Image info clockwise from top left: IUAH Building, Artists Donald "Scribe" Ross / Enrique Chi w/Mandy Burnett and Effie Altoro / Anushka Ganesh / Bird Fleming, Xavier Fleming and Densil Malabre.  Photos taken by IUAH.

Identity Performance Series - CALL FOR PROPOPALS!

InterUrban ArtHouse presents an open call for our newly funded “Centerpiece Visual Art Awards”.  These visual art awards will serve to activate KC metro emerging and mid career artists, resulting in new visual artworks, demonstrations, classes & community discussions grounded in diversity, equity & inclusion for all. Representation, acknowledgement, and celebration are at the center of all activities related to this call. 

This project is generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.

8 x $2000  project awards will be selected (2 for each exhibition)*. 

The goal of these project awards for new artworks is to inspire broad-reaching community representation, acknowledgement, and celebration through each exhibition. 

Who:

This project will serve to activate KC metro artists from across diverse cultural backgrounds.

  • Identify as an early to mid career artist, residing or working in the 14-county Kansas City Metro area;

  • Commitment to artistic quality, professionalism, time and development in their studio practice;

  • Dedication to community as mentor, presenter, and/or teacher;

  • Able to activate integration of art into community activism & social betterment;

  • Able to articulate how their project will advance their chosen exhibition and improve their artistic excellence;

  • Able to Commit to documentation and cross-promotion of projects throughout the grant period.

What: 

Proposal for new artworks will pair with the applicants chosen IUAH exhibitions (see below)

Proposals must include the creation of a new works, and at least one educational/outreach activity in the form of an artist community talk, hands-on art skills workshop, or other public engagement format. Why: 

Your proposal should exemplify:

- Work samples demonstrating artistic excellence

- Clear and feasible proposal for the creation of new artwork

- A budget, outlining the use of the $2000 project award (8 total will be awarded)

- Commitment to artistic quality, professionalism and development in their performative practice;

- Dedication to community as mentor, presenter, and/or teacher;

- Commitment to documentation and cross-promotion of projects throughout the grant period.

Her Art/Their Art (February/March 2025): showcases artwork by female identifying and non-binary artists.

ArtHeals (April/May 2025): explores the convergence of art and wellness, encompassing various dimensions of physical, mental, community, and spiritual well-being.   

Identity (June/July 2025): meant to be an exploration of self and how we interact with the world because of the identities we may be born with, choose or grow into, or have placed upon us by society. It’s also a reminder of the many stories happening to and all around us that contribute to the shared human experience.

It’s the Little Things (August/Sept 2025) is rooted in artistic interpretation, with artists and performers using the title phrase as a jumping off point for personal insight and creative exploration.