CONTACT 34 GALLERY

The 34 Gallery aims to channel the power of art to explore monthly mental health themes through art therapy. Your participation is a form of mental health advocacy that also brings global attention to these conditions.

•  This month, we are particularly interested in works by artists utilizing this art therapy open call to address: Schizophrenia, Auditory Conditions, Larynx & Esophageal Disorders, Mutism, PTSD, Trauma Recovery, & Imposter Syndrome.

Our September Open Call, “Voices” has been created by 34 Gallery staff to channel the power of art to explore mental health through art therapy. 

Themes: As artists, we know our unique voice shapes the tone of our creative work. But what happens when a mental, physical or situational blockage affects our ability to be heard?  This month, we ask you to channel your energy into providing support for others navigating silence in a world of noise.

Each of the conditions covered in this Open Call takes a toll on human life:

• Schizophrenia is the third leading cause of disability worldwide
• About 20% of people with schizophrenia attempt suicide at least once. An estimated 5 - 13% are successful.
• A Swedish study found that severe tinnitus raised the risk of suicide in women by about 10%.
• Attempted suicide rates among deaf school and college students can be up to 30% after graduation.
• Selective Mutism has a direct correlation with autism, anxiety, and/or depression leading to suicidal ideation.
• Maladaptive Perfectionism & Imposter Syndrome lead to high rates of suicide and suicidal ideation among professionals employed in the healthcare, legal, technological, and creative industries. 
• Musicians have the highest suicide rate of any professionals with careers in The Arts. 

For 2026, Artists are invited to explore what "Voices” mean. Delve into and express the feeling of hearing what isn't real. Explore the ways career pressure has led to silent burnout. Seek out the words you needed to say as a youth. Authenticate the experience of being deaf and mute in a world that carelessly shouts. Remind us why our voice is also our strength. Show us what "Voices" mean to you.

Please Note: 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 mental health struggles. Your artistic advocacy with us can and will make a difference!

Requirements: Open Medium. Fine Art, Poetry, Audiovisual, Short Film & A.I. Artwork Accepted. Submit up to 3 artworks or poems by August 28th. 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 on your experience of recovery from a mental health crisis, a trauma situation, or substance abuse. Describe the “aha” moment that made you realize you needed to change. 

Selected artists will be notified by September 10th.

• 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,  or .PDF for poetry.

34 Gallery proudly announces "Film Noir," an international open call challenging artists to explore the pervasive, dramatic, and often mysterious elements of Film Noir within their own lives and observations. This call for submissions invites creators worldwide to deconstruct and re-envision the iconic aesthetic and mood of Film Noir, applying its techniques to personal narratives and societal influences.

This isn't just about recreating a vintage style; it's about using the *technique* of Film Noir as a lens to understand and express the deeper currents of human existence and societal undercurrents, providing a fresh perspective on contemporary life through an evocative, timeless framework. It's an invitation to see the extraordinary in the seemingly ordinary, to find the dramatic thriller within our daily routines.

Theme:  "Film Noir" at its core explores the inherent mysteriousness within our lives and the subtle yet powerful influences of society. 34 Gallery challenges artists to ponder: 

• How do parts of your life coalesce into a film noir scene? 
• Why do certain events resonate with the dramatic tension and psychological depth characteristic of film noir?

The concept delves into Film Noir techniques, from Chiaroscuro's ability to highlight hidden motives or foreshadow future events through a simple object like a flower vase, to the use of striking colors in color film noir to emphasize character. The imagery of half-opened blinds, simultaneously hiding and observing, mirrors how our minds can slow time, transforming mundane moments into cinematic scenes. 

Artists are encouraged to explore events marked by mystery, heightened through Film Noir techniques, and the subsequent relief, expressed through these very same visual elements. Submissions should reflect:

• How life inherently brings about a sense of mystery.
• The dramatic nuances of shadow and light during a significant event.
• Feelings of solemnness that often follow life's pivotal moments.
• The power of a single, highlighted item to dramatically alter a scene's meaning.

• Light and Shadow: How Chiaroscuro dramatically portrays life events.
• Mysteriousness and Subliminal: Highlighting the mystery within subliminal messages encountered in life.
• Blinds and Sunlight: The symbolic dichotomy of blinds hiding suspicion versus sunlight exposing truth.
• Release and Relief: Depicting the shedding of stress and the accompanying sense of relief through the manipulation of shadows.

Traditional Interpretations:

• Walking through a city and observing people.
• Overhearing an argument in a café.
• Looking through house blinds.
• Noting the interplay of streetlights and the night sky.

Outside the Box Concepts:

• Depicting time slowing during a critical life event.
• A sci-fi narrative on an alien world, infused with a real memory.
• The life cycle of a flower from bloom to death, rendered through Chiaroscuro and sunlight movement.
• Bringing a striking scene from a formative book to life.

Traditional, digital, AI-assisted, mixed media, and experimental approaches are all welcome. 

Submit your work between August 1st & August 31 , 2026.

Create or Complete Your Webbie Social Profile:

1. 🌐 Visit webbiesocial.com
2. 🖼️ Add a profile photo.
3. 📝 Write a short artist bio.

Submit to the Open Call:

1. ➕ Click Add New Content.
2. 📂 Select Post Type: Open Calls.
3. 🏷️ Choose "Noir"
4. 📤 Upload your submission and hit Submit.

• 🏆 Be featured in The 34 Gallery’s official digital showcase hosted on Webbie Social.
• 🌍 Gain visibility across Webbie Social’s creator network and partner media.
• 💎 Be featured on The 34 Gallery website and social media.

• Selected artists will be notified by September 10th. 
• Technique for this call : Open Medium. Fine Art, Photography, Audiovisual & A.I. Artwork Accepted. 
• 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.