Short Description

What does it mean to be a good future ancestor? How might today’s personal, cultural, social, and or environmental actions become legacies for those who come after us? Ancestral Futures invites artists to reflect on these questions through their creative practice. This juried exhibition, curated by artist and ceramicist Donté K. Hayes, seeks works that meditate on wisdom, intentionality, and the responsibility of shaping a world that extends beyond ourselves.

Artists are encouraged to submit works that explore:

  • The role of ancestral wisdom and traditions in shaping the present.
  • Cultural memory, resilience, and preservation.
  • Social responsibility, healing, and intergenerational connection.
  • Personal reflections on intentional living and self-cultivation.
  • Environmental stewardship and sustainability as acts of care for the future.
  • Artworks as monuments or markers for the future self and community.
  • The influence of past memories, upbringing, and personal histories on the present moment.
  • Responses to collective historical events and how they continue to inform identity, belonging, and responsibility.
  • Cultural and familial knowledge passed down through generations, and how these inheritances can be transformed into care and enlightenment for the future.

Eligibility

Original works created within the last 5 years. All mediums and materials will be considered in addition to video and performance-based arts. No projections or media installations will be accepted for this show due to space limitations. Open to all artists, national and international.

Submission Requirements

  • Artist Statement. Provide a recent artist’s statement of no more than 125 words that is relevant to the work being submitted. (This is not a bio.)
  • CV. Copy and paste your professional CV demonstrating at least 4 years of serious pursuit of a career in art. No more 2 pages.
  • Describe your exhibition. What do you envision as your solo exhibition? Limit to 200 words.
  • Exhibition Title.
  • Exhibition Statement. Provide a formal description of your exhibition as you would describe the concept for promotional materials.
  • Explain why you are seeking a solo exhibition at ARC and what this opportunity will mean to you, in 200 words.
  • References. Please provide the name, position/title, and email address of two professional references who can speak to your artwork. These references will not be contacted unless you are selected for an interview.
  • Confirm you uploaded your images to Dropbox by tapping “I uploaded my images”
  • Enter a label for your images.  Each should include: (a) item number; (b) title, (c) dimensions: height x width x depth, (d) mediums/materials, (e) date produced, and (f) price. Make sure you itemize your list to correlate with the #s on the images you submitted.

How to Apply

Online Application

Entry Fee

The standard fee is $40 for 3 images. $10 for each additional image. Students pay $25 for 3 images, with $10 for each additional image.

Location

Chicago, IL, United States

Timeline

  • Application Deadline: 23 November 2025

Website Link: https://www.arcgallery.org/calls-for-entry

Exhibition