Good news for local artists!
Word from Caryn Kaufman Communications is that MainState Ventures is looking for six artists to adorn a wall at the corner of Broad and State streets in downtown Bridgeport.
And not only will the winning artists have the pleasure of exhibiting their work, each for a two-month stretch, at one of downtown’s busiest intersections, they might be wealthier for it. A total of $1,250 will be awarded.
But artists need to act quickly: The deadline for submission is Monday, Feb. 15.
Here are the details, provided by Ms. Kaufman, publicist for MainState Ventures:
Six finalists will be chosen to install and display their art throughout the year in a rotating public art exhibition. The art will be prominently displayed on an 8-foot by 8- foot wall on the Broad Street side of 211 State St. in dowtown Bridgeport, with each artist’s work on display for 2 months. The year-long exhibition will culminate in the selection of a Grand Prize winner, who will receive a $1,000 cash award and a “People’s Choice” winner, who will be awarded $250. The competition is open only to artists who either reside or work in Bridgeport.
Artists are asked to submit a sampling of their work using a maximum of five (5) jpeg images and one (1) square-format .jpeg image of their proposed piece. It is preferred that artists work directly on the site to create their piece by hand. However, artists may choose to have a banner of their work produced. Artists are asked to indicate at the time of submission whether they will create their work on site or reproduce their work on a banner. All “reasonable production costs,” up to a maximum of $175, will be reimbursed by MainStateVentures.
Finalists will be notified by Feb. 18, via e-mail. Submissions may be sent to maryann@umbrellaarts.com. For questions regarding submissions, contact Margaret Bodell, (203) 727-7280. Once chosen, each artist will work with the sponsor to determine an appropriate timeline to produce their artwork and host an official unveiling event.
Submissions will be judged by Robert Curcio, co-founder of the Scope International Art Fairs of New York; MaryAnn Fahey, curator for Umbrella Arts, New York; Emily Larned, professor of graphic design at the University of Bridgeport; John Favret, director of the Housatonic Community College art department; and Penny Harrison, executive director of the Bridgeport Arts and Cultural Council.
MainStateVentures (MSV) is a joint venture between Spinnaker Real Estate Partners and Forstone Capital. It recently acquired the People’s United Bank downtown portfolio, which represents two Bridgeport city blocks including seven buildings totaling more than 255,000 square feet with 2.8 adjacent acres of developable land.
