Contemporary Art:  Folklore, Fakelore, Personal Myths & Narratives

OPEN CALL Museum Exhibition: link to propectus
Last day to enter Open Call: 9/24/23

The Artist Mentor Project sponsored by the Negri Foundation invites artists of contemporary arts and fine crafts to submit their most compelling narrative work to be exhibited at the Bonita Museum and Cultural Center in southern San Diego, CA during November, 2023.

Narrative art is a powerful means to explore and express aspects of the human condition. A well-crafted narrative can transport us to another time and place, entertain, educate, and inspire or help us to view the world in a new way, reminding us of our shared humanity and the beauty of the world around us.

Suggested themes are Folklore, Fakelore or Personal Myth. It is open to interpretation.  It may include realism, abstraction or a hybrid.

Suggestions:  Artwork may be obvious or unclear, fanciful or serious, conceptual or an interpretation.  It may describe personal, cultural or invented story; it may be conceived through a personal or a cultural event, folklore, fakelore or myth. You may describe an actual historical event or an imagined continuation of such an event or tradition.

Other possible areas for inspiration:  Popular beliefs, folk religion, material culture, vernacular language, sayings, proverbs, nursery rhymes, children’s folklore, folk medicine, plantlore or weather lore.

AMP is very honored to present PATRICK ELA as juror.

JUROR:  PATRICK ELA

PATRICK ELA is a former museum director, public art consultant, and appraiser of fine art accredited by the American Society of Appraisers.

MR. PATRICK ELA began his impressive career in his early 20’s.  First working s curator for the innovative Los Angeles based lithographic/printmaking publishing house, GEMINI, where he was   personally worked alongside “invited artists” such as Jasper Johns, Claes Oldenburg, Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg.  These “artist invitations” to work at GEMINI directly in process alongside Ela and staff were eagerly sought after.  Many of these artists became personal friends of his.

After he left GEMINI, he became an Educator for LACMA.

Next he become the Director of Los Angeles’ CAFAM (Craft and Folk Art Museum, currently Los Angeles Craft Contemporary) for 25 years where he curated many exhibitions among other responsibilities.

Since retiring he is currently Personal Property Governor for the American Society of Appraisers.

Museum associate for the exhibition: Lisa Bebi

RECEPTION:  Saturday, November 11, 4:30 pm – 6:30 p.m.
EXHIBITION DATES: NOV. 4 – DEC. 2, 2023