Call for Entries for Inosculation--The OSU Alumni and Faculty Exhibition

Inosculation is the title for a project that will culminate in the next OSU Department of Art Alumni Exhibition. This project has a timeline that begins this winter with an on-line exhibition featuring the work of OSU MFA students who completed their studies in the years 2000-2006. It concludes with a group exhibition of selected alumni and faculty work scheduled for the fall of 2012 at the OSU Urban Arts Space. This date coincides with the annual conference of the National Council of Arts Administrators, hosted by the OSU, November 7-10, 2012. We are sending you this invitation to participate in this project.

 

Inosculation is a natural phenomenon in which branches of two trees grow together. It is most common for branches of two trees of the same species to grow together, though inosculation may be noted across related species. The branches first grow separately in proximity to each other until they touch. At this point, the bark on the touching surfaces is gradually abraded away as the trees move in the wind. Once the tissue of two trees touches, they self-graft and grow together.

 

This project/exhibition will use the phenomenon of Inosculation as a metaphor for the creative and personal intersection that occurs between faculty and student. Teaching and mentorship in studio arts shares much with this natural process. The circumstances that create the intersection of two artists during a short period of time often form strong bonds that weave together creative, professional and even personal relationships that last years, decades and even a lifetime.

 

We will begin the process with a web-based exhibition and this call will hopefully spark your interest and generate wide participation. The department is developing a web site to host your recent work, a brief bio, and an artist statement. Each member of this alumni group will be given a feature page that we will gladly link back to your personal website as well.

 

The deadline for sending information for the web-based exhibition is February 15^st, 2012.  The goal is to go live with the on-line exhibition in mid March. 

 

Then the selection process for an exhibition at the OSU Urban Arts Space would engage department faculty (current or retired) who would select alumni work that would be shown alongside their own work. This process serves to explore the vitality of the works as a both a product of a shared experience and as an outcome of continued growth.

The exhibition would result in a grouping of 50+ works representative of a wide range of media and conceptual approaches. The show will be a celebration of the accomplishments of our talented alumni and the connections they share and nurture with our faculty, department and community.

 

Please send the following materials to Michael Hardesty- Department of Art Graduate Program Manager at:

o   5-8 images of your work (formatted as jpegs – between 1-2 mb in size)

o   A brief Artist Statement (300 words or less)

o   A brief Biography (150 words or less)

o   A CV (optional- please send as a pdf.)