WEST RUTLAND, VT - The Carving Studio and Sculpture Center invites artists to submit proposals for SculptFest23, September 9 – October 22. The theme for this year’s outdoor exhibition is Communing With Nature, guest curated by artist and CSSC studio manager Gabe Strader-Brown. Mr. Strader-Brown is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and holds an MFA in Sculpture.

com-mune (kə-ˈmyün) - 1. To converse or talk together, usually with profound intensity, intimacy, etc.; interchange thoughts or feelings. 2. To be in intimate communication or rapport. To commune with nature.

na-ture (ˈnā-chər) - 1. The elements of the natural world, as mountains, trees, animals, or rivers. How does the natural environment connect with our creative work as artists? The natural world provides a plethora of influences for one’s artistic practice; whether it is art drawn from the geometry and forms of objects in the wilderness, or natural occurrences that motivate us to mimic these through our own processes. Maybe our experience in the solace of nature imbues us with a feeling that we try to re-create through artistic expression and storytelling. Maybe it is the uncanny phenomena that we discover in the untouched world that makes the case that nature is an artist itself. With any of this in mind, it is clear that nature is a source of abundant musings, and what we make as an after effect can be investigative, sublime, and comforting. How does the “natural” affect your work, and how can you in turn converse with it?

SculptFest23 will take place on the new CSSC forested sculpture trail by the sculpture garden. The debut of this trail is an opportunity to cultivate natural surroundings as the impetus for this year’s outdoor exhibition. Selected artists will incorporate their work along the trail for viewing by the public.

Artists are invited to submit proposals for sculpture, installation, video, or performance to be exhibited on the outdoor walking path of the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center’s historic grounds in West Rutland, VT. Applicants are encouraged to propose projects relating to the natural environment. Examples include but are not limited to work reflecting form, material, and texture to the natural landscape and its’ objects, materials and objects interacting with the natural environment, or projects incorporating the history of the landscape. Please visit the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center website for more information about the history of the grounds as a former marble quarry, www.carvingstudio.org.

Applications are due Friday, June 23, 2023, and should include:
A one-page project description.
Clearly labeled drawings or equivalent representations of the proposed project.
Artist’s resume (no more than two pages)
10 images and/or videos of previous work (jpeg or pdf format).
An image list with material, scale, location, and a brief summary of each work.
A brief artist statement of no more than 250 words.
All text documents must be in pdf format and include the artists’ last name and type of document.

SCULPTFEST23 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Artist applications due:  Friday, June 23, 2023
Finalists notified on or before:  Friday, July 14, 2023
Artwork Installation:  Monday July 31-Thursday, September 7, 2023
Opening Reception:  Saturday, September 9
Exhibition closing date:  Sunday, October 22

Please mail proposals to: SculptFest23, The Carving Studio & Sculpture Center, P.O. Box 495, West Rutland, VT 05777 or email to info@carvingstudio.org.

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