Minnesota Zoo Hanifl Nature Center Exhibit Call for Art: Water

Deadline is July 31

In July 2023 the Hanifl Nature Center opened along with the Treetop Trail at the Minnesota Zoo. An art exhibit is featured in the Nature Center, rotating approximately every six months. The theme for the next exhibit is water and the exhibit will be run September 20, 2024 – March 2, 2025.

The call is for residents of Minnesota and the goal is to represent the breadth of high-quality artistic talent across the state.

Review this context for the exhibit:

Unifying message: Inspiration comes from water in nature in all its forms, including rain, fog, ice, and snow. Highlight artistic appreciation for aquatic ecosystems, their living and nonliving components, and the complexities of aquatic ecological systems and interactions. Showcase some of the many ways artists can utilize water and be inspired by water and/or the animals and plants that live in, near, and/or depend on water.

Aesthetic: Art that depicts or is inspired by water. Feature a diversity of styles and media. Art that explores water as media and method. The space is suited best for two dimensional pieces but there are also opportunities for sculptural work.

Subthemes:

1.     Land of 10,000 Lakes: Aquatic landforms and ecosystems throughout the seasons (lakes, rivers, waterfalls, wetlands, ponds, creeks, etc.) in Minnesota

o   Message: Minnesota’s rich natural beauty offers abundant inspiration in serene lakes, vibrant aquatic wildlife, dynamic rivers, and interesting ecosystems. Whether in an urban or rural setting, one is never far from water in Minnesota.

o   Examples:

§  A side-by-side depiction of a water landscape in each season

§  Rainy, foggy, or frozen Minnesota scenes

§  Water in urban, suburban, and rural settings in Minnesota

§  Iconic Minnesota water-based landmarks such as Minnehaha Creek/Falls, Mississippi River, Lake Superior, Bde Mka Ska, or any of our 10,000 lakes

§  Art depicting Minnesota animals—insects, birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, mussels, amphibians—swimming in, bathing, hunting among, or drinking from water features

§  Storm clouds rising above a Minnesota wetland, the Northern lights reflected in a lake, etc.

2.     People and Water: People interacting with water and/or enjoying water-based outdoor recreation throughout the seasons (including ice and snow) / Human-altered conservation connections such as rain gardens / Significance of water in celebrations, cultures, and arts

o   Message: Water, with its fluidity and ever-changing forms, inspires people through its calming presence, vital life-giving properties, immense power, and ample recreation opportunities. Human dependence on water promotes environmental stewardship.

o   Examples:

§  People boating, fishing, or water recreating in remote and urban settings

§  Water in every day life – puddles, water fountains, storm drains, dew drops in a garden, people using water for transportation, etc.

§  Depictions or visual representations of water conservation

§  Cultural connections to water such as harvesting wild rice, lantern floating festivals, dragon boat races, and other water festivals or celebrations

§  Artistic representations of water symbols – traditional, historical, or modern

§  Art that incorporates human-tended water features such as water gardens, aquaducts, irrigation ditches, aquaculture

3.     Underwater Worlds: Water forms in detail or closeup such as rain/raindrops, snow/snowflakes, fog, ice, waves, whirlpools, ripples, clouds, etc. Plants and animals living in freshwater or marine environments.

o   Message: A single snowflake is as unique as a fingerprint. A single drop of water can reveal a hidden world, imagine what could be revealed under the surface of an entire lake, river, or ocean.

o   Examples:

§  Art depicting life underwater in a lake, stream, or marine environment

§  Close up studies of water droplets, puddles, snowflakes, frost, foamy waves, bubbles, etc.

§  Art depicting microscopic or macroscopic life in water

§  Art depicting unique water habitats such as bogs, prairie potholes, springs, ephemeral pools, a stream riffle, tide pools, coral reefs – featuring their resident flora and fauna

4.     Water Around the World:

o   Message: The dam-building behavior of a beaver, the waterproof feathers of a penguin, and the blue-green algae growing on a fur of a rainforest sloth are all influenced by water. From dry deserts to savannahs in the rainy season, animals have amazing adaptations to the water (or lack thereof) in their environments. 

o   Examples:

§  Art depicting zoo animals interacting with water

§  Art depicting rare, unique, or endangered aquatic animals or those with a conservation story, especially a conservation story related to water

§  Art depicting non-Minnesota water features such as glaciers, oceans, alpine lakes, mangroves, coral reefs, etc.

§  Imagery of colors, movement, light, or patterns in water, steam, fog, ice, clouds, and snow from around the world

Artwork size may range from 8” x 10” to 24” x 36” and should not be deeper than 12”.

NOTE: A second opportunity is a large wall installation with specifics described at the end of the call.

Each artist may submit up to five pieces.

Please include a jpg. image of the piece identified with:

·       Artist’s name, Title, Medium, and Size

Also include artist address and contact information.

Please indicate which of the four subthemes resonates best with each piece. Pieces may fit into more than one subtheme.  

Artists are encouraged to include an artist’s statement, especially one that addresses how these pieces fit into the Unifying Message & Aesthetics for this exhibition. By submitting the statement, you are allowing anything in the statement to be used in zoo interpretive or promotional materials in the exhibit should your work be chosen.

Art may be for sale through Art Angels. There will be a QR code in the exhibit that allows for the receipt of information about purchasing.

The deadline for submission is Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at 5 PM central time. Artists will be notified of accepted work no later than August 23, 2024.

PLEASE NOTE: Artists whose work is chosen are responsible for transporting artwork to Art Angels in late August or early September and for picking it up after the completion of the exhibit at Art Angels. Art Angels is in New Brighton.

Installation is planned for the third week of September 2024. Artwork must be installation-ready with quality materials and in excellent condition.

Each selected artist will be provided five Minnesota Zoo admission tickets.  

Questions and submissions should be sent to Leslie Palmer-Ross via email at Lpr@artangels.org. For large files, please use www.wetransfer.com. It is free.

Wall Installation Opportunity:

The concept may be one large piece, or several smaller pieces designed to work together to fill the space.

Please be aware that pieces in this area only are not behind glass. The installation should be designed with materials that potentially will be touched and/or at a height where they cannot be accessed. For flat artwork, the artist may be asked to submit high resolution digital files for the Zoo to enlarge and print on a durable substrate.