Call for Art- Byproduct & Prototype

In seeking underrepresented forms of art, Seattle’s Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) will curate an exhibition in the spring of 2025 focusing on artwork that derives from an investigative, problem-solving, or research-based art project in contexts such as social justice, environmental planning, arts education, etc. The call is open to established and emerging artists and artist teams in any region.

Often categorized as “deliverables,” these works may include sketches, design mockups, concept art, contact sheets, technical drawings, storyboards, mood boards, color palettes, 3D models, rough cuts, videos & posters, ephemera, maps, dioramas, installations, maquettes, prototypes, headphones & sound files, apps, costumes and props, planning documents, history projects adapted for 2-minute memory readings on devices like Sierra Teck motion-activated voice player, artifacts & other documentary detritus; all with wall text to help convey the context of the work.

Artworks and objects that may or may not be perceived as art are encouraged. The work should be pre-existing or concurrent with a project rather than a proposed work or a pitch for a commission. Artworks / objects do not need to be formally finished work or completed to be considered. Projects may not even involve the display of objects at all; in these cases, CoCA is prepared to work with the artist(s) to explore ways of sharing the work with the public.

We are thus interested in artists that are venturing into public realms, infiltrating institutions, and developing projects for social, environmental, and economic purposes. In these cases, a finished work of visual art is generally not the emphasis. We anticipate that some of the objects may derive from ‘fieldwork’ or commissions that focus on non-visual projects, such as ride-alongs with police, urban farming & food, climate justice, embedded or undercover assignments, and other examples of infiltrating institutions and applied artistic thinking. In all of these sectors, we observe a prioritization of outcome, problem solving, and collaborative process rather than the production of a beautiful object created for an arts marketplace. If byproducts, artifacts, and prototypes are for sale, artist(s) receive 60% while CoCA receives 40% (70% / 30% for CoCA members). Submissions may also propose ancillary use of the CoCA gallery space as a means to continue research, further investigations, conduct experiments, serve as a field office or lab, including potential interaction with the general public on select dates (or throughout the two months) that the work is in the gallery.

The deadline for submissions is midnight on Saturday, February 8.
There will be an opening reception on First Thursday, March 6 and April 3 (5 – 9pm) at CoCA’s Pioneer Square location in the Tashiro Kaplan Building at 114 Third Ave. South, Seattle, 98104.

Artists in any region and any country are welcome to submit. If selected, artists and artist teams may be invited to submit a paper for the publication of a new CoCA Journal exploring the transition from aesthetic object to applied praxis in the early 21st century, among other topics.