The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA) is inviting local elementary school students to submit artwork for an upcoming spring AWAKEN exhibition.
AWAKEN is a series of three SLOMA exhibitions showcasing the creativity of students in San Luis Obispo County. Student artists of all ages have been challenged to address a specific theme and produce artwork that reflects the student’s feelings about it. Previous exhibitions featured the work of middle school and high school students.
The third and final exhibition will capture the imagination and artistic expression of kindergarten through sixth graders on the idea of “Discovery.” Art submissions can be produced in any medium. SLOMA anticipates a whimsical, inspiring exhibit will follow.
“We know we will see imagination, energy and originality,” said Karen Kile, SLOMA executive director. “Children view the world with wonder, and we are excited to see how it translates into artistic expression with our youngest patrons.”
Kile added that the AWAKEN campaign has given local students the opportunity to stretch their creative wings while interacting with a professional art museum.
“We want to foster a lifelong relationship with art,” she said. “Efforts like AWAKEN are especially important as we partner with schools struggling with decreased arts education funding.”
The “Discovery” exhibition, open May 3-12, will be the last of the AWAKEN campaign for this academic year. Kile says the campaign has succeeded beyond expectations, with nearly 200 submissions received for the first two exhibitions, and expectations that the elementary school Call for Entry submissions will generate broad interest. Kile notes that some of the prior exhibit entries were sold to interested buyers.
The deadline for art submissions is April 30, with a limit of two artworks per student. SLOMA accepts paintings, drawings, photos, hand-pulled prints, ceramics, digital art, fiber art, videos and sculptures as submissions. No submission can be larger than 24 inches in any direction or weigh more than 20 pounds.
Artists have the option of offering their work for sale, with proceeds from the sale of any piece split evenly between SLOMA and the contributing artist. Sale funds will help fuel future SLOMA art education initiatives.
Entries must be delivered to SLOMA (1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo) from April 17-30 between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., or by special appointment at [email protected]. The application form for submission can be found here in PDF. North County students can deliver to PRYAF, located at 3201 Spring St., Paso Robles, on the same days excluding weekends. The Discovery-themed exhibition will run May 3-12.
The countywide student visual arts program is produced in partnership with the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education. For more information, see AWAKEN’s FAQ here or visit sloma.org.
About The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art
The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art is located at 1010 Broad Street, on the west end of Mission Plaza in San Luis Obispo, California. Admission is always free and open to the public Wednesday through Monday, 11–5 p.m. It is a 501(c)(3) public benefit nonprofit arts organization dedicated to providing and promoting diverse visual arts experiences for people of all ages and backgrounds through exhibitions, education, creation and collaboration. It preserves the artistic legacy of the California Central Coast in its permanent collection. Since 1967 this organization has been the beacon for the visual arts in its region. The Museum of Art is currently raising $15 million for a new home on its present location. More information about AWAKEN and SLOMA can be found at sloma.org.