Seeking edgy portrait paintings for an upcoming June 2025 Exhibition at the Grove Gallery in Evanston, IL. Looking for more than just a pretty face. Deadline: May 15th. Juried by Joanna Pinsky.
Submissions limited to artists from the Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin
We are seeking impactful, painterly portraits of human faces. Emotive portraits are more than just pretty faces. We are seeking original paintings, drawings or prints of someone, living or deceased, who has had a significant impact on your life. The individual may be either historically-relevant, famous or unknown. The individual’s personality or essence can be communicated through visual elements such as color, medium, composition, abstract shapes and brush strokes. The portraits may not necessarily be flattering, but instead disrupt academic conventions. The act of painting, and the process of mark making is significant. Essentially, we are looking for thought-provoking portraits. Submissions should be primarily of human faces or figures, not of animals, buildings or landscapes. Acceptable two-dimensional media: Original oil, acrylic, watercolor or gouache paintings; charcoal, pastel, ink, or graphite drawings; hand-pulled etchings, lithographs, woodcuts or monoprints. No giclee prints, photographs or sculptures will be accepted. Scale: no larger than 36″ in either direction. Work must have been executed within the past 5 years. All work should be ready to hang.
Juror: Joanna Pinsky
Joanna Pinsky is a Chicago-based painter working in acrylics. She creates two-dimensional shaped pieces ranging from architectural fragments to abstract organic forms, and rectangular works on paper. Color and surface are of primary importance. Pinsky has exhibited her work both regionally and internationally. Recent solo exhibits include the Kohenline Museum, Oakton College, the Evanston Art Center, Space 900 Gallery, and Perimeter Gallery, in Chicago. Pinsky is a co-founder and Artistic Director of Art Encounter, a non-profit art education organization bringing a knowledge of art and the artistic process to people of all ages and backgrounds.