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CALL TO ARTISTS
CHARLOTTE STREET FOUNDATION 2021-2022 ARTBOARDS

APPLICATION DEADLINE: MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021

Charlotte Street Foundation is currently seeking submissions from local artists who want their work considered for the Crossroads Artboards in 2021. The Artboards are exterior, double-sided billboards at 125 Southwest Boulevard. From July 2021 through March 2022, new, commissioned images by Kansas City area artists will be presented and rotated approximately every three months. Applications are due Monday, May 10, 2021.

DETAILS:

Selected artists, chosen through a competitive process, will receive artist fees of $1000 each for completing and delivering print-ready images for one set of side-by-side billboards. Proposals are invited from ALL interested non-student artists 21 years of age and older living within the five county Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area (Jackson, Platte, and Clay counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas). It is expected that six artists will be selected through this call, for Artboards to be displayed July 2021 through March 2022. Proposals are reviewed and selected by a panel comprised of artists and arts professionals that will be made public following the selection of the work. Charlotte Street Foundation administers the process from application through installation. Public Announcement of the recipients of Artboard commissions will be published around June 7, 2021. The first installation of Artboards will be the first week of July, 2021.

Artists interested in applying can submit proposals through Call For Entry (CaFE.org)

Content of the Boards/Selection Criteria:

The Artboards exist in public space, to be a platform for artists’ voices and work in the Center of the Crossroads, a neighborhood whose character has been very influenced by and connected to the arts community.  The work chosen for display will be that which the panelists deem most dynamic, engaging, and inspiring to the public; striking and aesthetically strong; and authentic to the creative spirit of the Crossroads neighborhood.

APPLYING FOR ARTBOARDS
Each selected artist will be responsible for producing two images. These will be printed on ECO- flex vinyl and displayed side by side (unless otherwise determined). Each Artboard is 27 feet long and 12.4 feet high. Selected artists will be responsible for preparing digital images for print, sized 27″ x 12.4″ at 600 dpi resolution. The printing and installation of the Artboards will be the responsibility of Charlotte Street. Selected artists will receive the commission fee of $1,000 following the submission of final images to the printer.

Primary proposal components – required:

1.    A short narrative proposal describing your concept for the Artboards (no more than 300 words)

2.    At least 2 JPEG images or PDFs documenting your proposed Artboards. Note: Artists choosing to submit multiple options for the Artboards may do so, but should include description of all options/variables in the narrative portion of the proposal. If submitting sketches rather than finished images, sketches should be as specific as possible, and the narrative proposal and additional support materials should provide a strong indication of the appearance of the final work proposed.

3.    Resume, CV, and artist bio, including history of exhibitions, contact information, and website address if applicable. Supplemental Components – recommended: Up to five jpeg images of other artwork produced within the past three years.

HOW TO APPLY TO A CALL FOR ENTRY ON CaFE™                  
Go to CallForEntry.org. If this is your first time using CaFE, click Artist Sign Up and complete the free registration form. You must be registered before you can log in and apply to a call for entry.

If you already have a CaFE account, click Login. Existing users may proceed to log in and apply to a call for entry. If you don't remember your password, use the forgot password link.

Applying is a three-stage process. ALL steps must be completed to submit.

STEP 1: My Portfolio. Upload work samples. These should be images related to your proposal. They can be final images of your proposal, details, sketches, or additional finished works to establish your aesthetic/style.

STEP 2: Apply to the Artboards call. Search calls for Charlotte Street/Artboards call and apply.

STEP 3: Checkout. Complete and checkout.  There are no fees to apply.

TUTORIAL for uploading portfolio content to CAFE: https://rocketgrants.org/resources/online-tutorials/
NOTE: video is an application tutorial for CSF’s Rocket Grants, but the same portfolio submission process is required for the Artboards application.

JURY PROCESS
4 jurors are selected to review Artboards applications. The jurors are professional artists in a variety of media, curators, educators, critical art writers and cultural activists – all from the Kansas City region with at least one juror who lives or works in the Crossroads district. The process for the Artboards selections takes place in two stages:

• First an online review in which jurors score each application based on submission images

• Secondly an in-person convening with the jurors reviewing first round application scores. The top scored applications receive a more in-depth review of their materials and a group evaluation. At this stage the jurors revote and make final selections.

TERMS OF AGREEMENT:
In submitting this proposal, Artist testifies that the images proposed are solely the result of the artistic effort of the Artist; that the Work is unique and original and does not infringe upon any copyright; and that the Artist has secured all permission and/or releases necessary to use the work for display. Note, the Artist shall retain ownership of copyrights in and to the Work, plans, drawings, schematics, design studies, and models prepared by the Artist in connection with this commission. 

Questions? Email info@charlottestreet.org

STATEMENT ON OPPORTUNITY EQUITY:

Charlotte Street Foundation values an equitable, diverse, and inclusive art community, which we interpret as all artists having fair access to the tools and resources they need to realize their artistic endeavors. We acknowledge structural inequities that have excluded individuals and communities from opportunity based on race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, class, age, and geography, and strive to counter those inequities in our work. We encourage panelists and selection committees to actively consider and seek to recommend a diverse pool of applicants as finalists and recipients of these awards and all Charlotte Street Foundation programs.

ABOUT CROSSROADS ARTBOARDS

The Crossroads ARTBOARDS were launched in fall 2008 as a partnership between Charlotte Street Foundation and Missouri Bank (now BOK Financial).  In 2021, Crossroads Community Association assumed sponsorship of the boards.  To date, 84 Kansas City area artists have been featured on the ARTBOARDS. For a complete listing and more information, go to https://charlottestreet.org/awards/crossroads-artboards/

ABOUT CHARLOTTE STREET

Charlotte Street identifies the needs and fuels the evolution of an ever-changing multidisciplinary arts ecosystem, acting as its primary provocateur. Charlotte Street cultivates the contemporary, the exceptional, and the unexpected in the practice of artists working in and engaging with the Kansas City art community. Since 1997, Charlotte Street has distributed over $1.5 million in awards and grants to artists and their innovative projects, and connected individual artists to each other and to the greater Kansas City community. For more information about Charlotte Street, its awards, programs, and initiatives, visit www.charlottestreet.org.
 

ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH CBIZ / HUMANA / CROSSROADS ART ASSOCIATION

Through a serendipitous meeting, CBIZ and Humana associates were introduced to Suzie and the Crossroads Arts Association (CAA). After learning more about CAA, Charlotte Street Foundation and the history behind the artboards – CBIZ, Humana and CAA decided to jointly sponsor the revival of the boards in 2021. A core value of CBIZ and Humana is to positively engage with our community in which we live, work and play. The Crossroads is a beloved place by many, and us personally, so we hope that our sponsorship of the boards brings a smile to those that love the tradition and is enjoyed by those just passing by.