Visual Artist Sought for Exciting Collaboration

I'm seeking a Kenyan visual artist to collaborate with me on a very exciting project for Art for Humanity, a non-profit organization based in South Africa.

AFH works with human rights advocacy through art. Their latest project: Dialogue among Civilizations, aims to to dispel xenophobia and raise awareness on refugee rights.

AFH has invited artists and poets from approximately 40 countries to contribute original work for this project, based on the themes:

Identity. Land. Object. Belief.

The art and poetry will be assembled into a print portfolio, which will be exhibited throughout South Africa, and eventually worldwide. The art and poetry will also be included in a public advocacy campaign to include billboards, banners, posters, etc. The campaign will roll out in 2009 - 2010, offering tremendous global exposure during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

What AFH envisages is a poet-artist collaboration from each country. They have invited me to participate, and to propose a Kenyan visual artist that I would like to collaborate with.

So this is a call to all Kenyan artists who are interested (based in Kenya or outside) to send me a CV and work samples ASAP. Art For Humanity would like to finalize artist contracts by mid-December.

Contributors to previous Art for Humanity projects include Kara Walker (youngest-ever recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship) and other major international artists.

Please email CVs and work samples (jpg or ppt files, or link to online portfolio) to shailjapatel@gmail.com

Put "Art For Humanity - Visual Artist - Your Name" in the subject box.

Full details of the project in the ARTIST BRIEF below.

Please distribute widely to all your visual artist friends, contacts, networks.

Many thanks!

___________________________________________________________
ART FOR HUMANITY: DIALOGUE AMONG CIVILIZATIONS - ARTIST BRIEF

Art for Humanity is committed to an anti discrimination policy in all its projects.

Art created today will influence the social values of future generations

1. Brief to the Artist/Poet:

a. Volunteer: Artist/poet is hereby invited by Art for Humanity, (AFH), to participate in the project 'Dialogue among Civilisations' (project). (See attached project description). By accepting this invitation you volunteer your creative work as an artist/poet to the project and undertake to abide to the letter and the spirit contained in this agreement.

By participating in this initiative, the artists/poets are given the opportunity to express their solidarity with the objectives of the organisers and the partner organisations:

- DIAKONIA Council of Churches,
- StreetNet,
- Durban University of Technology,
- UMCEBO Trust,
- Durban Art Gallery,
- Kirkcudbright International Arts Festival Scotland,
- Shackles of Memory,
- Nantes

b. Gratuity: Artists/Poets as volunteers are awarded a gratuity towards covering any material expense related to their contribution to the project.

Poets; R2500 gratuity is to be paid on receipt of poem plus invoice from poet to Art for Humanity.
Artist; R7000 gratuity payable to artist as above:

c. As the professional empowerment of particularly the developing artist and poet is important to AFH, we ensure that the art is at all times treated in a professional manner. That all publications resulting from the project reflect each art and poetry collaboration and the project to the best of our ability, and that the subsequent advocacy material, including billboards and posters etc always respect the integrity of the artworks and acknowledge the authorship of the artist/poet.

d. This portfolio project is unique in that the images/poems created will be translated into billboards, posters, educational material targeting schools and communities, primarily in South Africa but also internationally with the intention to inspire a sense of 'moral ownership' of the values and messages embedded in the art and poetry.

e. The artists are asked to present the proof print or preliminary work (in any 2D-medium, size A2 -- 420 x 594 mm -- 16.5 x 23.4 in) on which the print for the billboards will be based. Thereafter the artist to submit an edition of 25 prints plus 5 artist's proofs, (all essentially alike) and signed and titled and dated by the artist.

f. The edition of prints can be produced by any means and in any no. of colours including black and white whichever the artist feels is appropriate and essentially alike. The proviso that in all cases archival paper is employed, ink must be of an acceptable quality. The artists are further requested to please adhere to the paper size A2 as requested. Digital prints are acceptable. The prints with the collaborative poems also printed on A2 size archival paper, will be collated into 30 handmade portfolio boxes by AFH.

2. Copyright and Authorship:

The artist/poet retains authorship of their work, while copyright will be shared with Art for Humanity for the purposes of advocacy, education, promotion and fundraising. No profit to AFH will accrue from the donations received but portfolios can be awarded to major donors in acknowledgement of their support for the project.

Theme: 'Dialogue among Civilisations' refers to project brief attached.

Distribution of Portfolios featuring art and poetry collaborations: In line with AFH policy the portfolios are employed as follow:
a. Exhibited as part of the exhibitions advocacy program;
b. In lieu of donations received from relevant institutions and museums towards the advocacy campaign;
c. Form part of the report back to major donors;
d. Promoting the participating artists/poets.

Send to:

Art for Humanity,
c/o Dept. of Fine Art,
Room 107.
Durban University of Technology,
City Campus.
Smith Street & Warwick Ave.
Durban. 4001


Postage: The poem and other required documents can be faxed or emailed to the above details. It can also be sent by mail. It must be clearly marked on the envelope as Printed matter and non–profit /not for commercial gain. Cost related to postage, insurance and packaging to be covered by the gratuity.

Time line; The deadline for the submissions to the project portfolio is March 31st, 2009. Along with the poem the following information is also due on this date:
Signed agreement received from poet sent by fax or e-mail (where appropriate), including;
a) Photograph of the participant
b) Participant's biography and contact details (id no., address, telephone, fax, e-mail etc).
c) Participant's written response to the concerns as per the project brief and in reference to the work submitted, (to be included in the catalogue).
d) Extract from poem to be displayed with the artwork on billboards/posters/banners, limited to 14 lines.

Note: It would be appreciated if the above can be submitted to AFH as soon as possible as we would want to post this material on the relevant webpage.