Open Call for IMIYENZI Exhibition in Houston

About the Open Call

IMIYENZI is a community-rooted exhibition in Houston, Texas, USA, exploring East-African traditional healing practices, resilience, and cultural memory. We are inviting artists of East-African descent to submit digital work related to these themes. This open call is specifically for artists of East African heritage at any stage in their career whose work engages with the themes of healing, resilience, and cultural memory through digital formats. We are seeking original artworks that can be exhibited digitally, such as Photography, Digital collage or illustration, Audio or sound-based work, and 3D renderings. AI-Generated Work will not be taken into consideration. We are seeking 10 artworks to be featured in a group exhibition opening in September 2025 at 5301.18a Arts & Culture Lab in Houston, Texas, USA. Selected artists will be contacted in August 2025 and will be required to sign a consent form confirming their permission for the work to be exhibited. Jury includes artists, educators and curators from East-Africa and Houston. Partners include Houston Arts Alliance, 5301.18A Arts & Culture Lab, Houston Center for Photography, and Milele Museum. Curators are Canda (Bruce Niyonkuru) and Melissa Kurkut.

What is Offered

If any prints of the submitted artworks are sold during the exhibition, the artist will receive 70% of the original asking price as set by the artist.

Requirements

Submissions are open to artists who identify with East African heritage (Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda), whether through ancestry, cultural connection, or lived experience. Work must engage with the themes of healing, resilience, and cultural memory through digital formats. AI-Generated Work will not be taken into consideration.

How to Apply

Submit digital work related to the themes of healing, resilience, and cultural memory. Applications are accepted via the provided Google Form URL. Selected artists will be contacted in August 2025 and required to sign a consent form. For eligibility questions, email info@milelemuseum.com.