June Open Call: "Home"

The 34 Gallery invites artists to join our creative community to help reduce global rates of suicide, depression, PTSD and other mental health issues among youth and adults. This month, we are particularly interested in works related to stress, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by economic hardship and/or a lack of personal safe spaces.

Our June Open Call, “Home," has been created by our 34 Gallery Team to generate discussion on positive safe spaces where we feel authentically ourselves. Previous Winners can be found on the Open Calls Page. Our initiative aims to channel the power of art to explore monthly mental health themes through art therapy.  

• Economic Hardship is the leading cause of home instability, domestic violence & child abuse.
• Many individuals experiencing these issues often do not seek psychological help in any capacity.

Themes: We ask artists to explore the connection between home, consciousness and subconsciousness. We invite you to depict the wonder of home life (during childhood & as an adult), reclaiming your physical space after trauma, and/or the place where you feel the most yourself. Your work should reflect the haven that gives you strength to recharge during challenging times. Share your vision of Home with us!

Additional theme suggestions: Coping with a difficult home life as a child, dealing with financial distress as an adult, and/or managing PTSD from domestic violence. 

Remember: Artists create Golden Ages. Join us in starting one! Let's remind humanity to embrace the light of who we are. Your artistic advocacy with us can and will make a difference. As a Mental Health Art Gallery, we are asking Creatives to mobilize to help save lives at this time. Someone seeing your work can be inspired to keep going with hope and resilience despite their struggles.

Email up to 3 artworks or poems by May 30th to submissions@34Gallery.org. Include the following questions in your cover letter:

• Your artist name, artwork titles, and website/social media links. 
• 1 - 2 paragraphs describing the creative process regarding your work & how it fits with the Open Call Theme.
• 1 - 2 paragraphs describing overcoming or dealing with economic hardship, a difficult home life or how your home life has been a source of strength for you.

Selected artists will be notified by June 10th.

The technique for this call:

Open Medium. Audiovisual & A.I. Artwork Accepted.

File Type: .MP4

• Be advised that this open call also includes a global youth & adult audience.
• Works that are sexually graphic and/or advocate violence (self or others), discrimination, or hatred (societal/gender/religious/cultural) of any kind will be disqualified.
• Technique for this call is open but not limited to: Open Medium. Poetry, Audiovisual & A.I. Artwork Accepted. 
• File Type: .MP4, .JPG, .PNG --File Size: Up to 100 MB for art & audiovisual submissions; Word, Google Docs, .PDF for poetry.

The 34 Gallery invites artists to join our creative community to help reduce global rates of suicide, depression, PTSD and other mental health issues among youth and adults. Previous Open Call Winners can be found on the Open Calls Page.

Our Open Call theme is "Heroes" created by 34 Gallery Art Advisor Lawrence W. Lee. 

Themes: Sometimes, we all need a hero. We may need someone to protect us while we seek to understand a changing world and our place within it. It could be that you need to envision the heroism of a fictional character to stand between you and your challenges.Perhaps a loved one in your life embodies these traits, such as the Grandmother Heroes of Zimbabwe. Maybe you need to be someone else’s hero. And if all else fails, you may have needed to be Your Own Hero. We ask artists to use your skills to depict the heroes, mentors & internal personas within your personal journey that have made life worth living. 

Additional theme suggestions: Creative depictions of overcoming challenges, fears, and hardships; describing the person you aspire to be and/or your future self; and remembrances of loved ones and mentors who are no longer with us, but made a lasting impact on your life. 

• Artists must have a HUG Account. 
• Eligible artists on the platform must have an actively used .ART domain. 
• If you are unable to attain a .ART domain, submit directly:  submissions@34Gallery.org

Artwork should focus on themes related to personal heroes and/or mentors. Avoid excessively graphic or disturbing imagery that could be unsuitable for our diverse global audience.

The technique for this call: Open Medium. Audiovisual & A.I. Artwork Accepted.

File Type:  .MP4, .JPG, .PNG --File Size: Up to 100 MB 

• Be advised that this open call also includes a global youth & adult audience.
• Works that are sexually graphic and/or advocate violence (self or others), discrimination, or hatred (societal/gender/religious/cultural) of any kind will be disqualified.