Riverfront: 20/20
June 5 - November 5, 2020
DuPont I & II Galleries
On the heels of our 20th year on the riverfront, The Delaware Contemporary celebrates innovation and the creative spirit by inviting artists to participate in our juried Riverfront: 20/20 exhibition. This inaugural exhibition highlights a sense of place and investigates discovery, meaning, and purpose. It seeks artists who visualize the influence of a microcosmic physical world within a region. It examines diverse approaches to built environments and natural terrains to generate dialogue about the nature of revitalization and its relationship to community. It encourages visual dialogue that rests at the place of remembering, forgetting, letting go, holding on, adventure, imagination, and beginning anew. It asks, “what does a sense of place in urban living mean?”; “how does living near industry or water anchor a sense of place?”; or, “how does the historical authenticity of a ‘riverfront’ inform aesthetics or an artistic narrative?”
The Christina River meanders along the Riverfront Wilmington District in northern Delaware. It serves as a home for businesses and a destination for area residents and tourists. Filled with museums, eateries, and recreation along the river, the District echoes varied opportunities for social interactions.
Hindsight, or 20/20, is that observation of tracing footprints from past experience that lead to new discoveries and perspectives. Looking back and looking to the future, urban riverfront districts redevelop their landscapes to offer a unique sense of place and community. Buildings are re-fabricated and the manufacture of new buildings follow. New job opportunities arrive and progress continues as development ultimately transforms and regenerates the community. Nestled in the northwest corner of the Riverfront Wilmington in a former train car hangar sits The Delaware Contemporary, a space born of artists for artists to infuse contemporary art and creativity into the community. In 2000, the Riverfront Wilmington became the permanent home of The Delaware Contemporary’s artist studios and exhibition spaces. Through the Riverfront: 20/20 Exhibition, The Delaware Contemporary explores our own sense of place by taking risks and pushing boundaries.
Guest Juror: Kristen Hileman, former Chief of Contemporary Art Department and Curator of Contemporary Art at Baltimore Museum of Art, and former Associate Curator at Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Prizes: Artists selected for the exhibition will be eligible for the following cash prizes:
$1000 The Delaware Contemporary Award selected by the Gretchen Hupfel Curator of Contemporary Art
$500 Popular Vote Award selected by visitors during the first three weeks of the exhibition
$250 Honorable Mentions, two will be selected by the juror
Criteria: Much like the joining of rivers, this juried exhibition intends to showcase the artistic confluence of the exhibition’s theme, “a sense of place.” Focusing on innovative uses of traditional and non-traditional media, this exhibition is open to emerging, mid-career, and seasoned artists. Any artist over the age of 18 from the Delaware River Valley and its tributaries of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, and within a 200-mile radius, may apply.
All work must be newly created with maximum dimensions of 36”W x 50”H inches, sculpture maximum weight 150 lbs. All media welcome except giclee prints. Artists may enter up to three works. Works on paper, i.e. pastel and graphite, must be fixed and framed. Work previously shown in our museum will not be eligible for consideration. A Friends membership not required to apply.
Space: The DuPont I & II Galleries, totaling 2,146 sq. ft.
Exhibition Dates: June 5 - November 5, 2020
Application fee: $35
Delivery/Return: Artists are responsible for shipping, delivery, and associated costs to and from the museum.
Submission Details:
Submission deadline: January 10, 2020
Notification by: January 20, 2020 - Due to the volume of applications, only selected artists will be notified. Please check the website for a list of accepted exhibitors.
Submission Instructions:
Please submit the following information as one single PDF format document to artistopp@decontemporary.org with the exact subject line “Riverfront_20/20”:
Name, address, phone number, email address
Artist bio and statement
Artist CV/Resume
Images of artwork (no more than 6) with image list
Pay the application fee and include the order receipt number in the body of the submission email
Programming:
Opening reception:
Friday, June 5, 2020
5 – 9 PM during Art Loop.
Cash prizes will be announced during this event.
Artist talk: 6 PM
