Prototype, Kahmagolf, Wikimedia commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20975055
Call for Papers
In tandem with our current exhibition Byproduct & Prototype — CoCA Seattle, we invite submissions for the publication of a new CoCA Journal exploring new perspectives on contemporary art. In the past few decades, for example, we observe a shift away from the production of luxury commodities toward a comprehensive practice that addresses social, environmental, political, and other applied contexts. Community-based projects that emphasize research or fieldwork are part of this shift, as artists find themselves “embedded,” often in non-art contexts such as ride-alongs with police. Just as journalists seek assignments as embedded reporters in armed conflicts, so too artists have expanded their presence away from the traditional studio and the gallery. Elena Filipovic calls these investigative approaches “fugitive operations” in her wonderful study, The Apparently Marginal Activities of Marcel Duchamp (MIT, 2016). For Filipovic, Duchamp’s less obvious “work” becomes essentially curatorial as the artist leaves painting behind.
We are thus interested in artists that are venturing into public realms, infiltrating institutions, and pioneering across disciplinary boundaries. Rather than compartmentalizing their art practice as an entirely separate endeavor from their day- job, artists apply creativity and imagination to all aspects of their lives, raising important questions about the role of the artist: how might an artist’s labor in non-art contexts inform their practice? How might we value an artist’s contributions outside traditional art spaces?
The essays may focus on the artwork or projects exhibited in Byproduct and Prototype (which ends April 19), but we encourage expansive critical thinking that would perhaps begin with those examples and broaden out to encompass other ideas. We anticipate that some of the essays will offer insight into artistic ‘fieldwork’ or undercover ‘art-spy- ops,’ and other examples of infiltrating institutions and applied artistic thinking. Other topics may focus on identity or biographical details that help shape an artist’s worldview. 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.
The deadline for submissions is midnight on Monday, April 21
To apply:
Submit essays from 500 - 2,000 words with endnotes (citations) and illustrations (three maximum). There is no cost to submit. Contributors receive a free copy of the journal but are otherwise uncompensated.
Please send written work in an email attached as a Word document to info@cocaseattle.org.
Format of the text
All submissions must adhere to the following format requirements:
Including notes, the manuscript should be no longer than 2,500 words, and should have no more than 3 illustrations. Subheadings and other poetic aspects are encouraged.
Double space the entire document, including notes and captions, and use an easily readable typeface and type size.
Include captions for illustrations within the main manuscript file, on a separate page at the end.
Submit the text of your manuscript as a single Microsoft Word file (any recent version).
The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.) is the standard for style.
Please use endnotes rather than footnotes. Include a references cited if appropriate. Avoid bibliographies.
Notes should be identified with Arabic numbers (not small Roman numerals).
Illustrations: three maximum
All illustrations can be in color. Illustrations must be cited in the text and be numbered in the order of their major treatment in the text. Please supply digital art. The images should be in JPG or TIFF format as originals, not converted from any other format. The resolution must be at least 300 dpi at the size at which they will be reproduced. For example, for an image sized 8.5 by 11 inches, the resolution should be 3,300 by 2,550 dpi. Upload each image as a separate file when you submit your manuscript.
Each illustration requires a complete caption, which must be included in the text of the manuscript (not in the illustration file itself). The caption must include the name and life dates of the artist or maker, title of the object, when and where the object was made, the medium, the dimensions, and the full credit line required by the owner of the object and the source of the photograph. Illustrations that are not objects should include similarly detailed information about location, context, year, and identity.
Previously published articles are acceptable as long as CoCA is able to obtain permission from the original publisher.
There is no cost to submit. Contributors receive a free copy of the journal but are otherwise uncompensated. The journal will be lightly edited for typos and grammar and will be offered for sale at CoCA’s Community Partners Art Booth at the Seattle Art Fair in late July.
Call for Guest Curators
In addition to curating its own exhibitions internally, CoCA occasionally contracts with guest curators. Guidelines for submitting proposals follows below. We welcome inquires and questions at info@cocaseattle.org
With an emphasis on emerging artists and a mission to serve as a forum and catalyst for the study of contemporary art, CoCA typically curates group exhibitions rather than focusing on solo exhibitions by mid-career artists. (Nevertheless, we welcome exceptions to any rule.) Please also note that proposals should avoid asking artists for de-facto commissions and should ideally seek existing work.
Proposals should include:
1-page description of proposed exhibition, including title, names of possible artists, or selection criteria if proposing an Open Call. The description should answer the question of how the proposed exhibition helps us understand contemporary art in new ways, advances our understanding of artists, artworks, practice, materials and media, audiences, markets, etc.
1-3 pages of proposed artists and sample artworks (thumbnails, websites, short bios and statements)
curatorial resume and written bio of 250 words max.
proposals ideally include plan for volunteer staffing of exhibition, gallery hours (currently Thursday-Saturday)
budget and funding mechanism, split into two main headings: INCOME and EXPENSES. In a perfect world, the totals for these columns match up perfectly.
needs from CoCA
CoCA Gallery Considerations
The gallery is approximately 650 s.f, arranged perpendicular to the storefront on Third Avenue. It is about 14 feet wide and 48 feet deep, with a ceiling height of approximately 15 feet.
The South wall is uninterrupted wall space, whereas the North wall is divided into three bays, divided by 18” wide columns. The bay closest to the window is generally reserved for CoCA signage and sales area, although in special cases, artwork may be integrated into this space by prior arrangement.
Lighting is from a central spine that runs down the center of the gallery.
Call for Art: CoCA ShowWalls
CoCA ShowWalls is an opportunity for CoCA Member Artists to present their work in a solo show at one of our partner venues. Visit CoCA ShowWalls for more information about the program.
We encourage submitting members to visit the spaces and consider the mission and objectives of each space before submitting. We will be working with the venue owners and managers to find a good fit for their space.
We will work with you to prepare your show, creating a bio/statement board to mount in the venue, provide title cards for your artwork, and handle any sales that might occur during the course of the show.
Gary Manuel Salon, 528 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
The exhibition area is primarily at the back of the salon, at the portal leading to the sinks and hair washing stations, and within those spaces, as well as in the corridors connecting them and those outside the bathrooms. There are a few other locations nearby, including the potential of hanging at the rear of the open stair. One large wall under the monitor in the store front, visible from the street, is also included. It takes around 25-30 pieces to mount a show here, depending on size, of course. The ambiance is upscale, cheerful, and well lit!
Collins Pub, 528 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
Art is displayed throughout the venue, above the wainscoting next to the banquettes. As with GMS, somewhere around 25-30 pieces will be needed to mount a complete show here. The ambiance is artsy, as Collins is well know for catering to the artist and patron crowd that frequents Pioneer Square. It’s a pub, of course, so it’s a bit dark and moody, but don’t let that stop you. Management has expressed excitement about the cutting edge that CoCA brings to its curatorial approach, so give us your most creative and experimental work. Embrace the space, don’t fight it.
ShowWalls Submissions:
Send your questions and submissions to showwalls@cocaseattle.org. Include your name, email, phone, website or instagram, the venue you prefer, your availability, some examples of your work, and a brief bio and/or statement. We hope to hear from you soon!