Community Call for Art by Immigrants of all Backgrounds and Geographies

Community Call for Art by Immigrants of all Backgrounds and Geographies
As part of a larger exhibition related to immigration, we invite immigrants of all ages, backgrounds, and geographies to submit one visual artwork that expresses or documents your personal experience with immigration. We aim for this exhibition to include as many artistic voices of creative people who are currently living and working in the Rochester area (living and/or working in Monroe, Orleans, Niagara, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario and Wayne Counties). Artwork may be any artistic medium or craft. We encourage personal testimony, memory, anger, critique, repair, celebration, and imagination.
Working from personal narrative and lived experience possible prompts include:
- Stories of arrival, hope, aspirations, belonging, loss, escape, or resilience
- Encounters with systems that criminalize and exclude; or welcome and support immigrants
- Family histories, cultural inheritance, and everyday rituals
- Responses to border politics, detention, or racialized policing
- While most submissions will derive from the first person experiences of the immigrant, we also welcome submissions made as a collaboration between immigrants and non-immigrants.
The topic of immigration is particularly fraught, politicized, and weaponized today, yet we understand that for many people their immigration was very positive and we want to include the full spectrum of experiences.

One piece per artist. Maximum dimensions: 24” x 24”. All ages, backgrounds, abilities, and artistic media are encouraged. Artworks should be ready to hang. Artworks may also be submitted anonymously. Please contact us if you have any questions about your artwork or need to make special arrangements.

All eligible entries will be displayed, HOWEVER we still require artists to submit an image of their artwork so we can plan for the installation.
Timeline:

Submit your artwork by September 1

Artwork Drop-off: September 11, 12-6pm and September 12, 12-5pm

Exhibition Dates: October 2-November 14, 2026

Opening Reception: First Friday, October 2
Artist Information
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Community Call for Art by Immigrants of all Backgrounds and Geographies

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