Hanifl Nature Center Exhibit Call for Art: Birds!
Minnesota Zoo
In July 2023 the Hanifl Nature Center opened along with the Treetop Trail at the Minnesota Zoo. An art exhibit is featured in the Nature Center. The theme for the next exhibit is birds and the exhibit will be installed from March-Labor Day 2024.
The call is for residents of Minnesota and the goal is to represent the breadth of high-quality artistic talent across the state.
Please review this context for the exhibit:
Unifying message: Inspiration that comes from birds. Appreciation for the beauty of birds, feathers, bird nests, and bird flight. Showcase some of the many ways artists can be inspired by birds.
Aesthetic: Art that depicts or is inspired by birds. Feature diversity of styles and media. The space is suited best for two dimensional pieces but there are also opportunities for sculptural work.
Subthemes:
- Birds and You: Significance of birds in cultures around the world/ birds represented in art styles unique to cultures around the world / any art that highlights the human connection to birds.
- Message: Birds delight the sense of people from around the world. For centuries, humans have acknowledged, celebrated, and been connected to birds.
- Examples:
- Art from birdwatchers
- Art depicting backyard birds
- Huaniaohua (traditional Chinese bird-and-flower paintings), plus similar styles from Japan & Korea
- Japanese wood block prints
- Miniature Paintings
- bird folk art
- indigenous and tribal bird art
- Origami cranes
- Bird Biology: Bird parts (feathers, wings, beaks, etc.) / Bird behavior (flight, breeding, etc.) / Nests & eggs (lifecycles) / Conservation connections
- Message: Birds are often viewed from afar or with only a fleeting glimpse. Art can be a powerful tool to help us understand birds.
- Examples:
- Anatomical studies of feathers, beaks, feet, eggs, wings, flight, lifecycles, nests, behavior, etc.
- Artfully arranged collections of feathers, eggs, etc. Slight nod to the aesthetic of a museum
- Zoological or scientific illustrations
- Macro- or micro- photography
- Side-by-side art made with different individuals of the same bird species or using different birds as subjects
- Flight and Migration:
- Message: Bird flight can symbolize freedom and evoke a sense of wonder. Some birds undertake remarkable seasonal migrations.
- Examples:
- Celebration of colors, movement, light
- Art depicting birds migrating singularly or in groups
- Art depicting flight feathers
- Art depicting flight patterns or coordinated group movements
- Art depicting progressions of birds taking off, flying, or landing
- Birds Around the World:
- Message: There are over 10,000 species of birds in the world. Some are unique and exotic. Some birds are rare and endangered. All are beautiful and have a role to play in their natural habitats.
- Examples:
- The same bird shown in different locations at different times of the year (e.g. a loon in Minnesota in the summer and in the Gulf of Mexico in the winter)
- Art depicting rare or unique birds
- Art depicting birds with a conservation story
- Art depicting non-domestic birds in human care or in zoos (not pets)
Artwork size may range from 8” x 10” to 24” x 36” and should not be deeper than 12”.
NOTE: A second opportunity is a large wall installation with specifics described at the end of the call.
Each artist may submit up to five pieces.
Please include a jpg. image of the piece identified with:
- Artist’s name
- Title
- Medium
- Size
Also include artist address and contact information.
Please indicate which of the four subthemes resonates best with each piece. Pieces may fit into more than one subtheme.
Artists are encouraged to include an artist’s statement, especially one that addresses how these pieces fit into the Unifying Message & Aesthetics for this exhibition. By submitting the statement, you are allowing anything in the statement to be used in zoo interpretive or promotional materials in the exhibit should your work be chosen.
Art may be for sale through Art Force. There will be a QR code in the exhibit that allows for the receipt of information about purchasing.
The deadline for submission is Friday December 1, 2023, at 5 PM central time. Artists will be notified of accepted work by December 22, 2023.
PLEASE NOTE: Artists whose work is chosen are responsible for transporting artwork to Art Force in mid-February and for picking it up after the completion of the exhibit at Art Force. Art Force is in New Brighton.
Installation is planned for the first full week of March 2024. Artwork must be installation-ready with quality materials and in excellent condition.
Each selected artist will be provided five Minnesota Zoo admission tickets.
Request for Demographic Information
Rationale
We respect human diversity and understand that sexual orientation, age, gender identity, race /ethnicity, veteran, and disability status, are sensitive and personal matters. This information requested below is used to determine if our equal opportunity efforts are reaching all segments of the population.
Questions
- Do you identify as a person with a disability or other chronic condition?
- Yes
- No
- Prefer not to answer
- Are you a veteran?
- Yes
- No
- Prefer Not to answer
- Race (Check all that apply):
- American Indian or Alaska Native – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North or South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.
- Asian – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, or Vietnam.
- Black or African American – a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific islands.
- White – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa
- Prefer not to answer
- Prefer to self-identify_________
4. What best describes your gender?
- Female
- Male
- Nonbinary
- A gender not listed here
- Prefer not to answer
Questions and submissions should be sent to Leslie Palmer-Ross via email at Lpr@artforce.org. For large files, please use www.wetransfer.com. It is free.
Wall Installation Opportunity
The concept may be one large piece, or several smaller pieces designed to work together to fill the space.
Please be aware that pieces in this area only are not behind glass. The installation should be designed with materials that potentially will be touched and/or at a height where they cannot be accessed.