NEW CALL FOR ART! -- WORLD ROULETTE!

CALL FOR ARTISTS! Join Us for a new group exhibition!
Submit your details by JUNE 5th below!

WORLD ROULETTE
An Exhibition About Worldbuilding at Random
Opens August 14, 2020

You sprint wide-eyed across the dark sandy dunes. You don’t look back.

The rough cloth bag you carry is still clutched tight to your chest. There is no way to hide your footsteps out here… you will be caught, you know it… it’s just a matter of when. You’re running a race that can only be won by stamina and tenacity.
”Go… go…. go…” You breathe through your teeth on every exhale.

In a world of thieves, you believe that the only way to survive is to be sharp and quick — you’ve been playing this game of social poker since you could speak and you’ve grown up knowing that trust is a rare commodity. Everyone here is hiding, or hiding something. Today you are doing both. With so few resources, each item is a prize to be won and each morsel of food is a difference between life and death. Find it, consume it, discard it, find something else. The cycle continues.

You reach the dry, dark wooden ruins of an old settlement and slip inside a nearby structure. The windows have long since been broken by the blowing sands and the ceilings feel low from the tall drifts of windswept sand that are swallowing the buildings with each storm. The moon barely reaches inside these structures so you should have a moment to rest where no one can see you. You slip around the corner quietly and crouch down and hurriedly inspect the contents of your bag— the sound of your heart beating in your ears.

From the far corner of this darkened room, you hear something… stir?
“Well, what do we have here?”

•••

Imagination is a beautiful thing. So let’s imagine infinite worlds together. We’ve all seen media where someone gets ahold of a time machine, stumbles into a portal, or steps into an alternate reality generator and the main character is tossed into a space unlike anything they’re used to. Rick and Morty, yes. Bill and Ted, exactly. Futurama… Start Trek… you see where we’re going. We are looking for individuals that are up for the challenge of answering the question… what would it look like if we were tossed into a world based on these four categories of great importance:

1. Ecosystem (ex. Temperate Rainforest, Tundra, Coral Reef, Low Oxygen Atmosphere, Underground Cave System, Glacial)

2. Resources or Elements of Importance (ex. Lapis Lazuli, Charcoal, Cork, Fishing, Fossils, Ancient Ruins, Hunting, Quarries, Geothermal Heat)

3. Important Attitudes or Attributes of the People (ex. Warring Families, Spiritual, Elders as Leaders, Musical Tendencies, Strong Constitution, Body Modification, Lack of Sanitation)

4. Time Period (1300s, 1890s, 2500…)
   

HOW IT WILL WORK:
After June 5th, participating artists will have access to a web page where, when you click on the link, it randomizes unique prompts from these four categories above (the examples above are to help give you an idea of the diversity of the types of things that can pop up, but there will be many, many more) and provides you with a scaffolding on which you can create the most terrifying, futuristic, incredible, insane worlds imaginable.

You get three “rolls” of the dice and will have to choose your favorite combination, then draw away!

THE EXHIBITION:
Each artist can create one black-and-white “piece of work” for this exhibition. This can be a full illustration of a space or place, a collection of little vignettes of life in your world, a page of trinkets, collections of items, costumes or other drawings. Anything that pertains to your world is fair game! In addition to your piece of work, we will be asking each artist to submit a little blurb about their world, including a name and paragraph providing some context that can be shown alongside the artwork.

While we traditionally show at our brick-and-mortar gallery in Minneapolis, we are still navigating how to best showcase the work in person — so in the meantime, we will be launching a virtual exhibition within our online gallery, which will go live on August 14th, 2020! In addition, we’ll be providing more details as we get closer about the rules and best-practices for seeing the show in person.

If you’ve never participated in a show with us before, it’s easy! You do not have to create the work until you’re selected to be a part of the exhibition, so as soon as the call for art is over, we’ll be jurying the group and then sending out a welcome email to all involved. All artists are welcome to create one piece of work based on the show theme, and can price their work as they see fit! We have a 60%/40% commission in favor of the artists and will be offering print-on-demand sales via the online shop. This show, just like all of our exhibitions, is open to international folks, as well as local artists! All of the details will be sent out in a log-in page for your convenience as soon as the jurying is complete!

The full collection of works will be on display online and sold through our online shop for the duration of the exhibition!

THE ZINE:
We are also going to be printing a limited edition zine of the exhibition / project for those that would like to opt-in to have their work included! Proceeds of the zine will go toward the gallery so we can continue to create awesome projects for the creative community during this crazy time.
For those of you that are new to the gallery, Light Grey Art Lab has been a community arts organization in the Twin Cities for 8 years and we’ve hosted all sorts of fun exhibitions, projects, and workshops for people to get involved in. The pandemic has hit us particularly hard, as we’re unable to host public events and are unable to travel at the moment due to health and safety concerns. That means we will be continuing to try to create projects to help us keep the lights on while we navigate our new normal (particularly for the rest of 2020 until things get a little less scary) and will be turning to online and printed projects to help keep making a difference in the community! A button to opt-in to have your artwork included in the zine will be on the artist information form to all participating artists. Thanks in advance for your support!

We will be launching a presale for anyone interested in purchasing a copy and participating artists will have the option of purchasing the zine at cost.

***

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN JOINING US FOR THIS SHOW, SEE BELOW!

All you have to do is put your name, email, and a link to your work online in the comments below!

EXAMPLE:
Lindsay Nohl
Hello@lightgreyartlab.com
instagram.com/paperbicycle

We will be jurying the artist list after JUNE 5th and will be sending an email to all creatives at that date with more information on how to send the work!

Thanks again and looking forward to exhibiting with you!
Questions? Send us a note! hello@lightgreyartlab.com

CALL FOR ARTISTS: INNUENDO: Does that mean what we think it means?

CALL FOR ARTISTS ENDS JANUARY 12th!

INNUENDO
Does that mean what we think it means?

A tongue in cheek(s) exhibition in a small package
OPENING RECEPTION IN MINNEAPOLIS: FEBRUARY 22nd, 2019 • 7 - 10pm
In coordination with the #LOVESONA exhibition and the Tasteful Nudes exhibition
On display though March 22, 2019
Light Grey Art Lab - 118 E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis Minnesota 55406 - 612.239.2047

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Peach, Sausage, Eggplant, Melon, Pie, Taco.

---

Every year we host a special swap-like exhibition where all participating artists get a copy of every piece in the show, and this one takes the hilarious cake.

This one is a public call for artists, so please tell your friends!

We are looking for artists who want to have a bit of fun and find clever ways to hide *ahem* spicy words, imagery, or meaning in any number of collectible objects in subtle or not-so-subtle ways.

Artists will make 100 copies (could be pins, postcards, stickers, zines, patches, or anything else you can hide a little *wink wink* in.) and send them our way for the exhibition in Minneapolis, where they'll be on display & a full stack divvied out to each participating artist!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
We are looking for artists interested in creating a work featuring their favorite innuendo in the medium / style of their choice for the gallery exhibition and artists swap opening February 22nd in Minneapolis.

We will be featuring one copy of the works of art / items in our brick and mortar gallery in Minneapolis for the duration of the exhibition. 10-15 copies per batch (depending on the final number of participating artists) will be listed online for sale to the public, and the remainder will be divvied out to the creatives participating in the show so each artist receives the full collection of works!

The full collection of innuendo filled items will be shipped to the artists right after the exhibition opening reception via USPS priority mail (Medium Flat Rate Box for USA artists, and other accommodations will be made for international folks)

If you are an artist that would like to join us for the Innuendo exhibition, apply below with your name, email address, and a link to your work online! If you’re new to our calls for art, all you have to do is submit your links and we will be jurying and announcing the final list of participating artists via email and the LGAL blog after January 14th as well as following up with a big sign-in page with information on the gallery, pricing, shipping, and important dates and deadlines for everyone in the show!

Example:

Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com

** Please submit in the links in the comments — we get quite a few emails and so I’d hate for your entry to get lost in the shuffle!

QUICK DATES & DEADLINES:

JANUARY 12th : Put your name, email and links in the comments by the 12th!

JANUARY 14th : We’ll email all participating artists with a link to the artist info page (which has info on pricing, shipping, sending digital files, etc.) And announcing the list of creatives that will be joining us for the show!

FEBRUARY 1 - FEBRUARY 12TH: Artwork due to the gallery (More information will be sent via the artist info page)

FEBRUARY 22ND: Opening Reception at Light Grey Art Lab in Minneapolis, 7 - 10pm. Exhibition on display through March 22nd. Special artist packages will be shipped after the exhibition opening date.

Thanks again and please share! :)
Questions? Send us a note! hello@lightgreyartlab.com

CALL FOR ARTISTS: FOODIES

CALL FOR ARTISTS: FOODIES! - CALL CLOSED!
We'll be posting the participating artist list soon! Thanks for submitting!

You've got about forty minutes before you have to be at their house. The ensemble of sounds and smells fills the kitchen, and you dance between stove, to sink, to cutting board, and back, just like you've done for years. This is your specialty. Muscle memory has kicked in, and instinctively, you weigh a pinch of salt in your hand before throwing it into the skillet. You can tell by the texture that it's almost there. You dip a spoon into the mixture and taste. 

Yes. This is it.

FOODIES
An exhibition about the things we eat
Opens April 27th • 7-10pm
CALL FOR ART ENDS March 26
Light Grey Art Lab
118 E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis Minnesota 55404
612.239.2047

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We are looking to create the ultimate global potluck featuring home-cooked dishes from food-loving artists around the world. FOODIES is an exhibition featuring imagery of dishes we love to cook. In addition to exhibiting work about the food we love, each participating artist will receive a recipe box filled with the dishes from each artist involved! 

For the month of April, we are are looking for artists that want to draw food with us and share the recipes for how to make it at home! We're specifically going to be looking for a lunch or dinner-type dish. This can be in any category you wish (including sides, mains, appetizers, desserts...and if there is something specific to your home town, region, or area of the world that you'd like to introduce to the other artists involved, we encourage it!)

The big concept is to try to bring home-cooked food to each others tables through sharing what we all like making at home! You'll be able to suggest alternative ingredients on the recipe card (say, for example, you want to make a vegetarian option suggestion, or a gluten free option...) as well as provide any information you'd like about the history of the dish / ingredients via the didactic that will accompany the work in the physical and virtual galleries.

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During the exhibition, we'll be asking artists to create an work of art that is 6" H x 9" W that features a compelling image of their chosen dish, as well as a limited edition of 100 4" x 6" double-sided recipe cards featuring that image on one side, with the recipe for how to make it on the other. 

THEN, we'll display the original in the brick and mortar gallery (this could be in any medium!)  along with #1 of the edition of the recipe cards, and each participating artist will receive a complete collection of recipe cards from the FOODIES exhibition (one from each artist involved.) The remainder of the recipe cards will be for sale at the gallery along with the original work for the duration of the exhibition. 

*** 

We are looking for artists that wish to cook with us and share their special dishes with others!

Please submit your links below in the comments! (please do not send emails as they sometimes get lost in the shuffle!)

The work will be displayed in our brick & mortar gallery in Minneapolis as well as permanently archived on the Light Grey Art Lab exhibition site, priced by the artist, with our standard gallery commission of 60% / 40% in favor of the artist. We do offer printing services to help people that would like to submit without having to ship a piece, as well as frame rental for those interested. More information about print on demand services or other show specifics will be sent to all participating artists as soon as the jurying is complete!

If you'd like to be involved and create a piece of work for this upcoming show, please put your name, email, and links to your work online below in the comments section by MARCH 26th! We will be jurying the exhibition as the entries are received and we will be notifying all participating artists via email with more information about the exhibition timing, sending artwork, and the other participating artists by March 28!

Example:
Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com

Dates to consider!
March 26: Call for art ends
March 28: Artists Announced on or before this date via email, blog & social media. Artists receive all show info via the artist log-in page.
April 18: All artwork and recipe cards due to the gallery. (Digital and original works)
April 27: Exhibition opening reception at Light Grey Art Lab in Minneapolis and online!

This is a VERY FAST call for art, as we have a lot going on at the gallery this month! But, if you are quick and you would like to be a part of the show, please apply in the comments!

Questions? Send us a note! Hello@lightgreyartlab.com

CALL FOR ARTISTS: ARBORETUM!

CALL FOR ARTISTS: ARBORETUM - CLOSED!
Thanks for applying!

Participating artists announced soon!

The light was waning as he scraped the edge of a sharp rock again against the bleeding birch. It was becoming hard to see, but it was important that this message be finished before nightfall. "Let this be a warning to you," he muttered under his breath. The lines stacked up in a vertical tower, just like hap-hazard scars of an old, stitched wound, sap beginning to ooze from the fresh cuts. The papery bark of the birch curled away from the cuts just barely. The message was clear.

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ARBORETUM
An exhibition about botany: Genetics, Enchanted Forests, and Designed Garden Spaces
Opens March 23 • 7-10pm
CALL FOR ART ENDS FEBRUARY 28

Oghams were the early medieval alphabet of the Irish during the 1st century - 9th century AD and is a representation of letters corresponding with the trees of Ireland, Wales, and Southern England. Each letter not only held symbolism represented by the glyph, but the inherent qualities of the woods they represented. Whether the medieval language was first created as a secret way to send messages by druids, or as an alternative to the latin script, the true reason remains unknown, but the glyphs can still be found preserved in old churchyards of the British Isles.

The importance of trees goes way beyond their mythology. The rich ecosystems within old growth forests are expansively diverse and complex. The woodlands help provide infinite habitats for creatures, support highways of connective fungal networks which transport energy, nutrients, and information through the forest floor. These are places where time stands still and we can see a window into how life on our planet would be without the presence of man. Here, in the forests, we find elements that house the fundamental basis for new medicines, and the presence of natural chemicals that assist in cancer research. There are amazing sustainable and unique food sources found here that are nowhere else on the planet.

This March, we are looking to investigate the nature of botany and will be offering additional programming, lectures, and podcast content around how tree and plant life influence our world. We'll talk with furniture designers about the history and aspects of hardwoods, learn about sustainable harvesting techniques and the impact of global deforestation, learn about the presence of leaves in heraldry, and the homeopathic benefits of certain leaves, flowers and seeds. 

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We are looking for artists that wish to investigate trees with us, in any aspect of their importance. 

Artists wishing to create a small piece of work for the exhibition - less than 8 x 10 in any medium (digital or original,) please submit your links below in the comments! (please do not send emails as they sometimes get lost in the shuffle!)

The work will be displayed in our brick & mortar gallery in Minneapolis as well as permanently archived on the Light Grey Art Lab exhibition site, priced by the artist, with our standard gallery commission of 60% / 40% in favor of the artist. We do offer printing services to help people that would like to submit without having to ship a piece, as well as frame rental for those interested. More information about print on demand services or other show specifics will be sent to all participating artists as soon as the jurying is complete!

If you'd like to be involved and create a piece of work for this upcoming show, please put your name, email, and links to your work online below in the comments section by FEBRUARY 28th! We will be jurying the exhibition as the entries are received and we will be notifying all participating artists via email with more information about the exhibition timing, sending artwork, and the other participating artists by March 2!

Example:
Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com

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Dates to consider!
February 28: Call for art ends
March 2: Artists Announced on or before this date via email, blog & social media. Artists receive all show info via the artist log-in page.
March 14 - 17: All artwork due to the gallery. (Digital and original works)
March 23: Exhibition opening reception at Light Grey Art Lab in Minneapolis and online!

This is a VERY FAST call for art, as we have a lot going on at the gallery this month! But, if you are quick and you would like to be a part of the show, please apply in the comments!

Questions? Send us a note! Hello@lightgreyartlab.com

NEW CALL FOR ARTISTS: SWARM

CALL CLOSED! Thanks to everyone that submitted! Details will be posted shortly for the final participating artist list! Check back in a day or two for the roster, and keep an eye on your email! Thank you!

SWARM
BEAUTY IN THE GROTESQUE
Opens October 27, 7-10pm
Light Grey Art Lab
118 E. 26th Street #101 - Minneapolis, MN 55404

The underside of this rock breathes the way water ripples to the shore on a windy day. Pulsating figures writhe in the dark, sliding across the surface - a mitosis of little bodies merging. Folding over one another, slipping past each-other, with a kind of sensual movement. Hidden from the light of day, they come alive to do their delicate job. 

In the dark, the soft sounds of wings conjure visions of etherial entities. Specters who drift to and fro between the naked branches. And in the moonlight, small spirits skirt against the still surface of the pond, the click-clicking of their static voices barely audible. 

This October, we are asking artists to fill the gallery with an exquisite menagerie of real-life creepy critters -- legs, claws, wings, pincers, eye-stalks, and more will proudly be displayed as we celebrate the beauty of all of the decomposers, poisoners, swarmers, transformers, night-dwellers, and much more.

We are looking for artists to glamorize the unique creatures that are overlooked because they're underfoot, lurking in the shadows, or slipping silently through the air in the still of night. 

Our cabinet of curiosities could contain a still life with silk moths. Scientific references of reticulated reptiles. Tap into the elements that trigger our phobias of the strange and unfamiliar, and help us elevate the beauty in their existence. So imagine dangling your limbs into dark water, or your skin crawling at the thought of spiny legs scurrying, and look again at the creatures that make us shiver.

If you're interested in be a part of the show, all you have to do is comment in the comments section with your name, email and a link to your work online like this by September 4th:

Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com

(Please do not send any emails with your info because they get lost in my in-box! We want to make sure your entry is included!)

The call for art closes September 4th, and at that time we'll be jurying, selecting the group of participating artists for the exhibition and sending a big email out to everyone involved with specifics, dates and details! We will send information about selling work / editions and file guidelines in the artist sign-in email!

Like many of our exhibitions, we print the exhibition piece for free for all digital artists so that we can make it easier for people to participate from afar! 

Dates & Details!
Call for art closes on September 4th
Participating artists emailed and public announcement posted September 6th
Artwork files & art info due to the gallery on October 6th
Opening Reception October 27th!

We're excited to announce that we'll also be hosting new work by Zoe Keller and a curated show by Teagan White, called CALAMITY: Hexes, Plagues & Prophecies during the same timeframe, and the whole month will be a celebration of nature's mysteries! We're inviting you to come out to the big party and enjoy some amazing work! Hope you can make it!

We're looking forward to this exhibition so much! Questions? Send me a note at hello@lightgreyartlab.com.

CALL FOR ARTISTS: CAMOUFLAGE

EDIT: THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT ENTERED THIS CALL FOR ARTISTS!
WE ARE CURRENTLY JURYING AND WILL ANNOUNCE THE PARTICIPATING ARTISTS SHORTLY!

CALL FOR ARTISTS ENDS APRIL 11th!
CAMOUFLAGE

CAMOUFLAGE
Hiding in Plain Sight
a group exhibition about blending in
••••••••••••••••
Opens May 26th 7-10pm
Light Grey Art Lab
118 E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis Minnesota 55406
612.239.2047
 

I sent her a text yesterday, "I miss you."

Then, ...nothing.

I held the phone in my hand for a moment, looking for the little text bubble to flicker on screen. My nerves are hot wires. Please. Write back, please. I stare at the left side of my screen and try to will a message -- it never comes. There's a heavy feeling in my chest where a fuzzy haze used to be. I begin to loathe myself. I've left this little blue bubble in perpetual loneliness next to the other string of emotional ghosts from a few days ago, a few weeks ago.

I've been holding on for too long. I wish I could erase this evidence of my weakness. I know she saw it. She has to have seen it. I can't tell what's worse, delete it? Leave it? I feel like I'm going to throw up. Why can't she see me...?

---

Let's hide under these sheets and imagine the world outside won't ever come calling. Let me wrap my arms around you and we'll close our eyes. No one will find us here. I'll call in sick. It's your day off. We belong here. A thin stream of mid-day light breaks free through the crack in the blinds and scans the room like a laser yet we remain elusive. "Let's stay here together until everyone forgets us." 
We breathe in unison and sink into one another-- We transform, evolve, transcend, and disappear. 

---

What does it mean to be invisible? For the month of May, we're looking for artists to explore the concepts of blending in, assimilating, and adopting. Whatever the reason, we're constantly in hiding in one way or another. Do you cover up or modify pieces of yourself to fit your surroundings? What is a true covert operation? From diverting attention to acts of deception -- the art of camouflage spans the political, aesthetic, scientific, magical, psychological and social realms. So what about our invisibility cloaks, the masks we wear, the movie-theatre carpet, the fake-it-til-you-make-it mentality? 

So, let's delve into the psychology of it all and create works that help explain why we strive to blend in.

During the same timeframe as the CAMOUFLAGE exhibition, Light Grey Art Lab will be hosting additional collections by naturalist, Matt Moss and photographer Tanner Johnson, the wonderful field-guide illustrations of Kelsey Oseid, a wonderful collection of travelogue moments from Carrie Liao, and a retrospective exhibition by the 2016 LGAL Iceland Residency Program artists-in-residence. We'll have a huge meet & greet on opening night, where you can meet a bunch of these wonderful people that will be coming to town to celebrate the big reception with us! So, if you've been looking for an excuse to fly out and see what Minneapolis is all about, this would be an awesome weekend to do it.

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We are looking for artists to create works in any medium (narrative, illustrative, sculptural, patterns, embroidery, prints, paintings, comics, fashion, fabrics and anything else you can think of --- ) to help us explain this phenomenon. We will be asking each participating artist to submit one piece of work alongside their own thoughts of what camouflage means to them. Details on how to submit work, shipping to the gallery, deadlines and dates, and any other information about the show will be provided to the participating artists at the close of the call and a formal blog post will accompany the announcement!

If you are interested in exploring this topic with us -- put your name and links in the COMMENTS SECTION (please don't email your submission because it gets lost in my crazy inbox! Sorry!) like this by APRIL 11th:

Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com

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HELPFUL DATES & DEADLINES:
APRIL 11 - call closes
APRIL 28th - paperwork due to the gallery
MAY 4 - optional promotional images due
MAY 12 - final artwork due to the gallery
MAY 26 - opening reception!

This show is open to all creatives from anywhere in the world! If you have any questions at all regarding the exhibition, or how to be involved, feel free to send me an email at hello@lightgreyartlab.com! Thanks so much!
 

CALL FOR ARTISTS: Color Anthropology Exhibition

CALL FOR ARTISTS: COLOR ANTHROPOLOGY
An exhibition about how color shaped the world
CALL ENDS MARCH 4th!

EDIT MARCH 19: Thanks for your patience, everyone! We will be emailing all participating artists tonight! :) Hang tight and thanks for putting your name in for this show!

A vein of brilliant blue streaks through the chalky cliffside. For thousands of years, cultures around the world harvested this otherworldly color from the earth and celebrated it with reverence. Lapis Lazuli - it is the color of communication, of healing and protection, and represents the throat Chakra. The brilliant blue derived from Lapis graces the eyes, beards, and cowls of ancient Egyptian funeral masks, a symbol of royalty and eternity. Its presence can be found in Ancient Babylonian, Sumerian, and Mesopotamian artwork from over 5,000 years in the past. It's the prized pigment of our ultramarine paints that grace the frescoes of Michelangelo in the sistine chapel. An ancient Persian legend says the earth lays on a large slab of Lapis, which makes up the color of the heavens. The lapis mines in northeastern Afghanistan have been operating for over 7,000 years and currently are under scrutiny, considered a source for conflict material.  Lapis can be found in Andes mountains of Chile and has become the national mineral and it's beauty has become an integral part of the national heritage. 

The color derived from Lapis Lazuli is more than just a hue, its importance has played a role in religion, culture, ritual, and politics for thousands of years. So what happens when we really analyze the impact color has played in the way we see the world?

COLOR ANTHROPOLOGY
an exhibition about how color shaped the world
opens April 21, 2017 • 7-10pm
118. E. 26th Street #101, Minneapolis MN 55404

We are looking for artists to pick a color, any color, and educate us about it. For the month of April, we'll transform the gallery into a rainbow of stories. Each artist will have the opportunity to create a work using, and about a color of their choice. We'll ask each artist to choose a web color / hex triplet (ex. 000000) and create a work of art using and about that color. The example above is wide-reaching, but artists are welcome to be specific and choose a color like Barbie® pink, Blaze orange, Celadon, or any other color you'd like to get to know and create a work of art about what you've discovered. Neons, opalescents, gilded, or reflective colors are welcome as well, but we'll ask artists to consider how best to represent the color, and choose a medium that will help show the true colors! The color you pick doesn't have to be the only color you use, but it should be the predominant color of the work.

We'll also ask everyone involved to supply us with a blurb about their work so we can hang a didactic next to the piece that viewers can gain some context. Participating artists will be able to send originals and prints for this exhibition. We are happy to be printing the gallery piece for free for all participating artists for this exhibition to make it easier to participate from afar! More information about how to send work, deadlines and dates, and other resources will be sent to all participating artists upon the close of the call for artists. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out: hello@lightgreyartlab.com

IMPORTANT DATES:
Participating Artists Announced by March 7th
Artwork due to the gallery: April 8th
Opening reception April 21st

If you're interested in participating in our April group exhibition, please put your name, email and links in the comments section (please do not send your info via email as these often get buried in my inbox!) 

Example:
Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com

Thanks so much, everyone! We're really looking forward to all sorts of insights into the nature of color and how much it's played a role in our world.


---Lindsay

CALL FOR ARTISTS: TOBEYOU

January 17 - Call closed, announcement coming shortly! Participating artists will receive information about the show as soon as possible, thanks to everyone who applied! 

CALL FOR ARTISTS! AN EXHIBITION ABOUT PERSONAL NARRATIVE, TALES, STORYTELLING and MEMORY. CALL ENDS JANUARY 16th!

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I believe in synchronicity. I notice patterns. I am comforted by cycles and I find power in familiarity. Every time something new appears, I silently relate it to something I've seen before and remember everything that's come before it. 

One, Two, Three, Four... I count the times I inhale while I walk and make my breath coincide with my steps. This morning I woke up and the words "terra firma" were in my head. These words will not go away and I find myself whispering them as I work. What does it mean? Maybe it's residue from a dream I had. Maybe it's something I'll find out later today. I'm not sure. I'll keep my eyes open.

The numbers four and seven seem important. I should remember that when I pick out dates for traveling. My phone number has them both, as does my address. The plane ticket I just bought is flight number 047. The only seat left is B21. I do not like that number.

Everyone is wearing brown shoes except for Jenny. Hers are red. This whole coffee shop is filled with people with brown shoes. Why are hers red...? I make a mental note. 

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TOBEYOU
An Exhibition About Story
(5th Anniversary Exhibition & Expansion Celebration)
•••
Opening March 3 • 7-10pm
at Light Grey Art Lab
118. E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis Minnesota 55406
612.239.2047

We have amazing news! This March, we're expanding our space and our programming! We're turning 5 years old and decided it was time to do it up, make some decisions and add some things we've been dreaming about to the programs at Light Grey! Since 2012, we've been HUGE advocates for trying to create fun, unique projects that are easy to be a part of, with the mission to unite people, showcase the cool things creatives are doing, and to build real relationships across distant locations, different backgrounds and practices. It's been a crazy 5 years and this new exhibition celebrates the community we've built together and stories of growth, individuality, and memory. 

For the month of March, Tobeyou celebrates YOUR STORY.

We are looking for artists interested in making work about themes important to you and art about personal narratives, themes, dreams, memories and the journey. Who are you? What is important to you right now or always? What is a theme that can not be shaken from your practice. What is a story you've been dying to tell. How do we get to know how you think, what you feel, or who you are by what you make. Tell us a story. Your story.

This exhibition will feature works by creators in the medium of their choice. We welcome narrative formats, comics, books, zines. We welcome sculptural art-objects, embroideries, jewelry, and other unique formats. As always, drawings, paintings, posters, and other 2d works are always a pleasure. As long as the work is "passionately yours" we welcome it.

The purpose of this exhibition is to get to know the community behind the works. And to share the humanity behind all of the creative energy we've had the pleasure of working alongside for the past 5 years. We will be asking each artist to write a small statement about their work to accompany the piece inside the gallery with the hopes that visitors will hear your voice, learn about you and the themes in your work, and get to know a piece of you, too.

---

TO BE INVOLVED, PLEASE COMMENT BELOW WITH YOUR NAME, EMAIL AND LINKS LIKE THIS by JANUARY 16th:
<Please do not send any email entries to us because they may get buried! Please use the comments section of this blog post! :) >

example:
Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com
 

---

IMPORTANT DATES / INFO TO CONSIDER:
• We are looking forward to any medium! For this exhibition, we will be showcasing ORIGINALS AND PRINTS! We are looking forward to artists wishing to send framed originals, books / comics / zines or any sculptural items because we've got a brand-spankin-new space that we are just dying to use for your beautiful items! 

• Artists are welcome to send an edition of works (up to 6 copies / versions of their work!) The additional copies will be available during the opening for visitors to buy on the spot and take home with them! More information on multiples will be sent to the artists as soon as the show has been juried!

• WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO BE HERE FOR THE OPENING! This is a HUGE party and we are hosting a meet and greet for any artists that can be present! If you will be joining us for the show, we would love to help coordinate a visit! More info on this will also be sent to all participating artists! Let us introduce you to the other creatives that will be here!

• THE WORK SHOULD ARRIVE TO THE GALLERY by FEBRUARY 17th. We'll be assisting everyone with getting things here and setting them up for the show! 

• Artists will have the opportunity to send digital works to be printed / framed in-house if you are unable to ship works from afar within the deadline above. We will help you figure out the best way to showcase your work.

• The final list of participating artists will be contacted / posted on January 18th and all artists will be sent an email with everything they'll need to know about participating including pricing work, sending work to the gallery, and anything else! Thanks so much! 

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT WITH ANY QUESTIONS!
Thanks again and here's to a new year of exciting possibilities!
Sincerely,
The Light Grey Team

CALL FOR ARTISTS: The Lost Isle of Kismet : A Choose Your Own Adventure Exhibition

EDIT 1/20 -- Thanks to everyone that submitted their name for this call for art! We'll be announcing / sending emails to all participating artists shortly! :)

THE LOST ISLE OF KISMET
A Choose Your Own Adventure Exhibition
Opening Fall 2017
Light Grey Art Lab
118 E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis MN 55406 • 612.239.2047

Your knife feels nearly useless as you hack through the thick brush in front of you. The sun is quickly setting and although you enjoy a glimpse of the brilliant colors through small holes in the canopy now and again, you know that within the hour you’ll be lost, hungry, and left to ponder your state in complete darkness. With a grunt, you swing your knife again at the thick vines and rip a handful to the side, then beckon your two traveling companions to step through. Your legs ache from walking uphill for hours and any sliver of exposed skin is raw and roasted from the mid-day sun. Up in the trees, you can see the silhouettes of bats sweeping between the mossy treetops. You’re jealous. You raise your knife once more but stop suddenly. There, in front of you is an old rope ladder covered in moss and frayed from age. It extends upward to an old and crumbling footbridge in the treetops. You study it for a moment-- It looks like a path through the canopy...

Your traveling companion, Bill, looks at you with sad eyes. “You know I can’t get up there.” 

You feign a smile. “Sure you can…” You give the ladder a small tug to test its strength. An unexpected shower of bugs rains down on the three of you, most of which land on Bill. You watch him hurriedly brush himself off, and can't help to glance down to his leg. He’s right. He can't make it up the ladder, and you all know it. His leg is bloated and a rainbow of colors.  The ladder looks like it could only support one person at a time, and it would likely take two of you to help Bill up into the treetops.

• Leave Bill behind and tell him you’ll come back for him. You know it’s not likely you could find your way back if you tried, but at least two of you might have a chance to escape the thick brush before night time. (Turn to page 24)
   
• Try to take Bill with you and see if you can assist him up the ladder. (Turn to page 112)

---

We are looking for artists interested in building a world full of wonder, intrigue, peril, and adventure for our huge Fall 2017 exhibition! We’ll be transforming the gallery into an interactive choose your own adventure-- where visitors will be able to wander through the gallery, traveling from page to page and determining the fate of your party as you go. In coordination with the exhibition, and for those adventurers that can't make it to Minneapolis, we'll be printing an exhibition book, allowing for anyone to wander The Lost Isle of Kismet from the comfort of their own home.

If you've never heard of a CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE -- it's a book with multiple endings, various paths, and choices the reader can make as they go. Each encounter gives the reader a chance to flip to another section of the book and discover how their choices have determined the fate of their hero and their party.

*******

HOW IT'LL WORK:
We are looking to build four 'teams' -- each in charge of one of the categories of encounters on The Lost Isle of Kismet! One group will create the spaces, another the treasures and artifacts, a third the creatures, and finally, one group will depict the disasters the party may encounter. Each participating artist will be assigned a team (based on their preferences below) and make one piece of work within their team category. All artists on each team will be able to bounce ideas off of their teammates, see what others are building for their facets of the adventure, and contribute their own epic encounter!

The teams are put together based on interest and category -- so for example, there will be parts of the journey where our heroes will discover mazes of caves underground, or stumble into a pit of spikes, or a heaving ball of spiders. Whatever you decide, we'll encounter it in the adventure. Below are the categories of encounters we're looking for and a couple words to help you get the idea of what types of things fall into that category -- 

TEAM DISCOVERY (open vistas, maps, environments, shelters, dwellings, plants)

TEAM TREASURE  (treasures, ruins, long lost artifacts, people they meet along the way, clues, talismans and items, equipment)

TEAM CREATURE  (animals, monsters, ghosts, demons, transformations, beasts, swarms, bones of things long dead)

TEAM DISASTER (poisonous things, illnesses, traps, natural disasters, explosions, all encounters with terrible things)

Each artist can make one piece of work that will be exhibited in the gallery, archived online, and printed in the interactive exhibition book. The work will be for sale in the gallery and online. Since this exhibition is going to be really unique and interactive, we will be asking for digital files ONLY for the exhibition and will be printing the gallery print for all artists for free to make it easier to participate! The exhibition will be a massive installation, and to help us raise funds for the installation of the event, we'll be printing a limited edition of the choose your own adventure books that will be available at the opening reception and online when the exhibition opens.

The Light Grey Team will be writing a fully interactive story with many twists and turns of fate, disasters, perilous circumstances, and heart-pumping adventure once the artwork comes in, and will return with a multi-faceted story with different endings, journeys, and paths you can continue to read and explore many times over.

---

TO PARTICIPATE:
If you're interested in being a part of the adventure, please put your NAME, EMAIL, LINKS TO YOUR WORK ONLINE, and YOUR 2 TEAM PREFERENCES BELOW like this:

Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com
1. TEAM DISCOVERY
2. TEAM DISASTER

Then, we'll be reaching out after the call for art ends (a few days after January 20th) to email all participating artists with more information on selling their work, dates and deadlines, artwork submission info, and everything else one might need to know about the show! The final list of participating artists will also be announced via our blog and social media the following weekend! 

*******

DATES TO KEEP IN MIND:
EDIT 11/16: We just found out that we'll be able to do something incredible for both the show and the book (SORRY, NO SPOILERS!) and we've adjusted the deadlines for the show accordingly! We're excited that gives all of us a little more time to make it through the holiday season and start the New Year off with a bang!

FINAL ARTWORK will be due MARCH 1st, 2017.

Thanks so much and please let us know if you have any questions!
You can send us a note anytime at hello@lightgreyartlab.com

Here's to an epic adventure! 

FORTUNE : CALL FOR ARTISTS!

CALL FOR ARTISTS CLOSED! 
Thanks to everyone that put your name in! 
The participating artist list is HERE.

Thanks again and keep your eyes peeled for another call soon!

FORTUNE
An Exhibition About Auspicious Times
Call Ends October 15th!

"C'mon..... Momma needs a new pair of shoes!" 
I laugh because what I'm saying is ridiculous, but also because it's true. This year has been nothing but trouble, loss, disappointment, and just a lot of work. I've been waiting to get a new pair of boots for winter... but I can't quite seem to keep any money in my checking account. 

I'm taking a gamble tonight that this is going to be it. This is the moment when everything is going to change for the better. I know it. I can feel it. There's a little red dent in my skin from pressing my palm into this necklace. My grandmother sent it to me with a note.

"Auspicious times are near," I try to massage the ache out of my sternum. "But luck is decided, not by chance."

I put down the remainder of my cash on the table and take a deep breath. I hope she's right.

---

This December we will be looking to uncover the truth about when, and how, we perceive the idea of luck and the seemingly random nature of being fortunate. Do we rely on superstition? What are the origins of lucky charms? Do we have rituals to keep us safe, prepare us for greatness, or to hopefully sway fate to a positive outcome? 2017 with undoubtedly be full of new circumstances and opportunities, but how much can we determine fate by taking initiative at the right times?

In 2017, the Chinese Zodiac introduces us to the Year of the Rooster, complete with an entire set of numbers, dates, and methodologies for making sure to avoid pitfalls and take advantage of the best times. Whether or not you believe in Luck, it never hurts to send out some positive vibes to the world.

We are looking for artists that would like to create an image intended to bring a bit of luck to others in GILDED fashion! We're excited to announce that we'll be foil-stamping the work contributed to the Fortune Exhibition! Participating artists will see their artwork transform into a foil stamped piece in gold, rose gold, or mint finish, and have the option to sell their work as a print, as well as a limited edition foil calendar for 2017. Details on how to prepare artwork for the process, pricing, and artwork delivery info will be provided to all participating artists upon the closing of the call for artists! 

If you're interested in joining us for the Fortune Exhibition, please submit your name, email and links below in the COMMENTS SECTION by OCTOBER 15th!

Example:
Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com

DATES TO KEEP IN MIND:
October 15th, Call for artists ends
October 20 - 22, Jurying and Participating Artists Announced
November 15th, FINAL ART FILES DUE (Digital files only for this one!)
December 2, OPENING RECEPTION

As always, due to the nature of our exhibitions, we ask that all artists interested in participating review the schedule above before submitting your links! We will not be able to take any late artwork for this exhibition because of the Thanksgiving holiday, so please keep the deadlines in mind when signing up! :) Thank you!

Thanks and please let us know if you have any questions!
hello@lightgreyartlab.com

MIDNIGHT : CALL FOR ARTISTS!

MIDNIGHT : CALL FOR ARTISTS! -- CALL CLOSED!
THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT PUT YOUR NAME INTO THE HAT! WE'LL BE ANNOUNCING THE PARTICIPATING ARTIST LIST THIS WEEKEND!
THANKS SO MUCH!

The thin silver thread between us sings when he is near. We are echoes of one another -- twin spirits ruling our respective sides of the veil, and tonight I wait for him to arrive with anticipation. Ours is an ancient intimacy. He resides in a world of mist and memories -- a hermit gathering wisdom from the static in the wind, the rain and the earth. I traveled here without a map and without an agenda, but in my chest this is all very familiar and I know that tonight I'll finally understand myself, or the world, or the universe.

Our embrace brings back an immense sense of nostalgia and he holds me close. He whispers to me in symbols and fragile metaphors. Truth lies encoded in his poetry, I just know it... but where? 

 "You're the only one that understands me." He looks into my eyes and I know it's true. I see it now. It's all there. 

I've returned again and again -- seeking clarity -- but it's not his language. The silver thread quiets and he nods farewell. I'm left alone once again. I retreat back through the fog and the nuances of our rendezvous begin to disappear from my grasp. I panic, realizing I will arrive home only remembering a sliver of our time together, if anything at all. 

---

MIDNIGHT
A show about our dreams and their interpretations
•••
OPENING OCTOBER 28
7-10pm
118 E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404

---

This October we are celebrating the unconscious mind. One third of our lives are spent sleeping, and during those precious hours we live fractured, incredible narratives. Here, in the midst of the chaos, we may be sending messages to ourselves. We play out fantasies, live alternative realities, torture ourselves, and wade through rivers of emotion that we seldom connect to our waking lives. 

What if our dreams are trying to tell us something important? What was the message encoded within last night's journey? If you were to listen to what you were trying to tell yourself, would your waking life be any different? Maybe our dreams are already manifesting in the tangible world and we just haven't acknowledged the connection? Or have we?

Help us create a hall of dreams!  We are looking for artists that would like to create a work inspired by one of their most memorable dreams, and retell the dream via their accompanying didactic. For the duration of the exhibition we'll be posting daily dreams and accepting amateur (or professional, I suppose!) psychoanalysis by viewers and other artists, so each participating artist can hear what others see in the stories, symbols and content of their work.

***Watch for more information on how to be involved in the analysis of our collective dreams as we lead up to the opening reception! You're welcome to join in upon the launch of the exhibition and provide insight of your own!

We will also be looking forward to speaking with authorities on sleep, symbolism, and the subconscious on the podcast, so stay tuned for other programing during the months of October and November!

---

If you're interested in participating, put your name, links and email in the comments below like this by SEPTEMBER 7th: 

Lindsay Nohl
lindsaynohl.com
hello@lightgreyartlab.com

We'll be jurying the show the weekend after the 7th and will be notifying all participating artists via email (and a public blog post) soon after! All participating artists will get a log-in link for details about pricing, size constraints, and other gallery specifics at that time as well! As always, this show is limited in space, so please take a look at the dates below before signing up so we can give as many people a shot at the exhibition as possible. Like many of our shows, we're happy to print the exhibition print for free to make it easier for artists to participate from afar! Originals are also welcome for this exhibition. Details on shipping and printing will be sent out to all participating artists shortly after jurying ends!

Dates to consider:
September 7: CALL FOR ART ENDS
September 12: Artists announced
October 12: Artwork due to the gallery
October 28: Opening reception at Light Grey Art Lab in Minneapolis

---

If you have any questions about the exhibition, please feel free to ask! You can send us a note at hello@lightgreyartlab.com

Thanks so much and hope to see you apply!

---Lindsay

TINY HOMES: CALL FOR ARTISTS!

EDIT 8/15/16: THANKS SO MUCH! Tiny Homes call for art is complete!
Watch for an update shortly with a full participating artist list!

CALL FOR ARTISTS! 
TINY HOMES
a show about our sanctuaries, haunts, and home bases
Opening September 15th. 2016

March 14, 2016

So... I finally got evicted. It wasn't a big deal, really. All signs pointed to me leaving one way or another. I feel like I'm constantly on the edge of yes or no, stay or go, commit or look for something better. 

So here I am, writing you with a leaky pen from the dash of my car, listening to the oldies' station for just a little longer before I'll have to shut off the battery for the night. It gets cold out here and the leather seats don't do me any favors, but the view is incredible. I've got a few good books, a trunk full of essentials, and some old tape decks that I found at Goodwill before I left the city proper. Thanks again for the wool sweater. It comes in handy.

It's definitely an adventure out here. I'm not sure where I'm headed, but in a strange way, it still feels like home. 

---xoxo

---

This September we are looking for artists that would like to explore the idea of "home." 

Beings inhabit an incredible variety of spaces, and there are countless unique ways animals and people have built, organized, survived, or come together in what one could call their "homes." During the month of September, we'll explore the ideas of small spaces, sustainable constructs, nomadic and moveable structures, and many natural formations that have been home to humans and animals over the years. 

We are looking for artists that want to challenge our ideas of space: Interiors, exteriors, futuristic, historical, natural or personal. What spaces are indicative of it's inhabitants, and how can one illustrate the idea of symbiosis between dweller and dwelling.

We would love to see interpretations of homes of all types, and hear your thoughts on the subject. Who lives in holes in trees? What does a place of solitary reflection look like? What were the people of Sanmenxia, Henan living like 4000 years ago and have they kept the tradition alive? With populations rising, will underground dwellings become the new norm? Where are some of the world's most incredible castles? 

Like many of our exhibitions, this show will feature prints of the works in our brick and mortar gallery in Minneapolis, as well as archived on our gallery for those people that can't make it in person. We will be printing the piece on exhibition in the gallery for free for all participating artists to make it easier to participate from afar! In addition, we'll be asking each artist to submit a small written statement about their work that will be featured alongside the piece in the gallery and online. We're really looking forward to learning more about the ideas behind the work!

If you're interested in joining us, please submit your information in the comments section like this by AUGUST 1st:
Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com

---

We will be jurying the call for art the week of August 1st, and will be posting a list of participating artists by the weekend of August 5th! All participating artists will receive a link to our artist log-in page with more information on submitting artwork, sizing, pricing, deadlines and other gallery information. Artists will also have the opportunity to sell prints of their work through our online shop through the duration of the exhibition -- more info on this will be provided to artists as well! 

Dates to consider:
Because our show timelines are relatively short, we ask everyone to be considerate of the due-dates and only submit your name for consideration if you are able to meet the below timeline. Numbers for participating in our shows are always limited, and we always want to make sure to award spots to as many artists as we can. Thanks in advance for considering this!

AUGUST 1st:  CALL FOR ART ENDS
AUGUST 5th: PARTICIPATING ARTISTS ANNOUNCED
AUGUST 24th: PROMOTIONAL ARTWORK (optional) DUE
SEPTEMBER 9th: FINAL ARTWORK FILES DUE
SEPTEMBER 15th: TINY HOMES EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION

We are really looking forward to the show!

Thanks again and hope to see you apply!
Questions? Send us a note! 
--- Lindsay
hello@lightgreyartlab.com   

CALL FOR ARTISTS: BOTANICA!

One by one, her soft footsteps fell upon the dusty Earth. And where she trod, each step became a lake. Where she was too tired to lift her feet, her heels dug canyons. At night, she sunk into the land and pulled blankets of earth around her shoulders, the breath from her lips warming the cold roots beneath the early spring chill. As she slept, her dreams surfaced and out of the earth in colorful symbols of her visions. They were shaped like the stars, some like the fingers of an old woman -- others were explosions of color, glassy orbs, soft cakes amongst the night mist.

BOTANICA
Opens April 15 • 7 - 10pm
Light Grey Art Lab
118 E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis Minnesota 55404
612.239.2047

We are looking for artists that want to shake off the cold and help us create a garden of wonders. Do you have an origin story of how the land we love came to be? Show us Gaia, The Cosmic Turtle with the world on it's back, Hou Tu, Tonantzin, or one of the many earth origin stories. Maybe create a new mythology behind the behavior of mold and fungus. The Earth has an ingrained connection with our health, our ceremonies, our appreciation of beauty, wonder, and longevity. Poultices, decorations, food, clothing and our homes are made of plants, and their presence can't be separated from our lives. 

In honor of the coming spring season and in celebration of Light Grey Art Lab's 4th Birthday, we are looking for artists of all types to create botanical wonders (real or imagined). We welcome paintings, drawings, digital work, sculpture, paper craft, embroidery, fashion and jewelry, photography and sequential work for this exhibition (among other media.) In order to make it easier to participate from afar, we'll be printing an exhibition copy of the work for all artists for free that choose not to send a physical work to the gallery for this exhibition. Artists are welcome to submit either physical work or digital work for this exhibition. (Please note that we need all artwork to arrive to the gallery by April 5, no exceptions, so please plan accordingly if you are interested in sending physical artwork.)

If you are interested in participating in our April exhibition, please put your name, a link to your blog/ website, and your email like so in the comments section:
Example:
Lindsay Nohl
lindsaynohl.com
hello@lightgreyartlab.com

IMPORTANT DATES TO CONSIDER:
The call for art ends March 2
We will be announcing the participating artist list by March 6th
Artwork will be due to the gallery by April 5th (sorry, this is a tight schedule!)
The exhibition opening reception is Friday, April 15th

Thanks so much and please feel free to send a note with any questions to hello@lightgreyartlab.com
---Lindsay





 

THE ROBO SHOW: Call for Artists!

CALL FOR ARTISTS!

Black smoke belches from the exhaust pipes beneath greasy armored plates. Steam courses through the cylinders and the 22 pistons jerk frantically back and forth, propelling your huge mass forward down the damp cobblestone streets. Frightened eyes peek from behind sooty curtains -- the unmistakable clanging of steel can be heard from a mile away in the still night.  

An old church bell tolls in the distance and a plume of bats escapes the ancient belfry. They head west, across the low blood moon and over the city walls with ease. You feel a pang of jealousy. The raids come in the night. The shells of rusting drones lay where they fell many years ago--- crumpled against the scarred old brownstones. This tired war started years ago and the resolution seems just too far beyond the realm of possibility. So these days, each able-bodied soul learns to salvage, build, and fight. Phlegm rattles in your throat and you drag your mouth across the shoulder of your wool shirt. You’re not ready. 

You sit tight in the belly of this mechanical beast as it towers above the thatched roofs of the city. Your breath steams through the metal grate before your face, you step forward and poise for battle.

THE ROBO SHOW
Mechs & Mobile Suits
Opens Friday, February 12 • 7 - 10pm
Light Grey Art Lab
118 E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404 USA

THE CALL:
Illustrative engineers, come forth! Bring your metaphorical blueprints and show us your visionary prowess! We are looking for artists that would like to design the ultimate mech or mobile suit, armored vehicle, or cybernetic enhancements for our next exhibition: The Robo Show! 

Whether your vision of the perfect Mech is something of a fighter, piloting a futuristic war machine, The Borg piloting a huge cube,  a brain piloting a large pointy-headed man in his underwear, or an ancient automaton designed by a distant culture of long ago, we want you to help us build the universe's most diverse legion of mechanical mercenaries. 

What drives your technology? Is it bleeding-edge future-tech? Is it ancient? Magical? What universe? What culture? What purpose? How does it work? How do you drive it? Who could possibly pilot such a beast? We are looking for epic scenes of big robos in action, doing the things they were designed to do, or schematics, exploded components, or robo propaganda. If you want to build a mobile suit that cats can drive, so be it. If you want to draw your own personalized armored vehicle, perfect. Maybe you're inspired by genetically enhanced underwater suits? Or fancy bionics and cybernetic enhancements. We are excited to see original concepts that span the gamut of technologies, both real and imagined.

If you are interested in participating in our February Exhibition, The Robo Show, put your name, email and links to your blog or website in the comments by December 18th!

Example:
Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com
 

---

THE DETAILS:
We'll be jurying the show by Monday, December 21st, and sending out an email to all participating artists with all of the info they'll need to participate on that date! We'll also post all of the contributing artist's names on the blog as well!

SPECIFICS:
This exhibition will be a print-show featuring illustrations of all original robotic content (sorry, no pop-culture IPs for this one!) All participating artists will be asked to send a digital file of their work and we'll be printing the gallery copy for everyone for free so it is a little easier to participate! No need to send anything physical to the gallery! All participating artist details will be emailed out to everyone after the December 21st date.

If you're interested in participating, please note that all final art will be due to the gallery by January 26th, so please keep that in mind when signing up! 

The show will be displayed both in our brick-and-mortar gallery in lovely (and cold) Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as permanently archived on our gallery site for everyone that can't make it to the opening! Artists will have the option of selling work through our print-on-demand shop, and will be able to price their work as they see fit! More info will be provided to all participating artists as the call ends!

Thanks again, you guys! We are really looking forward to it!

Questions? Send us a note at hello@lightgreyartlab.com!
---Lindsay

BOWER BIRD: CALL FOR ARTISTS!

You are on your belly, deep in the rainforest. Your thin grey hair blows to one side and your khaki shirt is smeared with a mixture of sweat and stains from your time in the underbrush. 

Inches away from your face: a bell-shaped structure stands behind an array of carefully placed odds and ends. A pile of green beetle wings, blue petals from the nearby flowering shrubs, three grey tail feathers, and stack of thin, cream-colored mushrooms.

You talk quietly with your charming british accent to the camera man. 

"Inside, we see one of the most unique curators of all... the Bower Bird."

****

You are at home after a long day of work.

David Attenborough is sitting silently behind your sofa, just inches from your face as you unpack your Amazon Prime box. 

He whispers to the camera man. 

"Here, our subject repeats a practice perfected by centuries of evolution. It's called.... collecting...  Let's watch."

He leans in, ancient nostrils chirping, as he watches you pull a copy of Sam Bosma's "Fantasy Sports" from the box and page through it.

Satisfied, you stand up and put it gently on your book shelf between your copies of Bryan Lee O'Malley's "Scott Pilgrim" and Wren McDonald's "Cyber Realm." 

You take a step back, frown, and adjust the titles in alphabetical order.

Yes, that's much better. 

"Ah, a delightful collection indeed..."

***

Bower Bird
An exhibition about curating & collecting
Opens December 4th, 7 - 10pm
Light Grey Art Lab
118. E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612.239.2047

We are looking for eccentric curators, secret stash-ers, and individuals with impeccable taste to show us what they've got. Our December Exhibition, Bower Bird, reveals the nature of what we prize, what we display, and what we collect as artists. 

We want to know what the inside of your fridge door looks like, what's on your desk,  and what sits inside that locked box underneath your bed. What's up with that stack of books your grandpa gave you? And that zip-lock bag full of ticket stubs? How about those 30 black t-shirts you own, what're those about? Reveal your souvenir rock collection, the soda-cans that you've stashed so gently the front seat of your car, or the collection of sexy texts you've kept over the years. We'd even like to see what kinds of flowers you've collected in Skyrim.

The internet says that a collection can be defined as :
"a group of objects or an amount of material accumulated in one location, 
especially for some purpose or as a result of some process:"

We like that idea. Whether you were a knowing collector or not, we want to know what you have more than 4 of, and we'd like to see it.

And like it, or not, our collections are loaded -- signaling to others about who we are, or what we are perceived to be by the nature of what we like, and what we've amassed.

For the month of December, we are are looking to display the things you display to the world.

AND, to celebrate the idea of collections even further, we will be asking all participating artists to send their collection image as a limited edition run of 100 post-cards. Each participating artist will receive a complete stack of postcards from the Bower Bird exhibition (one from each artist involved) before the holidays and the remainder will be for sale at the gallery for the duration of the exhibition, as well as available as prints, for those interested. #1 of each collection will be displayed in our brick-and-mortar gallery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

We are looking for Illustrations, paintings, photography, or anything else you think would help describe the nature of your collection. You are welcome to draw a line-up of elements in your junk drawer in a scientific manner, or paint a i-spy environment where we have to look for it, or even use typography to list the titles of your favorite books on Mount Everest. Maybe draw your shoe and label all of the scrapes and holes from epic kick-flips, climbing through the forest with friends, and when you bailed from your bike the other week.  Whatever your inventory is, we'll be looking for you to find the best way to describe it!

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The schedule & other details.

We will be closing the call for art Friday, September 25th, and announcing the participating artist list by October 1st and emails will go out to all participating artists with resources for printing, details about the exhibition and more.

Postcards will need to be mailed to the gallery by November 13th, and the collections will be shipped out by December 4th's opening reception.

If you'd like to be a part of the exhibition, submit your name, email and links to your website or blog below by FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th! 

example:
Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com

Thanks and we are looking forward to making this December show a collection to remember!
Questions? Send us a note! hello@lightgreyartlab.com