7 Calls to Artists in Metro Phoenix

You can’t win if you don’t play. It’s true for the lottery, and it’s true for landing places to show your art work. Metro Phoenix artists have several opportunities to up the odds of more people seeing their work in the form of seven recently issued calls for artists.

One seeks contemporary craft, another outdoor sculpture. Others call for temporary public art or works to be featured in upcoming exhibitions. Fair warning: One has a rapidly approaching deadline; one won’t accept applications until the first day of 2016.

West Valley Mural Project
The West Valley Arts Council is seeking qualified mural, visual, or graphic artists to design and create large-scale, exterior wall-based works as part of the West Valley Mural Project. Submissions are being accepted from artists age 18 and up. The deadline is 4 p.m. on Monday, August 31. For more information call 623-935-6384 or visit www.westvalleyarts.org.

IN FLUX Cycle 6
IN FLUX, a multi-city program focused on temporary, site-specific installations in vacant spaces, is seeking qualifications only (rather than proposals) for temporary public art projects for Cycle 6. Artists residing in Arizona who did not have projects in Cycle 5 are eligible to apply; proposals will be requested from selected artists. The deadline to submit qualifications is Sunday, September 20. Several pre-submittal “Coffee Talk” sessions for interested artists are taking place at different metro Phoenix locations through mid-September. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.influxaz.com.

Two Years Outdoors
Shemer Art Center seeks online applications for outdoor sculptural works to be exhibited for a period of two years on the grounds of the center. Submissions are being accepted from artists living in Arizona, who are age 18 or older. The deadline is Thursday, September 24. This is one of three calls to artists currently open at Shemer Art Center. For more information, call 602-262-4727 or visit www.shemerartcenter.org.

@Central Gallery
Phoenix Public Library is seeking proposals for 2016 exhibitions at the @Central Gallery located inside the Burton Barr Central Library. Submissions are being accepted from artists residing in Arizona, age 18 or older, who are not represented by a gallery. The deadline is Friday, September 25. For more information, call 602-262-4636 or visit www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org.

Contemporary Crafts
Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum is seeking proposals for its 37th Annual Contemporary Crafts exhibition taking place February 12 through April 24, 2016. Submissions are open to artists in the United States working with all craft media. The deadline is Friday, October 16. This is one of three calls to artists currently open at Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum. For more information, call 480-644-6560 or visit www.mesaartscenter.com.

Tempe Galleries
Tempe Galleries, a satellite program of The Gallery at Tempe Center for the Arts, is looking for applications from artists interested in exhibiting work in high-traffic public spaces such as Tempe Public Library and the U.S. Post Office on Mill Avenue. Submissions are being accepted from Arizona residents age 18 and up. The deadline is Friday, October 16. For more information, call 480-350-2867 or visit www.tempe.gov/tempegalleries.

Statewide Exhibition
Arizona Artists Guild is seeking applications from artists for a statewide exhibition being held during March of 2016 at Gallery Glendale in the Westgate Entertainment District. Submissions will be accepted from Arizona residents via www.entrythingy.com from January 1 to February 3, 2016. For more information, visit 602-944-9713 www.arizonaartistsguild.net.

Keep in mind that most deadlines have a specific time on the date noted, so check the fine print before submitting requested materials. Look for additional calls to artists on the Arizona Commission on the Arts website.