Myths & Leyendas Call for Proposals – ALMAAHH and MFAH Collaboration

Advocates of a Latino Museum of Cultural and Visual Arts & Archive Complex in Houston, Harris County (ALMAAHH) is an organization dedicated to the creation of a Houston-area cultural and visual arts complex that will showcase, preserve, and expand Latino arts. ALMAAHH is a 501 (c)(3) organization that operates under the umbrella of Greater Houston Community Foundation.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, serves as a welcoming and inclusive place for all people, connecting the communities of Houston with diverse histories of art spanning 5,000 years and six continents. Through the permanent collections, special exhibitions, learning and interpretation programs, studio instruction, publications, conservation, and scholarly research, the museum strives to inspire appreciation and understanding of the broadest spectrum of human achievement.

ALMAAHH and MFAH are conducting a call for proposals. Six Houston Latinx artists will be selected to each create a large-scale, temporary sculpture to be displayed in the Cullen Sculpture Garden at the MFAH during the Fall Festival scheduled for November 10, 2024, on view through November 17, 2024.

Eligibility: Latinx artists who live and work in Houston.

For Questions: ArtistOpportunities@almaahh.org

Fees: There is no application fee

Schedule:      
Application Opens: July 15, 2024

Call for Proposal Closes: August 5, 2024

         Notifications: August 19, 2024

         Sculpture Construction: August 20, 2024– October 31, 2024

         Sculpture Delivery/Installation: November 4 – November 8, 2024

         Festival Day & Artist Talk Presentation: November 10, 2024

         Sculpture on View: November 10 – November 17, 2024

Sculpture Pick-Up: November 17 – November 18, 2024

Specifications:
The theme of the Fall Festival 2024 is Myths and Leyendas. Myths and Leyendas is a connective tissue throughout Latin America in the sense that every country, region has their own legends/myths/folklore. These stories travel with people, are passed down from generation to generation and continue to evolve throughout the Latinx diaspora. For example, El Salvador has the folklore of El Cadejo, a dog-like creature which can appear in as a white dog (for protection) or as a black dog (bad omen). La Llorona, the infamous mythology of a woman based in colonial times in Mexico. La Tunda, a jungle shapeshifter from the Pacific coast of Colombia/Ecuador of the Afro-Colombian community. Los Duendes, gnome-like creatures which go by different names throughout Latin America (Tata Duende in Creole communities in Belize, Alux in Mayan beliefs throughout Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala). This theme empowers the artists to bring their own cultural background in the creation of the sculpture and educate others through their work.

Temporary sculptures should be visible from the street and weather-resistant to outdoor conditions. The large-scale artwork of fantastical figures should be inspired by myths and folklore of Latin America.

Artists selected must be available for a workshop during the first week of September, studio visits during the third week of September, and Artist talk during the Fall Festival on November 10, 2024.

A stipend of $5,000 will be provided to each artist to cover all labor, materials, and transportation of the artwork to the Cullen Sculpture Garden on MFAH Campus.

Submission Requirements:
Please send the complete information via Application Form: 

• Contact information (Name, phone number, email, address)
• Link to Website/Social Media URL
• Self-Identification
• Primary Arts Practice
• Artist Bio: 100 words
• Artist CV: Up to 1 file (10 MB). PDF only
• Work Samples: Up to 5 files (10 MB each) images of previous work. PDF, PNG, JPG only.
• Statement for Proposal: Please provide a brief statement of the ideas for proposed sculpture. 250 words.
• Image for Proposal: Up to 5 files (10 MB each) Please provide a sketch or draft of the idea for your proposed sculpture. PDF, PNG, JPG only.

 

How to Apply:

Application form is found at the link below. Deadline to apply is August 5, 2024.

https://www.cognitoforms.com/ALMAAHHMFAH/FallFestival2024OpenCall