Back to Top

YES, AND

Opening in June 2022, the Staten Island Museum will present Yes, And: a survey exhibition of art and artists connected to Staten Island.  This exhibition will be a current version of the Staten Island Museum’s longstanding tradition of holding juried art shows for more than 70 years. 

The theme Yes, And suggests the abundance of experience on and perception of Staten Island. This complicated and prodigious borough contains a multitude of narratives that cumulatively offer an earnest impression of life in the United States. 

The title is a reference to a classic improv rule-of-thumb requiring performers to accept what another participant is suggesting, and then build on it. In this way, Yes, And presents an expansive theme for artists to consider and encourages the open sharing of ideas and perspectives. The title also speaks to the dynamic connections between art, natural science, and history represented by the museum’s scope.

Artists featured in Yes, And will be chosen by a selection committee. All visual media will be considered – paintings, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and new media. Eligibility will include that the artist must have a relationship to Staten Island (i.e. live or work, family, frequent visitor, etc.), or have made work about Staten Island.  

Selected artists will receive a stipend for participation in accordance with W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy) standards.

All artists will receive written notice in March 2022 once final selection has been made.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM

Founded in 1881 and celebrating its 140th year, the Staten Island Museum engages visitors with interdisciplinary exhibitions and educational programs that explore the dynamic connections between natural science, art, and history based on its diverse collections. For current exhibits, visit www.statenislandmuseum. org
 

It is the mission of the Staten Island Museum to spark curiosity and generate meaningful shared experiences through natural science, art, and history to deepen understanding of our environment, ourselves, and each other.

Our vision is to:

• Make institutional decisions informed by diversity, equity and inclusion values
• Reflect the diversity of the Staten Island community as represented by our board, staff, and volunteers
• Provide a museum environment and program that is truly welcoming and inclusive of all people

PANELISTS

Ayana Evans is a NYC based artist. She received her MFA in painting from Temple University and her BA in Visual Arts from Brown University. Evans has performed at El Museo del Barrio, The Barnes Foundation, The Bronx Museum, Crystal Bridges, Newark Museum, the Queens Museum and countless public locations for her guerilla style performances. Evans was a 2018 Fellow at EFA’s Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, 2017-2018 awardee of the Franklin Furnace Fund for performance art, a 2018 NYFA Fellow, 2021-2022 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow, and a 2021-22 Professor of the Practice at Brown University. Her past residencies include the Yaddo, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and the Vermont Studio Center. Evans’s press includes: The New York Times, Bomb Magazine, ArtNet, New York Magazine's The Cut, Hyperallergic, and CNN. 

Florence Lynch is a New York-based art dealer and former Director at Elizabeth Dee Gallery. She co-owned LYNCH THAM and founded  Florence Lynch Gallery, a contemporary art gallery previously located in New York’s Chelsea gallery district. Florence Lynch has over 20 years of art world experience and has worked as an independent curator, critic, and lecturer. In addition to teaching in the Art Marketing department at Fashion Institute of Technology School of Graduate Studies, Florence is also Adjunct Faculty at Teachers College Columbia University. 

Anthony Spinello is a Miami-based curator and gallerist who grew up in Staten Island. For over 15 years, he has championed equality in the art world through his curatorial practice and gallery Spinello Projects. Spinello Projects represents a diverse and intersectional stable of artists focusing on queer artists and artists of color.

Ed Woodham is a queer independent artist, curator, producer, and educator who has been active in community art, education, and civic interventions across media and culture for over forty years. He employs humor, irony, subtle detournement, and a striking visual style in order to encourage greater consideration of – and provoke deeper critical engagement – with the urban environment. Woodham created the project Art in Odd Places (AiOP) as a response to the paradigm of 9/11’s ‘Patriot Act’ highlighting the disappearance of public space and personal civil liberties. AiOP has presented thousands of individual artists and artists’ projects in the public sphere in New York City, and in cities across the U.S. and globally.

TIMELINE

• Open Call begins:  November 1, 2021
• Application Information Workshop (zoom):  November 17, 2021
• Open Call deadline:  December 31, 2021
• Panel Selection:  February 2022
• Artist Notification:  March 2022
• Artwork received:  April 2022
• Exhibition Opens:  June 2022
• Exhibition Closes:  February 2023
• Artwork returned:  March 2023

Application Requirements

MATERIALS REQUIRED

• Resume
• Artist Statement
• Artist Website: if applicable
• Artist Instagram handle: if applicable

Applications will only be accepted via CaFE. No physical application materials will be considered.

Eligibility Criteria

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility will include that the artist must have a relationship to Staten Island (i.e. live or work, family, frequent visitor, etc.), or have made work about Staten Island.  

Notes: Portfolios must include at least two pieces made within the last three years. The intention of the exhibition is to provide a survey of recent works created.

Artwork created must be original work, not commercially produced. All artworks must not infringe on the copyrighted content of any other party. Selected artists will be chosen to exhibit one or more pieces and will be required to sign a loan agreement for their artworks. All loan agreements must be signed and delivered with the artwork.  Artists under the age of 18 must have the loan agreement signed by a parent or guardian. 

Size and Weight Requirements: Chosen work may not exceed 6' in height and 5' in width and cannot weigh more than 150 lbs.