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Opportunity: 2nd Annual Center for Civil and Human Rights Art Competition

Aritistic Discipline: Visual

The Center for Civil and Human Rights (CCHR) invites Spokane and Coeur d’Alene (CdA)-area artists to submit proposals to its CCHR Art Competition. The purpose of the CCHR Art Competition is to build bridges between the Law School and the local community by supporting Spokane and CdA-area artists pursuing social justice themes.

The theme of the 2021 Competition is to commemorate the life of civil rights leader and Gonzaga Law School graduate, Carl Maxey .

The artwork shall:

  • Make an artistic impact and capture the social justice achievements of Carl Maxey
  • Serve as a positive symbol for the Law School and the community
  • Enrich the aesthetics of the Law School and serve as a reminder of the theme of the art project
  • Connect the community to the CCHR and give local artists the opportunity to display creative and thoughtful work that has a lasting and powerful imprint on social justice.

The competition is open to a broad range of artistic work from Spokane and CdA-area artists at various points in their careers, from amateurs to professionals. A distinguished panel – including the Law School’s current and past artists-in-residence – will judge the competition.

Each proposal must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws. Uses that incorporate copyrighted material (e.g., historical photographs or other written works) are permitted provided that such uses are protected by fair use.

The winner will receive a prize of $5,000 and will have their artwork displayed in a dedicated space on the second floor of the Law School. The art must be ready to display by September 10, 2021, if not before.

The resulting artwork will be owned by the Gonzaga University School of Law upon installation. Artist shall retain copyright and must allow Gonzaga University School of Law permission to use images of the artwork for educational and promotional purposes. As a condition of accepting the prize money, the winner will be required to sign a contract with the law school confirming the agreement.

TIMELINE:

  • Application deadline: June 25, 2021
  • Selected artwork announced: July 9, 2021
  • Artwork installation prior to: September 10, 2021

ART LOCATION AND SPECIFICATIONS: The winning artwork must fit on the wall shown in the photos. Please note that the work can come up to the electrical outlet but not cover it.

The wall is located on the 2nd floor of the law school, inside the entrance of the CCHR. The electrical outlet is in the middle of the wall, near the bottom of the wall. The length of the wall is 10’ 6 “, and the height of the wall, from the outlet to the ceiling is 7’ 9”. The artwork should take up between 75% and 85% of the wall space.

The winning artwork must be two-dimensional and must not protrude from the wall more than 3 inches. The artwork must be designed for a separable surface. Accepted mediums for the two-dimension artwork are as follows:

  • Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
  • Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed.)
  • Collages: must be two dimensional
  • Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
  • Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
  • Computer-generated art
  • Photographs

Artists who would like to incorporate photos of Carl Maxey into their submission should email civilrightscenter@gonzaga.edu to receive images that have been approved for use for this purpose.

Eligibility: The Center Art Competition is open to all Spokane and CdA-area artists and collectives, 18 years or older.
Point of Contact: Michele Fukawa
Contact Email:
Expires: June 25, 2021