Responding to the challenges of climate change requires imagination and vision. Art and science have long been partners in documenting our present and illuminating the future. The U.S. Global Change Research Program, in collaboration with Smithsonian Institution, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, invites artists to engage in the development of the Fifth National Climate Assessment by creatively visualizing climate change in the United States: its causes, impacts, and manifestations; our shared vulnerabilities; and the strength of our collective response. This call seeks to strengthen partnerships between science and art and demonstrate the power of art to advance the national conversation around climate change.

The National Climate Assessment is used by hundreds of thousands of people across the country and around the world. Selected art submissions will be featured in the report as chapter covers and within the chapters. Selected artworks may also be used in case studies, in public events, or in communication materials. All artwork will be accompanied by a written statement by the artist. Submitted works should center around the chapters and themes of the Fifth National Climate Assessment with the goal of depicting climate change in a way that resonates with readers and connects climate science with the lived experience of the American people.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT
The Fifth National Climate Assessment, a preeminent source of climate information for the United States, is under development for an expected release in 2023. A draft of the report will be released for public comment in the fall of 2022. The assessment covers topics such as water, forests and ecosystems, coasts and oceans, agriculture and rural communities, Indigenous peoples, the built environment, energy and transportation, health and air quality, and many others. It covers the entire geography of the United States, including all 50 states, U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The report is used by federal, state, and local decision makers, city planners, healthcare providers, educators, scientists, artists, journalists, and anyone looking to better understand the state of climate change in America. 

Application Requirements

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Artwork must be 2D and can be paintings, drawings, collage, prints, mixed media, digital art, and photography, including photographic documentation of performative work. AI-generated art is not eligible.
• Artists should submit a written statement of no more than 1000 characters. This description should include explanation of the subject matter of your entry and any other pertinent information.
• The submission period begins on October 11, 2022 and concludes on January 27, 2023 at 11:59pm Mountain Time. Late submissions will not be considered.
• A maximum of one entry per individual or team is permitted. Artists submitting an individual work may not also participate on a team.
• For team submissions, the individual who submits will be the lead point of contact for the submission. The order in which names are listed on the entry form and their spelling is how the names will appear in credits. No changes can be made after the entry is submitted.
• Accepted file types are: JPEG/JPG and PNG
• Files must be high resolution, at least 300ppi for rectangular works (a minimum 3300 pixels on the long side and 2550 pixels on the short side)
• File name: your full name without spaces, e.g. “JaneDoe.jpg”. Teams should use the lead point of contact’s name.
• If you have any questions or need help submitting art, please visit https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/ or contact cafe@westaf.org
• All submissions are considered final and may not be modified, edited, or replaced.

CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

• Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and must not contain any elements that are protected by someone else’s copyright or otherwise subject to third-party intellectual property or proprietary rights, including privacy and publicity rights. Any entry that has been copied from an existing photo or image that was created by someone other than the artist is a violation of the rules and will not be accepted. USGCRP will not consider submissions of “fair use” copyrighted material or licensed materials created or owned by a third party.
• The content of all submissions must be suitable for a national, public audience. Submissions must not contain obscenity, explicit sexual material, nudity, profanity, graphic violence, calls or incitement to violence, commercial solicitation or promotion. Submissions must not contain content or images that could be considered abusive, inflammatory, denigrating, or disrespectful to any groups, individuals or institutions. Submissions must adhere to the norms of civil discourse.
• USGCRP reserves the right to disqualify, at its sole and absolute discretion, any submission that does not adhere to these criteria.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Jurors: Lacey Baradel (formerly National Science Foundation / National Portrait Gallery), Allison Crimmins (EPA / US Global Change Research Program), William Fox (Nevada Museum of Art), John Heide (FEMA), Valentine Kass (formerly National Science Foundation), Allyza Lustig (ICF / US Global Change Research Program), Anais Reyes (The Climate Museum)

Works will be selected by a jury. All will be selected according to the following general criteria:

• Originality, creative use of material/technique, visual design, innovative processes, and aesthetic appeal
• Adherence to the theme, consistency with current scientific findings on climate change
• Compelling and innovative expression of the relationship between climate, the natural environment, and society
• Written statements that describe the inspiration for and any creative approaches to creating the work, especially as it relates to community, collaboration, and engagement.
• Any works that are selected must comply with the Rules and Terms.

Up to 100 selected works may be featured in the Fifth National Climate Assessment. The top finalist will receive $1000 for their submission. A second finalist will receive $600.

Eligibility Criteria

WHO MAY SUBMIT

• The contest is open to all visual artists, whether professionals or nonprofessionals.
• Artists must be at least 18 years old at the time of submission in order to participate in this call. There is a separate youth call for artists 13-17 years old (here).
• All artists must be living and working in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, American Samoa, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of the Marshall Islands.