Timely: Earth Day Sustainability Art Exhibit submissions open until April 11

"Building Community" Earth day art

The Sustainability Center in the Student Union Building is seeking new innovative submissions for the Earth Day Art Exhibitions.

In partnership with ASBSU, the Fine Arts Program and university art curator Fonda Portales, the Earth Day Exhibition seeks to feature works that relate to the theme of environmental sustainability. 

$250 awards will be given to all selected artists whose works are featured in the exhibit, and the call for creations is open to all students from any area of study.

“We really want to emphasize that the call for innovators is open to all current students. So if you’re an engineering student, if you’re a nursing student, if you’re a creative writing student or an art student, we want to see what kind of works you come up with around the scheme of environmental sustainability,” Portales said.

All types of genres, styles, and media will be considered. Works can include but are not limited to robotics, video, digital art, textiles, tools and machines, collage art, sculpture, and visual arts, including large ceramics and even furniture. Some past submissions were created using completely thrifted or recycled materials.

“It is up to however a student chooses to explore environmental sustainability through materials, through objects and through ideas,” Portales said.

"Building Community" Earth day art
[Photo of “Building Community” art piece from last years exhibit.]
Photo courtesy of Fonda Portales

This piece of artwork is an example of one of the pieces featured in the Earth Day 2021 Exhibitions. The piece titled “Building Community”, is by Kelly Hayes, a junior majoring in art education, and is made with watercolor and ink on handmade paper.

Hayes’ piece is created from recycled materials and discarded items from around campus. The piece represents the physical appearance of the Keiser Hall dorms and incorporates those who interact with the building within the sketches of eyes on each brick.

Hayes’ artist statement reveals how the piece illustrates environmental sustainability.

“Sewing the bricks together is a way of showing that unity. We are the building blocks that can make our world more sustainable for the future,” she writes. 

The exhibit will be featured in the Sustainability Center, which is located on the first floor of the Student Union Building (SUB). The gallery requires that accepted works be on loan for a year, as the exhibit will be on display until April 2023.

The gallery space allows for small and large pieces, and thousands of students, faculty, and visitors pass through the Student Union daily, allowing for high exposure for featured artists. 

Submissions must include your status as a student at Boise State, a high-resolution photograph of the piece, a description of the piece, as well as a 150-200 word statement about how your piece relates to the theme of environmental sustainability.

Submissions will be accepted via email at fondaportales@boisestate.edu. Notifications of accepted works will be extended to students via email no later than April 11.

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