Santa Fe

Artists from across the American Southwest are invited to submit their work for possible inclusion in Southwest Contemporary Vol. 2: Flights of Fancy (to be published May 2021).

“Flights of Fancy,” the theme of our next quarterly magazine, describes the power to imagine alternate realities, create fantasies, and entertain absurdities in the mind’s eye.

Over the last year, amid isolation, disruption to our routines and priorities, and a crisis of misinformation, it’s been harder than ever to stay tethered to what’s “real.” Balancing physical reality, virtual reality, and the unrealities unfolding on our screens and in our newspapers, we’ve found that we really live in separate worlds.

On the dark side, we live in a moment riddled with information silos, blatant disregard for fact, and rampant confirmation bias—where even events of the “real world” have required suspension of disbelief. On the bright side, we could all benefit from a healthy dose of escapism, an injection of magic into our locked down lives, and ideations of a better future.

We invite artists (18+) living and working in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah to submit work in any medium related to the theme “Flights of Fancy,” ranging from reflections on our current state of disconnection to wild turns of fantasy and beyond. Artists are encouraged to think broadly about these ideas.

Selected artists will have their work seen in a print and digital publication with an audience of 20,000+ people, published alongside emerging and established artists from across the American Southwest.

Deadline: March 3, 11:59 pm MST.

SELECTED ARTISTS

Three selected artists will receive a feature profile article written by an SWC contributor accompanied by multiple images. Twelve or more additional artists will receive a two-page spread including one image and up to 300 words of text.

All selected artists will receive a feature on SWC’s newsletter and social media channels and receive a complimentary print copy.

ELIGIBILITY

Artists (18+) living and working in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah are welcome to apply with works in any medium: painting, sculpture, new media, performance, printmaking, fiber arts, photography, mixed media, music, video, installation, and more.

REQUIREMENTS

Three to five artwork images, artist statement, and bio must be uploaded directly to the submission form.

Artists may submit three to five image, video, or audio files (no larger than 10 mb each) for consideration.

Artists must ensure high quality of images (we recommend 300 dpi JPGs), but they do not need to be press quality. High-res images will be requested once selections are made.

If video files are larger than 10 mb, please submit a smaller clip and provide a web link to the full file in your statement.

Artwork does not have to be for sale, but we recommend submitting work recent within the last five years.

Bio and statement must be no more than 300 words or 2500 characters each.

IMPORTANT DATES

Entry deadline: March 3, 2021, 11:59 pm MST.

Artists will be notified of the final decision by mid-March 2021. If your work is selected, you will receive further information at that time. All selected artists will be included in the digital and print issue published in May 2021.

SUBMISSION FEE

There is a $15 submission fee that goes towards supporting our contributing writers, editors, and staff (submission fees are non-refundable). If you are unable to pay at this time, we understand and urge you to submit your work for editorial consideration on our website instead. You may always submit your work for editorial consideration to our website for free. Please send three to five artwork files, your artist statement, bio, website, and any other relevant links to editor@southwestcontemporary.com.

12 New Mexico Artists to Know Now 2021

New Mexico artists are also welcome to submit to the open call the third annual 12 New Mexico Artists to Know Now feature series (to be published in the annual New Mexico Field Guide, June 2021). You may submit to one or both calls using the same submission form.