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Abington Art Center is a community center focused on music, drawing, painting, oil, ceramics, metals, sewing, embroidery, pottery, and jewelry classes. It is an outdoor free concert venue, with theater, dance, jazz, and live music on stage. You can buy gifts, crafts, bracelets, necklaces, and rings at the unique holiday fair.

CURRENT OPEN CALLS

2024 Annual Juried Show

Feeling Blue: Navigating Challenges Through Art

We are excited to present a call for submissions for the 2024 Annual Juried Show: Feeling Blue: Navigating Challenges Through Art

Feeling Blue: Navigating Challenges Through Art is a juried exhibition which considers art as a tool for healing.

Artists often explore art as a tool for articulating emotions and navigating difficult circumstances. Art plays a vital role in society; it acts as a means for people to process the world around them and channel their response into tangible work for others to look at, interpret, and resonate with. We have all found ourselves in difficult situations, whether it be overcoming obstacles or dealing with something unprecedented, and artists are no strangers to this. Like Picasso with his Blue Period, artists use artwork as a way to navigate the complex emotions that arise from challenges, whether deeply personal or universally shared. 

  • How has art influenced your way of viewing the world?
  • In what ways does your art-making practice provide comfort for you? 
  • How does the use of color evoke an emotional response from the viewer? 


RELEVANT DATES

Application Deadline

January 29th 2024

Notification Date

February 7th 2024

Opening Reception

March 8th, 6 – 8 PM

Exhibition Duration

March 8th – April 15th 2024

SUBMISSION FEES

The application fee is $30 for Non-members and free for Abington Art Center Members. This non-refundable fee covers the cost of the exhibition, which includes materials, labor, advertisement and reception costs.

Please make sure you are using the correct application before submitting. If you are unsure of your membership status, you can call (215) 887-4882 or email studioschool@abingtonartcenter.org.

Learn more about our jurors for this show!

Lauren E. Peters

Peters is a Philadelphia-based visual artist working with the concepts of identity and gender through self-portraiture. Her self portrait series serves as a tool in navigating the complex relationship between her gender identity and gender expression.

Heather Ziegenmeyer, MA LPC ATR-BC
Board Certified Art Therapist & Licensed Professional Counselor

Heather Ziegenmeyer is a certified art therapist and licensed professional counselor who founded Kindred Art Therapy, a local art therapy center that works with children ages 5+, teenagers, and adults through individual and family therapy sessions. Ziegenmeyer uses art as a form of therapy, allowing creativity and expression to act as another natural language: “[my] goal is to create a warm and safe outlet to create, express, and process the challenges we face in life.”

Lisa Kelley

Kelley is a teaching artist at Kensington Storefront and Prevention Point, organizations that serve people struggling with addiction and homelessness in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. Kelley’s work is often narrative-driven, inspired by the experiences that impact her emotionally: “sometimes the stories are apparent in the work, and other times the stories are what fuel the art.”

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I submit to an open call at Abington Art Center?

Submissions to all Abington Art Center open call opportunities and juried exhibitions must be submitted using the appropriate online submission form. Open calls have two submission forms, one for Non-Members which requires a full submission fee ( $30 – $40) and one for Abington Art Center Members which includes a reduced fee ($0 – $10).

Which form do I use?

If you are a current Abington Art Center MEMBER you may use the Members Only Form. All other applicants must use the Non-Member Form. If you would like to become a Member and receive the reduced rate on Open Calls, Please visit our MEMBERSHIP Page.

I accidentally submitted a Membership Form and I’m not a Member. What do I do?

All forms submitted using the Members Only form will be checked for membership status and only be reviewed if the artist has an active Membership with Abington Art Center. Please call 215-887-4882 during our hours of operation to make a submission payment over the phone. Alternatively, you may become a MEMBER on our Membership Page.

I would like to submit multiple angles for a sculpture. How can I do that?

Each submission form allows one image file per piece to prevent exceeding data limitations. If you would like to show multiple views of a piece, you may submit an image with multiple views stitched together with a app or website similar to PicCollage.

Can I submit in-person or send a printed form?

No, printed or in-person submissions are not accepted. The jurors review the work digitally and cannot attend an in-person review. All entries must be submitted online using the appropriate form.

I was in the middle of a submission and lost it. What should I do?

Abington Art Center has no method of retrieving lost submission forms or saving submission forms and is not responsible for lost forms that have not yet been submitted. Please make sure to have all pictures and artwork information ready when submitting, as there is no save feature and forms should be completed all at once. Please make sure to have a reliable internet connection when submitting.

Does AAC accept all forms of art?

For both the Annual Juried Show and the Summer Juried Show, the work is selected online entirely by the call’s juror(s). Solo Series artists are selected by AAC Staff collectively. All participants whether selected or not will be sent a notification when the review is complete. The notification will go to the artist’s provided email.

What is the installation process for AAC’s exhibitions?

For both the Annual Juried Show and the Summer Juried Show, the exhibition is curated by the juror and hung by AAC Staff members. Solo Series artists are responsible for installation and deinstallation of their exhibition. Please take this into account before submitting.