Calls for Artists
In the Shaira Ali Gallery
Symbiosis
In celebration of Arlington250
Arlington Center for the Arts (ACA) in partnership with Arlington’s Poet Laureate, Jean Flanagan seeks submissions to Symbiosis. This unique call invites visual artists and writers from the region to sift through the past and find commonalities in the human experience. This exhibition will pair visual artworks with pieces of poetry, creating platforms for new meanings to be examined and explored.
What are the points of connection across diverse life stories? How do you show your relationship to those who came before you? What did this land look like before colonization or the industrial revolution? Writing and art have unique abilities to transport viewers across time and bring to life perspectives and voices long forgotten. Artists are encouraged to consider their own life experience through these questions, exploring their works’ thematic relationship to family, land, community, and change.
Visual artworks and prose will be displayed together for viewers to engage with, inspiring unique conversations about the experiences of being a resident of Arlington, also known as Menotomy. We invite artists and poets to submit work to this unique opportunity.
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If you have questions or concerns, please contact Delia Tharnish, Education and Programs Director at delia@acarts.org or at 781-648-6220.
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Image Credit: Stick Season by Bekka Teerlink
Important Dates
Deadline to Submit: Sunday, March 9, 2025
Announce Selected Art: Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Art Drop Off: Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Exhibition Opens: Thursday, April 3, 2025
Artist and Poet Private Reception: Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 1, 6pm-7:30 pm
Final Day of Exhibition: Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Art Pick up: Thursday, June 12, 2025
Submission Guidelines
Poetry​
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Artists and writers must be ages 16 and up
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Poetry submissions are limited to 2 pages for each submission
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A written artist statement or writing philosophy must be submitted
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Work must be submitted in 12 pt Arial
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Poetry must be submitted as a word document or google document (not PDF), with the work fully formatted for printing. ACA will not make any edits to grammar, spelling or punctuation. If work is selected, ACA may make changes to font, type size etc as needed for display purposes.
Visual Art
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Artists and writers must be ages 16 and up
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A written artist statement must be submitted
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Visual work must be ready to hang, installed, or displayed. 2D works must be on canvas or framed with a wire in the back for hanging or it will not be accepted. Specific display needs must be specified and provided by the artist.
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Site-specific proposals are welcome, but there is no guarantee we can accommodate. Please reach out to delia@acarts.org if you have any questions.
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There are no size restrictions beyond the height of the gallery, which is 6 feet tall. There are limited opportunities for anything taller than 6 feet (see site-specific proposals).
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Artwork shown at ACA in the past year will not be accepted.
Symbiosis Jurors
Evan Caldwell, ACA Programs Manager
Thomas DeFreitas, Poet + Community Partner
Jean Flanagan, Poet Laureate, Arlington, MA
KT Landon, Poet + Community Partner
Aneleise Ruggles, ACA Communications Director
Delia Tharnish, ACA Education and Programs Director
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Symbiosis Frequently Asked Questions
Is the call open to artists who don't live in Arlington?
While the focus is on Arlington artists and poets, the call is open to regional artists and poets.
Do we need to find poetry that pairs with our pieces? Who will be selecting the artwork and poetry for pairing?
Jurors will be responsible for pairing the artwork and poetry together for display. Both bodies of work will be evaluated separately and then will be paired together during the jurying process.
Should I submit classical or contemporary poetry?
There is no preference.
Should I submit poetry that is published or unpublished?
While the preference is for unpublished work, we will accept submissions of published work.
Is there an expectation of collaboration between artists and poets?
There is no expectation. There will be a private reception just for accepted artists and poets to meet and mingle on Tuesday, April 8.
Offsite Exhibit Program
Interested in exhibiting your work at local businesses and venues around Arlington, MA? The Arlington Center for the Arts has well-established relationships with many local business owners and cultural partners who are looking to display locally-made artwork in their public spaces. The ACA Offsite Exhibit Program is an artist bank that the ACA manages and presents to our local partners annually, and arranges exhibitions of selected artists work in these spaces for 3-6 months at a time.
How It Works
Our exhibits team reviews the submissions on a rolling basis as requests are made from the community for local art.
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Artists who are selected from this bank will be contacted by our Operations Manager, Pam Shanley who will review the opportunity for exhibition, and if accepted by the artist, will coordinate the artwork selection, installation, publicity, and reception for each artist.
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Submitting to the Offsite Exhibit Program does not guarantee an exhibition opportunity.
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Once an artist submits their work to the form, they are added permanently to the bank, but they are invited to reach out to ACA staff after a period of one (1) year if they have updates to their portfolio and have not yet been selected.
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Opportunities for exhibition range from a few pieces of art by one artist, to a large-scale exhibition featuring multiple artists.
How to Submit
Please complete the form below and be prepared to provide between 5-10 images of your work.
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Preference will be given to local artists.
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Exhibit opportunities are available for a range of large (10’ and under) medium (48” and under) and small (12” and under) sizes, and price points. All types of 2-D work is acceptable (painting, printmaking, photography, drawings, etc) as well as 3-D work that can be installed on a wall (fiber art, ceramics, etc).
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Unfortunately we cannot accommodate free-standing 3-D work at this time.
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All exhibited work will need to be ready-to-hang (wired, no saw hooks) prior to installation.
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The ACA takes a 30% commission and Artists will receive a 70% commission on all artwork sold during their placement.
Visit our Offsite Exhibits Page for more information. Any questions should be sent via email to ACA's Operations Director, Pam Shanley, at pam@acarts.org.
