Just Desserts: A personal note.

Posted on March 30, 2020March 30, 2020 by R.L. Gibson

Just Desserts -- a personal note from Rachel at AAAD!

Yesterday, my husband stood under the open hatch of our car with nitrile gloves wiping down our groceries with disinfectant before they entered the house the way a Southerner would clean-hand-dirty-hand the breading of fried chicken. Surreal. Covid-19 has touched all of our lives by now.

My husband lost his job in recent days, so I am grateful to HAVE groceries. I am grateful to have the option to stay home and complete creative work and commissions to keep my mind occupied while so many are fighting to get well or stay well. Productive distraction has always been a mental health tool for me, and I hope it is working for you.

With so many of us unsure of what lies ahead, it is hard to plan for the future or even find the motivation to want to do any hopeful planning. But today, I did. Today I applied for an artist residency… in Italy. I did it for me, and I did it in honor of all the galleries and arts agencies that have to keep planning for a future that they can’t currently clearly see. I see you. I hear you. My heart is full for you.

As for AAAD, because my own practice has been growing, I have not tended this site and the weeds are knee-high. I had plans to transition this site over the next year and a half, but it seems like the time to say goodbye is now. In 2009, this site began as a convenient way to catalog “safe” calls from trusted people and places. Along the way, I met the best people, made wonderful friends, shared ridiculous food segues and made connections that will last a lifetime. I will miss talking to you regularly, or even irregularly.

Fine Print details:

I have enabled comments on this post, which in this time of trolls and bots is uncommon for me to do, so feel free to leave a note.
The site will remain in place for a while and will eventually auto-forward to my personal website.
If you want to screenshot a feature of your work, your agency or anything else, the search bar is still in the sidebar even though the pages are not on the navigation menu. If you need help finding something, contact me, and I will help.
If you feel you are owed something by this site, please feel free to contact me so that I can make it right.
I added a contact page with all my personal contact info.
Social media sites for this page will go dark by (May 1, 2020), but feel free to contact me personally.
I will completely delete the mailing list (by May 1, 2020) for this website from the subscription feed to prevent any pirating of email addresses in my absence.

You deserve the very best. Be kind to yourselves, and may you all get your just desserts, artistically & edibly. Love always, Rachel (R.L. Gibson)

CALL for ENTRIES: Color 2019

Posted on July 14, 2019July 13, 2019 by R.L. Gibson

FLAVOR bombs

I’ve never been a fan of frozen green veggies. The flavor often reminds me of those little peas in one-dollar pot pies, not entirely natural. But there is a glaring exception. Edamame. I love those little beans. I like them steamed in their pods, then dipped in a little dumpling sauce (thai chili paste & soy) then sucked from their little green shells. It isn’t pretty, but I am hooked.

Another perienniel favorite that is all about the color is the BWAC color show. This is a great space that has grown to become Brooklyn’s largest artist-run organization with over 250 members. Your dollars have power; spend them wisely. I love this organization & its mission.

So take a minute and check out this Call for Entries from Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (Brooklyn, NY) for Color. This is a great venue…

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CALL for ENTRIES:
Color
from BWAC

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“Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.” – Oscar Wilde

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all artists 18+

MEDIA: Open to all media

DEADLINE: July 28, 2019

NOTIFICATION: August 19, 2019

ENTRY FEE: $65 up to 3 & $5 ea.

JUROR: Jocelyn Miller is the Assistant Curator at MoMA PS1. She also serves as Editorial Manager for MoMA PS1’s curatorial department, overseeing museum publications, and served as Editor for the 2015 Greater New York: Readers series. She received her BA in Comparative Literature at Princeton University.

AWARDS: Best of Show Gold $800, Best of Show Silver $500, Five Certificates of Recognition of $100 ea. and People’s Choice $200.

SALES: 30% commission on all sales will go to BWAC.

For complete details, read the Full Call!

CALL for ENTRIES: Artists in Action

Posted on December 4, 2018December 3, 2018 by R.L. Gibson

CRAVING connections

We had three days of Spring-like weather, but Monday was 15° colder than Sunday. Tuesday is predicted to be 21° colder than Monday was. So that means SOUP, predictable, I know. While prepping lunch today I was day dreaming about making my favorite Tom Ka Gai when my eyes scanned a row of go-to cookbooks I keep above my stove. What did I find? The Soupmaker’s Kitchen (not an affiliate link, BTW) by Aliza Green. I don’t know how it ended up in my house, much less on the shelf with my favorites. No one in my house remembers buying it or ever seeing it. Bizarre, no? It contains great advice on stock-making and other best kitchen practices along with some fantastic recipes, and Steve Legato’s photography makes everything look luscious. I cannot wait to make the Hungarian Woodlands Mushroom soup & the Senegalese Peanut and Yam Puree with Ginger. Yum.

While eating lunch, I happened to read this next Call from Annmarie Arts Center. I’ve written about them many times over the years because I am SUCH a fan of this venue. I applied today. This is a “living studio” experience. They split the gallery into 12’x12′ studio spaces for artists for 5 to 14 days, and you work in an open environment with other artists & gallery visitors. They encourage sales, and the commission rate is super low. This is a sort of make your own residency for out of town folks, and more like an production art show for locals. There is some housing available for out-of-towners. I want to use the two weeks to test out some new content and techniques before I head off to Scotland for a month. I hope I make the cut. If you have time & the interest, we may get an opportunity to hang out for a couple of weeks & work together. So exciting. Fingers crossed –for you AND for me.

Check out this Call for Entries from Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center (Solomons, MD) for Artists in Action. $20 entry & 20% commission. What would you do with two weeks of nearly uninterrupted creative time? The deadline is just a day or two away. Here’s your chance…

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CALL for ENTRIES:
Artist in Action
from Annmarie

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“For a few special weeks, from January 11 to February 26, 2019, Annmarie’s spectacular Main Gallery will be transformed into artist studios, where visitors will have the opportunity to observe and interact with artists as they work. This exciting time at the Garden provides a unique retreat and experimental space for artists to develop new works, display and sell their work, to network with other artists, and to share their creative process. ” –from annmariegarden.org

ELIGIBILITY: All artists 18+ living & working in U.S.

MEDIA: Open to all media

DEADLINE: December 7, 2018

NOTIFICATION: December 14, 2018

ENTRY FEE: $20

AWARDS: 12’x12′ studio space for 5 days to 2 weeks and sales opportunities. Housing is available for out of town artists on a first-come first-served basis –a sort of build your own short residency.

SALES: Annmarie will retain a 20% commission of the listed sale price.

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

CALL for ENTRIES: Natural Encounters

Posted on March 26, 2018March 27, 2018 by R.L. Gibson

just NUTS

I shop from a half-dozen grocery stores. Because all but one is out of town, my menu is often reflected in my travels for the week. Thai food only shows up on the table when I make it 30 miles out to get natural peanut butter. I mean, the local grocer has something called “natural”, but I think we can agree that just because something CAN be eaten doesn’t mean it SHOULD be eaten –natural or not. However, I do love the junky peanut butter cereal available everywhere that is neither natural nor contains actual peanut butter. Hi, my name is Rachel, and I’m a food snob hypocrite. It’s complicated. This next Call is all about our relationship to the natural world. I can’t wait to see this one…

Check out this Call for Entries from N.Y. Photo Curator (online) for the Natural Encounters exhibit. $20 entry, no shipping, plus art publication for ALL entrants. Be sure to check out this juror’s work; it is fantastic. Take a look…

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CALL for ENTRIES:
Natural Encounters
from N.Y. Photo Curator

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ELIGIBILITY: Open to all artists

MEDIA: Photography

THEME: Natural Encounters. “We now know that 60% of primate species are threatened with extinction, as are hundreds of other species. In the the Arctic, large areas of permafrost are melting, and an ice swath the size of Delaware is separating in Antarctica. These are signposts for a hopeless future for our planet, and it’s our responsibility as artists to call attention to, and alter, this course. Please submit images that address the connection and interdependence between humans and the natural world. The images may or may not be documentary. I’m looking for emotional impact as well as a strong composition. I encourage all photographic techniques, although the message is more paramount than the medium.” –Fran Forman

DEADLINE: March 31, 2018 (Midnight PST)

ENTRY FEE: $20 for up to 3. 20% of artist fees go to 2 charities –½ to the curator’s choice of charity & ½ goes to the 1st place winner’s choice. Fran Forman has chosen the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

CURATOR: Fran Forman‘s photo paintings have been exhibited widely, both locally and internationally, and are in many private collections as well the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, The Grace Museum & the County Down Museum. Forman was selected to be Artist in Residence at Holsnoy Kloster, Norway, in 2016 and exhibited at the Sunnhordland Museum in Norway in 2017. Recently, Fran has mounted solo exhibitions as well as numerous group shows. She is represented by Pucker Gallery (Boston), After Image Gallery (Dallas), and Susan Spiritus Gallery (CA). She is a Resident Scholar at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis, a recipient of several grants and Artist Residencies, and teaches digital collage internationally.

AWARDS: The curator chooses 1st place, 2nd place & 3 honorable mentions. The 1st place winner will receive a review by one or more curators including a Q&A about the photographer’s work. In addition, their image will be on the home page for a month. 2nd place & honorable mentions will have their image shown along with their bio, artist statement, C.V. and a link back to their website.

SALES: All sales are conducted between the artist & buyer. There is no commission.

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

CALL for SUBMISSIONS: Nat’l Native American Veterans Memorial

Posted on December 28, 2017December 29, 2017 by R.L. Gibson

vintage FOOD?

While on my way home from Virginia through North Carolina and on to Tennessee, I stopped in a number of “antique malls”, or junk stores as my mother would cal them, in search of frames for my own work. But I was struck by the number of meals ready-to-eat (MREs) for sale. I understand the attraction to un-expired MREs for survivalists & doomsday preppers, but why would anyone buy vintage beans? You can’t eat them. You can’t really open the package. Is it kitsch value? Someone please enlighten me. In the meantime, here is a Call celebrating Native American veterans. I am looking forward to seeing the winning design. You don’t have to be an architect or sculptor to apply.

Check out this Call for Design Submissions from The National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, D.C.) for National Native American Veterans Memorial. There is no entry fee, and designs need only be preliminary. Take a look…

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CALL for DESIGN SUBMISSIONS:
Nat’l Native American Veterans Memorial
from The Nat’l Museum of
the American Indian

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“Despite . . . . distinguished legacy spanning 2 1/2 centuries of American history, no national memorial yet exists—Native veterans & those serving today remain unrecognized by any landmark. With your participation, however, this will soon change.” — NMAI

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all artists 18+

MEDIA: Open to all

DEADLINE: January 9, 2018

NOTIFICATION: January 25, 2018 (Announcement of Stage II Participants)

ENTRY FEE: None

JUROR: A blue-ribbon jury of Native and non-Native artists, designers, scholars & veterans will judge the design submissions. Don Statsny, architect, urban planner and community facilitator, will oversee the competition.

AWARDS: Stage I will be an open call to submit design concepts. The jury will select up to five finalists to participate in Stage II. The second stage will require finalists to refine their concepts. At the conclusion of Stage II, the jury will review the submittals & select a design concept for the memorial. Semifinalist Honorarium—$25,000; Projected Design/Construction Budget—$8 million.

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

CALL for ENTRIES: 12th National

Posted on November 8, 2017November 8, 2017 by R.L. Gibson

comfort FOOD

We are approaching the one-year anniversary of the East Tennessee wildfires. When I posted this Call last year, I lamented my emotional-eating reaction to those wildfires –baked goods. But, a year later finds me back to a full-time studio practice, 40 lbs lighter & feeding my wildfire PTSD with more vegetables & fewer baked goods. It’s a better place for me. How about you? Where were you a year ago? This next Call feels good & is also a great way to end your year. Cash prizes too…

Check out this Call for Entries from Knox Arts & Culture Alliance for the 12th Nat’l Juried Exhibition. I have shown here. I have juried here. I teach here. I would love to see your contribution here. Take a look…

CALL for ENTRIES:
12th Nat’l Juried Exhibition
from Knox Arts & Culture Alliance

ELIGIBILITY: Artists 18+ living in the US

MEDIA: 2-D (painting, drawing, mixed media, printmaking, photography) & 3-D (sculpture of all media).

DEADLINE: December 10, 2017

NOTIFICATION: January 9, 2018

ENTRY FEE: $40 for up to 3, $7 ea. add’l. Members $25/$5.

JUROR: During a two-year residence in Japan, Jeffrey Morton was drawn to Japanese art and culture, and it influences his work to this day. He exhibits his work regionally & nationally, including the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, Wilmington, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the Harrison Center for the Arts (Indianapolis) & the Hunter Museum (Chattanooga). Educated at Yale University & Temple University, Tyler School of Art (PA), Morton is a professor of art at Covenant College (GA).

AWARDS: $500 Best in Show, (2) $250 Juror’s Citations & an award for best work by a member, at least $1000 in cash awards.

SALES: 25% commission (20% for check/cash)

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

CALL for ENTRIES: Miami Edition

Posted on September 13, 2017September 14, 2017 by R.L. Gibson

CHOCOLATE hot or cold

Last week I was in a restaurant with a gift shop, and I complained during the entire meal about Christmas decorations being out & available for sale in September. Then on Monday, the tail end of Irma brought us 55° temperatures and rain. Suddenly I couldn’t stop humming “Silver Bells” & craving hot chocolate. I’ve got to get to a warmer climate before my family makes me sleep in the car, ha. The magazine in this next Call will be distributed in Miami. Maybe I should volunteer…

Check out this Call for Entries from Create! Magazine for the Miami Edition. $30 to enter & this edition will be distributed during Art Basel Week & at Art Miami Fairs. Don’t miss this chance…

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CALL for ENTRIES:
Miami Edition
of Create! Magazine

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ELIGIBILITY: Open to all artists

MEDIA: Open to all media*. *Artwork does not have to have a Miami theme. Issues will be distributed during Art Basel Week and available at Art Miami Fairs.

DEADLINE: September 29, 2017

ENTRY FEE: $30 (a portion of fees are donated to the Create Artist Grant & NEA)

JUROR: Sarah Potter is the founder and owner of SP Projects, an independent art advisory & consulting business based in NY. With more than a decade of experience in the fine art world, Sarah has placed an emphasis on curating private & corporate collections with artwork that is aesthetically satisfying & a good financial investment. Sarah graduated from The Art Institute of Boston. Sarah utilizes her passion for modern-day mysticism, spirituality & the occult to create experiential exhibitions of innovative artwork & memorable performances.

AWARDS: Artists selected will receive a 2-page spread & a complimentary digital issue with images, details & information on the Create site/social media. All featured artists will automatically be considered for any upcoming curatorial projects & exhibitions organized by the Create team.

SALES: Copies of Create! Magazine will be available at several locations including Art Miami Fairs, McNally Jackson Books in NYC, Athenaeum Nieuwscentrum in Amsterdam, Charlotte Street News and Magma Books in London, Silence Is Accurate in Cape Town, online & more.

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

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CALL for ENTRIES: 7th Nat’l Pastel

Posted on August 11, 2017August 11, 2017 by R.L. Gibson

iced PASTELES

My Spanish classes are coming along nicely although I am struggling with objective pronouns. My food vocabulary expands easily and exponentially. My favorite is pasteles. Cognates are easier to remember, but some words just stick in the brain & roll off the tongue. Pasteles = cakes. This next Call is for pastels, not pasteles, but segues are hard. It’s a stretch, I know. If pastel is your media, this is a great show…

Check out this Call for Entries from Arkansas Pastel Society (Little Rock, AR) for 7th National Exhibit. This media-specific show offers $35 Entry, 40% commission & a great juror. Take a look…

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CALL for ENTRIES:
7th National Exhibit
from Arkansas
Pastel Society

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ELIGIBILITY: Open to all U.S. artists 18+

MEDIA: Open to work at least 80% soft or oil pastel.

DEADLINE: September 3, 2017

NOTIFICATION: September 21, 2017

ENTRY FEE: $30 for 1, $40 for 2 & $45 for 3 (member discounts available)

JUROR: The artwork of Christine Ivers has been described as vibrant & textural with dynamic light. Ivers attained a BFA in painting & 2-D design from Hartford Art School in 1973 & found work in the advertising field for the last 40 years, after which she returned to her love of painting. She is the Past-President of the CT Pastel Society, former member of PSA Board of Governors where she is a Master Pastelist & was inducted into the IAPS Master Circle of Pastelists. She is a current board member of IAPS & is affiliated with numerous pastel societies & art organizations.

SALES: Arkansas Pastel Society/Central Arkansas Library System retains 40% commission on sales.

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

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ARTIST of the DAY: Soteris Sam Roussi

Posted on August 9, 2017August 9, 2017 by R.L. Gibson

"We All Had Lightening Rods" & "Nero Could Turn on a Dime" by Soteris Sam Roussi — *“We All Had Lightening Rods” & “Nero Could Turn on a Dime” by Soteris Sam Roussi*

“I have limitless problems to resolve and discoveries unimagined to uncover.” —Soteris Sam Roussi

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Inspiration is a stranger to the one not its own. For some it’s divine. For some it’s academic. For some it’s nagging & persistent. For me, it is fleeting, absent sometimes, for months. Then, inspiration comes bounding back in multiples faster than I can create. But today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Soteris Sam Roussi, has limitless problems to resolve. Someone once told me to use my anxiety as fuel; that isn’t unlike inspiration as a problem to be solved. I like it.

Discover more of AAAD Artist of the Day Soteris Sam Roussi‘s work!

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ARTIST of the DAY: Sarah Quick

Posted on August 3, 2017August 4, 2017 by R.L. Gibson

"Struggle" (detail) by Sarah Quick — *“Struggle” (detail) by Sarah Quick*

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” . . . my pieces tend to be epic in scope, using all three modes of communication to create my narrative.” — Sarah Quick

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My days are full. I am less busy, but more active. I want to do everything, try everything, create everything, experience everything. I feel like a constantly churning, epic state of movement. It is good. It is where I want to be, in the middle of chaos, both good & bad. It is an experiential life. It is shiny and new. Again. Today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, painter Sarah Quick, conveys struggle on an epic scale. We are never alone.

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Explore more work from AAAD Artist of the Day, painter Sarah Quick!

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Category: Featured Artist

You deserve the very best. Be kind to yourselves, and may you all get your just desserts, artistically & edibly. Love always, Rachel (R.L. Gibson)

FLAVOR bombs

CALL for ENTRIES: Color from BWAC

For complete details, read the Full Call!

CRAVING connections

CALL for ENTRIES: Artist in Action from Annmarie

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

just NUTS

CALL for ENTRIES: Natural Encounters from N.Y. Photo Curator

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

vintage FOOD?

CALL for DESIGN SUBMISSIONS: Nat’l Native American Veterans Memorial from The Nat’l Museum of the American Indian

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

comfort FOOD

CALL for ENTRIES: 12th Nat’l Juried Exhibition from Knox Arts & Culture Alliance

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

CHOCOLATE hot or cold

CALL for ENTRIES: Miami Edition of Create! Magazine

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

iced PASTELES

CALL for ENTRIES: 7th National Exhibit from Arkansas Pastel Society

For complete details, Read the Full Call!

“I have limitless problems to resolve and discoveries unimagined to uncover.” —Soteris Sam Roussi

Discover more of AAAD Artist of the Day Soteris Sam Roussi‘s work!

” . . . my pieces tend to be epic in scope, using all three modes of communication to create my narrative.” — Sarah Quick

Explore more work from AAAD Artist of the Day, painter Sarah Quick!

CALL for ENTRIES:
Color
from BWAC

CALL for ENTRIES:
Artist in Action
from Annmarie

CALL for ENTRIES:
Natural Encounters
from N.Y. Photo Curator

CALL for DESIGN SUBMISSIONS:
Nat’l Native American Veterans Memorial
from The Nat’l Museum of
the American Indian

CALL for ENTRIES:
12th Nat’l Juried Exhibition
from Knox Arts & Culture Alliance

CALL for ENTRIES:
Miami Edition
of Create! Magazine

CALL for ENTRIES:
7th National Exhibit
from Arkansas
Pastel Society