(July 21, 2023) Artists who speak through their work on the issues of the day are invited to enter the 2023 “FL3TCH3R Exhibit: Social & Politically Engaged Art” at East Tennessee State University.
This international juried exhibition will run from Oct. 2-Dec. 8 at the Reece Museum. Now in its 11th year, this event represents the spirit of social and political movements of the U.S. and the world.
The 2023 juror is educator, artist and activist Adam DelMarcelle. After the loss of his brother, Joey, to a fentanyl overdose, DelMarcelle used traditional means of revolutionary art action and resistance, including “poster-bombing” communities with screen-printed materials. When police removed this work, he turned to large-scale building projections, casting 80-foot-tall images onto the sides of buildings in his hometown. In 2018, he projected one such image onto the headquarters of Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin®.
As an educator and artist, DelMarcelle travels widely, sharing his message of the power of art to disrupt, resist and document human existence. His work is included in numerous major collections throughout the U.S. The assistant professor of graphic design at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, holds a BFA from the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design and an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Art.
This year’s “FL3TCH3R Exhibit” has no specific theme for entries except a general focus on socially and politically engaged art, although the display will highlight visual works depicting “protection of human rights,” according to co-directors Barb, Wayne and Carrie Dyer. The Dyers established the exhibit in memory of their son and brother, Fletcher H. Dyer, a senior ETSU Department of Art and Design student who was in a fatal motorcycle accident in 2009.
“As an artist and graphic designer, Fletcher's passion for art was a vehicle that allowed him to mirror his passion and marry it to his concern for social and political issues through visual means,” says Fletcher’s mom, Barb Dyer, a children’s advocacy attorney. “Fletcher was always curious and aware of current events. He experimented in innovative ways to create works that investigate contemporary social issues. The ‘FL3TCH3R Exhibit’ aspires to honor Fletcher’s legacy by providing a venue for artists to exhibit artworks that continue the dialogue.”
A portion of the entry fees fund the Fletcher Hancock Dyer BFA Graphic Design Scholarship, which is awarded annually to an ETSU Art and Design student.
The call for entries is open through Aug. 23, with an extended deadline of Aug. 31 for an additional fee. A non-refundable fee of $40 is required for submission of up to three entries, with an additional fee of $10 per artwork/title over three. Submissions will be accepted in the categories of audio/sound, ceramics, digital, fiber, glass, graphic design, jewelry/metals, mixed media (2D and 3D), painting, performance/installation (via video), photography, printmaking, book arts, sculpture, video/film, medical/health care and other.
Artists should submit entries online or consult the prospectus at FL3TCH3Rexhibit.com/downloads/prospectus.pdf.
More than $2,000 in awards will be presented during the exhibition reception and juror talk on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 5 p.m. at the Reece Museum.
Learn more about the “FL3TCH3R Exhibit” and see images of previous years’ winning entries at FL3TCH3Rexhibit.com/.
ETSU is home to a vibrant arts community, hosting dozens of concerts, exhibitions and performances throughout the year.
The Reece Museum is a unit of the Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services, which is housed in the ETSU Department of Appalachian Studies. Learn more about the Reece Museum and current exhibits or call (423) 439-4392.