CONTEMPORARY MUSLIM ART OF NORTH CAROLINA
Call Closes: January 13, 11:59PM
Notification: late January
Exhibition: February - May, 2024
From February - April 2024, VAE will be exhibiting the work of contemporary Muslim artists in an exhibition that will center, support, and uplift Muslim artists in the Triangle and the larger South. Through VAE’s open source and collaborative working model we seek to create an exhibition that not only brings awareness to the historical circumstances related to Muslim identity, but also celebrates the rich and diverse identities of Muslim people.
A team of steering committee members and VAE staff will review the applications in late winter.
The call for art closes on Saturday, January 13th at 11:59PM. Artists will be notified in mid-January. If you have any questions or request accommodations, please email Ant (ant@vaeraleigh.org). Please do not reach out about the status of your application. Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed.
At this time we are only seeking submissions for artists based in North Carolina.
STEERING COMMITTEE
Lela Ali (she/her)
Lela Ali is the Co-Founder and Program and Policy Director at Muslim Women For, a Muslim women-led and serving grassroots organization based in NC. Muslim Women For organizes Muslim, Black, Brown, and immigrant communities to build political power through political education, advocacy, and local organizing. Lela also serves as a Regional Southern State Advisor at Movement Voter Project, where she is working as a main liaison with local groups in top battleground states like NC and GA, assessing the organizing, donor and political landscape, and advocating for resources to build sustainable long-term progressive power. Lela is a graduate of Duke University where she received her Master’s in International Development Policy and Middle East Studies. Her research focused on social network analyses of local Muslim-American led networks in the south.
Rakan DiarBakerli (he/him)
Rakan is currently working at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University after 10 years of teaching science in the classroom. He is passionate about cultural learning, exploration of the natural world, gaming, and visual storytelling. Any opportunity he finds disposable income, it goes straight to finding his next adventure in a land he has never been. He hopes to immerse himself in new cultures, languages, and food with people he has never met before!
Waad Husein (she/her)
Waad Husein is a Sudanese-American artist and designer. She enjoys experimenting with a variety of mediums such as photography, illustration and collage. Her work explores the visual rhythms of being a third culture kid, architecture and nostalgia. Waad is a co-founder of Tabadul Collective, an arts organizing group rooted in exploring identity and creativity.
Kulsum Tasnif (she/her)
Kulsum Tasnif is a mixed media artist who uses a wide range of techniques and approaches, much of which deal with social issues and the way they affect the Muslim-American community to which she belongs. Her current exhibit, “Backpacking Method,” is a multi-sensory public art project for Raleigh Stories (a public art project supported by Raleigh Arts) which celebrates diverse communities of Method Road by memorializing their legacies. In January 2023, Kulsum founded Artist Ummah, a non-profit cultural arts organization for the Triangle Muslim-American community and beyond. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for VAE Raleigh.
ENTRY INFORMATION
To use the online form to submit information about and images of your work, please review these instructions for naming your files.
All files should be named like so: FIRST INITIAIL LASTNAME#_TITLE.jpg, FIRST INITIAIL LASTNAME#_TITLE.jpg, etc. (e.g. JDoe1_Untitled)
Still images should be sent as jpegs should be at least 1000px at their widest dimension, not to exceed 2MB per image. 2D artists may submit one JPEG per entry. 3D artists may submit two JPEGS (one full shot and one detail) per entry. Follow the filename format for works as indicated above.
Video samples should be edited to no longer than 2-minute excerpts. It is strongly preferred that video & audio artists submit their work online through clips or URL addresses to online sharing formats like Vimeo, Youtube, or Dropbox. Videos submitted as uploaded files should be no larger than 10MB (as that is the largest file eligible for upload on our entry software). Video pieces will only be accepted for exhibition if they are captioned, either with open captioning, that is integrated into the video or closed captioning that can be turned on when needed. Read info about captioning videos on Youtube, with iMovie, or Quicktime! Please only submit video art or video documentation of an art piece that requires video to be fully experienced. Do not send video walk-throughs of static exhibitions or video slideshows.
Audio: Audio should be submitted as separate MP3 files. Each track should be no longer than 2 minutes. Follow the filename format for works as indicated above.
Web-based: Web-based work should be submitted as a URL listed in the work sample list. Please only submit web-based projects. A portfolio website that features audio/video art and still images will not be considered.
Eligibility
The call for art is open to any living artist based in North Carolina who identifies with the theme of Muslim Art. A maximum of 2 works of any medium, per artist may be submitted. Two- and three-dimensional entries will be accepted. Work must be original and completed in the last 5 years. VAE Raleigh reserves the right to exclude work due to size or special requirements. Entries must be hand-delivered to the gallery or mailed in a returnable container.
We will not exhibit or financially support work that co-opts the story of a community without representation from that community acting in a decision making role.
Accessibility
VAE’s gallery entrance, lobby, and exhibition space are all located on the ground floor with accessible paths of travel. The space has flexible seating and an accessible restroom. Our aim is to make entering our exhibitions accessible to everyone. If you need any additional information or accommodations in order to enter this exhibition please email Ant or call 919.828.7834 and leave a message.
Visit our accessibility page for more information.
Sales
VAE Raleigh will retain a commission of 30% for all works sold during the run of the exhibition. If a work is not for sale, please enter "NFS" in the "Price for Entry" field in the entry form. An insurance value is still required for artworks that are not for sale.
Liability
All entries will be handled with the utmost care and respect. VAE is not liable for artwork during transportation to or from the gallery but does carry a blanket inland marine policy that covers most fine artworks and craft items up to $5,000. VAE reserves the right to refuse coverage to artwork with inherent vices, high values, or that is deemed unstable.
