Open Call: Apophenia
December 9, 2023-March 16, 2024

Description

The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG) and City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) is pleased to present Open Call: Apophenia. In celebration of the gallery’s 70th year anniversary, LAMAG revisits its popular open call exhibition format, featuring 350 artists living and/or working in Southern California. Founded as the All City Outdoor Festival in 1950 and dispersed throughout nine LA city parks, the recurring program evolved into Open Call, a non-juried opportunity for youth, students, professional, and non-professional artists to present their artwork side by side at LAMAG. This year, in lieu of a cash prize and honorable mentions, LAMAG will invite between two to four artists to develop an exhibition in the gallery’s project space. The selection will be made by newly appointed LAMAG Curators Nancy Meyer and Hugo Cervantes. 

 

This year’s Open Call, subtitled Apophenia (the tendency to perceive a connection or meaningful pattern between unrelated or random things, such as objects or ideas) is derived from an artwork included in the exhibition. The curatorial approach speaks to the show’s ethos of creating connections among artists and practices that celebrate the differences across Southern California. Organized by theme, medium, and color, Open Call: Apophenia generates a conversation mediated by artistic differences to create points of connection. Open Call: Apophenia includes painting, photography, works on paper, and sculpture made by artists living within Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. 

 

Open Call: Apophenia is curated by Nancy Meyer and Hugo Cervantes. 

 

The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery is a facility of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA.)

 

In honor of its 70th anniversary, the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG) is pleased to announce an open call for artworks to be included in a non-juried exhibition opening on Saturday, December 9, 2023.

 

 All artworks that follow the submission guidelines will be accepted. The in-person submission drop off is on a first come first serve basis and will take place between 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 25, and Thursday, October 26th. 

 

After almost a decade, LAMAG is revisiting its popular open call format for an exhibition of artists living and/or working in Southern California. Predating the biennial juried exhibitions and founded as the All City Outdoor Festival in 1950, Open Call evolved into a recurring exhibition opportunity for youth, students, professional and non-professional artists to exhibit their artwork side by side at LAMAG.

 

Traditionally, Open Calls awarded artists best in show and honorable mentions. This year, in lieu of a cash prize, LAMAG will invite an artist from Open Call to develop a solo exhibition in the gallery’s project space at a later date. The selection will be made by newly appointed LAMAG Curators Hugo Cervantes and Nancy Meyer. 

 

For updates and more information including the Open Call entry form, please visit our website at lamag.org

Open Call drop off at Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, date and photographer unknown. 

Courtesy of the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.

Eligibility

  • Open to artists living and/or working in Southern California (Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.)

  • Artists must be at least 18 years old.

  • Works must be original. Participants are responsible for ensuring submissions are not in violation of copyright law or plagiarism guidelines.
 
  • City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs employees are ineligible.
 

Award

LAMAG Curators Hugo Cervantes and Nancy Meyer will invite an artist to develop a solo exhibition in the gallery’s project space at a later date.   

Artwork pick-up

All work must be picked up by the artist at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park: 4800 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027 between Tuesday, March 26 to Friday, March 29, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Please bring packing materials).

Liability

The City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department assumes the privilege of photographing any entry for the purpose of publicity or education. All works must remain on view for the duration of the exhibition. The Municipal Art Gallery is responsible for the placement and hanging of all artworks. Submission of an artwork constitutes agreement on the part of the artist to all listed conditions.

Press

Calendar

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

 Delivery of artwork, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 26, 2023

Delivery of artwork, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Exhibition opens

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Exhibition closes

Tuesday-Friday, March 26 to 29, 2024

Artwork pick-up, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

 

(Pick up dates and times are established by the first letter of your last name)


Last names starting with A-G: Tuesday, March 26

Last names starting with H-N: Wednesday, March 27

Last names starting with O-Z: Thursday, March 28


Friday, March 29 is open for those who are unable to pick up the day assigned to them.

It is important that the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery prioritize respect for both the historic culture and the contemporary presence of indigenous peoples throughout California, and especially in the Los Angeles area. To that end, and particularly as a public and civic institution, we acknowledge that our gallery resides on what was historically the homeland of Kizh, Tongva, and Chumash peoples who were dispossessed of their land. If you would like to learn more about the land you are on please visit: https://native-land.ca