Sustaining / Creating

A national juried exhibition of emerging artists, ages 16-25, with disabilities, presented by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' VSA & Accessibility Office and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Artists are invited to showcase work that illuminates innovative viewpoints on sustainability and contemporary creativity. Beyond its scientific definition, sustainability references notions of responsibility and stewardship of our natural world in all facets of human interaction—from the environmental to the cultural. Submitted artwork should illustrate these thematic ideas, which may be achieved through broad, abstracted references or detailed personal creations. Your submission might also reflect your experience of living with a disability and its role in shaping or transforming your art.

Fifteen artists will be selected for the exhibition and will share $60,000 in cash awards: a $20,000 grand prize, a $10,000 first award, a $6,000 second award, and 12 awards of excellence of $2,000 each. The exhibition takes place at the Smithsonian Institution's S. Dillon Ripley Center in Washington, D.C., from September 2012 to January 2013 and may travel nationally to additional venues. Awardees will be honored at an opening reception on Capitol Hill.

The call is open to artists ages 16–25 living in the United States who have a disability, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Previous award recipients are not eligible to apply. Submissions must be original work completed within the last three years and after the onset of disability. Eligible media include paintings and drawings, fine art prints, photography, computer-generated prints, digital art, and time-based media (video, film). All work must have a visual component. Two-dimensional artwork should not exceed 60 inches in either dimension; sculpture should not exceed 24 inches in any dimension. Fragile or precious materials that cannot withstand handling, storage, and transportation will not be accepted.

A panel of distinguished practicing artists, curators, and arts administrators will review submissions and select the 15 artists for the exhibition, evaluating demonstration of original ideas, connection to exhibition theme, and visual cohesion among submitted images. Work that suggests visual plagiarism will not be accepted. All decisions are final. Submissions must be made in digital format through CaFE at callforentry.org. Film and video artists must supplement their application by mailing a CD or DVD of their full-length work to Kennedy Center, PO Box 101510, Arlington, VA 22210, Attn: VSA / VW call for art, with all supplemental materials arriving by the deadline.