Call for entries: The Foundation for Cultural Exchange’s Sister City Celebration and Silent Art Auction
Open to all Grand Valley and Western Slope artists
No entry fee
Deadline: Contact us by July 30th; art submissions due by August 31st.
The Foundation for Cultural Exchange (FCE), a local nonprofit, is seeking art submissions to auction at a public event September 19, commemorating the adoption by the Grand Junction City Council of a Sister City relationship between Grand Junction and El Espino, El Salvador 10 years ago.
In celebration of the last 10 years of solidarity between Grand Valley residents and the people of El Espino, the FCE is inviting local artists to submit artwork that reflects the convergence of our two distinct cultures and two unique places: Western Colorado and El Salvador. The vision is to use elements that characterize the art and scenery of one place and apply those elements to a piece focused on the art and scenery of the other. An example would be a painting of Mt. Garfield done using the bold lines and bright colors characteristic of Salvadoran art, instead of the rich browns and reds that often characterize Western Colorado art.
Anna Stout, FCE President describes it as “El Salvador-inspired Colorado art, or Colorado-inspired Salvadoran art.”
Donated art will be displayed in a silent auction in or outside of City Hall (depending on weather), alongside arts and crafts made by budding Salvadoran artists. All money made from the sale of donated artwork will go directly to the FCE’s David C. Harmon Memorial Scholarship Program, which currently provides scholarships to eight high school and 18 university students living in Grand Junction’s Sister City of El Espino, El Salvador. More than 31 students have benefitted from the program so far, and this May we celebrated our first college graduation!
The FCE’s Sister City Celebration will be a lively public event held in front of City Hall between the 5th and 6th blocks of Rood, featuring live Salvadoran music, Salvadoran food and drinks, as well as addresses made by local and state legislators. The Mayor will issue a proclamation and a short documentary about the FCE’s work will be on display inside City Hall. Vendor booths are also available.
To thank artists for their hard work and generosity, the Foundation for Cultural Exchange will provide all those who donate an art piece with a high-quality digital version of their art for use on their own websites, online portfolios, etc. or for printing. Artists will also be thanked publicly during the event, on signage, and on the FCE’s website and social media platforms.
For more information please contact Charlie Blackmer at 970-640-9188 or clarissablackmer@gmail.com. For inspiration or ideas, simply search Salvadoran art or Fernando Llort on the internet. We would also be more than happy to sit down with you to discuss ideas and help inspire you, and we have a wealth of photos of the countryside, the community, and the students of El Espino and El Salvador.
