Artina 2025: Upside Down – Inside Out

About the Open Call

The realities of today’s world seem to have turned topsy-turvy. What was up is now down, ‘left’ is pitted against ‘right’, and confidence proportionally falls as uncertainty climbs higher with the hour. Meanwhile, self-proclaimed outsiders have resolutely taken ownership of the inside track. In reflection, we ask ourselves collectively, “What now? What next? Where are we? Where do we go from here? How do we reorient ourselves within a world turned upside down and inside out?” We ask these questions in an attempt to locate ourselves within a morphing paradigm and to ground ourselves despite ever-changing circumstances. Quite possibly, creative responses to these questions are best communicated in sculptural form. Through sculpture, installation, sound, performance, and interdisciplinary expression, Upside Down, Inside Out invites artists to explore inversions and reorientations. Inversion and orientation can each be interpreted geographically or directionally, psychologically or sexually, politically, positionally, or materially. This exhibition thematically embraces the carnivalesque: inclusive of mischief, playfulness, whimsy, chaos, and excess. Approaches and interpretations of related topics may range widely, from the unfamiliar and the uncanny, to the surreal and the satirical, the absurd and the abject, the ironic and the burlesque, the silly and the serious. As such, Upside Down, Inside Out is a space of radical hospitality, welcoming and inviting all modes of imaginative subversion and unfettered inquiry that challenge the dominion of absolute power, unquestioned patrimony, and obligatory acceptance of the status quo. The ARTINA exhibition series, now in its 9th year, is an ongoing partnership between Washington Sculptors Group and the Sandy Spring Museum that invites social engagement with the environment through participation and collaboration. Artists are encouraged to envision interactions in the natural landscape, engaging visually and physically with nature.

What is Offered

Accepted Artists will receive an honorarium of $150. Artists are encouraged to offer their work for sale, with the museum taking a 30% commission on all sales. The Sandy Spring Museum insures works on loan up to $10,000 after the work is delivered and the exhibition loan agreement is signed.

Requirements

The exhibition is open to current or new members of the Washington Sculptors Group. Artists who are not already members may join WSG by paying annual dues ($45, or $15 for full-time students) during the Entrythingy checkout process. Existing WSG members must renew their dues for 2025 to be eligible. A maximum of 6 images (including detail images) of sculptures/installations per artist or team may be submitted. Works should be suitable for long-term, outdoor exposure, as well as fabricated and installed in a viewer-safe manner. Artists are responsible for any maintenance of the work. There are no restrictions on media/materials. Artists should detail their installation requirements. It is highly recommended that artists visit Sandy Spring Museum to get a sense of the surroundings prior to applying.

How to Apply

Applicants should go to www.entrythingy.com, click on the 'for artists' tab, then 'list of current calls', scroll down to 'Artina 2025' listing. Create a login account or use an existing one, then select the Artina 2025 call and complete the entry steps. There is a $5 entry fee. Submissions must be made through EntryThingy, no entries by mail or email. All images must be 300 dpi resolution, max 2MB each. Video files must be smaller than 50MB (max 5 minutes). Files should be named with only the title of the work (no names). Do not include your name in the statement or description paragraphs. Submit a proposal in .doc or .pdf format, including project description, concept sketches/renderings, and other relevant information.