Works submitted for "THE 2014 FL3TCH3R EXHIBIT" should have strong social and political content. (Photo by Randy Gentry)
JOHNSON CITY – Artists and designers are invited to submit entries for "THE 2014 FL3TCH3R EXHIBIT: Socially and Politically Engaged Art" at East Tennessee State University.
This multinational juried exhibit will be held at the Reece Museum on the campus of ETSU from Oct. 15-Dec. 3. The deadline is Sept. 3, and works submitted should have strong social and political content, reflect current issues that affect contemporary culture, or investigate societal and political concerns.
The exhibit, now in its second year, is held in memory of Fletcher H. Dyer, with proceeds going to fund an endowed scholarship in his name for a student in ETSU's Department of Art and Design.
Dyer, who died in a motorcycle accident in 2009 at the age of 22, was a senior in the department, pursuing his bachelor of fine arts degree with a concentration in graphic design.
"As an artist and graphic designer, Fletcher's artwork was very politically and socially related, with commentary on different issues. It was sometimes very subtle, sometimes very blatant," said his mother, Barbara Dyer, who is directing the exhibit with her husband, M. Wayne Dyer, a professor in the department of art and design. "We felt this would be a good thing to do in memory and honor of Fletcher's life to create this exhibit as a venue for socially and politically based commentary."
The Dyers look to build on the success of last year's inaugural exhibit, which was held at the Tipton Gallery in downtown Johnson City and received around 120 artist entries from 40 states and Canada for a total of 350 works submitted. The juror's final selections were 50 works by 50 artists in 23 states, with 20 of those representing states in the Appalachian region. The 2013 reception also attracted over 250 guests, including exhibiting artists and university and community patrons.
The juror for this year's exhibit is Elliott Earls, artist-in-residence and head of the Graduate Graphic Design Department at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. His work as a designer and artist has been exhibited widely and is represented in major collections, including those of the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian National Design Museum, scheduled to open this December in New York; the Wolfsonian at Florida International University, Miami Beach; and the Miami Art Museum. Also a performing artist, he was awarded an Emerging Artist Grant from Manhattan's Wooster Group.
Artists may enter up to three works for a non-refundable fee of $30; additional entries may be submitted for $7 each. Cash prizes, which will be presented during an Oct. 23 reception, include $300 for Best of Show and two $100 awards of excellence, along with a new Appalachian Artist Award (amount not yet determined). The Dyers are also working to establish other sponsored awards.
The prospectus and entry form are available for download at http://www.fl3tch3rexhibit.com/.
For more information, call the Reece Museum at 423-439-4392. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.
