OPEN CALL FOR ARTWORK:
2021 Survey Exhibition of Contemporary Art by Post-9/11 U.S. Military Veteran Artists
Exhibition Dates: September 4, 2021 – August 13, 2022
Submittable: Open Call Post-9/11 Vet/Art

Opening in September 2021 at the National Veterans Art Museum, Chicago, IL, the 2021 Survey Exhibition will showcase artwork created by practicing Post-9/11 veteran artists with diverse prior military service experiences.
 
The theme for the exhibition is art and service, and how these two worlds conflate within the Post-9/11 veteran artist’s practice and work.
 
Submitting artists are challenged to translate the theme into visual representations. Artwork that exemplifies the diversity and multitude of perspectives within the veteran artist community and/or challenges the notion of the military as an art-less space, or one exclusive to art for therapy, will be given preference.
 
Selection Process and Schedule:
Deadline to Submit: March 20, 2021
Preliminary Review by NVAM: March 22, 2021
Notification of Artists to Exhibit: March 29, 2021
Installation: August 2021
Art Reception/Dedication: September 2021
 
Application Materials:

1. A short cover letter with a brief description of your work and how it fits the exhibition theme.
2. A copy of your DD-214. Please omit SSN.
3. An artist statement of up to 500 words.
4. A copy of your current resume or CV.
5. Digital images of up to five individual works of art proposed for exhibition. Recommended image size is between 500-800kb, 200 dpi. If proposing new work (yet to be completed) please provide samples of past work that best represents the proposed new work.
6. Image identification list for each digital image provided. The list should include: Title, Date, one to two sentence description, Medium, Dimensions (*framed), and approximate weights for each work of art. *We require that all flatworks be framed. If financial assistance is necessary to provide frames, please note that in your cover letter.
7. A link to your website or online portfolio.
8. If you require these application materials to be returned, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope with enough postage to accommodate the return of the items.
9. All mailed application materials shall be sent to Megan Owoc, Collection and Exhibitions Manager, National Veterans Art Museum, 4041 N. Milwaukee, Flr. 2, Chicago, IL 60641. Emailed application materials can be sent to mowoc@nvam.org. Online applications can be completed through Submittable: Open Call Post-9/11 Vet/Art.

The Times Media Company | nwi.com
Joseph S. Pete

CHICAGO — The National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, which seeks to celebrate and preserve the work of veteran artists around the country, has switched to an online format during the coronavirus pandemic, such as through its virtual program, “Today & Every Day.”

The museum at 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave. has temporarily closed its doors but created an online component to its permanent exhibit "The Things They Carried." The exhibit celebrates acclaimed author Tim O'Brien's collection of connected short stories about his experience in the Vietnam War, linked by the central metaphor of rucking with a heavy load while out on patrol.
The widely feted book, taught at universities across the country, has sold more than 2 million copies and is considered one of the greatest works of literature about the Vietnam War and modern war itself.
It's won a truck worth of awards as well as ending up as a nominee for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

The museum also is hosting artist spotlights online, including an artist talk with exhibiting artist and National Veterans Art Museum Maurice Costello who appeared in conversation with National Veterans Art Museum Gallery Coordination and Collection Manager Megan Owoc.

"As 2020 comes to an end, and we begin our 2021 programs and initiatives, remember that our mission to collect, preserve, and exhibit the work of veteran artists will continue," the National Veterans Art Museum said in a press release.
"Through our virtual museum, we will continue to share these captivating stories with you and look forward to welcoming you back to the museum in the near future."
The online "The Things They Carried" exhibit and all of the museum's past programs from 2020 can be viewed online at www.nvam.org. 

www.nwitimes.com/entertainment/national-veterans-art-museum-operating-with-online-format-during-pandemic/article_824c8c81-bdfa-5100-811f-54c0942f9cf5.html