for posterity: farm girl
Call to Artists
The theme for our exhibits in 2025 is “For Posterity” and are exploring numerous ways in which artists document the world around them for posterity. One exhibit will feature Audubon prints that serve as a compendium recording the birds of North America. Another exhibit will feature botanical prints and the role that art played in medicine. The focus of our April exhibition is rural life in the 1930s.
Artists are invited to submit works for an exhibit to be held April 21 – May 23, 2025, in the Batdorff Gallery at Artworks in Big Rapids, MI. We are calling for works created in response to the memoire Farm Girl by Beuna Coburn Carlson.
Though the book is specifically about the author’s life in rural Wisconsin in the 1930’s, her experiences are in no way exclusive to Wisconsin. They are reminiscent of the experiences of an entire generation who lived through hardship with resilience, ingenuity, courage, and good humor. The author asserts “During those years of the Great Depression and The Dust Bowl, we didn’t have much money, but we were not poor.” Indeed! The memories she recounts are rich and evocative. Her memoire preserves the experiences of a generation.
While there are numerous experiences that were common to most rural folk, there were also experiences that were specific to individual communities. We have partnered with the Old Settlers of Remus, MI for three previous exhibits, and we once again will be partnering with them to illustrate extraordinary circumstances for the Black community. This African American community of settlers developed a private banking system during this time, a private bank that continued to service the community well into the 1950’s.
The art exhibit will be supplemented with historical posters. In addition to the Old Settler Bank, there will be information on flour sack clothing, Depression Era Cuisine, and the role of grain elevators in rural communities.
Two prizes will be awarded, the Judge’s Award and the People’s Choice Award, each for $500.
Guidelines: We ask for two-dimensional or three-dimensional art that responds to this book. Copies of Farm Girl are available in the Painted Turtle Gift Shop. You will want a copy because Beuna Carlson, who is the 97-year-old mother of our own Margo Berke, will be joining us for the opening reception on April 24 and will be happy to sign your copy.
Guidelines:
One submission per person
Work should be submitted by April 18 with:
title,
artist’s statement about the work
price (or NFS)
artist’s email address or phone number
If you have questions email roxanne@artworksinbigrapids.org
