Oakton seeks entries for virtual art exhibition by Aug. 13

Professional artists who self-identify as women are invited to submit entries in all media to Oakton Community College for the virtual exhibition “Bad@ssery: Women Creating a Just Environment and World” by Friday, Aug. 13. Artists are encouraged to submit a single work that provides social commentary and inspiration on how women create courageous spaces, empower each other and change the world. Submissions may focus on women in the United States or globally, have a contemporary or historical context and focus on women in either the public or private sphere.

This year’s exhibition, sponsored by Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) at Oakton, will be available online publicly from Oct. 4 – Nov. 1.

“We are incredibly excited about this year's women's art show theme as it centers women's experiences in a moment of immense cultural upheaval,” says Lindsey Hewitt, coordinator of the WGSS Program. “Women and girls have always faced tremendous obstacles, whether it be sexual harassment, violence, inequality, health disparities, or workplace discrimination. However, as we've seen over the past year, they have been instrumental in saving themselves, their families, communities and the world.”

Oakton’s annual women’s art show is one of the region’s premier art events, attracting hundreds of participants and routinely drawing submissions locally, nationally and internationally. Themes focus on issues and ideas involving women, gender, and feminism. Topics include: women breaking barriers, women and social movements (Stop Asian Hate, Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock and Me Too), women organizing against deportation and fighting for prison abolition, anti-transgender state laws and LGBTQIA+ activism, the effects of the pandemic on women’s lives and women fighting for environmental justice.

All submissions must be submitted electronically at: https://forms.gle/h6R4iGpjfShd2CJt7 (a Google account is needed to fill out the submission form).

Images should be a JPEG of at least 300 dpi (at least one MB). Label all work with the artist’s name, address, best contact information, work title, date and medium. Artist’s statement and biography should be a Microsoft Word document only (no PDFs or JPEGs) and should not exceed 150 words (no résumés). Text will be edited for spelling, grammar and space. All digital media will be considered.

For more information, contact Nathan Harpaz, curator of the Koehnline Museum of Art, at nharpaz@oakton.edu, or Lindsey Hewitt, coordinator of the WGSS Program, at lhewitt@oakton.edu.