Call for Asian and Pacific Islander Visual Artists!

Deadline: Sunday, February 12, 2017, 11:59pm

What does a just world looks like?

We are looking for Asian and Pacific Islander visual artists to create original artwork responding to APANO’s key values and envisioning a world of solidarity, justice, and empowerment. We welcome artwork in any 2D medium that can be shared in print and digital forms, such as drawing, painting, graphic design, collage, stencil, charcoal, etc. Artwork will be publicly unveiled in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May 2017.

Participating artists will:

• Be paid $250 for their commissioned work
• Co-own the artwork with APANO and receive recognition in all instances of its appearance

APANO will:

• Use the artwork in printed and digital communications, publications, and promotion during APA Heritage Month and beyond
• Provide consultation and feedback throughout the creation process

Participating artists will be selected by a Selection Committee composed of APANO staff, Board, and members of the Arts & Media Project (AMP). Artists will be notified of selection decisions by Wednesday, February 22, 2017. If selected, your piece must be completed by Monday, April 10, 2017.

Who should apply?

This project is seeking applications from artists who identify as Asian and Pacific Islander and who reside in Oregon. We welcome submissions from new artists, as well as those with more experience. Feel free to email candace@apano.org with questions.

How do I apply?

Please apply by filling out this Google Form and emailing between 3 to 6 images of your previous work as JPEG attachments to candace@apano.org. Examples of your artwork may be in any 2D medium including drawing, painting, graphic design, collage, stencil, charcoal, etc. Please list the title, date, and medium of each piece. For a PDF of this call for artists, Click Here

Artwork should respond to one or more of APANO’s six core values, as outlined on our website and below. The form will ask you to rank the values that you would be like to illustrate in order of preference and provide a brief sketch or sentence regarding the visual concept behind your top choice.

APANO is working towards a just world where:

1. All our families have the rights, recognition and resources they need to thrive, and their life outcomes are not tied to identity or social determinants of health.
2. Everyone has the social, economic and political power and resources to make healthy decisions for themselves about their bodies, genders, sexualities and families, in all areas of their lives, without fear of discrimination, exclusion or harm. This includes the ability to have children, not have children, and/or parent the children we have in safe and healthy environments.
3. The health, well-being and survival of our communities and the natural world are understood as more important than individual profit, and supported through equitable distribution of wealth and resources.
4. Institutions are built around the inherent worth and dignity of all people and are designed and function as systems of care and support, not systems of criminalization and control.
5. Communities have the skills, capacity and resources to organize themselves for change, collectively self-determine their needs and solutions, and control their own destinies.
6. We act in solidarity with communities who experience oppression and recognize that our liberation is directly linked to theirs.

Why should I apply?

Each year, Asian Pacific Heritage Month provides a special focus on the challenges, accomplishments, and dreams of Asians and Pacific Islanders. Your artwork will reflect the depth of our experiences and envision the shared future we want to see: a prosperous, healthy future in which our families and communities have the rights, recognition, and resources to truly thrive. By illustrating this future through a shared language of artwork, we inspire each other, powerfully articulate our goals, and bring ourselves closer to achieving them.

From the justice movements of the 1960s to Black Lives Matter, creativity has been the right hand of movement-building and has helped shift tides that appeared insurmountable. This project is part of APANO’s cultural work strategy, which seeks to center the voices and experiences of Asian and Pacific Islanders, shift harmful narratives, and envision alternatives. It was strongly inspired by Strong Families’ Mama’s Day and Trans Day of Resilience projects, which we encourage you to explore. Learn more about our cultural work here and read about Asian Pacific American Heritage Month here.

Looking for other ways to support APANO? Chip in to support our work in 2017 and beyond.