Call for Entries: Exhibitions on Main 2021/2022

THE BLOCKS presents Exhibitions on Main, an opportunity for our community to exhibit their stories, bodies of work, and more on Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City

Artist Allowance: $400
Entry Deadline: Wednesday June 30, 2021 at 11:59 PM
Please submit your entry to Cassandra Yerkes, cassandra@downtownslc.org. Your submission must be sent as one (1) PDF document. Entries submitted in other formats will not be considered.

The goal is to capture voices in our community in an outdoor exhibition space in a high-traffic area. We invite anyone with something to say to apply and share their offerings with the community, adding to the vibrancy of downtown. No previous experience is required, we encourage all experience levels to apply.

Exhibitions will run for four months at a time (see the schedule in the Details section). Exhibitions will be displayed in one of the kiosks along Main Street. There may be opportunities to host tours, talks, and lectures in addition to a write-up on our website and social media posts to promote the work and artist(s).

The North Exhibition is located on the east side of the street at 236 S. Main Street. The South Exhibition is located on the west side of the street at 340 S. Main Street. Each kiosk will host three exhibitions throughout the year totaling six exhibitions for the 2021/2022 year. 

These exhibitions could include stories, photographs, paintings/drawings, digital designs, journalistic work, or anything else that you or a group of people want to share with your community. We welcome applicants of all ages and levels of experience.

WE EXCITEDLY AWAIT YOUR SUBMISSIONS!

DETAILS

Selected artists or groups will be responsible for providing the artwork/designs for the exhibition. THE BLOCKS team is happy to be a part of the design process and can offer resources to round out your skillset. This may include assistance with digitizing your work, creating the design files, etc. 

There are six windows in each of the kiosks – One window will be for a description or narrative about the exhibition; The other five windows will be for the content of your exhibition. This content could include but is not limited to, stories, photographs, paintings/drawings, digital designs, journalistic work, or other creative representations of a story or body of work. More information on design specifications will be provided after selection. There is no specific theme or style requirement. Selected artists will have two weeks after the acceptance date to complete their artwork and send in their digital files – please consider this timeframe when applying.

Please reach out if you have any questions about how or what to submit. 

THE BLOCKS will cover the cost of printing and installation as well as the promotion of the exhibition on our website, Facebook and Instagram. THE BLOCKS may also provide options for additional programming around your exhibition like lecture walks or tours.

LEAD TIME & RUN TIME

Exhibitions will be installed on the first of the month and will be up for a total of four months. Selected artists will provide THE BLOCKS with all six poster designs no less than two weeks prior to the installation date. More details about timelines and deadlines will be provided upon selection.

EXHIBITION DATES: August ‘21 – November ‘21 | December ‘21 – March ‘22 | April ‘22 – July ‘22

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY

Submissions should be made via email and must be in PDF format. To apply for Exhibitions on Main, please provide the following:

  • A short narrative about why you would like to participate in Exhibitions on Main.
  • A description of your vision or plan for the exhibition. Please be as specific as possible. 
  • An example or examples that represent what your exhibition may look like. This could include sketches or completed works but should be complete enough so that we can understand your proposal.
  • An explanation of how your idea demonstrates community voice and value. Why do you think your submission is relevant? What value might your story/content provide to the community?
  • Exhibition content should avoid elements of advertisements. Entries with profanity or inappropriate imagery will not be considered. 

Please submit your entry to Cassandra Yerkes, cassandra@downtownslc.org. Your submission must be sent as one PDF document. Entries submitted in other formats will not be considered.

REVIEW PROCESS & CRITERIA

A jury, composed of local artists, arts administrators, community members, and stakeholders, will review each submission. Jury members will fill out a scorecard that reflects the submission criteria outlined above. The twelve submissions with the highest score will be shortlisted for final discussion and selection for Exhibitions on Main 2021/2022. There are a total of six slots.

COMPENSATION

Total compensation for selected exhibitions is $400. Payment will be made as follows – $200 upon selection and $200 when design files are received. THE BLOCKS is responsible for the costs associated with printing and installation, promotion as well as some costs related to possible programming/tours.

 

Exhibitions on Main is a project of THE BLOCKS. THE BLOCKS is a collaborative initiative between Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County to establish downtown Salt Lake City as a cultural core of the Intermountain West through the promotion of cultural and artistic experiences, bolstering audiences and supporting our creative community.