PROJECT MONARCH
Vision
The goal of this project is to create a collaboration between printmakers to raise awareness towards immigration, transformation, and generational change through the unique perspective of each participant. The project aims to offer a meaningful experience that transcends culture, borders, religion, and ethnicity, benefiting everyone involved and enriching our collective understanding of one another. To reach this goal, the project aims to utilize the metaphorical use of the Monarch butterfly as subject matter.
To give more context, I incorporated some information about Monarch butterflies and their journey:
The Monarch butterfly migration is the most extensive and intricate migration documented in the world. It begins in a small town in southern Mexico and travels all the way to northern U.S. and Canada. Monarchs can cover over 5,000 km, following the bloom of milkweed, a plant vital for their survival. Milkweed is the only plant on which Monarchs lay their eggs, and from which their offspring feed from. Ultimately the caterpillar will grow to the point of reaching maturity and transforming into a Monarch butterfly. It is important to highlight the journey of the Monarch butterfly, which spans between 4 to 5 generations, with each generation flying, mating, laying eggs, dying, and passing on the migration baton to the next. So not all Monarchs reach the destination but rather their offspring will.
The project aims to draw parallels between the Monarch extensive migration and generational change, to the to the similar journey of immigrants and their families, Personal transformation, generational experiences or simply your love and admiration for Monarch Butterflies!
For example: I am an immigrant, and I often think back to the sacrifice my parents did by bringing me and my sibling to the U.S. to receive a better education and better opportunities. I want the participants of this project to be able to share their individual stories. And create a unique installation that can share beautiful messages of hope and resilience regardless of your personal background.
Collaboration
I am asking printmakers to collaborate in an art installation and provide 5 identical hand-pulled prints of your unique monarch butterfly designs. The printed butterflies will be pitched to multiple galleries as a collaborative art installation, the project will be pitched regionally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and eventually nationally. Each display will feature hundreds of butterflies symbolizing the embarking of new and existing journeys and celebrate the diverse group of participants.
Submission Guidelines
Participation is free, you are only required to mail prints in a standard envelope.
ACCEPTED MEDIA: Any traditional, printmaking process: Relief, Intaglio, Lithography, Serigraphy/Silkscreen, Collagraph, Monotypes, Letterpress, etc. Digital Printmaking is acceptable only if combined with a traditional printmaking process. For Non-Printmakers (Color Pencils, Watercolor, Graphite)
No size limitation, the prints can be as big or small as you like. Cut out template is up to you as well, Butterflies should be as unique as you can make them!
Provide 5 identical hand-pulled prints of your unique monarch butterfly designs.
Along with a small paragraph of your personal experience dealing with: Immigration, transformation, generational change or your love for Monarch Butterflies. (these materials will be paired with the installation for viewers to experience the impact of the collaboration, and share the unique experiences of everyone involved in the project).
Deadline to Submit: April 20th
Please mail your butterflies by the due date.
All materials can be mailed to:
PAUL ACEVEDO GOMEZ
1211 S FLORENCE PL, TULSA, OK 74104
