The Alfred Berkowitz Gallery is proud to host its annual open competition. This exhibition showcases and celebrates Michigan artists and promotes the resources of the University of Michigan-Dearborn to diverse audiences. The competition is open to all media and artistic styles.
Juror
Herb Babcock will serve as this years juror. Herb received both his B.F.A. and his M.F.A. in Sculpture, his bachelor's degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art, and his master's from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He also studied sculpture during a summer workshop at the Skowhegan School in Maine and glass at the Toledo Museum of Art. He is currently an independent studio artist and professor emeritus after 40 years as the Glass Department Chairman, College for Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan. Find out more about Herb at his website: www.herbbabcock.com
Jurying Process
The juror accepts works for the competition by reviewing all submitted digital images. The accepted works are then juried in the gallery for awards.
Eligibility
Artists 18 years of age or older, living or working in Michigan. Works completed in the last two years will be considered. Two- and three-dimensional works are eligible. The gallery cannot accommodate performance, installation, or electronic media works. Works previously shown at UM-Dearborn will not be considered.
Entry Procedure
Submissions are only accepted by digital images on a CD (compact disc). NOTE: CDs will not be returned. Submit digital images in jpg format. Size and resolution: 1800 pixels for the largest dimension; 300 dpi. Submit digital images in the orientation in which the artwork will be hung. Please submit CD with files labeled: Last name_First name_A and Last name_First name_B
Entry Fee (non-refundable)
An entry fee of $35 per artist permits submission of two entries. Checks should be made payable to "University of Michigan-Dearborn."
Complete entry form and mail with CD and entry fee to:
Entries postmarked after April 17, 2015 will be returned unopened.
Agreement
Submission of work(s) to the juror constitutes compliance with all the conditions stated herein. The juror's decision is final. Accepted works will remain as placed by staff and may not be withdrawn until the close of the exhibition.
If accepted into the show, please consider the following:Liability
Works will be handled in a professional manner. The Alfred Berkowitz Gallery/UM-Dearborn will be responsible for works in our keeping through the entry processing and exhibition period (May 15 - Aug 1, 2015.) Works left after August 1 are at the artist's risk.
Publication
UM-Dearborn reserves the right to photograph and reproduce all entries accepted into the exhibition. Such reproductions will be used for promotional and educational purposes only.
Presentation Requirements
Accepted entries must be ready for presentation. Glass or Plexiglas should be used when appropriate. Hanging hardware, include wire, must be installed on all 2d artwork. Special installation needs should be discussed with the curator, Laura Cotton at 313-593-5087.
Delivery
All works must be delivered to the Alfred Berkowitz Gallery, located on the 3rd floor of the Mardigian Library, for the final review and jurying for awards by May 16, 2015. Hand delivered works will be received Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Directions and maps will be mailed to accepted artists.
Sales
The programs of the Alfred Berkowitz Gallery at the University of Michigan-Dearborn are educational in nature. Exhibited artworks may be for sale. The gallery will refer purchase inquiries to the artists or their agents. The UM-Dearborn does not take a percentage of sales but welcomes tax deductible donations in support of its programs.
Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000), Serigraph print, 1974
Gift of Gilbert M. Frimet,
Collection of UM-Dearborn (1980.065)
Photographed by Tim Thayer
This powerful serigraph print from the permanent collection was created by Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000), one of this century's most widely acclaimed artists.
Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, but moved to Harlem, New York, at 13. He is among the few painters of his generation who grew up in a Black community, received instruction primarily from Black artists, and was influenced by the experiences of Black individuals.
Lawrence's artwork portrays the lives and struggles of the Black community, capturing their experiences through several series focused on figures such as Toussaint L'Ouverture, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Tubman, as well as themes related to life in Harlem and the civil rights movement of the 1960s. His style is characterized by vibrant colors and abstract forms.
In the 1940s, during a time of widespread segregation, Lawrence broke racial barriers by becoming the first Black artist whose work was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
He stated, "If at times my productions do not express the conventionally beautiful, there is always an effort to express the universal beauty of man's continuous struggle to lift his social position and to add dimension to his spiritual being."
Researched and written by:
Julianna Collins, Stamelos Gallery Center former intern, UM-Dearborn art history/museum studies graduate, Class of 2025
