Call for Artists 2024
For more than 50 years, the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) has hosted the nation’s premier exhibition of African American art. This annual show presents more than 100 works of art from professional and emerging Black artists from across the United States.

Applications to the 2024 Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition are now being accepted. Submit your work!

Eligibility
General Category: Black artists 18 years of age or older.
Teen Category: Black teen artists in the Chicagoland area (within 100 miles of museum) currently enrolled in high school, grades 9-12.

Medium
Contemporary works created in any visual medium.

Jurors
Daria McMeans; Interdisciplinary Artist and Lecturer in Art at Lake Forest College 
Gervais Marsh, PhD; Independent Curator, Writer, and Scholar
Janet Dees; Steven and Lisa Munster Tananbaum, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University

Fee (non-refundable)
General Category (over 18): $10
Teen Category (under 18): none 

Awards
General Category                           Teen Category
Best in Show: $3,000                        Best in Show: $500
Second Place: $2,000                       Second Place: $300
Third Place: $1,000                           Third Place: $200

General Category award winners will also receive two complimentary tickets to the 2024 Black Creativity Gala held at MSI in Chicago, IL.

Application Requirements

Submission Specifications
1. Work must have been completed in the past three years (2021 or later).
2. Work must be anonymously submitted.
    a. Remove watermarks, video credits, etc.
    b. Artist statements are accepted but not required at time of submission. Artist’s name should not be included. 
3. Work must be original, unsold, and not have been selected for any previous Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition.
4. Object specifics:
    a. 2D hard sided works (stretched canvas/framed) may not exceed 96” in any direction.
    b. 2D soft works (unframed textile) may not exceed 104” in any direction.
    c. Works may not adhere directly to the wall (no pins, nails, Velcro, magnets, tape, etc.).
    d. 3D mid/large-sized, heavy and/or installation works will be reviewed per artwork, based on MSI’s gallery, safety, and physical installation capabilities. MSI is not able to install works which hang from the ceiling.
    e. Work may not exceed 70 lbs.
    f. Video works are only presented on monitors and must be ADA  compliant; we are not able to install projected works.

Application Deadline
October 15, 2023 (full exhibition schedule below)
 

Eligibility Criteria

How to Apply
Jurying will be from digital assets only, with submissions only accepted via CaFE (How to Apply Help)

When possible, MSI will work with artists to ensure their submission will be juried. However, MSI reserves the right to decline submissions which are incomplete, do not meet specifications or are of poor image quality.

Each entry will be judged as an artwork’s entirety; works which are 3D, diptych, tryptic or a series, should be presented in one submission image and identified as such in the title and dimensions.

Note: Values should represent the sale price, or, if not for sale, the insurance value; $0 is not an acceptable value. Dimensions should represent the full and complete dimensions of the work, including frame.

Media files used for the application must comply with CaFE specifications:
IMAGE: Only JPEG or JPG. 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side. The file size may not exceed 5MB.
VIDEO: Only MOV, MP4, WMV, 3GP, AVI, ASF, MPG, M2T, MKV, M2TS under 100MB with a min resolution of 640 x 480/max 1920 x 1080; min 12 fps/recommended 30 fps or YouTube or Vimeo URL. Linked videos must be public. 

Requirements for Accepted Artwork:
Additional information will be shared with accepted artists. The following is a general overview of participation requirements. 

Installation: All accepted works must be framed or otherwise in a finished state and must be ready for installation including hanging hardware as appropriate: 
    • Works may not adhere directly to gallery walls, i.e. no pins, nails, Velcro, magnets or tape.
    • 2D works and works on paper must have adequate framing and/or glazing (plexi or glass) protection.
    • Paintings must be in a dry and finished state.
    • Textiles must include pockets, rods and/or hardware for installation if not standard.
    • 3D works must be stable and able to ‘stand’ on their own.
    • Generic AV equipment can be provided by MSI for videos, but specific types/sizes are not guaranteed. 

To & From MSI: Artists in the area (within 100 miles of museum) are expected in person, all are welcome to.
    • In person: Artists are responsible for delivery and pickup of their works on the dates specified in the schedule below. Work delivered in person is not eligible for return shipping. 
    • Shipping: Artists are responsible for all costs of inbound shipping. Work may not be shipped without prior approval from MSI, and must be packed in sturdy, reusable container(s). See the Rules & Terms tab for additional shipping conditions. MSI will not offer return shipping for works within Chicagoland.

Sale of Artwork
All sales inquiries received by MSI will be forwarded directly to the artist. No commission will be taken. Submitted work does not have to be for sale to be juried but cannot have already been sold to a third party. If an accepted work is sold prior to the exhibition opening or during the exhibition, the artists must notify MSI.

Exhibition Schedule:

For more information
For technical support with the online submission application, visit the Help For Artists page or contact CaFE support via cafe@westaf.org or 303-629-1166. 

For all other questions, contact MSI at juriedart@msichicago.org.