Chairs: Robert Fathauer and Bruce Torrence
Submission period: 15 February–15 March 2024
The Bridges conference includes a gallery exhibition of mathematical art, craft, and design. (Note that we have added “craft and design” to the title this year in order to better reflect the contents of the exhibition. The change is purely semantic, and the exhibition will be structured and juried as in previous years.) The exhibition will include mathematically themed fine art, along with mathematical works in design, craft, and illustration. The binding principle is that the work is created primarily for visual appreciation, with some mathematical concept residing near its core. Works may include, but are not limited to: basketry, ceramics, drawings, design, furniture, handicrafts, illustrations, jewelry, mechanisms, models, origami, paintings, prints, puzzles, sculptures, and textiles.
Note that there will be a separate fashion show, so wearable creations that are best seen modeled on a fashion show runway should be submitted to that venue. A work may not be submitted to both the art exhibition and the fashion show. Feel free to consult with the organizers at artsubmissions@bridgesmathart.org if you are unsure which venue is best for a particular piece.
This exhibition will be curated by Robert Fathauer and Bruce Torrence, with selections determined by a panel of four jurors.
The exhibition will be installed prior to the conference on July 31, and will be open to the general public August 1–4. The official opening of the exhibition will be on August 1, the first day of the conference. In addition, there will be a designated space where conference participants can display other work that has not gone through the jurying process.
There is a limit of two submissions per participant, and there is no size limit this year beyond the constraints of the exhibition space. A group of closely related pieces can be submitted as a single entry if their footprint is less than 50 cm × 50 cm. Note that a larger piece that occupies more space in the exhibit area will need to justify the space used: it will be more difficult to get a larger piece accepted.
Images of pieces accepted for the exhibition will be maintained on the 2024 exhibition website, and images will be published in the exhibition catalog.
Review Criteria
Review criteria include:
- Mathematical content (This is a mathematically sophisticated audience.)
- Aesthetic appeal (This is admittedly highly subjective.)
- Medium (A variety of media will make for a more dynamic exhibit.)
- Craftsmanship (The level of skill and effort that goes into making an effective presentation of the idea.)
- Innovation and originality (Pushing mathematical art in new directions.)
- Artist statement and artwork description (Written statements should be clear and on point.)
Expectations
The primary intent of the Bridges exhibition is to foster active exchanges between exhibiting artists and other conference participants. Thus we expect exhibitors to attend the conference if at all possible and require them to register once they obtain the notification that their work has been accepted. Please note that if you cannot attend the conference, there is still a registration fee of $100 for non-attending artists, since registration fees are the primary means by which the conference is funded. Work of non-registered participants will not be exhibited and will not appear in the exhibition website and catalog. Pieces must be displayed for all four days of the exhibition. Late delivery and/or early pick up of pieces disrupts the arrangement of the exhibition and is therefore not possible.
Note that international shipping and travel can be expensive. If you are not familiar with these expenses you should look into them before committing yourself to participating. Non-attending artists will also have to arrange the return of their work after the conference, as Bridges does not provide packing or return shipping.
Please note that the works accepted for the exhibition should be presented in a manner that would be appropriate for a mainstream gallery, with reasonable allowances for the difficulty of shipping and traveling internationally. Two-dimensional pieces should be professionally framed or mounted.
Deadlines
Submissions must be completed between 15 February 2024 and 15 March 2024.
Notification of acceptance will be made via email by 15 April 2024.
If you haven’t received at least one email from us regarding the exhibition by 16 April, then the email address you provided when you created your account is not getting mail from us and you will miss important information.
Requirements and Submission Process
Submissions for the 2024 exhibition will be made at submit.bridgesmathart.org.
Please note: as of 2023, we have completed a major overhaul to our previous submission site. Artists who did not submit in 2023 will need to make a new account on the new site. Use the “Sign up” button on the front page to do this. A valid email address is required for registration, and this email will be used for all future communications regarding your submissions. Be sure to use an email account that you check regularly! After signing up, a confirmation email will be sent and you should follow the link in that email to enable your account.
After creating your account, you be asked to complete an Artist Profile. Here you will enter public-facing information that will appear alongside your published submissions. Note that you may use a different email address here from the one used to set up your account.
Creating and editing your submission
After creating your Artist Profile, click “2024 Bridges Conference,” and then “Add art submission.”
Note that required fields will be marked with an asterisk (*). When you are finished, click “Save and continue.” You can go back and edit your submission at any time up until the submission deadline. Note that in your artist statement and artwork description, you may choose a formatting option, including LaTeX (for formatting mathematics).
Image Requirements
You may submit two pieces this year. Images should be JPEG files with a dimension of at least 1800 pixels and no more than 2400 pixels in the larger direction, RGB format, saved with maximum quality within these constraints. (A thumbnail image will automatically be created from your main image, so there is no longer a need to upload a separate thumbnail image.)
Upon Acceptance and Delivery
Pieces accepted for the exhibition should be either hand-delivered on July 31, or shipped to Virginia Commonwealth University to arrive by July 26. A shipping address will be provided with the acceptance notification. Exhibiting artists are responsible for picking up their work at the end of the conference on August 4. No return shipping will be provided by the conference. While we make every effort to secure the exhibition area, the pieces will not be insured while on display, so the artist assumes all risk for damage or theft.
Schedule
- Submission period: 15 February–15 March 2024
- Notification: 15 April 2024
Contact
If you have any questions regarding the art exhibition, please contact the chairs at artsubmissions@bridgesmathart.org.