Mystic Museum of Art (MMoA)’s curatorial theme for 2023 is “Art in Common,” exploring the innumerable ways in which art can bridge differences of identity, language, culture, time, and place. As an intuitive form of communication, art can transcend our individual backgrounds—from the local preschoolers who participated in this year’s Young at Art to the international roster of Modern Art masters such as Henri Matisse and Alexander Calder featured in From Crisis to Color: Derrière le Miroir (“Behind the Mirror”)—to create a visual experience we all share. In a world that is increasingly divisive, art facilitates communication; and communication, in turn, fosters healing.

The artists, authors, and poets who worked together in Derrière le Miroir after the devastation of World War II understood that by combining art and language, they could create a visual communication more effective than either form alone. Inspired by their example, MMoA’s year of ART IN COMMON culminates in a juried exhibition theme of the same name.

Artists are invited to delve into the combination of language and visual art. Artwork should incorporate elements of the written word, pull inspiration from a favorite piece of literature (novels, children’s books, poems, plays, etc), or otherwise pay homage to the creative juxtaposition of these two elements. This call to artists is open to all media, including photography.

Entry forms may be filled out and submitted online prior to the receiving dates of October 15 and 16 (a link to the online entry form will go live on this webpage Monday, October 2). Artists are encouraged to draft a short statement (100 words or less) of their interpretation of the exhibition theme to be included on the labels of accepted works.

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Download and view the Prospectus here!

Please contact Assistant Curator Amelia Onorato with any questions!
aonorato@mysticmuseumofart.org / 860.536.7601 x 212

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This year’s juror is Carolyn Joy Adams. Adams is multi-media artist, author, and teacher who holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and worked for years as a professional calligrapher in New York City.