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Call to Artists: Visual Elements returns to the Woodstock Art Gallery

The Woodstock Art Gallery's annual juried exhibition is returning for another year to once again showcase the breadth and diversity of talent in and around Oxford County.

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Robin De Angelis

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ArtCity

The Woodstock Art Gallery’s annual juried exhibition is returning for another year to once again showcase the breadth and diversity of talent in and around Oxford County.

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Artists are currently invited to submit their artwork for Visual Elements 63: Annual Juried Exhibition, which is slated to run from July 14 to September 18, 2021.

The juried exhibition has been a cornerstone of the gallery’s programming for more than 60 years. Over the decades, it has drawn many new artists and visitors to the gallery, providing opportunities for art enthusiasts and novices alike to experience and participate in local arts and culture.

Last year, we faced the daunting task of reimagining Visual Elements in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and a provincial lockdown.

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The resulting virtual exhibition was an enormous success, with an incredible reception on social media and hundreds of views within the first few days.

The People’s Choice award winner, Baraba Fenning-Lowik, was chosen after an astounding 4,000 votes were cast in an online poll.

But while this new online platform allowed the exhibition to reach new and wider audiences, it could not replace the meaningful experience of viewing the artwork in person.

This year we plan to offer the best of both worlds, with Visual Elements 63 presented in person at the Woodstock Art Gallery and online as a virtual exhibition.

The goal of this blended format is to provide artists with the opportunity to showcase their work in a professional setting at an art gallery while also allowing them to share their successes with friends and family from afar.

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As in previous years, the exhibition will be juried by three local arts professionals: Brantford painter Daniel Cairo, senior curator Andrew Kear and Woodstock artist Jaquie Poole.

“I was very happy to be asked to join the jury for this year’s Visual Elements exhibition at the Woodstock Art Gallery,” said Kear, who is head of collections, exhibitions and programs at Museum London.

“As a newcomer to Southwestern Ontario, serving as a juror will also provide a superb opportunity to be introduced to artists in the area and the community’s art scene.”

Poole, who has a longstanding history with the gallery as an educator, guest curator and exhibiting artist, looks forward to seeing the variety of work that is submitted.

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“Juried exhibitions are a wonderful opportunity to experience the unexpected,” Poole said. “As an artist and former teacher, I enjoy looking at all the different cross-sections of work to see what people are interested in doing or informed by.”

Visual Elements 63 is open to all southern Ontario artists working in any medium who are current members of the Woodstock Art Gallery. The deadline to register is May 5, 2021.

The call to artists, terms of entry and submission requirements can be found at www.woodstockartgallery.ca.

In the meantime, don’t forget to revisit Visual Elements 62 on our Virtual Exhibitions page!

Robin De Angelis is the cultural communications/facility rentals co-ordinator at the Woodstock Art Gallery. She also splits her time at the Woodstock Museum National Historic Site.

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