Three Days in the Incubator

call for submissions

Established in 2011, O'Born Contemporary's Crit Programme emphasizes the myriad of integral ways in which an artist's development is influenced by disseminating work beyond the barrier of their studio walls. Building on the success of this ongoing and inclusive set of dialogues, OBC is pleased to present Three Days in the Incubator - a more dedicated opportunity for post-scholastic artists to expose a fully developed series of work to critical attention and discussion.

Having left the cradle of art school, many find their environments void of the privilege of organized peer assessment and access to critical communities. From inception, it has been a prominent part of OBC's institutional mandate to breed an inclusive climate wherein artists, arts educators, and arts patrons can commingle and share discourse. This goal is the propulsive agent behind the gallery's continuously developing auxiliary programming, including Three Days in the Incubator.

Over the span of three days, July 30 through August 1, OBC will dedicate its gallery walls to local artists seeking a breadth of feedback and assessment on a completed or late-stage body of work. Not intended as an evaluation of works in progress such as exploratory drawings, maquettes, or print proofs, Three Days in the Incubator invites presenters to show a body of art as it is meant to be exhibited. Aspects of scale, arrangement, and explanation are expected to be resolved, even if each or any element changes in the future. This series of critiques, led by Associate Director Rachel Anne Farquharson, is structured to host six artists each day for 45 minutes each, totaling eighteen artists over the course of three days. Three artists will each be given twenty linear feet of space per morning session to mount and display their work followed by a swift strike, a pause for lunch, and the installation of three new artists for the afternoon session. Each discussion will be a focused conversation intended to fuel solutions for any challenges the artist is facing with the work as well as an evaluation of any responses generated by the audience's perception of the presentation.

A juried submission process has been implemented to ensure that all candidates are presenting work at an appropriate stage of maturity and will thus gain the maximum benefit from an intense review. Along with guests from Toronto's art community, OBC artists, arts professionals, and personal colleagues will be invited to contribute to what is sure to be a dynamic conversation.

Deadline

Submissions must be delivered by email to submit@oborncontemporary.com. by July 15, 2013, 6pm. Ensure to include the title "CRIT SUBMISSION" in the subject line of the email.

Conditions

o All six artists are expected to be in attendance for their allocated full day, which commences at 10 am and ends at approximately 4:30 pm. Morning session artists should arrive by 9 am for installation purposes. We will begin promptly at 10 am.

o Hanging of work in a professional manner is encouraged and artists are expected to bring their own hardware and tools.

o In order to participate, an administration fee of $100 dollars is requested upon acceptance into the programme. Payment will be collected in cash, via debit/visa, or by personal cheque from July 15-29, 2013.

o ONLY ACCEPTED ARTISTS WILL BE NOTIFIED.

Guidelines for Submission

o Only digital submissions will be accepted.

o Each artist must submit a series of images (6-12).

o Submissions must be accompanied by an image list including: Title of work, medium, year of creation, dimensions, edition (if applicable)

Submissions must include an artist statement, relating to the submitted series of works. A statement of practice may also be submitted but is not required.

Calendar

o Submissions are due on or before July 15, 2013, 6 pm.

o Notification of acceptance will be emailed out on or before July 20, 2013.