Call to Virginia Artists: VA MOCA’s New Waves

Since 1995, MOCA has offered a unique opportunity for emerging Virginia artists to have their work juried by practicing art professionals and displayed in a museum alongside renowned contemporary artists. Last year, over 250 applicants from across the Commonwealth submitted work and 21 were selected. Their work was viewed in conjunction with internationally recognized designer and artist Ryan McGinness. To mark the 20th anniversary of last year’s exhibition, MOCA offered two additional honorable mentions and a new People’s Choice award that will carry on this year. 

Artists residing in Virginia are encouraged to apply before midnight on Sunday, November 29th, 2015. Work in all artistic mediums made between the years 2012-15 will be accepted for review. Submission guidelines and application forms can be found on MOCA’s website or by applying online via Zapplication.

Selected artists will have their work shown in conjunction with two highly influential and distinguished artists; Crystal Wagner (below) who was recently featured in the November 2015 issue of Juxtapoz magazine for her enormous and colorful multi-media installations, and Courtney Mattison whose intricate porcelain artworks advocate for endangered coral reef ecosystems.

This year’s guest juror is Jan Tumlir, an art-writer and professor based in Los Angeles. He is a founding editor of the local art journal X-TRA, and his articles appear regularly in Artforum and Flash Art. He has written catalog essays for such arists as Bas Jan Ader, Uta Barth, John Divola, James Welling, Jorge Pardo and Cyprien Gaillard. A member of the MFA faculty at Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA this year Tumlir is visiting Washington University in St. Louis as the Wallace Herndon Smith Distinguished Professor of Art. Tumlir’s latest book, The Magic Circle, On The Beatles, Pop Art, Art-Rock and Records has just been released by Onomatopee.

Eight awards will be given in total with a Best in Show prize of $2,000. Awards will be announced at the opening reception of MOCA’s winter/spring exhibitions on Friday, January 29th from 6-9pm, except for the People’s Choice award. Visitors can vote for their favorite NEW WAVES 2016 work through the end of the exhibition. The People’s Choice award will announced on social media.

For more information about this exhibition, submission guidelines, and how to apply, please visit VirginiaMOCA.org.

About MOCA: The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Virginia Beach, is a non-profit that exists to foster awareness, exploration and understanding of the significant art of our time. MOCA is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). As Virginia’s only museum dedicated solely to the exhibition of contemporary art, MOCA encourages visitors to discover and explore art and to engage in hands-on art experiences.