Outdoor Arts Experience Biennial 2022: Passages

Passages 2022 is the Jamestown Arts Center's second biennial outdoor arts experience, displaying up to 12 artworks at various locations throughout Jamestown on Conanicut Island. The exhibition runs from July 1 through October 31, 2022, and invites artists to propose works that interpret the word "passages" in all its iterations and associations. The theme explores Jamestown's physical passages defined by Narragansett Bay (the East Passage with the Newport Bridge and the West Passage with the Jamestown Bridge), as well as its evolving communities from Native Americans to European settlers, immigrants, and current year-round residents. The exhibition also marks the passage through the pandemic and our hopes as we re-emerge and reconnect.

Selected artists will receive a $2,000 honorarium for the loan of artwork during the exhibition period and the opportunity to list work for sale, receiving 65% of any sales. Artwork will be displayed in highly-visible locations with identifying signage and will be insured by the Jamestown Art Center. Artists are responsible for transportation, installation, and removal of their work. Works should be 12' x 8' x 8' or smaller and must be suitable for outdoor installation, capable of withstanding adverse weather conditions. Artists will have opportunities to give presentations and engage with the viewing public.

Applications are open to all US-based artists. The entry fee is $15, with scholarships available if the fee presents a burden. Applicants should submit up to six images of existing work or detailed plans/mockups of proposed pieces, a one-paragraph biography, a statement detailing the artwork's relationship to the Passages theme, and installation/removal requirements and stability provisions. Rhode Island artists, emerging artists, BIPOC, women, gender-nonconforming persons, LGBTQIA+ community members, and people with differing physical abilities are highly encouraged to apply. Contact the Project Director at [email protected] or 401-573-9838 with questions.