Following a 24-hour free-for-all submission period, work created by artists from across the state will adorn the walls of the Hughes Wing at the Cameron Art Museum for the second State of the Art/Art of the State exhibition.
The museum will remain open from noon Sept. 19 to noon Sept. 20, during which North Carolina artists over the age of 18 can submit an original work to be exhibited in the show.
The museum organized the first State of the Art/Art of the State show in 2011, with more than 600 artists delivering work within the 24-hour timeframe.
The idea for the exhibition is inspired by a similar effort in Washington, D.C., organized by esteemed curator and museum director Walter Hopps as an opportunity for artists to interact with curators.
Kim Kelly, communications manager for the CAM, said the event was revisited in 2014 due to its popularity among both artists and visitors. She said the exhibition mirrors a movement in museums to include more people.
“You’re seeing a little bit more of that participatory expression in museums. There is more of an engagement with audiences, giving larger numbers of folks an opportunity to come in, not only for a specialized event but to have some of their work in the museum,” Kelly said.
Without a jury or fees, Kelly said the show offers an unmediated view of the work currently produced by North Carolina artists.
“Because this is not a juried show, you are going to be looking at works from across the spectrum. It really is a sample of what is happening across the state,” Kelly said.
The museum reached out to art councils and organizations to spread the word about the event. Kelly said during the 2011 exhibit, artists traveled from as far away as Hickory, Charlotte and Asheville.
All artists must drop off work in person within the 24-hour timeframe. At least one curator will be present throughout the 24-hour period, giving artists a rare opportunity to introduce their work and receive feedback. Pieces will be curated and installed as they arrive, with the opening reception scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 20.
During the 2011 event, Kelly said curators were constantly tweaking the arrangement of pieces as they arrived, and as more and more artists delivered work, the job became harder.
“It was a bit of curating on the fly,” she said.
Curators participating in the event include Peter Eleey and Laura Hoptman, curators at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City; Nora Burnett Abrams, curator from the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver in Denver, Colorado; and Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson, director at the Aspen Art Museum in Aspen, Colorado.
The exhibition will display through Feb. 12, 2015.
For more information about eligibility and delivery, artists are encouraged to download the prospectus for the event online at www.
cameronartmuseum.org
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