Following last year’s 20th Anniversary Celebration for the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC), the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts is announcing the call for entry to this year’s upcoming 21st Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition exhibition.
Inspired by the Banff Centre’s Mountain Photo Competition(https://www.banffcentre.ca/mountain-photo-essay-competition), the AMPC is updating its submission process to a single-image and series submission format. The single-image submission application will be the most familiar to previous AMPC artists. In lieu of submitting images to themed categories, artists will be able to submit 1-5 standalone images aligned with the theme of “Roots, Ground, Water, Seeds” for $10. Building on last year’s exhibition featuring photographic series, AMPC is offering a series submission option where artists can share 6-12 images from a singular body of work for $15. Selected artists from this category will show six images from their submitted series, highlighting the AMPC’s vision to support the expansion of Appalachian narratives. The deadline for submissions is November 18, 2023
This year’s exhibition will be juried by Dr. E. Gale Greenlee, who chose “Roots, Ground, Water, Seeds” as the theme, and encourages submissions relating to: connection with the land, familial ancestral roots, groundedness, life-giving ways of being, and activism as seeds of change. E. Gale Greenlee, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) is a writer-educator, an independent children’s literature and Black Girlhood Studies scholar, and a recent teacher-scholar in residence at the bell hooks center at Berea College. Born in Greensboro, NC, she is the granddaughter of farmers from rural South Carolina and a descendent of five generations of Affrilachians who called Western North Carolina home. Broadly interested in pop culture, Black Appalachian literature, memory work and Black feminist legacy keeping, Gale is a longtime arts advocate whose childhood dream was to travel across the U.S. in an RV selling her art. Her public humanities work focuses on curating literary and cultural programs for community spaces, and she is committed to creating ethical collaborations and weaving art in her world. From teaching courses such as “Women of Color: Art, Justice and Joy” at The Ohio State University, organizing artist talks, co-curating a permanent installation at the bell hooks center, to writing about Black craft as a Center for Craft Archival Research Fellow, Gale works to amplify the artistic traditions of historically marginalized communities.
The 21st AMPC exhibition will open February 2, 2024 with a public reception that evening. People’s Choice voting will take place in-person in the gallery, and the winner will be announced on March 23, 2024 along with the Juror’s awards.
The exhibition will be on view through June 1, 2024. The AMPC exhibition is hosted in conjunction with the BANFF Film Festival at Appalachian State University. There will be public programming on Saturday, March 23, 2024 which will include a panel discussion with the juror and exhibiting artists, a portfolio walkthrough, followed by a private reception.
The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Mast General Store. Additional support comes from Virtual Blue Ridge, Appalachian Voices, Bistro Roca, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Footsloggers Outfitters, Peabody’s, Stickboy Bread.
For more information, and to apply, visit: bit.ly/21ampc
About the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, named for university benefactors Robert and Lillian Turchin, fulfills Appalachian State University's long-held mission of providing a home for world-class visual arts programming. The largest facility of its kind in the region, the center presents exhibition, education, and collection programs that support the university’s role as a key educational, cultural, and service resource. The center presents multi-dimensional exhibits and programs and is a dynamic presence in the community, creating opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to experience the power and excitement of the visual arts. Its six galleries host changing exhibitions featuring local, regional, national, and international artists.
The Turchin Center is located at 423 West King Street in Boone. Hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Tues. – Thurs. and Saturday, and noon – 8 p.m., on Friday. The Center is closed Sunday and Monday and observes all university holidays. Admission is always free, although donations are gratefully accepted.For general inquiries, to be added to the mailing or e-news list, to obtain donor program details or to schedule a tour, call 828-262-3017, e-mail turchincenter@appstate.edu or visit tcva.org. Follow the Turchin on Facebook and Instagram @TurchinCenter.
