January Open Call: Solitude

Our January Open Call, "Solitude" has been created by 34 Gallery Artist FotoGraaGHanneke, a selected winner in our recent "Dreamland" Competition. Previous Winners can be found on the Open Calls page of our website.This initiative aims to channel the power of art to explore monthly mental health themes, particularly those related to managing Loneliness and Depression during the Holiday season.

We recognize the end of the year can be especially challenging for those who feel excluded from Christmas and New Year celebrations. We invite artists to explore positive self-coping mechanisms regarding feelings of being bullied, misunderstood, lonely or depressed that the end & start of a year can evoke. Through your work, express the emotions associated with these experiences during the holidays. Endeavor to provide awareness of what these situations are like.

Consider how your work can help someone who is also going through this at this time. Show the delicate balance of holding onto hope and staying true to yourself in such moments. Convey the message that everyone matters. Perhaps include an element about setting positive intentions for the year ahead.

Additional theme suggestions: Finding light in the darkness, surviving depression/isolation, abandoned buildings or places re-imagined, mental resilience, emotional landscapes, the power of survival, Christmas, the New Year, traveling alone, and beneficial aspects of solitude.

Submit up to 3 works by Dec. 30th. Include 1 - 2 paragraph artist statements answering the following questions in your cover letter:

• Describe the creative process regarding your work & how it fits with the Open Call Theme.
• Describe your personal coping mechanisms to deal with depression & loneliness.

Selected artists will be notified by Jan. 10th.