Call for Artists - Across the Diaspora

ARTE NOIR proudly presents Across the Diaspora, an exhibition celebrating Africa and its immense beauty, cultural and geographic legacy through visual storytelling. This exhibit aims to showcase talented African and Black artists from the ARTE NOIR Roster, as well as regional and national artists who can analyze and express their experiences through a critical lens. Africa’s significance, richness, and deep-rooted connection have long been inseparable from humanity and the foundation of many cultures.

For this exhibition, we are presenting a diverse range of artistic explorations. Submit your artwork in any medium—abstract or representational, digital or traditional, 2D or 3D—across the following expanded categories:

• Reflections - Into the Soul of Africa: Capture the depth of nostalgic memories, events, locations, and traditions that have since passed away. 
• Spirituality and Belief on the African Continent: Capturing the depth of emotions in the spirituality and beliefs of the African Diaspora. Every gaze tells a story: the glimmer of hope, the weight of sorrow, the intensity of love. 
• Africa: Figurative, Symbolic, and Forever: The Metaphorical Body and Portraits associated with the African Diaspora that transcend physical boundaries, serving as metaphors for awareness, truth, enlightenment, and perception. 
• The Mother Land: Nature is filled with stunning and mysterious experiences—the hypnotic presence of a tree, the looming height of hills, the mystic of lawns, the warmth of gardens, or the whisper of the weather. 
• Afro-Futurism - Technological Vision: The Digital Age and AI’s View from African and beyond: With the rise of technology, our view of the world is evolving. Examine how technology redefines our perception of the African Diaspora, both in ourselves and others. 
•  Africa’s Abstracted Vision: Expressing the Essence and Emotion of the African Diaspora: Not all experiences, visions, or realities of the African Diaspora need to be realistic. Experiment with abstraction, surrealism, and conceptual interpretations—depicting vision, perception, or the simple idea of being seen, felt, or imagined.

Styles

The theme of ARTE NOIR’s Across the Diaspora Exhibit in visual art encompasses a vast spectrum of styles, from the realistic portrayal of individuals to the abstract and surreal. 

ARTE NOIR encourages artists to captivate viewers and serve as a testament to the enduring power of visual art to communicate complex ideas, to convey emotion, symbolism, and social commentary through various art styles such as: 

• Portraiture: Perhaps the most apparent category where images of Icons, to the everyday commoner, take center stage.
• Surrealism: Surrealist artists often embraced the surreal and dreamlike quality of their work.
• Symbolism: Symbols can also hold abundant cultural, personal, social, or communal significance.
• Social Commentary: In contemporary art, legacy and celebration serve as a platform for conveyingsocial and political messages.

Abstract Art: Even in abstraction, expression, emotion, and imaginative reactions can make their presence felt. 

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY

Must be 18 years of age. 

This opportunity is for local, regional, national, and ARTE NOIR Roster Artists.  

ARTWORK ELIGIBILITY

Art Categories

The submission is open to all visual artists creating original artworks in 2-dimensional media.

JPG, PNG, or PDF files of the artwork desired to be selected must be submitted for review.  

(2-D) Visual Arts Categories: Painting, drawing, landscapes, printmaking, illustration, photography, digital arts, paper art, book art, fiber art, textile art, collage, abstract, graphic arts, design, and mixed media are accepted.

Style
All styles are accepted.

Any abstract or representational interpretations of the subject are welcome.

Size
For two-dimensional works, the work must not exceed 48” x 48” = 4 feet by 4 feet.

Duration
There is no limit to the year of artwork creation.
Artworks created within the last 5 years are preferred.

Originality and Rights
Artworks must be entirely the work of the entrant.

Entries must not be copies or derivatives based in any way on other copyrighted or published paintings, photographs, or other artistic work. Any infraction of this rule will result in removal from the exhibition.
Artists should have all the rights to present and publish their artworks internationally.

Artwork Photo

Only the artwork should be shown in the photo (no frames or extraneous backgrounds).

Invited artists will be asked for high-resolution artwork photos, if needed.

JPG, PNG, or PDF files of the artwork desired to be selected must be submitted for review.  

Availability

Artists can submit artworks that are not for sale.

Number of Artworks

Artists can submit up to 3 pieces of original artwork. JPG, PNG, or PDF files of the artwork desired to be selected must be submitted for review.  

The artworks are subject to selection, and a maximum of 3 artworks might be selected from the chosen artists.

Other

Artworks that, in the reasonable view of the organizer, include pornography, violence, and/or racial and religious hatred, inappropriate and/or offensive content, are not admissible.