Flower Power

Floral imagery has a long history beginning with the Dutch Masters' realistic still lifes, then onto Monet's light-filled water lilies. In contemporary art there's Frida Kahlo's self-portraits with flowers, Georgia O'Keeffe's enlarged sensual closeups, and Joan Mitchell's large abstract expressionist florals. The term "Flower Power" originated in the 1960s where flowers were used to symbolize the passive resistance movement to war. Flowers have long symbolized romance, femininity, growth, and lushness.

This exhibition explores what current floral imagery means to artists. Whether realistic, expressionistic, impressionistic, symbolistic, abstract, or political and conceptual, all mediums and disciplines are welcome except video. Maximum artwork size is 60 inches on its longest side, including frame. Juror Michael Paglia, an art and architecture critic who has written for Westword since 1995 and teaches art history at the University of Colorado at Denver, will judge work based on overall impact, content, composition, mastery of technique, creativity, and craftsmanship. Please list all media used in the description field for your entries.

Entry fee is $35. Submit 1-3 images. Application deadline is April 16, 2023. Notification of acceptance will be sent by April 22, 2023. All accepted work must arrive at CORE by Friday, May 5, 2023, with in-person drop-off available by Sunday, May 7, 2023. The exhibition runs May 12-28, 2023, with an artist reception on Friday, May 12, 5-10pm. CORE Art Space is located at 6501 W Colfax Ave, Lakewood, CO 80214.