Call for Submissions
Orange County visual artists and poets are invited to apply for participation in the second annual  "Coalesce" - an exhibition at the Eno Arts Mill Gallery scheduled for January, 2024. Ten selected poets and ten selected visual artists will be paired for collaboration. Each poet will write a new poem based on one artwork, and each artist will create a new artwork based on one poem, all of which will be displayed throughout the month of January in the main gallery. A collection of broadsides will be created from each pairing and will be for sale and exhibited during the show. You can view last year's broadside collection here.

The exhibit will open during First Fridays at the Mill on Friday, January 5, 2024. All poets will read their work in the gallery during the event. Accepted artists will receive a $100 honorarium and a complementary broadside of each of their works.

GUIDELINES

• All submissions are due by 11:59pm on Saturday, October 1, 2023.
• Open to artists and poets currently living in Orange County, NC. 
• Artists who participated in Coalesce 2023 are not eligible to apply.
• This is a blind selection process and all identifying information will be hidden.

Visual Artists

• May submit up to two representative work samples (they do not need to be works you plan to submit for the exhibit). An image list with the title, size, medium, year, edition, and price is required. Images should be a minimum 300 resolution.
• All mediums are allowed
• All work submitted for the exhibit must be for sale
• Two and three-dimensional works allowed
• There are no size limitations
• Works on paper and canvases less than 1″ thick must be properly framed and wired (no sawtooth hangers)
• WORK SOLD: For all work sold, the Orange County Arts Alliance (on behalf of the Orange County Arts Commission) will retain a 40% commission (30% for Eno Arts Mill studio artists). The OCAA will collect all monies from the sale of artwork, including tax, through the end of January. Artists will receive payment within 30 days of the show's conclusion. 
• UNSOLD WORK: Artists may donate unsold artwork to the OCAA or pick up their work the first week of February. 
• The artist is responsible for insurance of artwork. The OCAC/OCAA will make their best effort to assure the security of the artwork in the Eno Arts Mill Gallery.
• Artists agree to allow the OCAC/OCAA use of images of artwork for promotional purposes (credit will be given).

Poets

• May submit up to two representative works of any genre, no more than 500 words each
• Selected writers will be invited to read their works at the exhibit opening on Friday, January 5, 2024. 
• Artists agree to allow the OCAC/OCAA to promote selected works through social media and the OCAC website (credit will be given)
• Selected works will be displayed in the gallery during the exhibit.

TIMELINE

• Call to artists open Friday, September 8
• Call to artists closes 11:59pm on Sunday, October 1
• Selected artists notified Friday, October 6
• Artist "meet and greet" dinner Thursday, October 19, 6:30 at Eno Arts Mill
• Images, inventory information and poems due to OCAC Monday, December 11
• Work drop-off Tuesday, January 2, 2024
• Show opening Friday, January 5, 2024
• Show de-install Tuesday, January 30, 2024

"Coalesce" is curated by writer Morrow Dowdle and visual artist Max Dowdle.