Call for BIPOC+ Artists 2025: Main Gallery Edition!
Ends on
Call for BIPOC+ Artists 2025: MAIN GALLERY EDITION!
Summit Artspace invites local BIPOC+ (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists to apply for a funded exhibition in our Main Gallery located on the first floor of Summit Artspace. Solo and small group exhibitions (up to 3 artists) may be proposed. A total stipend of $1,250 will be awarded to selected artist(s) to create the exhibition.
The organizational goal behind this exhibition is to actively undo systems of oppression and domination present in the art world. Summit Artspace is interested in the many ways in which BIPOC+ artists impact our communities through their art.
The exhibition is dedicated to– but is not limited to – uncovering the following themes:
· Exploring and advancing meaningful BIPOC+ narratives
· Re-contextualizing traditionally white-dominated genres to give new meanings
· Restoring hope by envisioning a world where social justice has taken hold
· Building support for social change, equity, and inclusion
· Exposing and denouncing injustices to marginalized communities
· Investigating new ideas and genres to transform viewer perceptions
Eligible artists will be Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color; they will live in Summit County, or surrounding counties and express an interest of making an impact through their artwork. All types of visual artists are welcome to apply for this opportunity.
Why do we use the term "BIPOC"? Black, Indigenous, and People of Color(BIPOC) is a term used in the United States intended to center the experiences of—and create solidarity between—different communities of color. Individuals and communities who identify as BIPOC note the significance of the term as an indicator of solidarity against systemic racism. BIPOC highlights each group of color and their unique experience. While many celebrate its usage, it’s important to know that not everyone agrees with the term BIPOC; there is always an element of personal preference and context to consider when using identity terminology. The exhibition is funded in part through general operating support from Ohio Arts Council, Akron Community Foundation, and GAR Foundation.
Important Dates:
- Deadline to Apply– NOW EXTENDED: Sunday, December 14 at 11:59 p.m.
- Notification of Acceptance: Late January 2026
- Public Announcement: February 2026
- Exhibition: May 14–July 11*
Jurors:
Bronlynn Thurman – An Akron native, Bronlynn Thurman is a creative and nonprofit professional. During the day, she works as a Program Officer at The Cleveland Foundation, focusing on arts, culture, and social ties. In her role, she develops and implements the Foundation’s arts and culture strategy, reviews and assess grant applications, manages the Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell Gallery, co-manages the Equity in the Arts Fund, and works to develop strategic partnerships to drive impact. Prior to joining the Foundation, Bronlynn worked as a program officer for GAR Foundation, focusing on community development and arts and education, and as a program associate for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Outside of work, she is a practicing visual artist with a focus on gouache and watercolor, photography, and printmaking.
Active in the broader Northeast Ohio community, Bronlynn serves on the board of several area nonprofits and commissions, including the Greater Ohio Policy Center, Akron 200, Akron Civic Commons, Summit Artspace, the City of Akron’s Planning Commission and Bicentennial Commission. She was in the inaugural cohort of Big Picture Learning’s Ashé Leaders Fellowship, 2024 Next City Vanguard, and a member of the 2017 Torchbearers class. Bronlynn has received Archbishop Hoban’s One Hope-One Dream award, Greater Akron Chamber’s 30 For the Future, and the NASW Ohio Region 2 Public Citizen of the Year award. In 2021, she co-founded Black Women Explore, an outdoor recreation group centering Black and Brown women/femme-identifying people. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor cycling, traveling, and writing.
Bronlynn holds a M.S. in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management - UXD and a bachelor’s degree in Advertising with a double minor in marketing and psychology from Kent State University.
Orlando Caraballo Ortiz (b. 1996, lives and works in Cleveland, OH):
Orlando is an inter-disciplinary artist whose practice spans drawing, printmaking, installation, photography, music, and Gogyohka poetry (a Japanese short-form aimed at pulling distilled thoughts from the well of one’s central-axis). Rooted in the ancestral tradition of storytelling, he builds worlds of curiosity and reflection through his work with the intent of passing forward the consejos (Spanish for “wisdoms”) gifted to him by elders, ancestors, and nature. Orlando investigates the personal and cultural tensions that exist as a Puerto Rican coming of age in the Midwest and records the process of cultivating agency and understanding through love, grief as its byproduct, and the complex web of systems impacting how people choose to live and survive in this shared reality. He has exhibited at the McDonough Museum of Art (Youngstown, OH), SPACES (Cleveland, OH), Akron Soul Train (Akron, OH), and the Reinberger Gallery (Cleveland, OH). Orlando holds a B.F.A. in Drawing and Printmaking from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Guidelines and Information: · Size and weight of final artwork should be easily portable and manageable. If there are special installation requirements, the artist may need to provide necessary hanging devices. Summit Artspace is able to provide basic install supplies. Pedestals and display monitors have limited availability. · The Horizon Gallery is located on the third floor of Summit Artspace; it has 4 walls for display measuring approximately 34 feet by 26 feet with 11 foot high ceilings. · Please note all final displays are subject to Summit Artspace approval. · Upon entering, you will be emailed future calls for art from Summit Artspace. · We cannot accept artwork that is shipped, nor can we ship artwork.