Open Call: Sea Worthy
EFA Project Space, Flux Factory, and The Gowanus Studio Space partner to bring you Sea Worthy (working title), an experiment in, exploration of, and tribute to maritime art. Beginning in late spring and continuing through the summer of 2011, Sea Worthy will combine exhibitions, workshops, and artist-led events in and around New York City’s waterways and waterfronts.
With over 70 islands and 700 miles of coastline, New York City is a formidable archipelago; this collective project aims to prompt a discussion of access to and use of the waterways of New York – and to reclaim, if modestly, the largest open space in the city – while engaging with related themes in contemporary art practice. We are seeking artists, boat builders, and creative people to participate in this collective and layered endeavor, and we are soliciting proposals for workshops, construction projects, performances, interactive events, and exhibition-ready artwork. Participants will contribute to one or more of the three main project areas:
Exhibition:
EFA Project Space, on West 39th Street in Manhattan, will host an exhibition exploring the notion that artists and makers employ boats not just as vehicles but as open platforms for social experimentation and as metaphors for personal, artistic, and collective freedom. Plans, diagrams, live footage, photo documentation, animations, re-enactments, and models are all welcome. For more info on EFA Project Space, click here.
Workshops and Projects:
The Gowanus Studio Space will provide a venue for workshops and projects directly connected to maritime activities and culture. We invite boat building workshops, presentations, lectures, book clubs, community meetings, talks, and debriefings that allow the public to participate in the artistic process. Proposals can be for single events and happenings or for projects that span multiple weeks, making use of our open gallery space, wood, metal, and printmaking facilities. In order to inform your proposal, please see our website for more information about our facilities, past projects, and ongoing programs.
Boats for Public Voyages:
Flux Factory will enlist a crew of boat builders and designers to build a fleet of seaworthy boats. The public will be invited to sail off with Flux Factory and go on expeditions exploring the waterways of New York throughout the summer, on over a dozen ships specially designed and built for this project. Additional events may include boat jousting, a circumnavigation of Manhattan, bird watching expeditions, and various discussions and panels with experts to be held on the subject of all things nautical.
For more information, submission guidelines, or to apply please click here!
Deadline: Entries must be received via e-mail on or before 5 pm EST on March 7, 2011. Applicants will be notified of their involvement on April 2, 2011.
If you have any questions, please e-mail ben (at ) gowanusstudio.org.