For Immediate Release
Contact: Sasha Ali | Exhibitions Manager
pr@cafam.org | 323.937.4230 x25
Call for Artists: International Juried Exhibition—Focus Iran: Contemporary Photography and Video
LOS ANGELES — The Craft & Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) and Farhang Foundation announce a collaboration for a juried exhibition of contemporary photography and video works relating to Iranian culture and heritage. The exhibition Focus Iran: Contemporary Photography and Video is an opportunity to expose and feature emerging and mid-career photographers and media artists from around the world.
Approximately 25 selected photographs and videos will be displayed in a group exhibition to take place at the Craft & Folk Art Museum from January 25 to May 3, 2015. An opening reception will take place on Saturday, January 24.
"We are thrilled to create this international platform for emerging and mid-career artists to showcase their work in Los Angeles as we celebrate the beauty and richness of Iranian art and culture as the focus of this exhibition," says Farhang Foundation Chair of Fine Arts Council, Roshi Rahnama.
"A well-crafted photograph begins with a vision. With this collaboration between CAFAM and the Farhang Foundation we wish to inspire a thoughtful point of view on the relationships and reflections that artists across the world have with Iranian culture," says CAFAM Executive Director Suzanne Isken.
Artists 18 years of age and older are invited to apply between July 21 and September 21, 2014. A qualified panel of jurors will consider each photograph or video submission`s pertinence to Iranian culture and heritage, originality, skill, artistic vision, and execution. Only digital format entries will be eligible, with a maximum of three photographs and/or one video entry per artist. All entries will be processed through the free online service CaFÉ at www.callforentry.org. Entries that are sent directly to the Craft & Folk Art Museum or Farhang Foundation will be disqualified.
Selected photographs and videos will be printed and framed or transferred to DVD by the Craft & Folk Art Museum for exhibition display. The complete rules of submission can be found at www.farhang.org/focusiran or www.cafam.org/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions/
Jurors
Steven Albahari is the founder and publisher of 21st Editions, a press for hand-crafted journals and monographs of photographic art. Each handmade monograph is illustrated with original signed photographs and incorporates new writing by the artists themselves, leading contemporary historians, critics, poets, novelists, and philosophers. Made one at a time, 21st Editions` titles use the finest papers, bindings, and printing techniques that range from classically elegant letterpress to the most advanced offset processes available today.
Ala Ebtekar is a San Francisco-based visual artist known primarily for his paintings, drawings, and installations that explore the juncture between history and myth, while melding Persian mythology, science, philosophy and pop culture together. Receiving his BA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2002 and his MFA degree from Stanford University in 2006, his work has been widely exhibited internationally and throughout the United States in such shows as "One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now," a touring exhibition originating at the Asia Society, NYC, "2006 California Biennial" at the Orange County Museum of Art, and most recently in "The Global Contemporary: Art Worlds After 1989" at the ZKM - Museum for Contemporary Art in Germany.
Cat Jimenez is the Executive Director of the Lucie Foundation, Executive Producer of the Lucie Awards and Co-Founder of the Month of Photography Los Angeles (MOPLA). She studied photography at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California and was featured in the Smithsonian Institute and The Los Angeles Filipino American Centennial Commemoration Committee Project entitled "I am Today`s Filipino," recognizing and preserving the stories of individuals making a contribution to American life.
Organizing Institutions
Situated on historic Museum Row since 1973, the Craft & Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) is an invaluable contributor to Los Angeles culture, exhibiting current artists with intriguing perspectives and distinctive practices. CAFAM offers consistently unexpected exhibitions of compelling artwork that takes traditional techniques in new, often surprising directions. Hosted hands-on workshops make the Craft & Folk Art Museum a place to see art and make art – all under one roof. Uncommon discoveries are guaranteed as well at the Craft & Folk Art Museum Shop, which offers an expertly curated array of handmade items from skilled artisans. The intimate, atypical museum space and independent spirit at CAFAM combine to create an atmosphere of genuine excitement and delight. Step inside, and become a part of what’s happening at CAFAM. For more information, visit www.cafam.org.