http://www.msac.org/gallery.cfm?sec=Gallery&id=360. See below.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
1. Written proposal statement including:

• Name, contact information of curator/s. Include email/s and telephone/s
• Resume/s of curator/s
• Title, statement of concept and description of exhibition
• Special needs/equipment needs, (if any)

Note: The curator will be required to prepare a written statement for the exhibition brochure so the proposal statement will be judged for the curator’s ability to articulate and convey ideas in writing. A public talk by the curator during the exhibition’s run is also required so effective communication of ideas is important.

2. A list of artists to be exhibited, including bios /resumes of the artists. (A partial list with an explanation is acceptable if you do not have final agreements secured.)

3. Images of work to be exhibited. These are samples of artists’ works, not necessarily an image of each piece to be exhibited. Images should be submitted on CD or DVD and be labeled or accompanied, on the CD or DVD, by a corresponding list of images and written identification of each, saved as a text file (.txt), PDF, or Microsoft Word document (.doc). Formats options:

• Visual Arts: NO MORE THAN 10 digital images of each artist’s work on a CD. Image files must be in jpeg (.JPG) format, no larger than 1024x768 pixels at 72 dpi. Images may be organized in a PowerPoint presentation. Images submitted should be labeled on the CD, or accompanied by a corresponding list identifying the images, saved as a text file (.txt), PDF or Microsoft Word document (.doc).
• Moving Images: DVD or CD. Video must be able to play on a computer using Windows Media Player or QuickTime, with an accompanying list identifying/describing the works.

5. Proposals must be postmarked no later than June 30, 2009 to:

Exhibition Proposal
c/o Carla L. Dunlap
Maryland State Arts Council
175 West Ostend St. Suite E
Baltimore MD 21230

CONTACT: Carla Dunlap, cdunlap@msac.org

PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE OFFICE REGARDING STATUS
Please do not call MSAC requesting information on the status of your proposal. You will be notified by email or telephone of its status once selections are made. If you would like to receive notice of our receipt of your proposal, please request a return receipt from the post office or your delivery service when you mail your proposal.

KEEP IN MIND
Please keep in mind as you create your proposal that the gallery is located in the offices of the Maryland State Arts Council and is regularly open to the general public. The gallery cannot be closed to the public, nor can we post an alert that content is not appropriate for certain individuals. Visitors come to the gallery to view the exhibitions as well as to participate in grants panels and other meetings that are crucial to the operations of the Arts Council.