SUMMARY

Multi-Artist Exhibition Series Featuring North American Indigenous/Native Visual Art in Crossroads Arts District in Kansas City, MO.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Travois First Fridays is opening a second Call for Artists to select up to six visual artists for its exhibition series featuring North American Indigenous art. Travois’ headquarters is located in the heart of metro Kansas City in the Crossroads Arts District, site of one of the country’s strongest First Friday events, attracting up to 10,000 people from across the heartland. Travois is located at the epicenter of this community-gathering space where Kansas City’s art scene thrives. Founded in 1995, Travois is a mission-driven business focused exclusively on promoting housing and economic development for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities. The Travois First Friday jury will select up to six artists to exhibit their work in 2019, highlighting their achievements and promoting the modern-day vitality of Indigenous communities.

MISSION, VISION AND VALUES

Our mission is to support and promote American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, First Nations, and Indigenous Mexican artists through juried exhibition.

Our vision is to see Native artists more prominently featured and powerfully supported in metropolitan Kansas City and beyond.

Our goals are fourfold:

1.    to stimulate Native art economies on a micro level, one artist at a time, within one of the nation’s leading art scenes: Kansas City,

2.    to further promote the achievement of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian artists, supporting their role as culture bearers today,

3.    to continue to build the Travois connection with contemporary artists and the Travois permanent art collection and,

4.    to open the Travois headquarters to partnering Native organizations and the Kansas City metropolitan community.

ABOUT TRAVOIS

Travois supports American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities and tribes in achieving their vision. Since 1995, Travois has helped create housing and economic development for Indian Country with a value of $1.4 billion for developments of affordable housing, early education, health services, water infrastructure and climate adaptation. Travois recognizes art as a vibrant contributor to Native economies and a culture bearer for Native people. Many Indigenous community members are established or emerging artists. Too often, artists live below the poverty line despite their enterprises, talent and mastery.

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY FEES

This exhibition series is open to North American Indigenous artists — the United States (American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians); Canada (First Nations people or citizens of a Canadian-recognized tribe including Inuit or Métis artists; and Mexico (Indigenous people of Mexico). Established and emerging artists are encouraged to participate. Artists working in 2D and 3D works are eligible. Please enter a minimum of 12 pieces. The entry fee is $15.

In order to comply with the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, participating artists should be willing to submit: citizenship documentation, registry or verification; and a brief description of artist’s heritage.

Occasional consideration may be given for Native and Indigenous artists outside of the United States and state-recognized tribal affiliation or other Indigenous ancestry.

HONORARIUM

For up to six artists selected by the jury, Travois will pay a $2,500 honorarium in check form on the evening of the opening reception.

Travois does not take any commission for art sales as this is a philanthropic initiative for our organization.

JURY MEMBERS

·      Gina Adams (Ojibwa-Lakota descent), contemporary hybrid artist and faculty at Naropa University

·      Norman Akers (Osage Nation), artist and associate professor and director of graduate studies at the University of Kansas

·      Rachael Cozad, Rachael Cozad Fine Art, former director of Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art; Madison Group Fine Art Appraisals

·      Thomas Farris (Otoe-Missouria, Cherokee), manager of Exhibit C Gallery, owned by Chickasaw Nation

·      Bruce Hartman, executive director of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

·      Sherry Leedy, artist and owner of Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art

·      America Meredith (Cherokee Nation), artist and publishing editor of First American Art Magazine

·      Jami Powell (Osage Nation), associate curator of Native American art at Dartmouth College’s Hood Museum of Art

·      Gaylord Torrence, senior curator of American Indian art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

LOCATION AND OVERVIEW OF TRAVOIS OFFICE

The Travois headquarters is a beautifully redesigned brick warehouse that now actively houses 50 Travois employees during the workday who partner closely with 90 Native organizations to support their housing, economic, resilience, and advocacy goals and vision throughout Indian Country. The evenings and weekends at Travois are regularly designated for community events, progressive causes and charitable endeavors. Please find more information in APPENDIX A: ART PLACEMENT DETAILS AND MAP.

See an exterior photo of the Travois space: https://travois.com/our-story/our-team/

Watch a video tour with artist Holly Wilson (Delaware Nation/Cherokee) on YouTube: https://youtu.be/alfkixNmBXI

Up to six new artists will be chosen as featured Travois First Friday artists for 2019. First Friday reception opening dates are: May 3, 2019; June 7, 2019; August 2, 2019; September 6, 2019; October 4, 2019; and November 1, 2019.

By 4:45 p.m.                          Artist arrives at Travois headquarters

6:00 p.m.                                Doors open for public reception

6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.           Artist introduction, artist talk + Q & A

8:00 p.m.                                Doors close; no new visitors admitted

8:30 p.m.                                Event concludes

The opening of the exhibition will be on the first Friday of the selected month. The closing will be arranged between Travois and the artist.

ENTRY PROCEDURE

For help with the entry process, please see - How to Apply for Artists at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3S7qUR9zmiQWWlMb3hzeGJlRUU/view

There is a $15 fee to the artist to submit works via CaFÉ (Call for Entry) for Travois First Fridays.

The following information is required for submission to be considered by the Travois First Fridays jury:

1.    Professional resume, artist biography, and artist statement for inclusion in Travois First Friday exhibition publicity. If artist is selected, Travois will use this information for publicity and introduction at exhibition opening.

2.    Brief description of your heritage as a Native artist, i.e., an American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, First Nations, or Indigenous person of Mexico. For enrolled members of a U.S. or Canadian-recognized tribe (First Nations) or Alaska Corporation, please provide documentation in the form of a Certificate of Indian Blood Card (CIB/CDIB), tribal enrollment number and/or Secured Certificate of Indian Status Card (CIS/SCIS). For Native Hawaiians, please provide an ancestry verification card from the OHA Hawaiian Registry Program. For an Indigenous person of Mexico, describe your cultural heritage and your city, town, village or community of origin (or your ancestors’) and your current connection to that community.

Artists may also present documentation that they are certified as an Indian artisan by an Indian tribe.   

In order to comply with the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, participating exhibition artists should be willing to provide for patrons: a written guarantee or verification of authenticity and receipts that include the price, artist name and tribal affiliation.

3.    Digital images of work for submission to Travois First Friday jury: 12 images minimum and 20 images maximum. Please be attentive to the theme of your submissions and consider how your works will fit in the space available. If your exhibition will include different mediums, provide an explanation as to how they are integrated thematically. The majority of works submitted should be available for purchase to support the goal of stimulating Native art economies. See the CaFÉ: Call for Entry instructions on media preparation: https://www.callforentry.org/image_prep.phtml   

Please include the following with each individual art piece.

• Title of artwork:
• Artist Name:
• Medium:
• Year created:
• Size in inches for width and height:
• Approximate weight:
• If for sale, list public price:
• Special considerations (optional):
• Photo credit (if not artist):

4.    Preferred exhibition months in 2019: the jury and Travois will select the timing for the exhibition. If there is a time period that will not work, please specify this up front. Anticipated reception dates: May 3, 2019; June 7, 2019; August 2, 2019; September 6, 2019; October 4, 2019; and November 1, 2019.

TIMELINE

Jan. 31, 2019 – Call for Artists closes

Early February 2019 – Travois First Fridays jury meets and selects up to six artists

Feb. 15, 2019 – Deadline for all applying artists to have been notified

Feb. 27, 2019 – For artists who are selected, additional information will be due (APPENDIX B: ARTIST QUESTIONNAIRE AND CHECKLIST) and then a contract will be sent (APPENDIX C: VISUAL ART LOAN AGREEMENT)

March and April 2019 – Artist Holly Wilson (Delaware Nation/Cherokee) exhibits work

Up to six new artists will be chosen as featured Travois First Friday artists for 2019. First Friday reception opening dates are: May 3, 2019; June 7, 2019; August 2, 2019; September 6, 2019; October 4, 2019; and November 1, 2019.

ARTIST RESPONSIBILITIES AND ARTWORK SHIPPING

Artists are responsible for paying for shipping or delivering the art to Travois and packaging the art appropriately so as to prevent any damage in the delivery, and providing insurance during transit. Artworks must arrive ready for installation. Artworks must be shipped in sturdy, reusable containers with appropriate packing material and must be delivered during a time period that will be specified by Travois with the acceptance letter. Shipping address: Travois First Fridays, 310 W. 19th Terrace Kansas City, MO 64108. (Travois will cover the shipping costs for returning artwork and will use the packing materials the art was sent in.)

Featured artists should make their own travel arrangements for the opening artist talk on the first Friday of the month, arriving on Thursday and leaving on Saturday. Travois will reimburse for costs related to food and transit on the Thursday and Friday of the artists assigned artist talk and opening exhibition when itemized receipts are submitted. Other costs incurred outside of these dates should be covered by the artist.

Travois asks the artist to be present in the Travois headquarters no later than 4:45 p.m. on the day of the opening reception and to remain until 8:30 p.m. Artist will have an opportunity to engage the audience before and after the artist talk.

The artist talk will occur at 6:30pm. It is a great opportunity for the artist to share a story about who they are and what inspires their work. It also is an important opportunity for the audience, which ranges in size from 50-100+ people to learn more about Indigenous people and contemporary art. Artist will have 10 to 15 minutes to speak.

When artwork is purchased at Travois First Fridays, the artist must work directly with the purchasing patron or the person commissioning artworks. Any transit costs of purchased art should be covered by the patron or artist. Travois does not take any commission for art sales as this is a philanthropic initiative for the organization. Purchased art must remain at Travois until the close of the exhibition.

If artist would like to sell prints, books or other items, the artist must bring someone to facilitate. No Travois staff will be available that evening to assist with selling of merchandise. Travois staff members are not allowed to facilitate financial transactions on behalf of the artist.

More specific instructions and guidelines will be provided with acceptance letters and a Visual Art Loan Agreement.

TRAVOIS RESPONSIBILITIES

Travois will provide a $2,500 honorarium in check form on the evening of the opening reception.

Travois will arrange for the curation and installation of artworks on the week of the exhibit opening between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Artwork is typically mounted directly to drywall. Travois will pay for all event food and a security team will be present at the opening of the exhibition. Travois will provide beer, wine, and potentially music entertainment. Travois First Fridays will feature a local Kansas City caterer.

Travois will book a hotel for artists and pay for two nights for the Thursday and first Friday of the designated month, and pay for all meals during these two days. The hotel will be in walking distance of the Travois headquarters. Itemized receipts are required for reimbursement for travel and meals over these two days.

Travois First Fridays will support Native artist promotion, reaching out to media such as First American Art Magazine, Native News Online, as well as over 25 Kansas City and regional art publications; and through social media networks.

See KC Studio magazine’s Travois First Fridays feature for more information about the series: https://travois.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/REPRINT-KC-Studio-Magazine-Travois-First-Fridays-May-2018.pdf

Travois First Fridays will send electronic invitations to the opening artist talk if the artist provides a list of names and emails.

More specific instructions and guidelines will be provided with acceptance letters and a Visual Art Loan Agreement.

TRAVOIS COLLECTION

The Travois permanent collection currently features the following artists. Travois anticipates growing the collection through new Travois First Friday partnerships.

• Wendy Red Star’s “Four Seasons,” “The Last Thanks,” and “Apsaalooke Roses” (Apsaalooke/Crow)
• Dean Hunt’s “Time Will Tell” (Heiltsuk)
• Kevin Red Star’s “Buffalo Bulltail” and Travois-commissioned “Going Home” (Apsaalooke/Crow)
• Puti Hauraki’s “Whakatau” (Katimamoe and Ngapuhi)
• Darryl Growing Thunder’s “Living as One” (Assiniboine/Sioux)
• America Meredith’s “Unvd-Sgua Ageyv” (Milk-Tin Girl) (Cherokee Nation)
• Tom Farris’ “Say What?,” “Ready, Aim…,” and “Bang!” (Otoe-Missouria, Cherokee)
• Porfirio Gutierrez’s “Blessings” (Zapotec)
• Cannupa Hanska Luger’s “Make Believe I & II” (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Lakota)
• Joseph Erb’s ᏌᏊᏁ ᏅᏬᏗ ᎠᏣᏗ (First Medicine Fish), ᏔᎵᏁ ᏅᏬᏗ ᎠᏣᏗ (Second Medicine Fish), ᏦᎢᏁ ᏅᏬᏗ ᎠᏣᏗ (Third Medicine Fish), ᏅᎩᏁ ᏅᏬᏗ ᎠᏣᏗ (Fourth Medicine Fish), ᎯᏍᎩᎡ ᏅᏬᏗ ᎠᏣᏗᎵ (Fifth Medicine Fish), ᏑᏓᎵᏁ ᏅᏬᏗ ᎠᏣᏗ (Sixth Medicine Fish), and ᎦᎵᏉᎩᏁ ᏅᏬᏗ ᎠᏣᏗ (Seventh Medicine Fish) (Cherokee Nation)
• Gina Herrera’s  “Nurturing the Uncharted” (Pueblo of Tesuque)
• Luanne Redeye’s “Like Air/I’ve Said Your Name When I Needed It,” “My Grandmother Lived Here and I Cried/My College Girl,” and “When the Kinzua Dam Happened/Now Who’s Going to Protect You?” (Seneca Nation)
• Sarah Sense’s “Hollywood Cowgirls” and “Champion” (Chitimacha/Choctaw)

PERMISSION AND COPYRIGHT

By submitting an entry, the artist grants permission for Travois First Fridays to use the accepted image on its website at travois.com for promotional materials, publicity and social media about the exhibition, both physical and virtual. Every effort will be made to maintain quality true to the submitted image, recognizing that the print or electronic medium may affect how the viewer receives the image. Artist will be given attribution for the work.

The artist certifies that he or she holds the copyright for this material and the copyright remains with said artist. The artist also certifies that the work submitted is original, and does not infringe on any existing copyright. If artwork includes image of any person, artist certifies that a model release for such people has been obtained. If artwork references imagery created by another individual/entity, artist will explain attribution and how permission has been obtained.

Furthermore, if the accepted work differs dramatically from the image submitted or arrives damaged, Travois First Fridays reserves the right to return the work to the Artist.

TRAVOIS FIRST FRIDAY HOSTS

·      Elizabeth Bland Glynn, Travois, CEO: https://travois.com/author/elizabeth/

·      Phil Glynn, Travois, president: https://travois.com/author/pglynn/

 ·      Travois: http://www.travois.com

 ·      Stockyards Brewing Company: http://www.stockyardsbrewing.com/

 
TRAVOIS FIRST FRIDAY HISTORY

Travois First Fridays was launched with Matika Wilbur and her photographic documentary of Indian Country today in her "Seeds of Culture" collection. Matika has documented the modern-day vitality of federally recognized tribes in her ongoing Project 562. Travois First Fridays has appreciated artist referrals and insight from our jury and Wendy Red Star.

Featured artists have included: Nelda Schrupp (Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation), Dakota Mace (Diné), Luanne Redeye (Seneca Nation of Indians and Hawk Clan), Joseph Erb (Cherokee Nation), Gina Herrera (Pueblo of Tesuque), Cannupa Hanska Luger (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Lakota), Porfirio Gutiérrez (Zapotec) and Chris T. Cornelius (Onieda Nation).

QUESTIONS AND MORE INFORMATION

For Call for Entry questions, please contact Eva Kathleen Schulte at eva@travois.com or 816-519-9624.

For additional information about Travois First Fridays, visit     https://travois.com/news-events/first-fridays/

This Call for Artists prospectus draws from the Professional Guidelines, 2002, 2010 by Hariete Estel Berman and the Professional Guidelines Committee.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria