AMP: Artists' Meeting Place and Resource Collective

from Franklin Furnace

Make Me Wanna Holler

Open Call for Gallery Aferro's Poem Booth: Fall 2022

Curated by Candace Nicholson

Due August 27, Apply at aferro.org

Pablo Neruda once said that “laughter is the language of the soul.” And as a poet with an indelible ability to craft a verse that made us feel, see and hear our true selves, Neruda understood how laughter can resonate in ways that sobs cannot.

And it is with that idea in mind, Gallery Aferro invites poets, lyrical bards, and spoken word artists to submit their greatest rimes, sonnets, verses and odes for our upcoming exhibition, Make Me Wanna Holler.

Opening on Friday, October 7th as a part of the Newark Arts Festival, the exhibition will be an audio showcase of written expression delivered via the conduit of our ongoing Poem Booth Project.

In this exhibition, poets will share their beloved works exploring the expression of healing, hiding or harnessing adversity, pain or melancholy through the use of humor, wit or satire. Whether subtle or strident, works in the Make Me Wanna Holler exhibition will reveal the many ways in which we speak volumes while smiling through our tears and laughing through our suffering.

Poets are encouraged to submit works underscoring any topic that speaks to their life experience (e.g., love, identity, parenting, discrimination, nature, aging). Submissions of written works may tap into a variety of poetic styles and formats (e.g., free verse, limerick, haiku, villanelle, elegy), but the subject matter must weave laughter or comedy into the tapestry of hardship or heartache.

About The Curator:

Candace Nicholson is a writer, storyteller and gallery director who has spent 20 years tweaking the written word in the world of publishing, marketing and arts administration. A lover of language and literature, Nicholson has parlayed her BA in English Literature into covering the arts and culture scene as a passion, a hobby and a career. She ignited her love of poetry when editing for her high school literary magazine, ignited her love of creative writing when penning an original play for her university radio station, and ignited her love of the power of 3s when she realized it’s a great way to craft a memorable closer. An East Coast transplant, she currently resides in Newark, NJ.

What Happens If Your Work Is Selected:

Like the art of stand-up comedy, the power of spoken word can convey complex ideas and visions in ways that may limit visual artists. This is why if your poem is selected to be a part of the exhibition, Gallery Aferro will ask that you record an audio version of your poem that will then be shared with visitors via our retrofitted 1960s-era phone booth located in our main gallery at 73 Market Street, Newark, NJ.

Learn more about the Poem Booth Project at aferro.org

and

Open Call for Portfolios for Paid Project:

Ilustrators, Comic/Graphic Novel Artists & Other Artists Who Draw

An innovative and well paid collaborative publishing project Gallery Aferro is working on will have multiple opportunities for chapter and book cover artists, and we are seeking expressions of interest from artists who can email us their contact info and an easy-to-present portfolio in the form of a PDF or clear weblink that goes to your portfolio of relevant artwork.

Reach us at info@aferro.org We encourage artists who may be interested to get in touch, regardless of location, and whether you work with born digital art, or can scan/photograph your original drawings. The project will require illustrating a narrative text that will include people. Any style of work that can function within this scope is welcome.

Please note: in order to successfully collaborate and present your work, we cannot use links to social media or submissions without an email address.

Please share this with other creative people who might be interested!