Every year Green Space Miami produces an open call for Miami artists awarding 10 artists a grant of $5,000. Selected artworks are brought together in a group show accompanied by a program of talks, performances and activations.

“Power and its influence on shaping our society is a theme I’ve been interested in exploring at Green Space Miami for several years. Power, as a word, open to any and all readings and interpretations. This year we commissioned Curator and Cultural Producer Donnamarie Baptiste to write the prompt. In such a critical year, locally, nationally, and internationally, we are curious and excited about how Miami artists will respond.” – Kimberly Green, President, Green Family Foundation

UNVEILING POWER:
Examining Influence

The concept of power encompasses various meanings yet remains fundamentally consistent across different contexts. Power is the driving force in shaping historical events, influencing societal frameworks, and currently defines our daily existence. Its multifaceted nature extends across societal hierarchies, political landscapes, and individual realities. Although it has many definitions, at its core power can be defined as the capacity to exert influence or control over others.

Power has the capacity to mobilize communities, amplify the voices of marginalized groups who challenge oppressive systems, and can hold personal significance, symbolizing strength, control, and the courage to instigate change within one’s own life or community.

Religious and spiritual powers are seen as a source of strength, guidance, and protection for many people who have faith in forces that can shape their lives. Accessing these powers through practice, prayer and meditation offers wisdom and direction. This connection to a higher entity emphasizes humility, compassion, and service to others, providing strength and guidance in challenging times.

Access to electrical power is a privilege that not only provides convenience but also the ability to unify as a society, enabling people to exert influence, obtain resources, and organize civil services which provide protection and safety. Collective power playing a crucial role in shaping one’s personal power.

Artists play an essential role in society by presenting diverse viewpoints, challenging established norms, and fostering critical discourse. Artistic representations of power can spark reflection, evoke emotions, and prompt viewers to contemplate their own positions within the broader spectrum of power dynamics.

For the fourth edition of Green Space Miami’s open call, artists are encouraged to delve into myriad dimensions of power, unravel its intricacies, question its structures, challenge its assumptions, or celebrate its potential for transformative change. The aim is to inspire a deeper understanding of this fundamental aspect of the human condition and provoke new insights into the complexities of power.

By Donnamarie Baptiste

OPEN CALL GUIDELINES

WHO CAN APPLY: Green Space Miami’s Open Call is open to professional artists living and working in Miami-Dade County. If you are temporarily based elsewhere, please provide further details in your proposal or artist biography. Awardees of previous open calls are eligible to apply again after 2 years.

SELECTION PROCESS: Green Space invites artists to submit proposals until July 31. Ten works will be selected by the Green Space Miami advisory committee through an individual, anonymous voting process managed by Submittable.

ELIGIBLE WORK: Painting, photography, other two-dimensional art processes and techniques, sculpture, installation, textile, audio and video. Proposals for work not yet created are admissable. You may submit renderings or sketches of a work that you will create along with a detailed supporting written statement that helps the committee clearly understand your proposal. Artists may submit pultiple works if they respond to the theme or are part of a series, however only as part of the same application.

AWARDS: A one-time, unrestricted award of $5,000 each will be made to 10 visual artists in recognition of artworks selected by the committee. Please note that Green Space Miami does not provide additional funding or reimburse artists for costs related to the fabrication, delivery or installation of artworks. Green Space Miami expects to announce the selected artists during the month of September. Selected artworks will be exhibited as part of a group show at Green Space Miami from mid-November 2024 to March 2025.

Green Space Miami Advisory Committee

Chad Bernstein, CEO and Co-founder, Guitars Over Guns Organization
Chana Budgazad Sheldon, Executive Director, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) North Miami
Amy Galpin, Executive Director and Chief Curator, Museum of Art and Design Miami Dade College
Jodi Mailander Farrell, VP of Development, The Everglades Foundation
T. Eliott Mansa, Artist, Inaugural Green Space Initiative Awardee
Jairo Ontiveros, VP and Dorothea Green Chair of Education and Community Engagement, Adrienne Arsht Center
Franklin Sirmans, Director, PAMM – Pérez Art Museum Miami
Mikhaile Solomon, Director, PRIZM Art Fair
DePaul Vera, Artist, Inaugural Green Space Initiative Awardee
Marie Vickles, Director of Education, PAMM, Curator-in-Residence, Little Haiti Cultural Center
Pedro Jermaine, Artist

Green Space Miami Team

Kimberly Green, President, Green Family Foundation, Founder, Green Space Miami
Paola Katherine Rodriguez, Gallery Coordinator, Green Space Miami
Matt Argondizza, Preparator, Green Space Miami
Michelangelo Bendandi, Green Space Miami Founding Member