Hamilton, Ohio – Sneaky politicians. Ozian wizards. Traffic cops.
All of whom are people likely to say, “Nothing to see here,” a phrase rarely heard at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts.
Quite the opposite, in fact. With so much to see on the gallery walls, it takes considerable time and planning to determine what goes on view.
To that end, Director of Exhibitions Cathy Mayhugh convenes her committee over the next few months to take look at dozens of exhibition proposals vying for a spot in the 2025-2026 visual art season.
“Saying ‘2026’ out loud right now, it sounds like it’s a long way off,” Mayhugh said. “It’s really not. We gave the artists a couple of months to consider their work and assemble their proposals. Then we need time to evaluate the submissions and create our season.
“This is a pretty standard timeline in the exhibition world. Working a year or more in advance is not unusual at all, especially when your call to artists is nationwide. We certainly love to feature local and regional artists, but we also get submissions from all over the country.”
The call to artists went out in September ahead of a November 24 deadline. The initial meeting of the committee launches a selection process that runs well into the new year. The Fitton Center will make every effort to notify proposing artists of committee decisions by February, 2025. Committee decisions may be finalized over the course of several meetings and artists will be notified of final decisions via email.
“Solo artists generally exhibit 10 to 25 works, depending on scale, media and available space,” Mayhugh said. “We also offer group shows for partnering studios, as well individuals willing to be selected into a curated group show.”
Which means the incoming batch of proposals translates to hundreds of photographed images of artworks - in all sorts of media - projected onto the 24-foot screen in the Fitton Family Theater for consideration.
“We’re trying to identify the art and the exhibitions that will resonate with our audiences and that will serve our mission,” Mayhugh said. “It’s a very intentional, very collaborative process. It’s not just me saying, ‘I like this.’ It’s kind of like solving a puzzle to see what pieces work where.”
It's a similar process in the mural world, although the two are in different stages of selecting at the moment.
StreetSpark opened its call to artists December 2, looking for somebody to create a 24x75-foot mural (1,800 square feet) on the Hamilton Living Water Ministry building at 510 South 8th Street in Hamilton’s Jefferson neighborhood on. The application deadline is Sunday, January 5, 2025.
Interested artists must submit a Request For Qualifications to be reviewed by a selection committee of artists, visual art professionals, community members and program partners from within a 35-mile radius of Hamilton. The committee selects three semifinalists who then develop design proposals due February 12, 2025. The committee selects the winning applicant in early March and painting takes place in June.
Please visit fittoncenter.org/streetspark for complete RFQ details and contact Street Spark Program Manager Jennifer Acus-Smith at streetsparkart@gmail.com with questions and inquiries.
The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Avenue on the Riverfront in downtown Hamilton, Ohio.
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