POP-X: a 14-day Contemporary Art Event & Exhibition

POP·X is a community arts initiative of the Ann Arbor Art Center designed to infuse the Ann Arbor area with distinctive, inspirational, and interactive arts experiences. The festival runs September 22 - October 1 and features 8-10 exhibition pavilions in public spaces, each 100 square feet in size. The second annual festival will be located in Ann Arbor's Liberty Plaza Park, in the middle of downtown at below grade level with high visibility due to steady sidewalk and street traffic.

Artists, curators, and designers are invited to submit proposals for interior installations within a pavilion. Ideal proposals value sustained or interactive engagement of visitors with thought-provoking or fun expressions of contemporary art. Installations may include any form of artistic expression, including art that responds to the immediate environment or encourages community engagement through social practice. Concepts can feature any media and should invite visitor engagement. Artwork and installations must be original and should activate the entire interior space. Pavilions have an interior power outlet, are waterproof, and will be in use for 11 days, closed and secured at sundown each day. A wheelchair must be able to maneuver in or through the pavilion. Artists and curators may not make modifications that alter structural integrity or expose the interior to the exterior environment.

Eligibility: Open to all interested artists, designers, and curators, submitting as an individual or team. One entry per individual artist or curator or per team. Works must have been completed in the last two years and must not have been previously shown in any other Ann Arbor Art Center exhibition. Entry fee is $35 (non-refundable). Selected artists and teams will receive a $1,000 stipend upon installation. Submissions require: an artist or curatorial statement (2 page max), CV for each team member, and a visual mock-up (up to four items in any combination: 8.5x11 PDF, 300 dpi JPEG image, or video link in PDF). Proposals will be evaluated based on exhibition design, inspirational quality, visitor experience, durability, and use of interior space. Artists are responsible for transportation of work to the site and should plan to be present for installation and de-installation. All artwork must be removed from the festival site no later than Tuesday, October 4 at 7pm.