Visual artists, photographers and videographers are invited to submit entries to the Reproductive Justice Arts Extravaganza sponsored by the Philadelphia-based Women's Medical Fund. Awards of $100 will be made to top prize-winners, and 25 selections from the juried contest will be displayed at a one-night gallery exhibition.
Before I go too far, note this: the deadline for submission of art works is July 16, 2010.
The innovative art extravaganza is being planned to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Women's Medical Fund, which provides financial assistance to low-income women and girls in Southeastern Pennsylvania who wish to terminate a pregnancy but do not have the funds for an abortion.
Selected artworks will be displayed on September 25, 2010 at the AxD Gallery in Philly's Center City.
Artists are invited to submit work that relates to reproductive justice and that responds to a quotation by Rabbi Sofer, "No woman is required to build the world by destroying herself."
The invitation to submit also says:
When creating your art, please keep in mind that reproductive justice is a commitment to "the complete physical, mental, spiritual, political, social, and economic well-being of women and girls, based on the full achievement and protection of women's rights." This includes the right to have a child, the right not to have a child, the right to parent the children women have, the right to control birthing options, and the right to an empowering education so that all women are aware of these invaluable rights (paraphrased from Loretta Ross, National Coordinator of SisterSong: Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective.)
Among the goals of the Reproductive Justice Arts Extravaganza are to encourage artists "to create art expressing their vision of reproductive justice" and what it means to them; "to counteract the stigma associated with abortion, women's sexuality," and reproductive justice; to educate the community, and to inspire political action.
Artists are invited to submit photographs, two-dimensional paintings, drawings and other "hang-able" artworks no larger than 4' by 4', and videos of five minutes or less. Short film submissions should be sent on a DVD (not returned) to Women's Medical Fund, 1211 Chestnut Street, 7th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Specific instructions for sending works are here. Other art can be scanned and submitted online for initial review, or sent on a CD.
A form for submission is here. Artists who are selected are expected to send a physical rendition of the art in a plain frame to the Philadelphia center for the September event.
The ten-person event committee is co-chaired by Steph Herold and Vanessa Zoltan. Questions can be directed to info@rjae.org.
Posted by Cindy Cooper
Pictured above: Image from website of Reproductive Justice Arts Extravaganza.
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