Entries Deadline: Monday, September 16, 2024
Applications close at 11:59 PM, Central Time
All entries must be submitted online at https://reviewstar.io/f/muertos2024 – Read this prospectus entirely before submitting entries.
The Bath House Cultural Center is seeking entries for its 38th annual Día de Muertos exhibition. In 2024, the show is titled Día de Muertos: Messages of Love for the Forgotten and Disappeared. The exhibition, curated by Enrique Fernández Cervantes, will include art in a variety of media and altar installations by local, regional, and national artists.
ELIGIBILITY
This call is open to all artists who live in the United States. Art that has been exhibited in previous Día de Muertos exhibitions at the Bath House will not be accepted. Entries that do not meet submission requirements will be disqualified
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS TRADITION
The Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is one of the most beloved and representative celebrations from Mexico. One central belief in this tradition involves the temporary return of the souls of the deceased, who come back home to the world of the living to spend time with their families and to nourish themselves with the food offered to them on the altars set up in their honor.
FOCUS OF THE EXHIBITION
Día de Muertos includes many elements of remembrance, among the most notable being the offering or altar. Although we mostly associate November 1st and 2nd with the festivity, there are other dates that are observed in certain regions of Mexico that are dedicated to welcoming those who died at a certain age and under specific circumstances. According to age-old customs, the altars are visited by different souls over seven days. Each soul has a specific day to arrive, beginning on October 27th and ending on November 3rd. Those who adhere to this tradition keep their altars for the entire week to honor the souls of pets, people who died tragically, those who drowned, unbaptized children and unborn babies, children under 12 years old, and adolescents and adults.
One day of commemoration is October 30th, when the altar is used to welcome and celebrate the souls of those who are at risk of being forgotten or those who do not have any family members to remember them. The theme of this exhibition explores this little-known tradition of the additional dates on which the Day of the Dead is celebrated, focusing specifically on the celebration of October 30th.
TYPE OF ART THAT WE ARE SEEKING
Artists will create works of art and build altars to convey messages of love, honoring and memorializing the forgotten souls. Although the October 30 celebration does not specifically focus on them, artists will also create works dedicated to the souls of those who disappeared and are presumed dead, far from their families.
Although we understand that some of the works of art may include solemn themes, we recommend that artists keep the idea of festivity in mind while creating their entries. The Day of the Dead is meant to be a joyful occasion.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do you need more details that can help you understand the theme better? Click the button below to see some Frequently Asked Questions for the exhibition.
MEDIA
Art in all media will be considered. All two-dimensional art must be properly wired and suitable for hanging. Three-dimensional art must be fully stable to stand on its own or be attached to a stable base that can sit securely on top of our pedestals.
There are no restrictions on the size of the artwork, but bear in mind that artists are responsible for the transportation of their works and their prompt removal after the show closes.
Altar installations must be coordinated with the curator. Because of insurance restrictions, the use of irreplaceable items in altars is discouraged. Candles can be used for display only and must not be lit. We discourage the use of perishable items.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
An entry fee is not required. Unfinished artwork will not be reviewed.
All the entries, including altar proposals, must be submitted online at https://reviewstar.io/f/muertos2024
Artists may submit one work of art for the curator’s consideration. The Bath House Cultural Center will not accept files submitted on USB drives, memory cards, or by e-mail.
PROPOSING AN ALTAR
Artists who wish to build an altar must submit their proposals using the link above. You will be asked to provide a description of your altar and a photograph of the completed altar (if possible), or preliminary sketches of the structure and elements of the installation.
Due so space limitations, only 5-7 altars will be selected. Altars cannot exceed 50 inches in width and depth, but they can be up to 8 or 10 feet in height.
PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR ARTWORK
Submit sharp images for the curator’s consideration. Our entries platform can accept files that are up to 5MB in size. Larger files are easier to review by the curator and are likely to be used for publicity.
Most cell phones have cameras that take high resolution images. If that is not the case with your mobile device, we recommend that you use a regular camera or that you ask a photographer to capture your art. For more advice, you may refer to THIS LINK for “Tips for Photographing Your Artwork.”
GALLERY AGREEMENT
The curator will make a final decision for the selection of entries for the show. He will review photographs of completed artwork only and will select 40-60 pieces for the exhibition. The decision of the curator is final and indisputable.
Permission to photograph and reproduce accepted entries for promotional and educational purposes is considered granted unless otherwise indicated by the artist.
Submission of entries constitutes agreement to the conditions set forth in this prospectus and in the Gallery Policy for Exhibitions. View the policy HERE.
Printed copies of the policy may also be obtained from the Bath House staff upon request.
SALES
Bath House Cultural Center employees are not allowed to accept payments from prospective art buyers, but they may choose to collect contact information from them and supply it to artists. Transactions for the purchase of artwork shall be directly between the purchaser and the artist or his/her official agent. The Friends of the Bath House Cultural Center would gladly accept a 15% voluntary donation on all art sold during the exhibition
DELIVERY, LIABILITY, AND INSURANCE
Any accepted artwork that is delivered after the scheduled date of delivery will not be included in the exhibition. All artworks should be either shipped (at the artist’s expense) or hand-delivered to and from the Bath House. The Bath House Cultural Center will not be responsible for damage, loss, or deterioration of any work while in transit. All reasonable care will be given to each work of art once it is received.
At its discretion, the City of Dallas will provide insurance on most works of art. At times, the City of Dallas may refuse to insure certain pieces of art. The Bath House will not be responsible for art that is damaged while in the custody of the center because of defective hanging or installation mechanisms that were provided/installed by the artists. As an added precaution, artists have the option to purchase coverage separately from their own insurance providers.
CALENDAR
Entries deadline: Monday, September 16, 2024
Selection notification: Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024
Posted online at 6 PM at https://bathhouse.dallasculture.org/notifications/
The notification will include the names of the selected artists (including altar artists) and will be available after 6 PM. Artists are responsible for reviewing this list. The curator will not send acceptance notifications to the artists.
In-person art deliveries: Tuesday, October 1, 2024 (4-7 PM). Late deliveries will not be accepted.
Art shipments: Art shipments must arrive between September 21-October 1, 2024.
Installation of altars: Altar artists can start bringing their items to the gallery on October 1, but they won’t be able to begin their installations until Saturday, October 10 (12-6 PM).
Show dates: October 12-November 9, 2024
Reception: Sunday, October 13, 2024 (5-7 PM)
Artwork pickup: Tuesday, November 12, 2024 (2-7 PM)
Return of shipped artwork: Artwork that comes from outside of DFW will be shipped back to the artists on the second week of December.
Questions?
Please contact the exhibition curator,
Enrique Fernández Cervantes at (214) 670-8723 or enrique.fernandez@dallas.gov
