(Re)Invention: Art + Innovation + Disability + Design

The Kennedy Center's office of VSA & Accessibility, with support from Volkswagen Group of America, invites emerging artists with disabilities ages 16-25 to apply for the Emerging Young Artist program. This juried exhibition showcases artwork created at the intersection of technology, innovation, and disability. The call asks: "How have technology and innovation shaped your life in terms of your art and your disability? How has our global move toward technology inspired a re-discovery of traditional or analog arts, or a new take on existing artistic practices?"

The competition is open to artists ages 16-25 living in the United States who have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Artwork in any medium is accepted, with all work requiring a visual component. Two-dimensional pieces should not exceed 60 inches in either direction, and three-dimensional pieces must be no more than 36 inches in any direction. Submissions must be original work completed within the last three years and after the onset of disability. Fragile or precious materials that cannot withstand handling, storage, and transportation will not be accepted. Fifteen finalists will be selected and will share $60,000 in cash prizes: $20,000 for first place, $10,000 for second place, $6,000 for third place, and $2,000 each for the remaining 12 artists.

The 15 selected artists will exhibit their work at the Smithsonian's S. Dillon Ripley Center, the Kennedy Center, and five additional venues across the US between September 2016 and December 2017. Competition winners are asked to participate in an opening reception on Capitol Hill and a three-day intensive professional development program in Washington, D.C., with all travel expenses covered. Winners may also be invited to participate in the Artists as Ambassadors program to speak about their experience, artistic process, and what being an artist with a disability means to them at national tour venues.