Sumac Cottage and Black Belt Workshop seek submissions for “plumage,” a thematic exhibition in conjunction with the 6th Annual Black Belt Birding Festival.

Feathers have seemingly endless uses in the natural world—insulation, flight, and both camouflaging or calling attention. For humans, they are used as writing instruments, bedding, fashion, and ritual uses. for this show, artists are asked to reflect expansively on feathers and plumage, from any perspective—their shapes, their functions, their materials, their possibilities. what would flight offer you? What do you flaunt or hide?

All media are encouraged to apply. The cottage is a unique display environment that offers conventional wall display but also mantels, timber ceiling rafters and high ceilings that can be suspended from, along with exterior space for outdoor sculpture and installations. There is limited wall space, so work is often hung in close proximity or salon-style in parts of the gallery. Proposals for site-specific, outdoor installations are highly encouraged as well.

Accepted works will be on view at the cottage beginning during Alabama Audubon’s 6th Annual Black Belt Birding Festival, on August 1. The work will remain on public display on Saturdays from 11-3 and by appointment until August 21. You are encouraged to have your work for sale, and those will be at a 60/40 commission split.

Please note that not we will not be able to accept all works. Submissions close on 7/3 and notifications will be sent out the week of 7/10.

We ask for an optional submission fee of $15 to help cover gallery expenses. You can pay this via venmo @blackbeltworkshop, by visiting venmo.com/u/blackbeltworkshop, or by scanning the qR code. If you prefer to use a card you can do that by adding the item below to your cart and checking out.

You can read a few brief interviews with artists who participated in last year’s juried show, nests, over on our journal. we’ll do artist interviews again this year!