Without any provocation, Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, 2022. The attack is considered an act of aggression internationally. It has triggered Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II with more than 5 million Ukrainians leaving the country. As UN Women states, "wars affect women and children differently and disproportionately." Women and children in Ukraine are being targeted by Russian forces as reports from Bucha and Irpin indicate, and women and children refugees who have left Ukraine are being targeted by human traffickers.
In support of the Ukrainian people, and to protest the Russian invasion, ARC Gallery invites artists to respond to the war in Ukraine using their creativity. We envision an inclusive exhibition that protests this, and other, acts of aggression through thought-provoking and thoughtful artwork. The submitted artwork can specifically address the current war in Ukraine and the refugee crisis created by this war, as well as previous and current wars that create a refugee crisis for women and children.
Ukraine celebrates its National Flag Day on August 23rd and its Independence Day on August 24th. In order to honor these important dates in Ukraine, ARC Gallery will host an artist panel discussion on Saturday, July 23rd one month early to celebrate and support the Ukrainian Spirit.
All mediums and materials are eligible for submission including video and performance. Due to space limitations, no large projections or media-based installations will be accepted.
“Ukraine hath not yet perished, nor her glory, nor her freedom,
Upon us, fellow Ukrainians, fate shall smile once more.
Our enemies shall vanish, like the dew in the sun,
And we too shall rule, brothers, in a free land of our own.”
Beginning Stanza of Ukrainian National Anthem
ABOUT THE JUROR:
The show will be juried by Dr. Adrienne Kochman, Curator of contemporary art at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago. Dr. Kochman has a PhD in Art History from the University of Chicago. Dr. Kochman, PhD has been working as an art historian, curator and educator in Chicago and its art community since the 1980s. Formerly Associate Professor of Art History and Adjunct Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Indiana University Northwest, she currently teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and since 2017, is curator at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art. Recent curatorial projects include The Ukrainian Diaspora: Women Artists, 1908-2015 (2015) and Reality Check: Directions in Contemporary Art Since Ukrainian Independence (2016); Increment: Barbara Cooper, Shona MacDonald, Yoonshin Park (2018); Raw Reckoning: Michael Paxton (2019). Her exhibit on Paris-based Ukrainian refugee artist Michel Andreenko opens in June.
