Artisans Celebration 2024: Wild and Wonderful
You are invited to share your amazing talent with the Huntington, West Virginia community and extended Tri-State region (West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky) in launching the next collaborative art initiative called “Artisans Celebration 2024: Wild and Wonderful.”
Following two previous iterations of this public art project in 2015 and 2019, the newest exhibition, scheduled to begin June 1, 2024, promises to be the best yet. The theme of the exhibited works will be the abundant wildlife West Virginians and visitors to our state enjoy year-round. Artists will have the choice of one of four animals: deer, bear, fish, or cardinal as their subject.
This is a unique undertaking for artists to create original sculptures using a cast fiberglass replica of one of the four featured animals. Modeled after successful art installations in cities large and small across the world, “Wild and Wonderful” offers participants opportunities to transform these castings into masterpieces which will be shared with our community.
Presented by Mountain Health Foundations, the ultimate goal is to raise funds to benefit the Hoops Family Children’s Hospital (http://hoopschildrens.org/) in Huntington, West Virginia. Sponsorships will be sold to support exhibited works and an auction will be held at a gala occurring during the duration of the exhibition. All funds will go to provide critical services for kids at the Hoops Family Children’s Hospital. Each artist selected for the exhibition will be awarded a $1,000 stipend.
If you are interested in designing and executing one of the 70-100 fiberglass castings that will transform this region into a walking art gallery, please review the attached prospectus and submit your proposal by October 1, 2023. Artists selected to participate in the exhibition will be notified no later than October 15, 2023, and castings will be available for artists to pick up January 6, 2024. The deadline for delivering the completed sculptures is April 15, 2024.
IMPORTANT DATES
October 15, 2023– Deadline for submission of proposals to include a finished color drawing of your sculpture and a typed description of your concept not to exceed one page. Your drawing must be 16” X 20” and will be used, along with your concept, to sell sponsorships, promote the exhibition, and as part of the auction to raise funds for the Children’s Hospital.
November 1, 2023– Selected artists will be notified.
January 6, 2024 – Artists pick up the castings
April 15, 2024 – Artists deliver finished sculptures
April 15 – May 15, 2024 – Sculptures clear coated and prepared for exhibition
June 1, 2024 – Exhibition opens
October 15, 2024 – Exhibition closes
Artisans Celebration 2024: Wild and Wonderful is a collaborative project under the umbrella of the Mountain Health Network Foundations.
The goals of the project are to:
- Promote visual arts and its artists, tourism of the Huntington, WV and Tri-State area, the Hoops Family Children’s Hospital service area, and beyond.
- Raise needed funds for the Hoops Family Children’s Hospital (http://hoopschildrens.org/)
- Increase regional prosperity
- Enhance quality of life
- Strengthen community pride
- Activate economic development
Artist Selection Process
A panel of judges will choose, by blind selection, 70-100 proposed sculptures.
Artist Remuneration and Support
- Selected Artist will receive a $1,000 honorarium for chosen rendering upon completion of the sculpture.
- Artist must have the means to pick up the casting and return it back to Huntington, WV.
- Each work of art will have a plaque, provided by exhibition organizers, highlighting the work’s name, the artist’s name and the
- underwriter’s name.
- Artist will be recognized in promotional activities and publications of the initiative.