Wills Creek Exhibition: Being Sentient/Sentient Being

18th Annual Wills Creek Exhibition. Theme: We are all alone in our perceptions of the world. At the same time, we are profoundly connected, both with other humans, and all sentient beings. In Western thought, sentient beings are understood as all living beings that have the capacity for pleasure and pain. This is closely related to the Buddhist view of sentience as a quality shared by all creatures who are subject to illusion, suffering, and death. Both of these perspectives center on the notion of compassion – or one's ability to feel and care for others. This exhibition is intended to bring together diverse artistic reflections on this complex and ever more important discourse. Artists are invited to consider how as "human" sentient beings, we express this awareness of "ourselves" in relation to "others" in a work of art – be it other humans, other living creatures, or even nature itself, the very complex of forces that makes sentience possible. Traditional media, as well as installation, video, kinetic, sound, and performance art are welcome.

Juror: Aneta Georgievska-Shine, an art historian with academic specialization in Renaissance and Baroque art whose interests range from ancient to contemporary art. She teaches at the University of Maryland and frequently presents lectures for museums and art institutions in the Washington D.C. area, including the Walters Art Museum, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, and the Smithsonian.

Application Requirements: Up to 10 entries per artist. Artists must include an "Artist Statement" with their entry and thoughts about how their entry addresses the theme. Maximum dimensions for all entries: 48" x 48" x 48". All entries must be professionally presented and wired for hanging. Entry fees: $30 for the first two entries and $15 for each entry after that. Work samples: up to 10 images, up to 3 audio files, up to 3 video files, with a minimum of 2 total samples and maximum of 10 total samples.

Awards: $1500 for Best of Show, $1000 for 1st Place, $750 for 2nd Place, $500 for 3rd Place. The juror reserves the right to not present an award in any category if insufficient quantity or quality is in evidence.

Important Dates: Entry deadline 7/25/17, Notifications 8/8/17, Delivery 9/5/17, Exhibition 9/9/17 – 9/30/17, Reception/Awards 9/9/17, Pick-Up/Return 10/1/17.

For questions, contact Heidi Custer at 301.777.2787 or [email protected].