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Call for Content: Appalachian Futures

Type: Exhibition Opportunities [View all]
Posted by: West Virginia University Libraries
Deadline: Thu, January 31st, 2019

WVU Libraries is developing an interdisciplinary exhibit for 2019-20 themed around Appalachian Futures. Content is sought from scholars, artists and practitioners from a range of fields to integrate into a curated exhibition that will be interpreted, designed, and installed next spring/summer, and potentially travel throughout the state. 

This collaborative, multidisciplinary exhibit and programming will address the dominant contemporary narratives about Appalachia in a new way— how the people of Appalachia have worked and will work to rewrite their own narrative and transcend limiting definitions of what it means to be Appalachian. The creatively designed, accessible and interactive exhibit will synthesize humanities research, art, and civic action inviting viewers to explore the often overlooked communities of Indigenous Appalachia, "Affrilachian" (African American in Appalachia), and queer Appalachia. It will also ask viewers to examine Appalachian tradition and culture; the intersections between extraction industries, new technology, and science; literacies and education in Appalachia; as well as speculative futures for the region.

The exhibit will use scholarship and creations to tell stories about the broader ideas and relationships amongst the various Appalachian identities, past present and into the future.

We are seeking artists, scholars, community groups and practitioners whose work fits into one or more of the exhibit’s four themes: Growth of Diverse Ethnic Populations, Science, Education and Industries, The Future of Appalachian Traditions and Speculative Futures/Futurism.

The panels will include reproduced artworks and creative thematic design with the content accepted to visualize ideas and encourage visitors to pause and contemplate the messages of each section. Photographs, drawings, and quotes about each focus, as well as philosophical questions, and minimal technological resources when available, will give visitors a fuller understanding of the large concept, underscoring the commonalities and cultural distinctions within the vastness of Appalachian Futures. There will also be an ongoing, changing interactive response element of the installation developed with the Philosophy scholar that will help track engagement.

We will coordinate presentations, panels, tours or talks around the exhibit, depending on the work included. Moreover, the finished work may be included in an exhibition pamphlet and published online through the Research Repository @ WVU, West Virginia University’s digital repository. The Research Repository provides a permanent online home for exhibition materials, and allows them to be viewed worldwide and cited as valuable contributions to the scholarly record.

To cross promote departments, programs, institutes, projects, etc.: If your department, program or organization would be interested in co-sponsoring the exhibit and programming, a modest amount would help us do this; and your logo and name would be included on the main exhibition concept piece and display, and all marketing materials.

Submission deadline: January 31, 2019.
Art in the Libraries and Exhibit Committee Review: February 1-28, 2019
Results via email by: March 1, 2019
Confirmation for participation: March 15, 2019
Exhibition development, interpretation, design, edits: March 15-May 30, 2019
Exhibition installation: June 1-July 15, 2019
Exhibition: August 1, 2019-June 1, 2020 (Traveling exhibits, Programming TBD)

More information and submission form: https://exhibits.lib.wvu.edu/appalachian_futures.

Posted on Fri, November 9th, 2018
Expires on Thu, January 31st, 2019

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