The Seed & The Sower

The Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County (The Arts Council) announces a call for art for their national juried 2025 Black History Month exhibition, The Seed & The Sower. This exhibition speaks to the strength of connectivity found in black female, familial relationships.

Science states that a female child is born with all the eggs she will ever carry in her lifetime. With this knowledge, it can be understood that a piece of us, no matter how microscopic, has been with our mother, our grandmothers, our great-grandmothers, and so on. We will eventually go from being 'seeds' of our ancestors to 'sowers' as we pass along the traits, ideals, and dispositions passed to us, whether to our children or simply those whose lives we touch with our own.

The pieces in this exhibition speak to each artist’s chosen timeframe- whether the past, present, future, or a combination of the three; and how they view the transference that occurs between ancestor and descendent. Though this exhibition will be focused on Black female narratives, the idea behind it (lineage & legacy) is a theme relevant to all genders and races- and will be a talking point for all people in the community and beyond.

This call is specifically for Black female artists. We encourage submissions from all ages and artistic mediums. 2D and 3D works are preferred. 

The Arts Council will be hosting the exhibition at the Arts Center Gallery in Fayetteville, NC from January 24th, 2025- February 28th, 2025.  We are excited to announce that the exhibition will include an award pool and honorable mentions for participants. 

Online submissions will be accepted from November 25th, 2024- December 24th, 2024.  We encourage all artists to submit their entries promptly as we will have rolling acceptances throughout the call leading up to the deadline.
 

Goal:

The Seed & The Sower is a mirror reflecting the existential idea of cyclical legacy. The goal of this show is to honor the transcendent connections in Black, female familial relationships. It will pay homage to ancestors, while also honoring what we will contribute to our bloodline, and the hope we have for our future descendents. It is about how those who came before us left an impact, how we- in turn, will leave our own impact on others, and how ultimately, this cycle never ends. ‘The Seed’ will always eventually become ‘the Sower’, and the descendent will one day be the ancestor. Artists of all skill levels, emerging or established, are encouraged to submit work that they feel speaks to the theme and embodies their interpretation of this multi-layered study of time, connections, and heritage as seen specifically through the lens of Black women’s eyes.

Curator & Jurors: Professional Artists 

Curator
Teresa Bone (IG: @tcfineart)

Jurors:

Yvonne Bynoe (IG: @SheLovesBlackArt)
Alexandra Jane (IG: @thealexjane)
Carly Jones (IG: @artspacenc)

Awards: 
First Place (Gold Award of Excellence):  $500  

Second place (Silver):  $300 

Third place (Bronze):  $200

Honorable Mention: $100

Important Dates: 

November 25th - December 24th, 2024:  Entries submitted through CaFe

January 7th, 2025: Notification of acceptance (early applicants may receive earlier notification) via email/CaFe

January 9th - January 20th, 2025: Shipping window. Artwork must be received by January 20th, 2025

January 24th, 2025: Private artist reception (family & friends) 5pm-6pm

January 24th, 2025: Public reception, juror remarks, and award announcements, 6 – 8 p.m.

February 28th, 2025: Exhibition closes 

March 6th, 2025: All work shipped back/picked up

Application Requirements

Specifications:

The Arts Council Gallery utilizes a walker hanging system to display artwork in the gallery.  All Artwork should have a wire backing and be able to fit through a standard size door frame. Questions or concerns can be directed to the Director of Community Engagement SarahB@theartscouncil.com

Shipping:  

Complete shipping instructions will be sent with the acceptance notification to the hanging exhibit. Artists are responsible for shipping costs both to and from (including insurance during transit) by providing a prepaid shipping label for return shipping.  The Arts Council will cover any insurance and liability while the artwork is hanging in the gallery.   All artwork must arrive no later than January 20th, 2025. Works will be shipped in their original packaging no later than March 6th, 2025.  Artworks must be shipped in sturdy, reusable containers with appropriate packing material. More specific shipping instructions with acceptance letters will be provided. Shipping address: Arts Council of Fayetteville, Attn: Exhibits, 301 Hay St, Fayetteville, NC 28301. 

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility & Entry Fees:

Accepted submissions will have an emphasis on Black female, familial relationships with a focus on the themes of lineage, legacy, honoring the past, relishing the present, and hope for the future. Artists are welcome to submit their interpretations of those themes. We’re accepting work solely from Black female artists. You may enter three pieces. 2D and 3D works are eligible. Work must not have been shown in our gallery previously. There is a $15 entry fee for all applicants