Painting at Night 2024: Collar Works exhibition at Opalka Gallery

Collar Works, Artist/Mother Podcast, and Opalka Gallery are excited to announce an open call for entries for the fourth edition of the Painting at Night exhibition, curated this year by Alisa Sikelianos-Carter and Sean Desiree!

APPLY BY APRIL 1st! Applications FREE until January 1st, After, $15 application fee (with no-questions-asked fee waiver available).
This opportunity is open to artists of all gender identities, working in any media, who identify as caregivers. The call is open to international artists- please keep in mind the artist is responsible for shipping costs!

EXHIBITION DATES: September 3 — October 12, 2024

Painting at Night 2024: An Artist/Mother Podcast and Collar Works exhibition at Opalka Gallery

Curators: Alisa Sikelianos-Carter and Sean Desiree

Deadline to submit: April 1st, 2024

Exhibition Dates: September 3 – October 12, 2024

Artist/Mother Podcast, Collar Works, and Opalka Gallery are excited to announce an open call for entries for the fourth edition of the Painting at Night exhibition, curated this year by Alisa Sikelianos-Carter and Sean Desiree. As part of the Artist/Mother Podcast Community’s ongoing work to bring exposure to and provide opportunities for artists who are also caregivers, the A/MP is seeking submissions for this exhibition. The name for the exhibition came about during episode 28 of the A/M Podcast, a conversation between host, Kaylan Buteyn, and artist Allison Reimus. In the episode, Allison recalls the time she read a statement in a New York Times article about how “You can’t paint at night in your kitchen and hope to be a good artist. It doesn’t work that way.”

In true Artist/Mother fashion, this seemed like a great statement to respond to for a group show, as an act of resistance and rejection. To imply that good art cannot be made in domestic spaces, or that a person cannot claim the title of artist without meeting arbitrary requirements is a patriarchal myth, one that artists who are caregivers have been resisting for decades. For this show, we would like you to offer a response, addressing the ways you are making excellent and inspiring work while also navigating your role as a caregiver. The work may respond to thematic obstacles such as domestic duties, ambivalent feelings, restraints on time, minimal support, the joy and labor involved in caregiving. Show us, through the work, how you are “Painting at Night”—making art as an artist and balancing your unique caregiving responsibilities.

“Painting at Night” has become a monumental exhibition for our caregiving community. The first version took place at Fort Houston Gallery in Nashville, TN (2019), the second at Artlink in Fort Wayne, IN (2021), and the third was hosted by Collar Works, Troy, NY (2022). The fourth will be held at Opalka Gallery on the campus of Russell Sage College in Albany, NY. The exhibition has no defined expectation for type or style of work that will be considered or selected. This exhibition is open to artists of all gender identities.

Submission Materials

Artist Information
Artist Statement (150 words)
Artist Bio (150 words)
Up to 5 images or videos
Corresponding List of Works (title, medium, date, size, price)
Website and social media handles
Entry Fee: No fee through midnight on December 31st. Starting on January 1st, entry fee is $15 (If this is financially prohibitive, contact emily@collarworks.org for a no-questions-asked fee waiver.)

Guidelines + Information

Artists may submit up to 5 works for consideration.
All artists working in all mediums are welcome to apply.
All artwork submitted must be ready to hang or install.
All artwork in the exhibition will be for sale, with artists receiving 100% of all sales.
Participating artists will receive a $150 stipend.
The call is open to artists internationally, however, please note that artists will be responsible for shipping costs.
Artists working in video or new media may need to provide their own equipment.
Selected artists will be notified by April 1, 2024.
All participating artists must return paperwork by May 22, 2024.
All artwork must arrive at Opalka on or by August 15th.
Exhibition runs September 3 – October 12, 2024
Reception and events will be held the weekend of September 13th, 2024.
Collar Works, Opalka, and A/MP are committed to artist equity and provides an inclusive space with access for all, regardless of differences of race, age, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, national origin, migratory status, disability/abilities, political affiliation, veteran status and/or socioeconomic background.