about the 2010 theme

Call for Entries Confluence con.flu.ence (kon’ floo-uns) n.

• 1. a. a flowing together of two or more streams b. the point of juncture of such streams c. the combined stream formed by this juncture
• 2. a gathering, flowing, or meeting together at one juncture or point
• 3. a juried Franklin County-wide fine art exhibition

The geologic history and current topography of Franklin County began nearly 600 million years ago with the collision of the continents of Baltica, Gondwana, and Laurentia, and creation of the Eastern Boarder Fault. The communities of Franklin County have been junctures for the challenging and transformative convergence of, first, members of the Abenaki, Mahican, Narragansett, Nonotuck Mohawk, and Pocumtuck tribes native to the region with white settlers from eastern Massachusetts, and, more recently, generations of farming families with urbanites migrating west from Boston and north from New York City.

Franklin County-based fine artists working in drawing, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video art are encouraged to consider what intersections occur due to such historical and sociological phenomena as: the development of digital arts; the migration of artists into settled communities; the co-existence of diverse religious philosophies, popular cultures, and art movements; the connection of canals to rivers; the expansion of human dwellings into natural habitats; the co-mingling of young people with seniors, new immigrants with long-time residents, and artists with producers of food and manufactured goods; and, the evolution of farming and manufacturing communities into artists' communities.

Alternately or in addition, artists are invited to explore and present the idea of “confluence” as it pertains to the materials and methodologies of art creation, and as it contributes to our sense of place as artists, a sense of place for viewers of the exhibition, and to life, work, and play in Franklin County and the larger universe that we recognize as home.

Jurors:

Lisa Thompson, Associate Director, A.P.E., Northampton
Loretta Yarlow, Director, The University Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Exhibition:

The Gallery at Hallmark, Turners Falls, MA
October 1 – 31, 2010

Timeline:

Announcement of call for entries:

May 3, 2010

Submission deadline:

July 19, 2010

Notification of accepted work:

August 30, 2010

Drop-off/delivery of accepted work:

September 27 – 28, 2010

Installation:

September 29 – 30, 2010

Opening reception:

Friday, October 1st, 6:00 – 8:00pm

Click here to download a complete information packet in PDF format. Click here to download a complete information packet in text format.