High Contrast International Juried Exhibition Call for Entry

Juror: Alexis Lowry, Curator, Dia Art Foundation, in collaboration with youth from The Art Effect
Deadline: December 10, 2021
Exhibition Dates: March 11 - April 14, 2022

Exhibition is located at the Trolley Barn, 489 Main St., Poughkeepsie, New York
$500 First Prize, $250 Second Prize, $150 Honorable Mention

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness...it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness.” - Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

We are all familiar with the power of contrast. High Contrast invites artworks that make stark contrasts visible and/or draw our attention to radical difference in the world around us. “High contrast” can exist in an artwork’s juxtaposition of very strong black and white elements or vivid, bright objects cast against deep, dark shadows. Likewise, the term might refer to oppositional differences in subject matter, i.e. big/small, curvilinear/angular, rough/polished. In our lives, we also encounter examples of “high contrast” in social and economic disparities, political polarization, or even in the plastic bag or garbage we see sitting in an otherwise pristine natural landscape. 

High Contrast  welcomes a diverse array of media, including digital media, film, graphic art, painting, illustration, photography, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, video and installation art. High Contrast will be exhibited at the Trolley Barn Gallery in Poughkeepsie, an industrial gallery space and the hub for the area’s thriving arts scene.  We invite submissions that create either a visually compelling complement or counterpoint to the aesthetics of the unique exhibition space.

Artists of all ages are welcome, regardless of where they are from or how they identify.

 This international juried exhibition will be held March 11 through April 14, 2022, at The Art Effect's Trolley Barn Gallery, 489 Main St., Poughkeepsie, New York, with an Opening Reception Friday, March 11, 5-7pm.  

Artists will be notified within approximately 2-3 weeks after the deadline in an email about the selection status of their entries. 

Submitting Entries, Fees:
General fee/non-members: $35 for the first three images plus $5 for each additional image. 15 images max, including up to 3 video submissions. 

Art Effect & Barrett Art Center Members: $30 for the first three images plus $5 for each additional image.15 images max, including up to 3 video submissions. (coupon code required)  

City of Poughkeepsie Residents (zip code 12601): $30 for the first three images plus $5 for each additional image. 15 images max, including up to 3 video submissions. (coupon code required) 

Current students of The Art Effect: $20 for the first three images plus $5 for each additional image, 15 images max, including up to 3 video submissions.  (coupon code required) 

Please email trolleybarn@feelthearteffect.org for applicable coupon code.  To become a member, visit,  https://feelthearteffect.org/product/membership/

About the Juror: 
Alexis Lowry is a curator at Dia Art Foundation, New York, where she is responsible for exhibitions, collection presentations, and public programs pertaining to Dia’s holdings of Minimal, Postminimal, and Conceptual art across the museum’s various sites. She recently organized the first North American retrospective of Charlotte Posenenske’s work for Dia Beacon, in Beacon, New York, as well as installations by Mel Bochner, Mary Corse, Charles Gaines, Barry Le Va, Lee Ufan, Robert Morris, Michelle Stuart, and Anne Truitt. At Dia Chelsea she has overseen commissions by Lucy Raven, Rita McBride and Kishio Suga. Prior to joining Dia, she was curator of the David Winton Bell Gallery at Brown University, Providence. Lowry has recently contributed to publications for the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College, Orlando; Drawing Center, New York; and Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; in addition to books produced by Dia. She obtained her PhD from New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts in 2019.

About the Jury Process
The artwork selection process for the exhibition is part of The Art Effect’s innovative youth curatorial program that brings together established arts professionals and local youth to present high-caliber art exhibitions and also open pathways for youth to consider careers in museums and professional art galleries.

Artwork Selection
Curator will work collaboratively with accomplished youth from The Art Effect's curatorial program to select artworks for the exhibition. Artwork selected for the exhibition will be shown in the Trolley Barn Gallery as well as an online exhibition. 

Sale of Works
Exhibiting artists may specify a retail price for work that is available for  purchase or not for sale.  The Art Effect will  retain a commission fee of 20% of the sale price for members of The Art Effect and current  students; for non-members, the commission fee is 30%. 

IMPORTANT DATES:
Entry Deadline: December 10, 2021 at 11:59 PM Mountain Time Zone
Notification of accepted artwork: January 3
Delivery of accepted artwork: Feb 26, Feb28 - Mar 4, 2022
Exhibition:March 11 - April 14, 2022
Reception and Prizes Announced: March 11, 2022, 5-7pm
Shipping and pickup of accepted artwork: April 15, 16, & 18, 2022

About The Art Effect:
The Art Effect empowers young people to develop their creative voice to shape their futures and bring about positive social change. The Art Effect (formerly Mill Street Loft + Spark Media Project) helps youth explore, experience, and excel in the arts, introducing them to visual arts and media, giving them the opportunity to develop real skills in these fields, and guiding them towards achieving their academic and career goals. We believe that the arts have the power to create a more vibrant, caring, and sustainable world led by a generation of youth who value creative thinking, diverse voices, and stronger connections between all people. The Art Effect directly serves over 2,000 young people throughout the Hudson Valley each year.

The mission of The Art Effect at the Trolley Barn is to train youth as leaders who catalyze the community through the arts and re-energize downtown Poughkeepsie. Exhibitions at the Trolley Barn are free and open to the public — so there are no financial barriers to access.

Application Requirements

Artwork specifications

We recommended a maximum of 7’ in any direction; there is no minimum. 2D artwork should not weigh in excess of 65 pounds. Artwork must be exhibition ready with appropriate frames and hardware as applicable. Please contact us at trolleybarn@feelthearteffect.org for consideration if your work exceeds these specifications – we may be able to accommodate your work. The Trolley Barn Gallery is suitable for a range of artwork sizes and media, and we are pleased to work with invited artists to ensure effective installation and presentation of their artwork. Site plan available on request. If you have less than three images or media, please create a blank image that reads "This page intentionally left blank" in order to meet the minimum of three uploads. 

Artists are responsible for transportation/delivery to and from the Trolley Barn Gallery. Artists must provide return shipping labels. 

Eligibility Criteria

Artists of all ages are welcome, regardless of where they are from or how they identify.